Teiko Ito photographs

1930s-1950s

Teiko Ito (1913-1958) was an American-born dancer who performed interpretations of European and Asian classical dances. Born Teiko (sometimes spelled Tai-ko) Winifred Ono in New Jersey to Japanese parents, she spent part of her childhood in Asia. In 1933, in New York, she married Yuji Ito, an opera singer who designed props, scenery, and costumes for her and other productions. Their family included many dancers, performers, and musicians in both Japan and the United States.

Ito toured Asia with her dance company, performing interpretations of traditional dances from various countries including Japan, Korea, China, India, and Spain. In 1941, six months before Pearl Harbor, Ito and her family emigrated from Tokyo to the United States. To avoid forced internment during World War II, Ito used the name Tei Ko (sometimes Tei-Ko) and dropped "Ito." This allowed her to pass as South Korean, and to continue performing across the United States, including at Times Hall and the Museum of Natural History.

Ito had three sons, Teij Ito (1935–1982), a composer for theater and film, Genji Ito (1946-2001), a resident composer at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, and Teimoc Johnston-Ono (1955-), an Olympic judo competitor and instructor. Teiko Ito died in 1958.