Mark Kanemura

Mark Kanemura
Season	Season 4
Birthday	September 17, 1983
Age	41
Hometown	Honolulu, Hawaii
So You Think You Can Dance Profile
Age during Season	24
Dance style	Jazz
Partner(s)	Chelsie Hightower Kherington Payne Comfort Fedoke Courtney Galiano
Placement	Top 6
All-Star Profile

Mark Kenneth Ioane Kanemura (born September 17, 1983) is a Jazz dancer. He competed during the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance and he placed in the Top 6.

Biography

Kanemura's sister taught him his first dance moves. At 13, Mark enrolled in classical dance classes and went into musical theatre, landing a role in Grease, choreographed by Marcelo Pacleb, the man behind 24-7 Danceforce Productions. At 14, Mark was offered a job with 24-7 Danceforce (located in Honolulu, Hawai'i ) to teach dance classes in exchange for dance lessons of his own. He trained in ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, funk, and hip-hop. In Hawaii, Mark participated in The Nutcracker and even assisted in choreographing the Miss Hawaii Scholarship Pageant. Mark has traveled to California and New York, and even Japan, dancing and winning competitions worldwide.

So You Think You Can Dance

To see all of Mark Kanemura's performances from Season 4, click here.

Post-SYTYCD

On July 30, 2009, Kanemura returned to So You Think You Can Dance with his former partner Chelsie Hightower to perform their Emmy nominated piece, "Bleeding Love".

Mark returned as an "All-Star" on SYTYCD Season 7 and in Season 10, he came back as an "All-Star" and choreographer.

Since SYTYCD, Mark has made an appearance in Lil Mama's music video "Truly in Love". On September 13, 2009, Kanemura appeared on the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in Lady GaGa's performance of "Paparazzi". Then on September 20, Mark appeared on the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards performing to a choreographed number by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo. Mark is also a dancer on Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour and can be seen in a few Lady Gaga's music videos, such as "Telephone", as well as Janet Jackson's "Make Me" Music Video.

Media

Gallery