Miki Orihara, born in 1960, is best known as a principal dancer in the Martha Graham Dance Company, which she joined in 1987. She received a Bessie Award in 2010 and has performed on Broadway in "The King and I", and with Elisa Monte, PierGroupDance, Lotuslotus, Rioult Dance, Twyla Tharp, Martha Clarke, Anne Bogart (SITI Company) and Robert Wilson.

Orihara has taught globally – in Japan, Russia, the U.S., the Netherlands, and France – and is on the faculty at the Graham School and The Hartt School. She has set Graham’s works internationally, including for Diana Vashineva’s "Dialogue" and on Wendy Whelan of the New York City Ballet. She co-created Martha Graham technique DVDs (Levels 1 & 2), with a third coming in 2026.

As a choreographer, Orihara’s work has been shown in New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Japan. Her solo "Searching Dimensions" premiered in 1995, followed by "VOICE" (2001), "Stage" (2008), "Prologue" (2014), and "Shirabyoshi" (2017). Her solo series "RESONANCE-共鳴" (2014, 2017, 2019) presents works by modern dance pioneers alongside new creations.

She is Dance Director for mishmash＊Miki Orihara, movement designer for Jen Silverman’s "Crane Story" and choreographed Anne Bogart’s "Beautiful Lady" (2023). She produced the benefit concert "Dancing for JAPAN" (2014, 2017) and founded the NuVu Festival NYC in 2017.

Her film "Broken Memory" was featured at Dance on Camera Festival in New York (2017). With Stephen Pier, she created the dance films "Conversations" and "Ceci C’est Pas Un Jouet", filmed by Gene Gort.

She performed in "Peace is..." (2017, 2018) at the United Nations as a part of the Permanent Mission of Japan.

Miki Orihara is member of the Dance On Ensemble since 2019.