MAKOTO HIRANO is a Philadelphia-based choreographer, director, physical-theatre performer, and facilitator of kinetic story-telling. Over the past two decades, his award-winning performance projects have been presented and commissioned internationally from Cairo to Off-Broadway. As a collaborating performer, Hirano has originated over 30 roles over 20 years including projects with Bill Irwin, Pig Iron Theatre Co., Nichole Canuso Dance Co., and Thaddeus Phillips.

Hirano is a founding member and current advisor to the arts collective PAPA (Philly Asian Performing Artists); co-founder of installation art duo Gatto+Hirano; co-founder of Team Sunshine Performance where he is a creator, producer, performer, and choreographer (2018 Barrymore-Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography for ¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! OR WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE!), Creative Director of The Great American Gunshow (2021-present) and the forthcoming Mister Saigon (tba).

From 2007-2014 Hirano was a Facilitator with Philly/Baltimore/South Carolina-based professional development program Artists U, and is currently on faculty at the Pig Iron School. A former U.S. Marine, Hirano earned his BFA in dance at Temple University.