Creative Minds at Uptown – An Evening of Japanese-inspired Ballet, Music & Voice

 

2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the City of Chiba and The City of Houston as Sister Cities. Honoring this occasion, Uptown Dance Company (UDC) partners with Creative Minds Collaborative (CMC) for an evening of dance and music, featuring performers from UDC, CMC, Houston Ballet, Axiom Quartet, and University of Houston’s Moores School of Music.

CMC presents selections from “TSURU,” a ballet conceived by CMC Founder Nao Kusuzaki. This original ballet is an arrangement of a traditional Japanese folktale, “Tsuru no Ongaeshi (The Cranewife).” Chiba-born dancer Kenta Kojiri choreographed the work in collaboration with Ms. Kusuzaki and Asia Society, for its premiere at Asia Society Texas Center on June 27, 2015.

Complementing the themes of “TSURU,” UDC Artistic Director Beth Gulledge-Brown creates a world premiere inspired by a set of Japanese art songs for classical voice and piano, with music that has just recently been collected and published in the United States. Utilizing dancers from both UDC and CMC, the new co-creation highlights themes in the Haiku poetry of the songs which deal with wildlife and landscapes.

Following the performances there will be question and answer sessions, giving the audience a chance to hear from choreographers, musicians, and dancers involved in the creation of these works.

In addition to UDC and CMC artists, the performances feature Houston Ballet’s first Japanese male Principal Dancer Charles-Louis Yoshiyama, cellist Patrick Moore from Houston’s Axiom Quartet, and musicians from University of Houston’s Moores School of Music.

WHEN:
April 23, 2017 (Sunday)
2:00pm / 6:00pm

WHERE:
Uptown Dance Centre
7417 Shadyvilla Ln, Houston, TX 77055

TICKETS:

$30 General Admission
$25 Seniors (65+)
$15 College Students with ID / UDC Students