What are your New Year’s resolutions? Attending an upcoming performance put on by the Ishida Dance Company, with all proceeds from ticket sales fund future performances and their mission as a nonprofit to serve marginalized and at-risk communities in the Austin area, could be a good way to include “giving back” in your resolutions. Ishida Dance Company plans to launch their first performance, “Beginnings/αρχή,” with an incredible cast of professional dancers from companies across the United States. This event takes place at the Long Center on January 3rd and 4th at 7:30 PM, with a complimentary buffet of snack bites from some of Austin’s finest restaurants prior to the performance at 8:30 PM.
Brett Ishida founded Ishida Dance Company in 2019 after realizing that her passion for dance and teaching underprivileged youth formed a powerful niche that she wanted to expand upon. Ishida came from humble beginnings in a California valley town, earned scholarships for dance at age 15, and went on to study at the renowned School of American Ballet in New York City. After leading a full, professional dance career in her prime, she returned to school to study English, Educational Administration, and Montessori Education. Through Ishida Dance Company, Ms. Ishida hopes to share the expressive power of dance with marginalized and at-risk communities via workshops and improv sessions, while simultaneously addressing universal themes such as trauma, fear, belonging, loss and love through her choreography.
Ishida Dance Company has already hosted improvisation and movement workshops at St. Edward’s University with Con Mi Madre, at the ARC of the Capital Area, the Mary Lee Foundation, and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. With the funds received through ticket sales, Ms. Ishida strives to broaden Ishida Dance Company’s reach and leave a resounding impact on Austin’s diverse, though often marginalized, populations. As a yonsei (fourth generation) Japanese American, Ms. Ishida understands the importance of celebrating otherness in an ever-diversifying society.
“Beginnings/αρχή” will feature contemporary dance, which combines experimental and expressive elements from classical ballet with theatrical more contemporary movement. Through her choreography of these contemporary pieces, Ms. Ishida strives to tell immersive stories, with characters and dreamscapes that draw in her audience and prompt them to reflect on their perceptions of selfhood and society. In Ms. Ishida’s stories, movement and expression form the dialogue from which onlookers will derive meaning.
Whether you’re a fan of all things dance or simply curious about the arts, I encourage you to check out this event for yourself! Students can use the code “Gift20” to save $20 off tickets on Friday night only. Plus, VIP ticket holders will also have access to complimentary desserts and meet the dancers following the performance.
For more information about Ishida Dance Company, visit https://www.ishidadance.org/
Tickets for Beginnings/αρχή can be purchased at https://thelongcenter.org/events-and-tickets/ishida-dance-company-beginning-%ce%b1%cf%81%cf%87%ce%ae/
Featured image courtesy of Ishida Dance Company.