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Lifetime of Dance
Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theatre At City Center Studios
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On April 11, 2010 the Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theatre is set to perform six repertoire solos that span the timeline of the group’s 39-year existence. The dance theatre is the artistic vehicle of choreographer and dancer, Kazuko Hirabayashi. Hirabayashi’s work benefits from a unique Japanese-American background, as her choreography blends eastern philosophical and artistic assumptions with modern American dance. The theatre’s stated goal is to “introduce the mainstream modern dance audience to Asian-American aesthetics and sensibilities through the presentation of dance performances.”
The program for the upcoming show at City Center Studios is certainly evident of the theatre’s mission. Among the six solos is a dance based on the Vietnam war set to the music of Jimi Hendrix and Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel; a tale of streetwalking to the music of Kurt Weill; Hibernation themes to the sound of Buddhist chants; a dance to a Beethoven piano sonata, and a dance set to music by Bang on a Can founder, Michael Gordon. Hirabayashi’s tells us that her multicultural flare is not only for the purpose of juxtaposing Asian and western themes, but more so to create a “unique and successful vision of the two.”
The pieces are outstanding moments from the previous 20 years of Ms. Hirabayashi’s career — the earliest piece was first performed in 1979 and the most recent, Light is Calling with Michael Gordon’s music, is premiering a new section on this night. The retrospective is sure to offer a kaleidoscope of multicultural dance and music that highlights the career of a cherished member of New York’s dance community.
The show is at City Center Studios (130 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019), beginning at 8:00, April 4, 2010. Tickets sold at the door: $15 for performance/$30 for performance and reception. For more information, please visit www.nycitycenter.org.