ISHIDA presents dream of black you come roaming based on an original poetic narrative by Artistic Director Brett Ishida with music by Max Richter and Hildur Gudnadóttir. This world premiere contemporary dance theatre performance focuses on the unraveling of one couple’s relationship and their doppelgängers. These replicas represent archetypes and shadow sides of the couple's personalities which enabled the couple to fall in love initially but will ultimately tear them apart.
The work is set in a timeless, intimate domestic setting with projected large-scale images from one of the most influential filmmakers in history Andrei Tarkovsky. These evocative images complement the surreal narrative to transport the audience further into the psyche of the couple. Fragmented memories of the couple's past attachments are later revealed demonstrating how fundamental these relationships are in shaping our unconscious default system where patterns repeat themselves with those we cherish and love most.
ISHIDA is a new world-class contemporary dance company for Texas featuring nationally venerated dancers (from Ballet BC, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Complexions, USC Kaufman) in works that celebrate the beauty and physicality of the human form blending contemporary dance with theatrical elements. Our company presents unique creations that are relevant to a modern audience inviting existential questions: Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?
Artistic Director Brett Ishida is a fourth generation Japanese American—Yonsei—she grew up on a citrus ranch in California’s Central Valley. Brett’s love for dance inspired her to move away from home at age fifteen when she received a full scholarship to the Kirov Academy and later to the School of American Ballet. She then danced with Boston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, where she debuted her first choreographic work on the company, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montréal where she toured around the world. At Les Grands Ballets, she collaborated in new creations with choreographers and performed principal and soloist roles in repertoire by Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Ohad Naharin and Didy Veldman, among others.
Brett launched Ishida Dance Company in the Spring of 2019 to fulfill her dream of a world-class contemporary dance company headquartered in Texas.
Educational Outreach
Beyond our public performances, ISHIDA provides dance improvisation workshops that serve diverse and differently abled adults and at-risk youth in the community. ISHIDA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and partners with The ARC of the Capital Area, Con Mi Madre, The Mary Lee Foundation, and Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. These workshops promote introspection, body-awareness, coordination, and self-esteem, helping facilitate non-verbal means of communication and self-expression with others encouraging acceptance and empathy. This educational outreach often provides the sole opportunity for many diverse youth and adult populations to experience the magical and life-giving impact of dance.