Take Dance Presents The Premiere Of IN THE SEA OF HEAVEN

TAKE Dance, the New York City-based contemporary dance company l;ed by Artistic Director/Founder Takehiro Ueyama, presents In the Sea of Heaven, an evening of works by Ueyama and renowned choreographer/master teacher Kazuko Hirabayashi (1933-2016), June 5-8 at 7 PM at The Flea, 20 Thomas Street. The TAKE dancers are a splendid ensemble, with credits that include the companies of Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Jacqulyn Buglisi and Sean Curran.

The program's centerpiece is the New York premiere of In the Sea of Heaven, danced to live music performed by award-winning Japanese musician and composer Kato Hideki. Inspired by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devasted Japan, as well as the 2017 hurricanes Harvey and Irma, it's a fairytale that pays tribute to the victims who are transformed into angels.

Another New York premiere, The Game 2, is a second incarnation of the men's quartet, The Game, from the full evening length work Salaryman. What happens when women join the workforce? How do their interpersonal relationships, dreams, desires and competitive nature to survive and get ahead, reveal themselves? With gestures from the everyday lifestyle of the worker, these women fight their way to the top at any cost. There is no room for female sensitivities or sweet pleasantries - this is all about the BIG WIN.

With the revival of Kazuko Hirabayashi's Les Reves D'apres Midi, music by Debussy, the Company honors Ms. Hirabayashi and her work. Her artistry and mentorship with Ueyama and Jill Echo, on whom the work was choreographed in 2004, has spanned 30 years. The duet is a classical modern reverie based on an office romance between a boss and his secretary. As he dreams at his desk,his secretary becomes his object of desire, but only for a moment before they return to their mundane everyday existence, while the memory lingers on. Working outside of her usual style, Hirabayashi created a duet that is timeless in its beauty and humanity.
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