Yuka Kawazu's Danse En L'Air Presents DREAMS An Evening Of Dance, Music, And Artworks

Yuka Kawazu's Danse En L'Air brings "Dreams," an evening of original dances and celebration of Danse En L'air's 11th anniversary, to the KnJ Theater in Peridance Center (126 E 13th St, New York, New York 10003) on Saturday, October 26 at 8pm.

The program offers a mix of solos, duets, and ensemble theatrical ballet, contemporary, ballroom, Latin, Aerial dance, and Argentine tango choreographed by Kawazu, Zachary Bordonaro, Kyla Ranney, Chaney Briggs, Nijawwon K. Matthews, Anton Domansky & Ruth Hernandez Aravena, and Krisi Dalipi & Adela Lami. The evening of dance is enhanced by digital projections of artworks by Andrea Shapiro and Melissa Kraft, and also features live music from talented Japanese singer Hiroko Yonekura and Australian singer Eloise Mueller.

Dancers include Zachary Bordonaro, Chaney Briggs, Lauren Carmen, Krisi Dalipi, Dimitri Hector, Ruth Hernandez Aravena, Anton Domansky, Hanna Oldsman, Victor Temple, Colby Treat, Teryn Trent, Adela Lami, Kevin Ortiz Lemus, Kyla Ranney, Gabi Legaspi, Kyra Lin, Serena Lu, Flora McLeod, Chauncey Pauley, Meghan Schardt, Rinor Zymberi, Nijawwon K. Matthews, and Yuka Kawazu.

General admission tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dreams-tickets-1017079089937.

Danse En L'Air is a vibrant, dynamic ballet company based in New York City. Under the guidance of Artistic Director Yuka Kawazu, the ensemble's choreographic vision blends the tradition and purity of classical ballet technique with the expressiveness and immediacy of theater dance, presenting work that is refreshing, inviting, and compelling to all audiences. Kawazu's dances are inspired by her international perspective, the diversity of life in New York City, and the many fellow artists she has met throughout her life. Each piece evinces its own distinctive flavor, and is brought to life by the unique personalities of the dancers, who come from all over the world and have performed with numerous renowned companies.

Yuka Kawazu (Artistic Director, Co-Producer) hails from Kanagawa, Japan. Her choreography has been shown by various presenters - including the Ailey Extension, Ballet Arts in New York City Center, Broadway Dance Center, Irene Mou's Friday Night Fever, New Dance Group, New Jersey Dance Theater Project, PMT Dance, and Dance Molinari - at venues such as the Ailey Citigroup Theater, The Duplex and Triad Theaters, Symphony Space, the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, Peridance and Ballet Arts in New York City Center Studios. Currently, she teaches ballet at New York City's Peridance Center, Broadway Dance Center, the Ailey Extension, Danznik and Ballet Arts. She is also a guest professor at Showa Music University in Japan. Her students have gone on to join Broadway productions and international dance companies. As a performer, she appeared with ballet companies throughout the United States in principal and soloist roles, later becoming ballet mistress for Staten Island Ballet. For more on Kawazu and Danse En L'Air, visit facebook.com and Instagram: Yuka Kawazu's Danse En L'Air

Andrea Shapiro (Co-Producer, Artist) has been a Broadway and Off-Broadway Producer, and is a winner of three OBIE awards. She has been a painter and member of the Art Students League for 16 years. Now producing for Yuka Kawazu's Danse En L'Air.

Melissa Kraft (Artist) has exhibited her work throughout the USA, and in Canada, Poland, Ukraine and Greece. Her work is in the collections of the NYC Dept. of Ed., The Legal Aid Society in NY, The EarlyWorks Children's Museum, Galeria Labirynt, and the Copelouzos Family Art Museum. She was Natl. Assoc, of Women Artists Artist of the Month, and her work has won awards from Mills Pond Gallery, Prisma Art Prize, Valley Arts Gallery, Columbia University Medical Center Fine Arts, Ciao Gallery, and Artists Wanted. She was selected to participate in residencies in Poland, Ukraine and Canada, and is one of 22 International Artists selected for a traveling exhibition dedicated to the relationships that contemporary artists form with nature. Melissa completed her MA in Art and Art Education at Columbia University/Teachers College, where she was awarded the Painting Studio Assistantship, and was the recipient of the President's Award for Community and Diversity. www.melissakraft.com