SPHERE Will Be Performed Next Month By The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Department of Theatre and Dance and Kennedy Theatre

The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Department of Theatre and Dance and Kennedy Theatre are proud to present Sphere, this season's Mainstage dance concert co-directed by UHM Dance faculty members 高沛齡 (Peiling Kao) and Kara Jhalak Miller. Sphere features a constellation of diverse choreographies created by celebrated local guest choreographers as well as UHM faculty members in a wide range of dance genres. The production will be streamed online November 19th and 20th at 7:30 p.m. and November 21st at 2:00 p.m. Special Streaming Ticket prices range from $5-$15.

Co-director Kao says, "Sphere's content is centered on diversifying dance practices beyond western focus by empowering Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders' dance genres and their practitioners." One of UHM's newest dance program faculty members, J. Lorenzo Perillo, will debut new Hip-Hop choreography in a piece entitled, Pasok. Perillo considers the work, "a tribute to FilCom CARES and Filipinx labor amidst COVID." Pasok showcases nine dancers who embody the work, care, and struggles of those on the health care front lines during the pandemic. Choreographer Yukie Shiroma's dance The Arc: Remembering Betty is inspired by her modern dance training with Betty Jones, who was a principal dancer of José Limón Dance Company. Shiroma notes, "The core of Limón technique came from his teacher, Doris Humphrey, who explored the nuances of the human body's responses to gravity. Embodied in her ideas of fall and recovery, she called all movement 'the arc between two deaths.'" With cello and taiko drum music composed by Eugene Friesen, Shiroma blends Modern and Okinawan dance styles together in this meditative and hopeful piece. Other featured choreographers include Sai Bhatawadekar, Amy Schiffner, Peter Rockford Espiritu, and Vicky Holt Takamine along with new works choreographed by Sphere co-directors Peiling Kao and Kara Jhalak Miller. According to Miller, "Sphere is about holding our awareness in our realms of embodiment."

When asked about choreographing and rehearsing under the restraints of COVID restrictions Miller replied that the, "unique circumstances shaped the direction and movement choices in the choreography. It also determined the decision to film some performers outside." Perillo mused that it, "obliges us to prioritize safety." While Shiroma added that, "in rehearsals, the energy and joy of dancing together again is palpable and generous!" Kao ended with saying, "In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, while a cultural shift is arising in our program, we hope to present to you an outcome of innovative creation processes, diverse choreographies, and a wide range of dance genres."

For more information about the show visit manoa.hawaii.edu/liveonstage/sphere. Tickets to Sphere are available for purchase online 24/7 at showtix4u.com/events/kennedytheatre. For ticketing or accessibility questions please email the box office at ktbox@hawaii.edu.

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