Japanese choreographer, Kei Takei, last night opened LUMBERYARD’s second annual In The City Festival with a work not previously seen in the United States.
Our guests enjoyed the U.S. premiere of Bamboo Forest and the NYC premiere of Light Part 8, followed by a reception where Takei and members of her dance company, Moving Earth Orient Sphere, mingled with the audience.
This was a rare opportunity for them to learn more about Takei, who has not presented in the U.S. in 17 years.
About Kei Takei
Before moving back to Japan in 1992, Takei had become an “established force in New York dance.”
While she continued performing outside the U.S., Takei’s reputation endured among numerous performance artists who are influenced by her work.
Speaking with the New York Times this week, LUMBERYARD’s executive and artistic director, Adrienne Willis, described how esteemed Takei is:
“We started with Kei,” she told the Times. “I had never seen her work live. I had only studied it or heard about it or worked with people who had been influenced by it, [including the choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar].”
“She always talks about Kei,” Willis told the Times. “There was a moment where we were sitting around and said, ‘What about Kei Takei? I wonder what she’s doing?’ ”
How this year’s Festival came together
With the support of the Consulate General of Japan in New York and the Japan-United States Friendship Commission, we tapped Takei as the ideal performance artist to open its second annual LUMBERYARD In The City Festival which this year highlights the works of female choreographers.
Presenting a new and never-before-seen work drives to the core of LUMBERYARD’s commitment to connect audiences with world-class performance and the artists who create it.
Willis shared her excitement about this year’s festival lineup:
“Over three seasons, we’ve had the privilege of showcasing performances by some of the world’s finest artists, across multiple genres,” she said.
“We’re beyond thrilled to continue in that vein this year, by presenting the works of three dynamic women who have been engaging and challenging audiences for decades with their cutting edge performances.”
Join us
Over three weekends beginning Jan. 25, LUMBERYARD will feature the works of three daring and accomplished female artists.
- Kei Takei’s Moving Earth Orient Sphere perform the US Premiere of Bamboo Forest and the NYC Premiere of Light Part 8, Jan. 25-27
- Robbie McCauley performs the NYC Premiere of Sugar, Feb. 1-3
- Dana Reitz premieres a yet-to-be-named new work Feb 8-10
