Nava Dance Theatre weaves bharatanatyam dance, live music, and interactive learning to share the rich immigrant experiences of South Asian women who arrived to the United States as nurses during the 1970s and ’80s. Students will see how community histories can be inspiration for creative exploration, and will be inspired to learn about their own histories and understand that we all have more common ground between us than we realize. Learning Connections: Dance, music, theater, storytelling, improvisation, South Indian culture and history, United States history, immigration/social studies, historical research, social awareness.
 

Seo Jungmin is a Korean artist and composer who pushes the boundaries between traditional and contemporary music with her exceptional skills on the twenty-five-string gayageum. Seo says of her latest work, One, My Utopia! — in which she explores traditional shamanic ritual — “I hope to console you. But I also hope you have fun here in a world you have imagined.” Learning Connections: Music, traditional Korean culture, composition, expression through music, healing and communication through arts.
 

The Sound of (Black) Music is an Afrofuturist reimagining of the songs from the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music. The concert-style performance was created by Electric Root, an arts company dedicated to healing by challenging the way Black music is presented. It offers Rodgers and Hammerstein’s compositions reinterpreted in Black music styles, such as gospel, soul, funk, and Afrobeat. Learning Connections: Music, American music history, African American culture, music theory, emotion identification, music education, Afrofuturism, artistic adaptation, collaboration, healing and communication through arts.
 

Inspired by the classic children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this performance includes the stories of Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, The Very Lonely Firefly, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, all brought to life through vibrant puppets in Eric Carle’s iconic papercut style. Learning Connections: Visual art, storytelling, theater, puppetry, color study, life science
 

Complexions Contemporary Ballet has set out to reinvent concert dance by mixing dance, methods, styles and cultures, seamlessly creating performances that reflect social issues of the modern day. The driving goal is that dance should be about removing boundaries. Complexions seeks to create an open and continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movements of our world. Learning Connections: Dance technique and composition, communication and cultural exploration through dance, social studies, health, physical education, physics.

Three visual art spaces are available to tour, for free, in addition to your performance or as a standalone visit. The University Museum of Contemporary Art, Hampden Gallery and the Augusta Savage Gallery offer a range of rotating exhibitions that address compelling issues of our time by leading regional and international artists. Participatory tours invite engagement and can connect to classroom learning.