Supported by the 2026 Creative Capital Award, Allegra premieres at New York Live Arts in New York, NY on October 8, 2026. 

Benjamin Akio Kimitch’s (2026 Creative Capital Awardee) Allegra is a fantasy Japanese American court dance inspired by Bugaku, an ancient dance form whose roots stretch across Persia, India, China, Korea, and Japan. The project builds upon Kimitch’s family oral history and years of research in the United States and Japan. 

Allegra confronts U.S.-Japan relations in the postwar era. During this time, numerous Bugaku performances were presented at New York City Ballet, culminating in the creation of George Balanchine’s own Bugaku ballet. Allegra approaches these historically fraught collaborations through a Japanese American lens anchored by the aftermath of the internment camps of World War II. Kimitch and his ensemble, Jessica Cook, Lai Yi Ohlsen, Glenn Potter-Takata, and Nami Yamamoto, bring these collective memories to life on stage. 

Performances will be accompanied by additional programming across New York City.