Part of the Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance

As part of our new Dance Encounters series, choreographer Benjamin Akio Kimitch (2026 Creative Capital Awardee) dreams beyond the mantra of East-meets-West. Inspired by his formative training in Chinese dance and intimate encounters with Peking opera, Kimitch creates a dance work that honors his late mother, a dancer. He has welcomed a group of creative collaborators into his cosmic, sunrise-colored search for authentic personal expression, using warrior elements of Peking opera as a transformative source of beauty and strength—restaged for an unforgettable outdoor experience. The work features music by Clarie M Singer and costumes by Carlos Soto; performed by Pareena Lim, Julie McMillan Castellano, and Lai Yi Ohlsen.