Community Spotlight: Nao Kusuzaki
Sponsored by Comcast
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2024 with our calendar of live events, recommendations, and on-demand content!
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people — and our work to advance cultural exchange is possible in large part thanks to the community partners with whom we've collaborated over the years. Each of these numerous organizations and individuals brings a unique background and area of expertise that, combined with their passion and generosity, help strengthen and enrich our programs, from innovative arts to energetic festivals and camps to lively panel discussions.
Through our Community Spotlights, we're excited to shine a light on some of our partners with whom we've been fortunate to collaborate over the years.
About Nao Kusuzaki
Nao Kusuzaki is a visionary dance artist and great friend of Asia Society Texas. She is the Founder and Executive/Artistic Director of Creative Minds Collaborative, a Houston nonprofit that seeks to cultivate cultural understanding between Houston's diverse communities and their artists, utilizing dance as the main medium. Prior to that, she was a Soloist with the Houston Ballet where she performed iconic roles such as the Sugarplum Fairy and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, and Madame Butterfly in Madame Butterly.
How our partnership began
In 2015, Nao co-created the ballet TSURU, inspired by the Crane Wife folktale, with Asia Society Texas. Two years later, she directed and danced in its revival at Miller Outdoor Theatre.
More recently, Nao was the creator, choreographer, and artistic director for Genji, a passionate and poetic ballet that is a contemporary retelling of the classic Japanese novel The Tale of Genji. The ballet was commissioned by and premiered at Asia Society Texas in March 2023, to a rapturous response.
What we enjoy about partnering with Nao
As a choreographer and dancer, Nao brings grace, drama, and humor to her work, combining both traditional ballet and contemporary styles with a gift for delineating character and emotion through movement. Her work with Asia Society Texas has brought new stories into the traditionally Western ballet canon while showcasing the talents of Japanese and Asian American dancers, musicians, and designers.
Through her work with Creative Minds, Nao is also mentoring the next generation of dancers in Houston and Texas, while being such a selfless and joyful contributor to our community.
What Nao enjoys about partnering with us
Reflecting on her experiences working with us, Nao says, “I have been involved as choreographer and creator in commissions by Asia Society Texas, and throughout the entire process, I have felt an overwhelming amount of support from everyone involved with the organization — the directors, staff, supporters, and audience members. I am empowered and inspired by AST's collective beliefs in celebrating diversity in Asia, the power of art and dialogue, and respect towards artists of many different fields.”
What we're looking forward to next!
Nao has recently demonstrated her incredible range of talent, choreographing The House, an immersive dance piece with Houston Contemporary Dance about Barbra Jordan and Harper Lee. She'll also be choreographing a site-specific dance work for the upcoming Meiji Modern exhibition, which will open at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in July 2024. The new creation will be inspired by some of the art works, and will be performed in the galleries. The Meiji era (1868–1912) was a time of rapid modernization when Japan opened up to the West, and Nao is excited for our community to see this extraordinary collection.
About APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Beginning in 2021, Asia Society Texas has celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with the Houston community and beyond through a curated calendar of events for 31 ways to celebrate over the 31 days of May. Spotlighting the traditions, talents, and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans, the calendar highlights the month's key Asia Society programming, providing a platform to showcase local artists, performers, educators, and leaders who contribute to the vibrant, multicultural tapestry of Houston while also featuring staff recommendations for our favorite music, books, movies, and more by Asian and Asian American creatives.
At Asia Society Texas, APAH Month is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Asians and Asian Americans and to uplift their stories to a broader audience as part of our goal to inspire our larger community to better understand one another through culture, conversation, and connection. For information about sponsoring APAH Month and other projects like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.
Presenting Sponsor of APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Sponsors of APAH Month
Comcast
Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
Media Sponsor
APAH Month 2024 Calendar
Digital Calendar Interactive/Printable PDF
Past APAH Month Calendars
2023: Highlights | Details
2022: Highlights | Details
2021: Details
About Asia Society Texas
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.
