Oz Arts’ Brave New Works Lab ’24
In recent years the growth of the Music City has been tremendous, and with this influx of population our arts organizations have stepped up to the plate to bring headlining acts from all over the world to appear here—and Oz Arts has participated in that. However, even as they expand their international content, Oz Arts has maintained its mission’s vision of hosting performances of local artists as well as those from afar. As part of that initiative, the Annual Brave New Works Lab has hosted some of the Music City’s most innovative artistic voices, and this year is no different.
Running from May 16th through the 18th, Oz Arts is presenting four unique performance pieces that emphasize multimedia and collaboration, including Asia Pyron/PYDANCE “God’s Country” Dan Hoy + Sarah Saturday “The Galaxy Cut,” Cameron Mitchell + Idris Goodwin “Regicide,” and Arelys Hernandez with Sandy Perez “Gorrión.”
Oz Arts’ press release describes the performances:
Asia Pyron / PYDANCE | God’s Country
With explosive energy and jolting precision, seven of the city’s most intensely physical performers channel the post-punk fury and passion of a young generation at a boiling point in choreographer Asia Pyron’s high-velocity work set to the epic music of cult rock band Chat Pile.
Dan Hoy + Sarah Saturday | The Galaxy Cut
Cinematic projections create an otherworldly setting for this intoxicating blend of sublimely cool music by Sarah Saturday (Gardening, Not Architecture), incisive writing from Dan Hoy, and evocative movement by the tenacious dancers of Garage Collective. Using a blend of multimedia and live-action performance, a deconstructed and reimagined film script is spliced together before our very eyes
Cameron Mitchell + Idris Goodwin | Regicide
A live band sets the stage for this highly theatrical work from poet and lyricist Cameron L. Mitchell and national award-winning playwright Idris Goodwin (Def Poetry Jam). Five performers, under the direction of Jon Royal, mix rhythm, rap, and rapid-fire raconteuring to explore legendary, infamous, and influential leaders from throughout history who were lost to violence while at the helm.
Arelys Hernandez with Sandy Perez | Gorrión
With projected images invoking her homeland of Cuba, choreographer Arelys Hernandez partners with collaborator Sandy Perez to confront the meanings of home, origin, tradition, and community through highly kinetic movement drawing on their contemporary experiences and traditional influences.
Through the Brave New Works Lab and other local programs, OZ Arts strives to create meaningful opportunities for artists from Middle Tennessee to imagine, develop, and premiere new performance works. It is a competitive production (there were 40 applications this year) and the winners enjoy a safe place to create and the chance to “…focus on the creative process and collaboration, without being overly burdened by the normal trappings of self-production, such as marketing, administration, detailed technical matters and venue management.” If you are looking for local arts, this is the place to be! More info and tickets are here: https://www.ozartsnashville.org/brave-new-works-lab-2024/
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Joseph E. Morgan is a father of two, husband, teacher and recovering guitarist in Middle Tennessee.
