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ISHIDA DANCE COMPANY ANNOUNCES waiting/REX WORLD PREMIERE
JUNE 11-14, 2026 – TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Nationally renowned ISHIDA Dance Company is back.
Pulitzer prize-winning dance critic Sarah L Kaufman described Ishida’s work as “deeply poignant” and “remarkable”.
“The dancers weaved pure magic in the air, and you could almost hear jaws dropping as they moved…” wrote Brett Cullum, Broadway World.
Abby Baden / ISHIDA Dance
waiting / REX is a bold world premiere contemporary dance double bill by critically acclaimed ISHIDA, bringing into visceral dialogue the works of Samuel Beckett and Sophocles. Reimagining Waiting for Godot and Oedipus Tyrannus through a striking physical lens, these classics become charged, embodied experiences. waiting suspends you in cycles of repetition, humor, and longing, while REX unfolds a haunting, surreal search for identity, power, and truth. Together, they form a minimalist, emotionally charged diptych—a rare and transformative encounter of lessons in blindness shaped through meticulous physicality.
waiting / REX will play Houston June 11-14, 2026 presented by the Asia Society Texas Center. Tickets on sale April 27, 2026 at IshidaDance.org.
The World Premiere of waiting / REX is June 11-14, 2026 | Thursday – Saturday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 3pm
Asia Society Texas Center | 1370 Southmore Blvd, Houston TX 77004
Tickets: $25-$90/VIP* $120 | Tickets available at IshidaDance.org
*VIP tickets include premium seating with access to a post-performance reception to meet the renowned dancers. On Sunday, everyone is invited to remain in their seats post-performance for a talkback with Artistic Director Brett Ishida and the dancers.
About ISHIDA Dance Company
ISHIDA Dance presents original ISHIDA poetic narratives as well as works by internationally renowned choreographers working with some of the most sought-after dancers from Texas and across the globe (Houston Ballet, Ballet BC, Nederlands Dans Theater, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, Ballett Theater Basil, English National Ballet, Staatsoper Wien). Choreographers premiere new works as well as past works that have never been performed for Texas audiences. These unique works aim to invite empathy and introspection to lead to greater kindness towards oneself and the community.
About Brett Ishida, Artistic Director
Artistic Director Brett Ishida is Japanese American and grew up on a citrus farm in California’s Central Valley. Her love for dance inspired her to move away from home at age fifteen when she received a full scholarship to Kirov Academy and later to School of American Ballet in NYC. She danced with Boston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, where she first choreographed, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens performing works by celebrated choreographers Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, and Ohad Naharin, among others. She later graduated from UCLA earning a BA in Literature with emphasis in Poetry. She felt by combining these two worlds from her past, she could become a new voice in contemporary dance and started her own company, ISHIDA, captivating audiences in Houston and Austin.
From the onset, ISHIDA’s work has been critically acclaimed: Broadway World described her work as “stunning and compelling…an incredible boon to the Houston art scene.” Dance Magazine named ISHIDA in the venerated ‘25 to Watch’ and The Washington Post’s Pulitzer-prize winning dance critic Sarah L. Kaufman deemed ISHIDA’s piece home-coming which “tackled a deeply poignant, poetic theme” to be “remarkable.” ISHIDA’s work was presented at the 10,000 Dreams festival at The Kennedy Center in June 2024 featuring works by top Asian Choreographers around the world; Ballet Herald reviewed ISHIDA’s work as “the most memorable and effective piece in this program.”
ISHIDA’s commission for Houston Ballet was regarded as “unforgettable” by Adrienne Jones from Paper City. Reviewer Fredrick Goodall described ISHIDA’s work as “a masterclass in storytelling through movement.” At ISHIDA’s world premiere “inside my walls”, Broadway World stated: “(Her work) is gorgeous and genius, all at once.”
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.
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