Diversity shines through with ISHIDA Dance Company

January 7, 2026
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Montrose Star
Posted in STAGE NEWS
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By SA Tripi

We are once again being given the opportunity to see some of the most visually stunning dance by the critically acclaimed choreographer Brett Ishida. I had the great fortune of interviewing her earlier this year and it has been an honor to continue our conversation.

Your concerts consist of your work and the work of additional choreographers. I know that at times you utilize some of the same dancers, but you actually work with a group of people who do not work together all the time. And yet, what we see on the stage is wonderfully cohesive. How do you make it look as if these people are part of one company?
Diversity is a vital characteristic of the artists that we bring together — artists come from different backgrounds in terms of training, and professional and life experience. We choose dancers that are not only beautiful and talented but are willing to experiment, collaborate, be hardworking, kind and respectful, and think for themselves. Dancers start with this proclivity and then the ISHIDA process intentionally creates an environment that facilitates dancers forging close bonds with each other. And then the personal and introspective nature of ISHIDA’s work lends itself to this. As part of the creative process, we carve out time for discussion and how our personal experiences relate to the work. The result is that it’s not only a rich and meaningful process for our dancers but, as you noted, for the audience there is a camaraderie and cohesiveness which you can feel and see.

There are multiple choreographers in your presentations. Do you decide who will dance in each piece or do the other choreographers choose the dancers for their pieces?
It’s a collaborative process, working with other choreographers and repetiteurs. We think of each artist and how to develop not only their strengths but how to challenge them artistically and emotionally. The type of work we do encourages introspection and growth as a human being, so we’re interested in supporting the artist as a whole.

Tell us about the World Premiere that we will see, Rara Avis. I saw just a tiny piece of it, and I am enthralled.
Rara avis follows a singer and her doppelgängers, representing parts of herself, who struggle to perform after taking a long hiatus from stage. The piece consists of four incredibly talented women. The singer’s conflict is inherently relatable for all of us; like in all my work, I hope to foster curiosity in both artist and spectator and afford the opportunity for meditation on Being, which may open up possibilities for becoming more other-centric.

I know that you have worked with the Houston Ballet. Are there any plans to work with other companies that are not based in Texas? Any that you would like to work with?
I enjoy working with dancers from other renowned companies like Houston Ballet and have another commission coming up next season with another esteemed company. ISHIDA takes most of my time and attention and I am focused on developing ISHIDA’s community here in Houston.

You said previously that you give all of yourself to every project and I understand that. And as an audience member, it really shows in the finished product on stage and in what you convey to the audience when you speak to us. But what do you do to relax and recharge?
I’m somewhat of a film buff; when I was at UCLA, I completed work study in the School of Film and Television where I met directors, hung out with students from their lauded graduate program and consumed rare archival footage (even acted in graduate short films). I enjoy not only new films but classics, along with literature, going to art exhibits, seeing plays and learning about social-historical contexts of communities. All of these are central to my everyday being.

Your new home is the Asia Society Texas Center. It’s a lovely venue. Will you just do your two concerts a year or will you do more there?
The intimate space is a gem. (It’s the only free-standing Taniguchi building in the U.S.) We will increase programming; it’s a matter of receiving more funding to be able to do so. We are selling out and people are wanting to experience more ISHIDA programs, and the dancers want to work with ISHIDA for a full season. Our vision is long-term and singular to build a world renown contemporary dance company in Houston complementing the well-established performing arts institutions here, following in their footsteps.

Sometimes in job interviews, people will say, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Your company is an important part of the arts landscape in Houston. Now, I’ll be corny: Where do you see Ishida Dance in five years?
You’ll see more opportunities to see original ISHIDA works across the U.S. and abroad. ISHIDA will be a full-time company performing five different programs of performances each season — new creations and repertoire unprecedented in the U.S. With this, we can not only build our audience and supporter community, we can scale our educational outreach increasing the frequency of in-person dance workshops and performances for at-risk youth at Title 1 schools, low-income students and their families at local dance studios, patients of Texas Children’s Hospital, neurodiverse and physically disabled communities and veterans and their families.

(“Rara avis” is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance).