OZ Arts Nashville Launches New Season Of Vital Contemporary Performances By Fearless Artists

Contemporary arts center OZ Arts Nashville today announced its dynamic 11th season of groundbreaking performances, featuring thrilling theatrical journeys, urgent confrontations of timely issues and daredevil breakthroughs in creative possibility. Theater, dance, music and multimedia events are highlighted in the compelling 2023-24 lineup of daring local, national and International Artists who are shaping contemporary art and culture.

"Our 11th season builds on OZ's history of experimentation by further defying the limits of what is possible in the performing arts," said Mark Murphy, OZ Arts Executive and Artistic Director. "From the mind-blowing multimedia work Pixel that starts the year, to the sensational theatrical experience Food with its exclusive two-week run, this is a year packed with can't-miss events that people need to experience for themselves, not just hear about."

Kicking off the 11th season, French ensemble Compagnie Käfig brings its high-flying masterpiece Pixel, a thrilling fusion of Hip-hop dance and stunning 3D projections, to OZ on September 6 and 7.

October's jam-packed lineup begins with a visit from Little Amal, a captivating 12-foot-tall puppet representing a refugee child from Syria who is traveling the world to share her message of hope for displaced immigrants around the globe. The free community event will take place on October 5 in Centennial Park, and features choreography by celebrated local artist Shabaz Ujima. Later in the month, Tony Award-winning cultural icon John Cameron Mitchell joins forces with international cabaret star Amber Martin to sing for LGBTQ justice in a Benefit for the ACLU of Tennessee on October 20 and 21 at OZ.

For Halloween, OZ celebrate all things ghoulish with the theatrical noir rockers Fable Cry and their annual Festival of Ghouls, an immersive costume party and over-the-top cabaret embracing the sensual delights of Dante's Inferno on October 28.

Returning to OZ Arts after his stunning 2021 Nashville debut, award-winning choreographer Rennie Harris and his company Puremovement present Rome & Jewels, a Hip-hop retelling of Romeo & Juliet unlike any version you've seen before. Featuring dueling DJs and a large company of virtuosic dancers, the story of fear, love and triumph is set in the streets of Philadelphia and deeply rooted in the traditions of Hip-Hop and street dance. Performances run from November 9 to 11.

If Thanksgiving doesn't leave Nashvillians feeling stuffed, guests can take a seat at a giant, 500-square-foot table at OZ for an unforgettable theatrical evening with Geoff Sobelle's internationally acclaimed Food, November 30 to December10. This "dinner party as a theatrical spectacle" (New York Times) is full of magical stagecraft and illusion as Sobelle explores the human relationship with what we eat. Please note, though: there's no actual eating at this dinner party, so don't come hungry.

With the new year comes new dynamic performances on the OZ Arts stage, starting with visionary choreographer Shamel Pitts and a trio of Black performers in Black Hole: Trilogy & Triathlon, February 2 and 3. Through projection techniques and spellbinding movement, the audience is transported into an Afrofuturist dimension for an otherworldly experience. February 29 to March 2, game-changing French dance company Mazelfreten takes audiences on a thrilling journey infused with electro music and dance in Rave Lucid. Nashville audiences get to experience the U.S. debut tour of their "visceral, original, and hard-hitting" (SceneWeb France) choreography.

Raise a glass to celebrate 10 years of OZ Arts Nashville on April 6 with a one-of-a-kind birthday bash. The art-filled benefit will feature special mini-performances celebrating OZ's first decade, and give hints at the bright creative future ahead.

Visually stunning and family-friendly, Hamid Rahmanian's enchanting and epic Persian love story, Song of the North, will transform OZ with shadow and light on April 19 and 20. This large-scale, cinematic performance blends shadow puppetry with lush animation and features a cast of 500 handmade puppets alongside a talented ensemble of nine actors and puppeteers.

May 16 to 18, OZ's Brave New Works Lab returns for a third year of world premieres by daring Nashville artists who use OZ Arts as a creative laboratory for multimedia experimentation and collaboration across disciplines.

May 30 to June 1, audiences won't want to miss the chance to experience the work of rapidly-rising dance star Oona Doherty and her distinctive choreography in Navy Blue. 12 dancers bring the Northern Irish artist's vision to life in a thrilling mash-up of visceral movement, spoken word, and gripping theatrical elements.

Full details and photos for all 2023-24 programming can be found here. OZ Arts remains committed to ensuring its programming is accessible to all audiences. Individual tickets for performances start at $20 and season ticket packages are available for as low as $125.

The 2023-24 season at OZ Arts Nashville is made possible, in part, by funding from the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the HCA Foundation, The Hays Foundation and The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. For more information or to purchase tickets for the upcoming season, visit www.ozartsnashville.org.

OZ Arts 2023-24 Season Lineup

Compagnie Käfig's (France) PIXEL | September 6 & 7, 2023

Virtuosic dance and cutting-edge video technology collide in this mind-blowing masterpiece from Compagnie Käfig. Founded by renowned choreographer Mourad Merzouki and based in Lyon, Käfig is known for blending Hip-hop, contemporary dance, and even cirque arts in fresh and surprising ways. In PIXEL, 11 outstanding dancers interact with a breathtaking, three-dimensional landscape created by innovative projection mapping. Not merely stage effects, the projections are partners for the performers in a thrilling, acrobatic duet that blurs the line between the real and virtual worlds. The result is breathtaking choreography and imagery that expands on exciting possibilities at the intersection of performance and technology.

Little Amal with choreography by Shabaz Ujima | October 5, 2023 - FREE EVENT in Centennial Park

Little Amal, a captivating 12-foot-tall puppet representing a refugee child from Syria, arrives in Nashville this fall as part of an epic 6,000-mile journey across the United States from Boston to San Diego. Amal - whose name means "hope" in Arabic - began her journey at the Syrian border and has visited 13 countries searching for home. She carries a message of hope for displaced people everywhere, especially children who have been separated from their families. Her urgent message is simple - "don't forget us."

Gather with our community for this unforgettable, free event in Centennial Park. Enjoy a moving performance directed by Shabaz Ujima welcoming Little Amal to Nashville and embracing all that she represents for refugees across the globe.

John Cameron Mitchell Sings Out for LGBTQ Justice: A Benefit for ACLU of Tennessee with featured performer Amber Martin | October 20 & 21, 2023

Tony Award-winning cultural icon and Hedwig co-creator John Cameron Mitchell makes a special, timely visit to Tennessee to demand justice for all members of the queer community. One of alt-culture's boldest creators, Mitchell's arrival in Nashville for two nights only heralds a rallying cry for every Tennessean who has felt like an outsider - all to benefit the ACLU of Tennessee's LGBTQ+ Justice initiatives. Throughout the unforgettable night of hilarity, campy performances, and unabashed queerness, Mitchell will be joined by international cabaret star Amber Martin and a variety of extra-special guest surprises. The joyous evening will also feature the Hedwig house band Tits of Clay.

Fable Cry's Festival of Ghouls: Halloween Inferno | October 28, 2023

Embark on a fiendishly fun descent into the underworld with Nashville's favorite dashing devils, Fable Cry! Embracing the sensual delights of Dante's Inferno, the theatrical noir rockers crank up the heat for their ninth annual Festival of Ghouls. Come in costume for this immersive Halloween bash and over-the-top cabaret featuring wickedly good live music, tantalizing burlesque, eye-popping circus performances, and more. The nine circles of hell never looked and sounded quite so tempting.

Rennie Harris Presents Rome & Jewels | November 9-11, 2023

Showcasing the talents of more than a dozen dynamic Hip-hop dancers, this is a Romeo & Juliet unlike any version you've seen before. Dueling DJs lay the beats for the Bessie Award-winning production Rome & Jewels - a story of fear, love, and triumph set in the streets of Philadelphia and deeply rooted in the traditions of Hip-Hop, popping, break dance, and more. "The Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene" (The London Times), Rennie Harris returns to OZ Arts following his electrifying Nuttin' But a Word in 2021 with this radical reinvention of the timeless tale, embodying the diverse African-Diasporic traditions of the past and paving the way for innovative storytelling through dance. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the explosive talents of Rennie Harris Puremovement in action!

"The most respected-and, to my knowledge, the most brilliant-hip-hop choreographer in America." - The New Yorker

Geoff Sobelle's Food | November 30 - December 10, 2023

A giant, 500-square-foot table with an elegant white tablecloth is surrounded by an intimate, awestruck audience for Geoff Sobelle's irresistible Food - the hardest ticket to get ahold of at the prestigious 2023 Edinburgh International Festival. Mixing theatrical magic and charismatic clownery, Sobelle's sensational exploration of what sustains us arrives in Nashville for an exclusive, two-week engagement. Take a seat at the table for this singular theatrical experience filled with sounds, scents, and images that shape a conversation about personal memories, consumption, and the evolution of food production. The thrilling performance is expertly seasoned with Sobelle's signature flavors of rigorous design, stage illusion, and absurdist humor, creating a delightful party you won't soon forget.

Please note: There's no eating at this dinner party, so don't come hungry.

"5 Stars. A profound and surprising experience you won't forget in a hurry" - Edinburgh Reviews

Shamel Pitts/TRIBE's Black Hole: Trilogy & Triathlon | February 2 & 3, 2024

Fearless and profound dancer-choreographer Shamel Pitts delivers a visionary production that transports audiences across space and time into an Afrofutruist dimension. A trio of Black performers shares the stage in a narrative of unity, vigor, and unrelenting advancement. Their journey originates in the darkness of the titular Black Hole, understood not as a cosmic void but a metaphorical place of transformation and potential. Engulfed in an evocative soundscape of original music, sound samples, and spoken word, the dancers embark on an hour-long, uninterrupted journey in movement in which their tenacity and grace are emphasized by cinematic video projections. It's a kaleidoscopic performance art experience built from the Gaga movement language, developed by the prolific Batsheva Dance Company in Israel, where Shamel danced for seven years under choreographer Ohad Naharin.

Mazelfreten's (France) Rave Lucid | February 29 - March 2, 2024

Escape into a pulsing, euphoric world scored by house music with Mazelfreten's electro ballet corps as this magnetic young company conjures a "rêve lucide" (lucid dream) you won't want to wake up from. Combining extreme control with the energy of movement at 120 beats per minute, 10 electrifying dancers astound in this high-velocity tribute to rave culture. Rave Lucid harnesses the hypnotic power of French electro dance, a style originating in the clubs of the 2000s before migrating to the street world. Created by dancer-choreographers Brandon Masele and Laura Defretin, Mazelfreten hacks the codes of a dance movement for this vibrant, living portrait of a human encounter resisting the virtual era.

OZ's 10th Anniversary Bash | April 6, 2024

You're invited to a one-of-kind anniversary bash, delivered with OZ's distinct contemporary style! Celebrate 10 years of Brave New Art with a festive evening of pop-up performances by artists who made OZ Arts' first decade unforgettable. Since early 2014 when OZ Arts opened its doors for its first performances, more than 75,000 audience members have witnessed some of the most innovative and powerful performances from around the globe. Plus, the Creative Warehouse space has been a laboratory for hundreds of local artists, many who will be sharing excerpts of their work at this special party. Mix and mingle with the Nashville creative community, toast to a decade of brilliant artistry, and enjoy works by a diverse array of local choreographers, spoken word artists, musicians, and media artists.

Hamid Rahmanian's Song of the North | April 19 & 20, 2024

The whole family will be enchanted by this vibrant, cinematic performance, which blends gorgeous shadow puppetry with lush animation to bring an epic Persian love story to life. Featuring a cast of 500 handmade puppets and a talented ensemble of nine actors and puppeteers, Song of the North follows the tale of Manijeh, a heroine from ancient Persia who must use all her strengths to rescue her beloved and help prevent a war. Adapted from the Shahnameh (the Book of Kings) by 2014 Guggenheim Fellow Hamid Rahmanian, this stunning multimedia performance creates "a feast for the senses" (Puppeteering International Magazine) while challenging Eurocentric worldviews of art and storytelling.

Brave New Works Lab 2024 | May 16-18, 2024

Celebrate local innovation and creativity with a bold evening of entirely original short-form performances featuring dance, theater, music, and multimedia. The third annual Brave New Works Lab invites daring Nashville artists to transform OZ Arts into a laboratory for the creation and premiere of new works and works-in-progress. Encouraging multimedia experimentation and collaboration across disciplines, the lab creates a safe space for high-risk artistic adventures.

Artist applications are open through November 1st. Visit ozartsnashville.org to learn more and apply.

Oona Doherty (Northern Ireland) Navy Blue | May 30-June 1, 2024

A rapidly rising star in contemporary dance, Northern Irish choreographer Oona Doherty unflinchingly taps into personal and collective fears for her largest work yet. Navy Blue pits a group of 12 dancers against a destructive algorithm - generating a thrilling, in-your-face mash-up of visceral movement, spoken word poetry, and political candor. Divided into two parts, this expansive new work contrasts Rachmaninoff's lush romanticism with the high-energy pulsations of Jamie xx, the hierarchies of dance with creative freedom, and individual people with the immensity of the universe. The scope of the conflict expands from the world of dance to the broader context of history, politics, and society.

Don't miss your chance to see why Doherty's distinctive choreography, refreshing wit, and fearless attitude prompted The Boston Globe to call her "one of the most original and provocative voices of her generation."

"Oona Doherty's Navy Blue is one of the most important works of my generation...It is gut-wrenching, soul-stirring, perspective-shifting, devastating, beautiful, limitless. If you believe art making is a necessary and radical act, you must see this work." - Michelle Dorrance (Dorrance Dance)

Founded in 2013 by the Ozgener family, OZ Arts Nashville has quickly established itself as one of the Southeast's most influential and respected producers and presenters focused on the creation and presentation of significant performing and visual artworks by diverse cultural visionaries who are making vital contributions to the evolution of contemporary culture. Through performances, exhibitions, and community events, OZ Arts focuses on producing and presenting the work of local and visiting artists who reflect our diverse society, utilize new artistic forms and technology in creative ways, and provide opportunities for meaningful engagement with audiences, students and cultural and civic leaders. OZ Arts' unique creative warehouse has developed a reputation as a major national and regional laboratory for experimentation and a home for contemporary dance and performance. More than 50,000 audience members have been introduced to adventurous artists from around the world since the organization opened, and hundreds of local and regional artists have used OZ's 10,000-square-foot warehouse theater to develop new works. For more information, please visit ozartsnashville.org.

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