H-E-B Performance Preludes

24/25 Performance Preludes

In conjunction with Performing Arts Houston’s main stage season presentations, the Education & Community Department seeks to showcase talented local companies and ensembles, outstanding school programs, and exceptional young artists through its H-E-B Performance Preludes program.

We’re thrilled to announce the 24/25 HEB Performance Prelude series. Thank you to all who submitted applications. New opportunities may be added throughout the season.

SEPT 14 | OAEC, before Counterpoint

The Oriental Arts Education Center is located on Highway 8 and Richmond Ave in the Southwest Houston Side. The transportation is convenient, and it is only a five-minute drive from China Town or major business districts. The environment is elegant, the school site is independent, the school is well equipped, and occupies a total of 3.3 acres of land. Seventeen classrooms, including a fully equipped computer room, piano room, drawing room, practice room, conference room, indoor basketball court, and outdoor football court. The renovated and expanded 3-room Grand Row Hall will total 5,000 square feet and will be a comprehensive performance hall with a well-lit sound and the best venue for a variety of cultural exchange events, including concerts, dance evenings, exhibitions, and lectures. With the purpose of spreading Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges between the East and the West, the Oriental Arts Education Center provides a platform for like-minded people in the Houston area who are passionate about art and art education, and builds a bridge of cultural inheritance and exchange between the East and the West.

SEPT 20 | eMotion Dance Company, before Aba Diop Trio

eMotion Dance Company was established in 2002 by Sanja Korman, former dance teacher at Bellaire High School, and is currently under the direction of Artistic Director, Paris Kent. Today, the award-winning high school-based company is recognized for its student choreography in each of its Breakdance, Hip Hop and Modern dance teams. eMotion Dance Company is involved in numerous performances, presentations, and competitions throughout the community. eMotion Dance Company is a place where you can express yourself and have fun.

SEPT 28 | Inertia Dance Company, before Twyla Tharp Dance

Established in 2000 at HISD’s Westside High School, The Inertia program is dedicated to developing young men and women with active and creative minds. Through all elements of dance education, Inertia stresses excellence in the classroom and the total development of each student: spiritual, moral, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. The Westside Dance Program offers students a wide variety of dance styles and techniques. Students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to study dance as part of their academic program fulfilling fine art, physical education, or elective credit.

#INERTIAPROUD

 

OCT 18 | Cessar Mandujano, before Aida Cuevas

Cessar Mandujano is a Mariachi singer known for his unique sound in his voice that captivates the public. His goal is to live through the music and share a beautiful tradition with the world in order to keep it alive. Although all must come to an end, Cessar believes that music will be forever alive in this world.

OCT 19 | The HUBCAPS, before Coco: Live-to-Film

The HUB Houston was established in 2015 as a non-residential program supporting neurodiverse teenagers and young adults as they navigate their personal journey through academics, employability, community involvement and care. Our mission is to build a sense of real belonging for everyone and use those relationships to discover and practice individual strengths. The HUB is committed to fostering personal growth and unlocking individual potential in a relationship centered community for neurodiverse teenagers and young adults.

Through these guiding principles, it was a natural outcome for a band to form! In January of 2016, Mr. Ken Stueart, an Arkansas native, joined the faculty of The HUB. Through his musical background (graduate of Belmont University in Nashville), his experience as a member of The Encore Theatre family, and his ability to spot raw talent, a band was soon formed, aptly named The HUBCAPS!

They have shown an exceptional ability to constantly improve and evolve, stretching their comfort zone, and becoming known for their awesome sets!

OCT 19 | Intempo Dance Ensemble, before Coco: Live-to-Film

The Intempo Dance Ensemble is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) homed at Intempo Dance Academy in Katy TX. It is an advanced performing program for students who want to collaborate with other artists and professionals in their desired specialty: dance or music. ​Intempo Dance Ensemble recognizes dancers and musicians who show technical promise, drive to succeed, and excellent work ethic by selecting them to be part of the Company Program. The Company Program is divided out to three different branches:

IDE (Community Company),
Intempo Dance Sensations (Competition Team),
​TX Symphonic Ballet (Pre-Professional Performing Company)

NOV 12 | Houston Show Choir, before Vitamin String Quartet

Houston Show Choir is made up of talented adult singers who perform an entertaining, diverse repertoire with lively choreography. Singers memorize the songs so they can connect directly with the audience while singing and dancing, thus delivering an optimal experience for everyone!

The choir has performed at public and private events all over the Greater Houston area (and occasionally beyond) since 1932, delivering distinctive, entertaining shows that are filled with dynamic energy and musicality.

FEB 1 | Houston Contemporary 2, before Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Houston Contemporary 2 (HC2) is a concert based, non competitive, pre-professional dance company focused on training and performance. Dancers will be exposed to multiple styles of dance education in preparation for a future career in dance. The teaching staff and outside choreographers have many years of experience with pre-professional youth ensuring their well-rounded contemporary dance education and assisting students with college admissions and/or other professional dance opportunities. The youth company will have the opportunity to perform throughout Houston during their season, including under the umbrella of the professional Houston Contemporary Dance Company, a 501(c)(3) sister organization to the Institute of Contemporary Dance.

FEB 12 | Meyerland Dance Ensemble, before Sō Percussion with Shodekeh Talifero

Meyerland Dance Ensemble, based at Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School in HISD, is a pre-professional group of advanced young dancers who are pursuing technical and artistic excellence in all forms of dance as well as in student choreography. Under the direction of Chadwick Peters, these dancers have performed all over the Houston area and Texas at various events and venues, and do community engagement, outreach, and workshops through the Meyerland Junior Chapter of the National Honor Society of Dance Arts.

FEB 14 | The Madrigals, before Fraggle Rock

THE MADRIGALS perform at several community events throughout the year where they showcase their dancing abilities in several genres such as ballet, tap, contemporary and theater dance. Prospective Madrigals are selected by an audition process beginning at the age of 9. Madrigals must be full time registered students at Feijóo Ballet School. Dancers are required to attend Ballet, Tap and Contemporary.
The 2023 /2024 theme is ”Familia Madrigal”. The show includes pieces inspired by Disney’s Encanto and celebrates Colombian/Latin music and culture. This will be the eighth season of The Madrigals. Past performances include the Performing Arts Houston’s HEB Performance Preludes at Jones Hall, The Houston Children’s Festival, Grand Kids Festival by The Grand Opera House in Galveston, The Pasadena Strawberry Festival and several elementary school carnivals in our area. Additionally, The Madrigals perform at retirement homes during the holidays and this past season they were invited again to be cast members in all major performances with the Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre.

MAR 8 | Alli Villines, before Meow Meow

Alli Villines is a Houston-based singer, songwriter, puppeteer, actor, and teaching artist. In 2024, Alli released her first solo album, next to quiet: songs for closing your eyes to, a lullaby album based on melodies written while singing to babies in hospitals, to promote rest and relaxation for all ages, available on all streaming platforms.

 

MAR 19 | Vaijayanthi Raghavan, before Anoushka Shankar

Vaijayanthi Raghavan hails from a family of classical dance and Carnatic music connoisseurs. She began her dance journey at the tender age of 5 and started performing at the age of 7. Vaijayanthi obtained her training in the Thanjavur style of Bharathanatyam under the tutelage of Smt. Shalini Sarangapani, a direct disciple of the PadmaVibhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Vaijayanthi has also been professionally trained to teach Nattuvangam. In the last 20 years, Vaijayanthi has choreographed and performed at several dance festivals and won numerous awards at dance competitions across India. She has inspired and taught many young students and peers in her community.

MAR 26 | Cymphoni Fantastique, before Les Arts Florissants

Cymphoni Fantastique is a classical-crossover string duo. They’ve been performing together for Houston for almost a decade now! Their arrangements and originals bring a unique blend to each of their performances and reflect their complementary styles. They’ve been well received all across North America from the prestigious House of Blues, to humble backyard parties. They’re on a mission to bring a little more soul to every soundscape they visit!

“From Bach to the Blues, we have a great time!”

MAR 28 | Bayou City Ballet Youth Company, before Piano Battle

Bayou City Ballet Youth Company is a nonprofit performance-based dance organization located in Houston’s Westchase District. The Youth Company’s performers are pre-professional middle and high school students selected from the greater Houston area who perform 8-10 times per year throughout West Houston, Midtown, and Downtown. Regularly supplemented by noteworthy professional artists, the group brings high quality ballet to over 5,000 Houston residents and visitors annually. Committed to making art accessible, the Youth Company programs 2-3 free events open to the public, and ticketed events start at just $10.

APR 1 | Pershing Middle School Dance Company, before Ladysmith Black Mambazo

The Pershing Dance Company is a performance group of 23 members. The Dance Company performs at school events, state/local events and competitions.

MAY 6 | Cypress Winds Clarinet Quartet, before A Conversation with Amor Towles

The Cypress Winds Clarinet Quartet are a group of lifetime clarinet players dedicated to expressing their love of music. Founded in 2016, they perform in the Greater Houston area for museums, churches, community centers, and private events.

The quartet puts on beautiful performances of both contemporary and standard works. With over 100 years of clarinet playing combined, they are able to display their expertise and passion through a variety of musical styles.

As a senior ensemble they also focus on bringing music to the seniors of the community through both their performances and community outreach.

JUN 12 | Open Dance Project’s ODP 2, before A Conversation with Tan France

Open Dance Project (ODP) is an ensemble-driven dance theater company dedicated to developing and presenting world-class dance theater experiences in Houston and serving as a cultural resource through its engaging and enriching education and community programming. Founded by choreographer/educator Annie Arnoult in 2015 upon her return to her native Houston, ODP is a contemporary dance theater company whose highly stylized performance experiences break down conventional barriers between artist and audience to make dance more accessible and meaningful for both. Collapsing the distance between the subject and the stage, live performance and new media, dance, and theater, Open Dance Project’s immersive performances do away with traditional audience seating, inviting participants to explore from their self-determined vantage point – simultaneously demystifying dance and making dance matter.

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