In a recent press release, OZ Arts’ Artistic Director Mark Murphy reaffirmed his long-standing admiration for Tokyo-based multimedia artist Hiroaki Umeda—and why audiences are about to witness something truly extraordinary as the remarkably inventive visual performer returns to Music City, this time bringing his captivating program assimilating and Moving State 1 to Nashville for the first time ever.
It was back in 2019, not long after Murphy stepped into his role at Oz Arts that he first invited Umeda to perform. As Murphy says, “the future of performance”—a bold statement, indeed, but one that feels earned the moment you begin to understand Umeda’s work.
Blending choreography, sound design, lighting, and digital projection into a single, seamless vision, Umeda doesn’t just create dance—he builds entire worlds. A true one-man creative powerhouse.
Performing with nothing more than a laptop as his control center, Umeda simultaneously directs lighting, sound, multiple video projections in real time and entrancing motion. The result is a fully immersive environment where movement and technology are in constant conversation.
It’s a style that has captivated critics across the globe. The New York Times comparing the artist to, “a tin man with oil flowing freely through his veins.” Of Umeda’s style, The Guardian lauded, “dazzling…dancing through a perfect storm of light, video and sound,” while Infinite Body praised his work as “cool, minimalist, high-tech hip hop…a dance of total theatre.”
Still, I’ve a feeling those accolades barely scratch the surface of what Umeda has in store for Music City. Closing out a rare five-city U.S. tour, with his Oz dates, Umeda’s dynamic work assimilating and Movie State 1 begins, as assimilating suggests, with a visually explosive solo that places Umeda inside a constantly shifting digital landscape. Then, Moving State 1 presents a striking group work featuring four female dancers from Umeda’s Somatic Field Project, blending precision movement with cinematic intensity. Together, the pieces highlight what the Scotland Herald calls his “virtuoso melding of technology and movement,” blurring the lines between concert dance, visual art installation, and experimental theater.
In a note from Oz’s Artistic Director, Murphy recalls first presenting Umeda in Los Angeles in 2013, where the work left a lasting impression—earning praise from the Los Angeles Times for “a defining artistic vision for our time.” Now, that same boundary-pushing artistry returns to Nashville with a program locals haven’t witnessed before. I’m certain that my readers know: every now and then, a performance comes along that genuinely shifts your expectations. This is one of those moments.
Umeda’s work isn’t about narrative or tradition—it’s about sensation. It’s about what happens when light, sound, and the human body collide in real time. And it’s about experiencing something you simply can’t replicate unless you witness it in the flesh. As Murphy puts it, this is an artist whose work must be seen firsthand. For Nashville’s creative scene, this isn’t just another visiting performance—it’s a rare opportunity to experience an artist who is actively redefining what live performance can be. And for three nights only, that future is playing out right here at OZ Arts.
Hiroaki Umeda: assimilating and Moving State 1 runs Thursday through Saturday, March 26–28 at 8 PM (doors open at 7 PM) at OZ Arts (6172 Cockrill Bend Circle, Nashville, TN 37209)
Ticket options include:
- Artist & Creative Community (discounted, no code required)
- General Admission
- Generous Admission (I love this one!)
Pricing by night:
- Thursday: A&CA $20 / GA$30 / Generous Admission$40
- Friday: $25 / $32 / $42
- Saturday: $30 / $37 / $47
CLICK HERE for tickets.
Next up at Oz Arts is Australian cabaret darling Meow Meow April 11. CLICK HERE for more info or to purchase tickets. To keep up with all things Oz Arts, follow them on Facebook, X, YouTube and Insta.
As always, If you want to read our latest on Music, Movies, Performing or Visual Arts, please check out JHPEntertainment online or socials at Facebook, Insta, X and Threads. Till then…. #GoSeeTheShow!