Shining Light on a Shadowed History Through Dance and Music
Photo Credit: Bravo Niagara
2022 marked 80 years since the internment of Japanese Canadians following the attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII. From 1942 to 1949, the Canadian government uprooted, interned, permanently dispossessed, and displaced over 22,000 Japanese Canadians. This history has been told through books, films, and theatre, but never before through ballet. Kimiko’s Pearl, a groundbreaking new ballet commissioned by Bravo Niagara, brings this buried story to life through original music by Kevin Lau, choreography by Yosuke Mino, and visual art by three generations of Japanese Canadian artists. Based on a story by Emmy Award winner Howard Reich and inspired by four generations of real family history – of Bravo Niagara’s co-founders, Christine Mori and her daughter Alexis Spieldenner, who also co-created and produced the performance – the ballet follows a teenage girl uncovering her ancestral past and revealing a legacy of resilience, loss, and hope.
Cast of Kimiko’s Pearl. Photo Credit: Bravo Niagara
With support from The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation, Bravo Niagara completed a nearly four-year creative journey and premiered Kimiko’s Pearl in June 2024 to a sold-out audience at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario, with The Hon. Hilary M. Weston as Honourary Patron. People from across Canada, New York City, Paris, and beyond attended the performance. The creators were moved by the audience’s response – some saw their family history reflected on stage; others learned about this chapter in Canadian history for the first time.
As a fourth-generation Japanese Canadian, I hope this deeply personal story sheds light on a dark chapter in Canadian history and takes audiences on a journey of intergenerational healing and hope.Alexis Spieldenner, Bravo Niagara co-founder and Kimiko’s Pearl co-creator and producer
Kimiko’s Pearl rehearsal.Photo Credit: Bravo Niagara
The ballet continues to reach new audiences, with Kevin Lau’s Symphonic Suite for Kimiko’s Pearl – adapted from the original ballet score – premiering in April 2025 as part of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-2025 Masterworks series. The score was released as an album and is now available on all music streaming platforms. The album earned two JUNO Award nominations: Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble) and Classical Composition of the Year. Bravo Niagara is also exploring touring plans for the ballet across Canada and internationally. Kimiko’s Pearl is more than a performance – it aims to honour the Japanese Canadian community and their contributions to this country, sharing and preserving an important part of Canada’s history for generations to come.
Kevin Lau's original score from the ballet as an album.Photo Credit: Bravo Niagara
