Bringing a new narrative into the traditionally Western ballet canon, Genji featured an all-Japanese and Asian American cast who brought to life the novel’s intricacies of relationships and revealed universal human emotions that were the drivers in creating this contemporary reimagining. Throughout the work, Kusuzaki incorporated traditional Japanese cultural forms that were developed during the Heian period of The Tale of Genji, including waka poetry, gagaku music, and bugaku dance. Costume designer Allison Miller combined Kariginu and kimono sourced from Japan with color schemes associated with the characters in the book. The set, lighting, and projections by Ryan McGettigan and Tiffany Schrepferman utilized large rotating Japanese screens, calligraphy, and symbolic imagery to reflect the inner lives of the characters and their shifting relationships with one another. - Asia Society Texas