Little Stories

A Live Dance and Music Performance, inspired by MIA’s Meruhen exhibition. Little Stories メルヘン Inspired by the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Meruhen: Japanese Prints of Fairy Tales exhibition, Little Stories unfolds as a series of fairy-tale vignettes styled like pages from a storybook. The work follows a curious girl wandering through idyllic landscapes of flowers, birds, castles, mountains, and mysterious doors. Through these portals, she enters an inner world where personas shift and desires bloom. Featuring original music and electronic live-looped vocals by Isabella Dawis and choreography by Yuki Tokuda, the work draws from a wide range of musical genres—from jazz and pop to classical music—while exploring the timeless pull of Romanticism and a young spirit’s journey to reconcile the realities of the world with the boundless freedom of dreams. Choreographed and produced by: Yuki Tokuda Composed and performed by: Isabella Dawis Dancers: Hannah Benditt and Emily Pitts Saturday, November 7, 2026 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM Pillsbury Auditorium Minneapolis Institute of Art Tickets: $15 Free for kids under 12 -Featured Artworks That Inspired Our Performance- By Minami Keiko Little Girl (Petite fille) Young Shepherdess (La petite bergère) Sheep in Front of a Village City Gate Forest and Castle Cherry Tree (Cerisier) Girl and Tree with Bird By Kawano Kaoru Camellia By Hori Hikaru Alone By Kanamori Yoshio Mountain Lake (Butterfly and Peony) Feather Flying over Mountain Lake By Suzuki Atsuko Even Without Words Yuki Tokuda is a fiscal year 2026 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.