Free Rein with Musiqa and NobleMotion Dance
Tickets: This is a non-ticketed event provided free of charge to local school districts. Registrations managed by partner school districts' Fine Arts Department.
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TEKS: §112.16: 5.3(C), 5.4(A); §110.7: 5.6(A), 5.7(B); §117.119: 5.2(A), 5.3(A); §111.7: 5.2(B)
What happens in the brain when we create? “Free Rein” takes students inside dancers’ and musicians’ brains to investigate the art and science of creativity. Several performers will wear wireless mobile brain caps so neuroscientists from the Nordin Neuromechanics Laboratory can collect their brain signals as they perform. The performers will alternate between scripted and improvised dance and music, with live visualizations of their brain activity. This cutting-edge art-science experiment encourages students to break free from established patterns, think independently, and cultivate their own voice. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the creative process, brain function, and teamwork. NobleMotion Dance and Musiqa have earned international acclaim for exploring the intersection of music, dance and neuroscience: their previous Discovery Series program, “Meeting of Minds,” was awarded Chamber Music America’s 2025 Interdisciplinary Collaboration of the Year Award and performed at the United Nations’ “AI for Good” Summit in Geneva.
This project is supported in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 2026 BIG grant.
What happens in the brain when we create? “Free Rein” takes students inside dancers’ and musicians’ brains to investigate the art and science of creativity. Several performers will wear wireless mobile brain caps so neuroscientists from the Nordin Neuromechanics Laboratory can collect their brain signals as they perform. The performers will alternate between scripted and improvised dance and music, with live visualizations of their brain activity. This cutting-edge art-science experiment encourages students to break free from established patterns, think independently, and cultivate their own voice. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the creative process, brain function, and teamwork. NobleMotion Dance and Musiqa have earned international acclaim for exploring the intersection of music, dance and neuroscience: their previous Discovery Series program, “Meeting of Minds,” was awarded Chamber Music America’s 2025 Interdisciplinary Collaboration of the Year Award and performed at the United Nations’ “AI for Good” Summit in Geneva.
This project is supported in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 2026 BIG grant.
