Lincoln sixth graders took in "Ajijaak on Turtle Island" at the Lied Center for Performing Arts this week.
RICHARD TERMINE, COURTESY PHOTO
The Lied Center for Performing Arts has had the vision for a long time.
By the time a student graduates from Lincoln Public Schools, the Lied Center wants to ensure they have seen three of its shows — in fourth grade, sixth grade and high school.
Officials this week moved one step closer to realizing that vision when the Lied Center invited all LPS sixth graders to take in "Ajijaak on Turtle Island," an elaborate puppet show in which cranes soar, buffaloes roam and Native culture comes to life through music and dance.
The Lied Center has long has the vision of having all LPS students visit three times during their education to experience world-class performing arts, said Lauren Silverman Durban, communications manager for the Lied Center.
Fourth graders already get to attend a performance by the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, but this is the first time sixth graders have been able to attend their own show.
Lincoln sixth graders took in "Ajijaak on Turtle Island" at the Lied Center for Performing Arts this week.
RICHARD TERMINE, COURTESY PHOTO
The Lied Center had hoped to roll out a sixth grade experience sooner, but the pandemic got in the way, Silverman Durban said. Officials are now looking at adding a performance for high school students in the coming years.
"Ajijaak on Turtle Island" follows the migration of Ajijaak, a crane who gets separated from its family, and the creatures — buffaloes, coyotes, deer and more — it meets along the way. The show is infused with Native music, language and culture, celebrating the symbiotic relationship between cranes and Native communities.
The show, which premiered in New York in 2018, was created by Heather Henson, daughter of famed "Muppets" puppeteer Jim Henson, and features elaborate creations from the Jim Henson Creature Shop.
Students from area private schools and Native schools from across the state were also invited to performances this week in addition to the LPS sixth graders — more than 6,000 students in all. A representative from a Native Nebraska community also addressed students before each matinee.
Lincoln sixth graders took in "Ajijaak on Turtle Island" at the Lied Center for Performing Arts this week.
RICHARD TERMINE, COURTESY PHOTO
"It’s so cool to be able to bring in all of these students, many who may not have been to the theater before," Durban said.
"Ajijaak on Turtle Island" will be performed for the public on Thursday.
If you go WHAT: "Ajijaak on Turtle Island" a family-friendly puppet show that follows the migration of a crane separated from her family and the creatures she meets on the way.
WHERE: Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with activities before the show, including puppet-making.
TICKETS:
Travel with the cranes as they migrate across Turtle Island.Â
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Elkhorn North's Britt Prince (2) walks onto court before facing Norris in a Class B girls state tournament first-round game Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
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Millard North's Avril Smith (right) and Kayla Preston (back) fight for a rebound against Lincoln North Star's Aleviah Anderson (left) during a Class A girls state tournament first-round game Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
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Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @HammackLJS
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