ExxonMobil Discovery Series: Free Rein

Introducing 5th Graders to the World of the Performing Arts

Arts Partner: Musiqa and NobleMotion

Fine Arts, Reading Language Arts, Science, Math

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.  NobleMotion Dance and Musiqa have earned international acclaim for exploring the intersection of music, dance and brain science: 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.  In “Free Rein,” several performers will wear wireless mobile brain-body imaging equipment.  The performers will alternate between scripted and improvised dance and music, with live visualizations of their brain activity.  This cutting-edge presentation encourages the 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.

Learn More about the Hobby Center’s educational programming and future opportunities for Houston school districts.

This project is supported in part by an award from the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Mid-America Arts Alliance and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 2025 BIG grant.

About Musiqa

Since its first production in 2002, Musiqa has performed the works of nearly 300 living composers, presented nearly 80 world premieres, commissioned new works by established and emerging composers, collaborated with hundreds of dancers, actors, poets, filmmakers, and other Houston artists, and provided free educational programs for close to 70,000 public school students from over 250 greater Houston area schools. Musiqa’s numerous honors include awards for Adventurous Programming from Chamber Music America/ASCAP in 2013 and 2016, and Chamber Music America’s 2025 Interdisciplinary Work of the Year award.

About NobleMotion

NobleMotion, one of Texas’s premier dance companies, is recognized for their intense physicality and jaw-dropping performances. Named “Houston’s Best Dance Company” by Houston Press in 2015, 2016, and 2019, NobleMotion has received over 50 positive reviews from national critics. NobleMotion was featured on the Emmy Award-winning ABC TV show American Crime and in photographer Jordan Matter’s New York Times bestselling book Dancers Among Us. Since 2021, NobleMotion has been part of an ongoing collaboration between dance, music, and neuroscience, presented at the United Nation’s AI for Good Global Summit, a TEDx Talk, and Wolf Trap for the Performing Arts.

Photo credit: Lynn Lane