Alumni
Light | The Holocaust & Humanity Project
Location
The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin, TXDate & Time
8:00pm CDT March 31Contact
Ben Woods ’06
bwoodsu@gmail.com
8:00pm CDT March 31
The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin, TX
Open gallery
The Greater Austin Chapter sponsored event
Join the Greater Austin Chapter for the special Ballet Austin production of Light | The Holocaust & Humanity Project. After the performance, we plan to gather on the outdoor terrace for reflective conversation for those who want to join in. Tickets are being offered at a discount rate and space is limited, please only register if you are able to attend.
IN OUR DARKEST TIMES, IT IS HOPE THAT PUSHES US FORWARD
Illuminated through the powerful story of Holocaust survivor Naomi Warren (1920-2016), Stephen Mills’ Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project takes the audience on a journey that shares Naomi’s story while making relevant connections to the present, told through the lens of dance. This full-length contemporary dance work follows Naomi’s path from a beautiful family with a rich culture and traditions, to utter dehumanization…and all along the way, we feel Naomi’s courage, resilience, and hope.
About Naomi Warren
Naomi Warren serves as the inspiration behind the story of survival and triumph of the human spirit in Ballet Austin’s Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project.
Naomi Warren grew up in Wolkowysk, a small city in Eastern Poland. In 1939, the war broke out and by the summer of 1941, the Nazi army invaded Poland. The Nazis very quickly began systematically isolating, interning and murdering the Jewish population. Naomi and many family members were rounded up and sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in January of 1942. Arriving at the camp, Naomi was torn from her family. Her mother was selected for immediate liquidation. During her time in the death camp, she lost her husband, sister-in-law, and others. Naomi survived three years at Auschwitz, was transferred to Ravensbruck and was eventually liberated from Bergen-Belsen.
At the end of the war, Naomi settled in Houston, Texas, where she remarried and built a successful import business. She served on the boards of Holocaust Museum Houston, the Jewish Federation, and the Southwest Region of the Anti-Defamation League. Among her many honors are awards from the Jewish-American Committee, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Government of Denmark. In honor of Naomi’s 80th birthday, her family established the Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers at Holocaust Museum Houston.