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2011

Performance: The Equus Projects with Stephanie Lockhart

September 30th at 5:30pm
The Center for America's First Horse Inc. in Johnson, Vermont

This performance features the Equus Projects dancers at their best, dancing with Stephanie Lockhart and her horses in a highly physical and entertaining choreographic process that transforms equine behavior into poignant, funny and often quite moving human duets. The seasoned professional dancers of Equus Projects are all trained in natural horsemanship. The company’s site specific works for dancers and horses have been commissioned by arts and equine presenters including The Flynn (2002), Bates Dance Festival, (2008 and 2011) and the Green Mountain Horse Association. (2001) The demonstration performance is open to the public with a Q&A session to follow. 

Fee:  Tickets are $8.00 and can be purchased in advance at www.centerforamericasfirsthorse.org or at the door.

Photo © BLM dancer Eddie Oryan

Unstable Landscape

August 6th & 7th ~ 2pm
Chance Encounter Farm ~ Pownal, ME

The Equus Projects wil collaborate with Minneapolis based company Black Label Movement (BLM) in the creation of a new site-specific performance piece for dancers and horses.

Equus Projects' Artistic Director JoAnna Mendl Shaw and BLM Artistic Director Carl Flink, both teaching faculty for the 2011 Bates Dance Festival, will co-create this new work to be set on site at Chance Encounter Farm, a small horse farm in Pownal, ME which is 20 minutes from the Bates College campus.  

The new work, Unstable Landscape, will explore the sense of survival, endurance and patience shared by humans and equines in this rocky Maine lanscape.

Tickets will be sold only on site. Reservations available through the Bates Dance Festival.

Shaw and Flink have collaborated in 2009 during a 10-day creative residdency at the White Oak Plantation where they made three works for dancers and horses.

Equus and BLM have shared equine training sessions in Bowlus, MN under the direction of Parelli Instructor, Nita Jo Rush. Photo of BLM dancer Eddie Oryan during Bowlus training.

Photo © Jim Coleman

The Equus Projects at High Hopes

May 1, 2011
Old Lyme, CT

A special benefit performance

High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center
with
Soloists Jorge Gabriel and Patricia Norcia
Choreographer JoAnna Mendl Shaw
Sunday, May 1st - 3pm
The Equus Projects
Dancing with Horses
in
CELEBRATION
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding In-Door Arena
36 Town Woods Rd.
Old Lyme, Ct. 06371
Photo, Jim Coleman
For tickets and information contact: Alicia Barrows
abarrows@highhopestr.org
860-434-1974 ext. 23

2010

Photo © Rene Braun

Bates Dance Festival / Chance Encounter farm

August 6, 2011
Pownal, Maine

The Equus Projects in collaboration with Black Label Movement of Minneapolis will be co-creating a new work for dancers and horses on site at Chance Encounter farm, a small farm just 5 miles outside of Lewiston, Maine. The work will include dancers from the Festival. Performance dates: August 6th and 7th.

Equus Projects Artistic Director, JoAnna Mendl Shaw and BLM Artistic Director, Carl Flink, will both be teaching on the 2011 Bates Dance Festival faculty. 

Photo © Terri Cage

Equus in Prospect Park

October 30, 2010
Prospect Park ~ Brooklyn, NY

The Equus Projects & GallopNYC
Saturday, October 30th on The Nethermead ~ Prospect Park, Brooklyn ~ 11:00 - 3:00

THE PROSPECT PARK PROJECT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!

THANKIS TO EVERYONE WHO HEPED US ON SITE AND ALL OUR GENEROUS KICKSTARTER SUPPORTERS! .

Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival

September 12, 2010
Rhinebeck, NY

Hudson Valley Wine and Food Festival
A Series of Performances 11am - 3pm
Sunday, September 12th
hudsonvalleywinefest.com/

Dancing in Real Time

August 13 & 14, 2010
Heart of the Horse Farm / Vashon, WA

The Equus Projects premieres Dancing in Real Time, with live music by vocalist-cellist jami Sieber, at Heart of the Horse Farm on Vashon Island, WA. The company returns after its 2009 sold-out performances and critical acclaim from KUOW, KING-TV, and CNN for Resting Ground.

On Vashon Island, The Equus Projects will build upon their 2009 collaboration to create a new performance work, featuring Jami Sieber, a nationally acclaimed Pacific NW vocalist and electric cellist, and local horses. The purebred Arabian horses have lived and played together as a herd for many years on Heart of the Horse Farm.

  Dancing in Real Time takes the technology concept of “operational deadlines from event to system response” and translates this into the real time movement choices a dancer must make when aspiring to dance with a horse. Both the horses and the dancers are schooled in Natural Horsemanship, which is based on the dialogue and relationship between horse and handler. Complex choreographic patterns alternate with playful improvisational interactions between dancers and horses all threaded together by a solo rider and horse. Dancing in Real Time reveals the inner spirit of both horse and dancer to captures the beauty, grace and athleticism of a unique partnership between humans and horses.

Performances take place at Heart of the Horse at 21901 Vashon Highway, SW.  Vashon Island, Washington 98070

*** On line tickets for - SOLD OUT

*** Tickets for BOTH nights are available on Vashon at The Blue Heron

All performances begin at 6pm. Suggested arrival is 5:30pm

Fee: TICKETS:
$25 in Advance / $30 at the door (CASH ONLY)
$20 Elder and Student Tickets for August 13th Performance available at Books By the Way, Blue Heron, and Vashon Bookshop
All Online Tickets are Sold Out. All remaining tickets are available at Books By the Way, Blue Heron, and Vashon Bookshop.

Exhibition for the ERAHC Horse Show

July 24, 2010
Mount Holyoke Equestrian Center / South Hadley, MA

The Equus Projects performs a new work created for company members and local riders and their horses.

Join us for this premiere!

For tickets, contact Patricia Norcia at 860-391-2767

***

Performance at 6:00pm.

Fee: $5 / ticket

AUBREY TEXAS PERFORMANCE

May 29, 2010
XO Ranch / Aubrey, TX

JOIN THE EQUUS PROJECTS

for the debut of an original

Site Specific Work Created for the

XO RANCH

on May 29th at 6:00 PM

(arrive by 5:30 for transportation to the performance site)

TICKETS:

$35.00 ADULTS IN ADVANCE (follow the link below)

$15.00 CHILDREN UNDER 13

$40.00 AT DOOR (CASH ONLY)

Fee: For Tickets:

Ticket Options

ADULTS $35.00 CHILD (under 13) $15.00

AUBREY TEXAS OPEN REHEARSAL

Wednesday May 26 - Friday May 28, 2010
XO Ranch, Aubrey TX

Join us for an informal open rehearsal.  See our company at work as we create our May 29th performance.

Dates:

Wednesday May 26:  10:00am - 12:30pm - Family Demo (watch rehearsal, get insight from company representative about The Equus Projects, meet the dancers)

Thursday May 27:  10:00am - 12:30pm - Open Rehearsal (watch the company rehearse)

Friday May 28:  10:00am - 12:30pm - Open Rehearsal (watch the company rehearse)

These events are open to the public and are ONLY rehearsals.  You will get to see the company rehearsing small segments of the performance - but this is by no means a performance...........you gotta pay for that!

To make a reservation - Email KRISTEN!  Let her know what day and how many people are coming.

All rehearsals are at the XO Ranch.  For Directions - Click HERE!

This is open to the public and free of charge!

Demo Performance

February 14th, 2010
Aubrey, TX

 More information to follow.  

Email Executive Director Michael Lonergan,  mlonergan1@mac.com, to receive updates.

2009

Photo © Vanessa Wright

Claustrophobia

November 8th, 2009, 5pm
Pomona, NY

Horse and human grapple with the constraints of claustrophobic environments -- physical claustrophobia and emotional claustrophobia.  The raw underbelly of human behavior is exposed as humans encounter their desire to be heard and be understood.

The Equus Projects is a dance company: Professional dancers who are all trained in natural horsemanship.  Their capacity for Physical Listening enables them to to create kinetic dialogue with their equine partners.

Fee: Invite Only Contact Kristen, kristen.with.horses@gmail.com for More Information

The Equus Projects

October 16th, 2009, 7:30pm
Helena, Montana

The Equus Projects creates a new site-specific work during its one-week residency in Helena, Montana. Over a dozen local riders join the company to perform in a most memorable evening, asking its audience to question human relationships with horses and toappreciate the keen awareness of movement space through herding behavior.

Rehearsals are open to the public Tuesday, October 13 - Thursday, October 15. Contact Kristen for times and reservations.

With major support from the Hunter Family Trust With Support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Montana Arts Council Artists in the Schools Program, The Myrna Loy Center, WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation), and the National Performance Network

Learn More!
Buy Tickets!

Fee:
$15 - Adults / Seniors
$10 - Students

Photo © Karl Cronin

The Equus Projects at The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest

September 12 & 13, 2009
Duchess County Fairgrounds - Rhinebeck, NY

Share an afternoon with The Equus Projects at The Hudson Valley's Wine and Food Fest.

Enjoy the rest of your day sampling hundreds of wines from all over New York and the World, tasting culinary delicacies from the Valley's best restaurants and caterers, learning the secrets of celebrity chefs and wine experts, and listening to live music.

Daily Performances,
12pm - Tableaus at the Fairground Entrance
2pm - The Equus Projects on the Green (btwn buildings and Mulberry St/Rt. 9)

For more information on The Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest, please visit HudsonValleyWineFest.com

Fee: Free with Fest Pass ($15/$30)

Photo © Arthur Fink

The Equus Projects with Jami Sieber

August 9 & 10, 2009 (SOLD OUT)
Heart of the Horse Farm - Vashon, WA

UPDATE: Both performances (9 & 10) are SOLD OUT. If you would like to be notified about future Pacific NW peformances, you can do so by sending  an e-mail with the subject "Pacific NW" to equus@karlcronin.com

A performance for horses and dancers featuring vocalist and cellist Jami Sieber, a Pacific NW favorite!!

The Equus Projects will present two performances with cellist Jami Sieber and the Arabian Horses of Heart of the Horse Farm (21901 Vashon Hwy SW), Sunday, August 9 at 6pm AND Monday, August 10 at 6 pm.

The event will take place at Heart of the Horse Farm, 21901 Vashon Hwy SW. To assist with traffic flow, plan to arrive from the North. Please plan to arrive early to park and sign in. The gate will open at 5:15pm. Due to the nature of the performance, there will be no late seating.

Photo © Rene Braun

Equus Projects Open Rehearsal and Coaching with Barb Apple

August 3, 2009
FromtheMother Farm - Snohomish, WA

You're invited to be a part of this special day of the dancers' training and narrated rehearsal.  In the morning, we'll watch the dancers work, at liberty, with various horses.  Barb Apple will provide the dancers with guidance and advice on the horse's energy.  We'll be invited to comment on what we observe.

At a complimentary lunch, JoAnna and the Equus dancers will share with us their process of creating a performance work.

In the afternoon, the dancers will introduce the choreographic forms they use when creating a performance with a horse at liberty.  We'll be invited to make choreographic suggestions and see how the dancers go about executing our ideas! 

Fee: Contact: Lynn Elston fromthemotherfarm@verizon.net 425-482-6666

2008

The Equus Projects in Maine

Saturday, August 2nd
Pownal, Maine

The Equus Projects returns to Maine for its third summer. Equus Artistic Director JoAnna Mendl Shaw will teach on the faculty of The Bates Dance Festival and Equus dancers will join her for two of the three Festival weeks. The company will be working with Lewiston area equestrains and their horses. On Saturday, August 2nd, The Equus Projects and their Maine equestrian collaborators will present an afternoon of performance work followed by a Q & A session and cheese and wine. Admission $15. Reservations needed. Email: jmsnyc@aol.com.

Parelli Tour Stop

Harrisburg, PA

The Equus Projects performed for Savvy Club Sunday at the Harrisburg, PA Tour Stop. The company premiered a new work perfromed with Ericka Nolan's horse, Tango.

Photo © Kim Matarese

Connecticut College

New London, CT

The Equus Projects is presenting a performance on the great lawn at Connecticut College at Noon on February 9th.

This performance is presented as part of the 2008 New England American College Dance Festival, February 6-10th

2007

Photo © Nancy Halsey

Scores for Dancers & Horses

Auburn, Maine

The Equus Projects dancers spent three weeks in Lewiston, Maine joining Artistic Director JoAnna Mendl Shaw at The Bates Dance Festival. Every morning for two weeks the dancers left the Bates campus at 7am to work with local equestrians and their horses. All of their work focused on rider-less horses (at liberty). With each horse, the dancers developed choreographic scores that were based on the foundations of Parelli Natural Horsemanship.

Photo © Nancy Halsey

Film Shoot

Auburn, New Hampshire

Boston based Visual Artist, Christina Lanzl spent a week with The Equus Projects in New Hampshire where she shot footage for this, her second film project with the company. The Heifetz International Music Festival helped to finance the filming. A Preview version of the film will premiere in New York City on November 10th.

Photo © Krystyna Jurzakowski

June 2007

Glen Rose, Texas

JoAnna Mendl Shaw presented some of the choreographic scores for join-up with riderless horses.

Willow Tree Farm

June 9-10, 2007
Huntington, NY

The Equus Projects presented some of their working scores for dancers, horses and equestrians at Willow tree Farm in Huntington, Long Island as part of their Cliic for equestrians.

Photo © Photographer – Nancy Lichman

Equine Affaire

February 2-4, 2007
Pomona, CA

The Equus Projects co-presented with Equestrian David Lichman a demo performance and an evening concert of repertory at the 2007 Pomona Equine Affaire. The company was joined by dressage rider Ellie Johnson and equestrians Tova Lichman and Meredith Rhinehardt.

2006

Photo © Nancy Halsey

Premiere of Seven Games

August 6, 2006
Bates Dance Festival

The Equus Projects premiered Seven Games at The bates Dance Festival. Seven Games was built around the ground skills of Parelli Natural Horsemanship and featured six duets for dancers and a horse at liberty linked together with sweeping ridden interludes for the four dancers, two horses and their riders. Composer Jami Sieber composed the score and performed live. Seven Games was created for the central green at bates College and drew a record breaking audience of almost 700 dance enthusiasts and horse lovers.

Photo © Blake Pearson

Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Camp

Steamboat Springs CO

Teaching Residency

Photo © Nancy Lichman

Heifetz International Music Institute Institute

Wolfeboro NH

The Equus Projects created a Suite of Bach Dances for the Heifetz Institute Board of Directors Gala. Bach Suite was performed with live cello and electric violin, played by two of the Institute's talented young musicians.

2005

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

October 8, 9, 15 & 16
Claremont Stables, NYC

The Claremont Riding Academy 175 West 89 Street New York, NY 10024 Rules of Engagement is a collaboration between choreographer, JoAnna Mendl Shaw and visual artist, Janet Biggs. This interdisciplinary performance work combines synchronized video projections, three dancers, and a horse and rider to explore issues of power, freedom, and control. By virtue of its size and potentially dangerous flight response, the presence of a horse moving with and through a landscape of dancers exemplifies the unpredictable nature of free will. Intentionally raw and at times disturbing, the choreography ranges from obsessively restrictive to abandoned, from moments of subtle detail to fierce athleticism. Underlying the juxtaposition of human, equine, and video imagery is an investigation of human interactions: the negotiation of power, the constraints and limitations of socially acceptable behavior, and the isolation that occurs when one can't or won't behave according to society's rules.

SITES UNSEEN

June 1, 2005
Oval Lawn at Battery Park City
A 3-Day Celebration to launch the 2005 River to River Festival. This UnParade traverses Manhattan from the Hudson River to the East River. Dancing with Horses was the first event, performing a new work created for the Oval Garden at the west end of Liberty Street.

Make A Wish Foundation

May 19, 2005
Westchester, NY
Dancing with Horses equestrian Patricia Norcia and dancer Blake Pearson performed their collaborative show stopper “ONE” from A Chorus Line for the Westchester Make a Wish Foundation Benefit.

2004

Symphony of Horses

December 5, 2004
Ocala, Florida
Annual fundraising event for The Marion County Therapeutic Riding Association in Ocala, Florida, an event that features Olympic riders from many equestrian disciplines. DWH will collaborate with equestrian Karen Rohlf, a dressage rider who is also trained in Parelli Natural Horsemanship.

THREE PREMIERES

October 10, 2004
Millbrook, NY
DWH featured event for annual Dutchess County Land Conservancy Tour of Preserved Farmlands. DWH performance at The Goose Chase Farm in Millbrook begins with a movement installation for horses and dancers spanning three hillsides. The company premieres three works featuring DWH equestrian Patricia Norcia and guest equestrian Bettina Drummond.

Photo © Louisa Preston

EQUUS I

Spring 2004
Richmond, Virginia
Commission/Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia commissions The Equus Projects / DWH to create a new work that combines video and live dance/equestrian performance. With live video installation by videographer Peter Richards, EQUUS I incorporates the use of Natural Horsemanship into its choreographic vocabulary introducing the use of horses at liberty. This project is created in collaboration with equestrian Maddrey Baker, a dressage rider also trained in Natural Horsemanship. DWH company is coached for EQUUS I by Parelli Five Star Instructor David Lichman and Big Apple Equestrian Director, Katya Schumann. Click here to see press coverage

2003

Kalliope II in New York City

June 12 & 13, 2003
The Riverdale Riding Academy, Bronx, NY
Equus Projects / Dancing with Horses NYC Dancing with Horses brings Kalliope to NYC for the company’s first New York season. Riverdale Equestrian Center is transformed into a theatre with full stage lights. Click here to see press (New York Magazine article)

Lecture Demonstration Performance

May 30, 2003
Beeman Elementary, New Haven Vermont.
Performance for K-6 students at Beeman marked the culmination of DWH eight-month teaching residency at Beeman. Featured company of 10 dancers and 4 horses. Performance staged in the equestrian arena at presented at The Equestry.

Kalliope II

August 8-10, 2003
The Shelburne Museum – Burlington, VT
Co-produced by The Equus Projects / DWH and the Shelburne Museum, Dancing with Horses returns to Vermont for its third season. Click here to see Village VOICE Review: Deborah Jowitt

2002

Kalliope: The Ethel Walker School

October 1 & 3, 2002
Simsbury, Connecticut

Kalliope is re-staged with full theatrical lighting for the historic in-door equestrian arena at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut. Co-presented by Ethel Walker School, and NPN presenter, Real Art Ways

Shaping / Joyce SOHO, NYC DANCE NOW Festival

September 2002
Proscenium work for two male dancers and set against the projected equine images and sound design of composer and video artist Matthew Suttor.

Kalliope: The Shelburne Museum

August 1 & 3, 2002

Commissioned by The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Burlington, Vermont with creation funding from The National Performance Network. Created as a site-specific work for the carousel at The Shelburne Museum.

Green Mountain Horse Association

July 21, 2002
Demonstration performance for GMA Equestrian Show

2001

The Equestry II

September 29, 2001
The Green Mountain Horse Association, Woodstock VT

Commissioned by The Green Mountain Horse Association for the GMHA 75th Anniversary Gala

The Equestry I

July 21-22, 2001
New Haven VT

1st production of full length work for equine home, The Equestry in New Haven VT

Dancing With Horses: New Work

July 19, 2001
The Equestry, New Haven VT

Equine Affaire

April 2001
Columbus, Ohio
Paso Fino Spectacle for six Paso Finos and two flamenco dancers Commissioned and Produced by: La Tierra Paso Fino

2000

Equine Affaire

November 2000
Springfield, MA
Paso Fino Spectacle for six Paso Finos and two flamenco dancers Commissioned and Produced by: La Tierra Paso Fino

Repertory Concert

Garret Mountain Equestrian Center in West Paterson, N.J.

Repertory Concert

River Ridge Equestrian Center in Riverdale, NY

Warwick Arts Festival

Warwick, NY

Orange Count Arts Festival

July 8, 2000
Opening event for the Orange County Arts Festival.

Garret Mountain Equestrian Center, N. J.

June 17, 2000

River Ridge Equestrian Center

June 10, 2000
Eastchester, NY

1999

Body On Body

May 9, 1999
Mount Holyoke College - South Hadley, MA

1998

In the Landscape

1998-9
Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley MA

A large site work for dancers, horses and equestrians commissioned by Mout Holyoke College and the Five College Dance Program.