When the Music Starts, I’ll Know weaves voices, live piano, and traditional dance and music into a vivid portrait of 13 lifelong movers exploring identity and sanctuary, debuting May 30–31.

Both a live performance and an oral history collection, When the Music Starts, I’ll Know offers reflections of what it means to be a dancer, told through the voices of 13 lifelong artists whose work and artistic commitment we’ve long admired.

​When we began this project, we wanted to know about the paths dancers forge to sustain a lifelong practice. How do artists who are community builders also nurture their creative work? What does it mean to rely on your body as your mode of expression? How is identity tied to artistic practice over the course of a lifetime? 

​These interviews, at times funny, poignant, and thoughtful, are full of the sustaining power of a creative calling. It was a real pleasure to simply spend time in conversation. We found ourselves drawn to the stories and anecdotes that underscored how dance is intrinsically woven into identity and belonging. Between the lines, we heard echoes of quiet moments of sacrifice, and the gift of finding sanctuary. There is a geography of dance in each person’s life and a sense that movement and music are essential in their experiences.

Join us May 30-31 for an evening of traditional dance and music to celebrate these stories, featuring dancers Aubrey Atwater Donnelly, Cait Bracken, Maureen Doyle, and Alanna Callendrello. Audio collages exploring themes of sanctuary and identity, with live piano underscoring by Neil Pearlman (music director), frame the evening; and fiddle player Laura Feddersen lifts the dancing with her eminently gritty, rhythmic, flowing playing.

We couldn’t have made this show without the brilliant creative team Caitlin Canty (dramaturg, production manager), Elmer Martinez (lighting design), and Derek Lamoreaux (sound design). Created and produced by Jackie O’Riley & Rebecca McGowan.