Carnival of the Animals

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 · 7:30 PM

THE BAKER-BAUM CONCERT HALL

An evening-length interdisciplinary work of dance, spoken word and music, Carnival of the Animals is an intentional response to the January 6 insurrection, navigating the reality of the political jungle by embodying shifting societal values and our relationship to democracy. Choreographed and directed by Francesca Harper and anchored in the words of poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph and the transcendent movement of legendary dancer Wendy Whelan, Carnival of the Animals reimagines Saint-Saëns’ original animals and creates new animals in the political ecosystem, locating the classical in the present context. Each animal is tethered between order and disorder across a landscape of natural and socio-political arrangement. Harper utilizes Joseph’s writing of these new animals, including butterflies, free birds, goat, and elephant, to create physical poetry, giving life and breadth to the dynamic visions for hope, examples of resiliency as well as the polarizing experiences of race and gender, and different takes on political people and moments in our recent history.

Wendy Whelan, dancer (Associate Artistic Director, New York City Ballet)

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, spoken word (VP/Artistic Director of Social Impact for The Kennedy Center)