DANDELIONS (OR, THE MOMENT YOU REALIZE THE SEASONS HAVE CHANGED)
January 10, 2026
Presented by Snug Harbor PASS Artist Residency Showing
Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens, Staten Island
Photos by Lance Reha
March 15, 2025
Presented by Cosmic Cherry Arts Festival 2025
Court Square Theater, Queens
Photos by McKenna Christine Poe
June 28-29, 2024 PREMIERE
Presented by Vangeline Theater / New York Butoh Institute and the Brick Theater
Queer Butoh Festival 2024
Featuring work by Vangeline Theater, Shadowswell, Madelyn Sher, and Anástasis
Lighting by Laia Comas
Photos by Lightreat Photography
Dandelions explores holding on, and letting go - to ourselves, to each other, to things we hold dear - and the uncertainty that accompanies a moment of release. The dance spans various contemporary movement modalities including butoh and dance theater, inspired by the abstract poem-prose of Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons and the poignant heartbreak of James Baldwin's novel, Giovanni's Room. Through the metaphor of a dandelion’s bloom and decay, Dandelions describes a recurring dream about love, routine, and change. The piece’s music is reflective of the fragility of its themes. Quivering voices are counterposed with deep silences and fragile consonances that seem ready to dissipate as soon as they appear. As the piece progresses, the intimate horror of time’s passing is reflected in a looping structure that finally snaps viscerally forward.
The Snug Harbor presentation was supported by a 2025 DCLA Premier Grant from Staten Island Arts with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and through a PASS Residency at Snug Harbor with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation.
Performed by Erica Lee Schwartz and Madelyn Sher
Music performed by Priya Carlberg, Judette Elliston, Carrie Furniss, and Leo Hardman-Hill
Original music composed by Leo Hardman-Hill
coming soon: Dandelions at Snug Harbor!

Snug Harbor

Queer Butoh Festival

Cosmic Cherry Festival

Queer Butoh Festival