Stories of Spirit and Spirits
an ERGO/movement production
June 11-13, 2026 at 7:30pm
& June 13 at 2:30pm
Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center
Blackbox Theater
60 Lake Street, Burlington, VT 05401
For accessibility questions please contact Jessie Owens: [email protected], 802.363.5544
Tickets: https://sevendaystickets.com/e/stories-of-spirit-and-spirits
Stories of Spirit and Spirits is an evening-length experimental dance and music production featuring the ten members of the improvisation ensemble, soft rocks: dancers Danielle Tekut, Julian Barnett, Hanna Satterlee, Jessie Owens, Nicole Dagesse, and Beth Morelli, and musicians Matt LaRocca, Jeremy Frederick, Kyle Saulnier, and Will Andrews.
Guided by chance, faith in their craft, and trust in each other, the group embarks on a cathartic and heartfelt journey as they embody their collected and co-imagined stories. They immerse themselves and the audience in the world/s that they divine, rearrange, and revolutionize over the course of the performance. The collective invites their ghosts and their dreams, as well as their fears and their longings to weave their stories of connection and resistance.
Through music and movement and with the support of structured improvisations, chance methods, costumes, personal mementos, and talismans, they explore myths and archetypes, personal ancestry, shared histories, and experimental social dynamics, as they peer into the bardo and dance with risk in search of a new kind of togetherness. With the pull of a card or the spin of a bottle, each moment will unfold according to chance, creating alternate timelines and outcomes with every performance. They invite you to join them in their seeking. See this performance more than once to experience how chance creates a new turn of events.
Stories of Spirit and Spirits has been co-authored by the members of the collective. A work of this depth and scale is possible because of our collaboration and trust. The work was directed and structured by Jessie Owens in relationship with and supported by the entire ensemble and community members who have given feedback along the way. Stories is produced by Jessie Owens and ERGO/movement with masterful support from Hanna Satterlee/ANIMAL Dance. Matt LaRocca is the works’ music director.
Costume and set pieces have been co-imagined and co-created by fiber artist Bradie Hansen and
soft rocks ensemble members Jessie Owens and Beth Morelli.
Roya Millard composes light and shadow as spirit elements as the production’s lighting designer and technician.
Join us for a reception in the lobby at Main Street Landing immediately following the 7:30pm performance on Friday, June 12.
Stay tuned for details on the July 9th and 10th performance tour in Northern Vermont by visiting www.jessieowens.com.
This project is supported by a 2025 Vermont Arts Council Creation Grant, and is funded in part by New England Foundation for the Arts' New England Dance Fund, with generous support from the Aliad Fund at the Boston Foundation. The creation of this project has been generously sponsored by
The First Congregational Church of Burlington.
Tickets for the June performances can be purchased online here: https://sevendaystickets.com/e/stories-of-spirit-and-spirits
Promo trailer:
