August 15 – Earth’s Elements: Aerial and Dance at Penn Dixie

Summer is magical to Western New Yorkers, and while cancellations and closures threatened to dull some of the magic, summer’s best feature remained wide open.  The great outdoors is always a pleasure, and aerialists and dancers came together to celebrate nature with inspiration from the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire.

Jenn starting some fires on the silks

Performers from Buffalo Aerial Dance mimicked flames, soil, wind, and waves with dramatic plunges and playful explorations.  Calling upon natural elements that both thrill us and calm us, dance artists from Metts Dance, shared their choreography in this unique  setting.

Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve is a former shale quarry where large amounts of fossils were discovered while it was being mined.  The fossils found there date back 350 million years, and the most famous is the trilobite, a prehistoric marine creature, but there are tens of thousands of fossils on site.  The atmosphere at Penn Dixie evokes prehistoric earth, a time when Western New York (and most of North America) was submerged under water.  There could be no better environment for a performance about the Earth’s elements.

Showtimes are 4:30-6:00 and 7:00-8:30 on Saturday, August 15.  Raindate is August 22. The show will be between 60 and 90 minutes in length with a brief intermission.

Jay Roc channeling the wind on the lyra

In accordance with NYS Covid-19 guidelines for public gatherings, tickets to these performances will be limited to 50 attendees per performance.  Strict physical distancing measures will be in place.  Audience members will be directed to stay at least 6 feet away from each other at all times, unless they are members of the same household.  If it is not possible to keep an appropriate distance, masks must be worn.  All audience members are asked to bring: a chair, a mask or facial covering, and a cup or mug.

Tickets are offered on a sliding scale basis $5-$30 and must be purchased in advance below. PLEASE NOTE that tickets can only be purchased 1 at a time! It is best is each attendee can purchase their own ticket separately.  We apologize for this inconvenience — it is the only way that we are able to offer sliding scale pricing.

Thank you for supporting your local artists and studios!