Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance is in residence at The Yard on Martha’s Vineard from July 7-20. During that time the company will share two stage performances, a site specific pop-up show, a Communi-tree workshop, an Embodied-Eco-Activism Workshop, and also dive into creative process on a new aquatic-themed work.

Performances

Community Pop-Up: Sunday, July 13 at 11:30am
West Tisbury Center, starting at First Congregational Church

Onstage at The Yard: Friday & Saturday, July 18 & 19 at 7 pm
Patricia Nanon Theater, The Yard
INFO/Tickets on sale April 24

Choreographer Jody Sperling and her Time Lapse Dance ensemble present a visually stunning program exploring human entanglement with nature. Featured works highlight the acclaimed climate-engaged collaboration between Sperling and environmental composer Matthew Burtner. Arbor dwells on the intimacy of trees. In Wind Rose, dancers render changing atmospheric patterns palpable to sight, sound, and touch. The program also features a new work-in-progress to be developed during the company’s residency at The Yard, which delves into aquatic themes of submersion and inundation. All these works use the company's signature style harnessing transformative costuming that abstract the essence of human movement into elemental and organic forces.

Founded and directed by choreographer Jody Sperling, Time Lapse Dance (TLD) envisions dance as a powerful force that can help move us toward a more embodied, sustainable, and equitable future. The work, which merges artistic and scientific research, investigates the relationship of human movers to ecological systems. The company’s unique style expands upon the legacy of visionary artist Loïe Fuller (1862-1928)—a pioneer of modern dance and performance technology—into environmental performance practices. Since 2022, Sperling and company are the Eco-Artist-in-Residence at The New York Society for Ethical Culture. They have toured nationally and internationally, most recently on a 3-city tour of Egypt.

Time Lapse Dance’s Yard residency is funded in part by the Jerome A. and Estelle R. Newman Assistance Fund.

WORKSHOPS

Communi-tree Dance Workshop
Wednesday, July 9 at 11am-12:30pm
The Yard Studio, Chilmark
Registration Required

All are welcome! No prior dance experience necessary.

An accessible movement workshop that facilitates embodied connections between ourselves and the natural world. We draw inspiration from the way trees collaborate via the “wood-wide-web” to form intricate, multi-species societies. Participants will practice rooting, standing tall, branching out, and forging new connections. The workshop culminates with Jody and company teaching a movement sequence from their dance Arbor.

Embodied Eco-Activism Movement & Networking Workshop
Friday, July 11 from 12 noon - 1:30pm
West Tisbury Library
RSVP encouraged: register@dancetheyard.org
FREE
Please bring your lunch to enjoy before the workshop begins.

This two-part workshop provides an embodied movement practice for activists and a collaborative space to share experiences and methodologies. The aim is to foster a more focused sense of purpose in activist work and strengthen connections across different disciplines on the Island.

Part One: Embodied Movement Practice for Activists. Embodiment is defined as living in a loving relationship with one's body. Activism is seen as a constant activity rooted in compassion. Creativity and movement can offer a space for wellbeing and aid in providing direction.

Part Two: Information Sharing and Networking. Ecokinetics, a dance practice that focuses on the relationship between human movers and natural systems. Our guest, Jody Sperling, a dancer, choreographer, and eco-artist, will talk about her experience as a climate activist and the connection between movement arts, science, and activism.

Time Lapse Dance (TLD), founded and directed by Jody Sperling, believes in the power of dance to guide us toward a more embodied, sustainable, and equitable future. Their work integrates artistic and scientific research, exploring the relationship between human movement and ecological systems.

Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance programs are supported in part through an ongoing Eco-Artist-Residency with the New York Society for Ethical Culture.