1518: A ROCK OPERA To Premiere At Evolution Festival

1518: A Rock Opera, an original performance piece composed by Kait Warner and directed by Danica Jensen, will be presented as part of The Center at West Park’s Evolution Festival. The production plays Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 7:30 PM in The Sanctuary at St. Paul & St. Andrew (263 W 86th St, New York, NY 10024).

Based on the true and bizarre tale of the Dancing Plague of 1518, the piece begins when a woman starts to dance—and finds she cannot stop. Over two months, her two-step around the town square sparks the largest dance party Germany had ever seen, with more than 400 people joining in.

Part séance, part pop concert, and part theatrical spectacle, 1518: A Rock Opera draws a vivid line between past and present. Through music, movement, and communal storytelling, it asks what we can learn about resistance, healing, and joy in the face of oppression.

“When the idea for this project came to me, I initially thought I was going to release it as a concept album for my sophomore LP,” said composer Kait Warner. “But the more I researched this bizarre event, the more it became clear it was inherently theatrical. It had to be communal, it had to be embodied. That’s become my favorite part: gathering people together to tap into this ancient, collective need to dance and joyfully freak out.”

The ensemble features the St. Vitus Dance Troupe, with music direction by Chloe Geller (Floyd Collins, Some Like it Hot, Days of Wine and Roses, Harmony), costume design by Olivia Vaughn Hern (Bad Cinderella), and production design by jbroc.

Following the 50-minute performance, there will be a talkback with Dr. John Waller, historian at Michigan State University and author of The Dancing Plague: The Strange, True Story of an Extraordinary Illness.

1518: A Rock Opera

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM (runtime approx. 50 minutes, no intermission)
Venue: The Sanctuary at St. Paul & St. Andrew, 263 W 86th St, NYC
Tickets: $20 General Admission
Reservations: Center at West Park or directly via Eventbrite