Kaatsbaan Cultural Park Announces Spring Festival Casting, Offers Online Access To Select Programs

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park takes place May 20-23 and May 27-30, bringing together leading artists from the worlds of dance, music, poetry, sculpture, and the culinary arts.

Complete programming, casting, and both in-person and digital ticketing information can be found below.

Kaatsbaan Spring Festival 2021 Schedule & Casting

Thursday, May 20

4:00 p.m. A River Runs Through It: A Conversation about the Booming Hudson Valley Food Scene

• Curated and moderated by Jeff Gordinier
• Guest speakers Celine Kagan, Gabe McMackin, and Dale Talde

6:30 p.m. American Ballet Theatre

• World premieres: Desire by Helen Pickett and City of Women by James Whiteside with ABT dancers in residence Joo Won Ahn, Sierra Armstrong, Lauren Bonfiglio, Kathryn Boren, Zimmi Coker, Carlos Gonzalez, Blaine Hoven, Erica Lall, Isadora Loyola, Rachel Richardson, Christine Shevchenko, Ingrid Thoms, Katherine Williams, Remy Young
• A Time There Was pas de deux with Katherine Williams and Blaine Hoven (Choreography by Gemma Bond)
• Don Quixote pas de deux with Christine Shevchenko and Joo Won Ahn

Friday, May 21

4:00 p.m. Into the Wild: How Foraging Can Change Your Life-And Your Diet

• Curated and moderated by Jeff Gordinier
• Guest speakers J. Mae Barizo, Maria Pinto, and Will Horowitz

6:30 p.m. American Ballet Theatre: same as Thursday, May 20

Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23

4:00 p.m. Patti Smith, Tony Shanahan, and Jackson Smith, curated by Oliver Ray

6:30 p.m.

• American Ballet Theatre A Time There Was pas de deux with Katherine Williams and Blaine Hoven (Choreography by Gemma Bond) and Don Quixote pas de deux with Christine Shevchenko and Joo Won Ahn
• New Dorrance Dance work, choreography by Michelle Dorrance in collaboration with the performers who along with Dorrance, are Byron Tittle, Aaron Marcellus, and Penelope Wendtlandt
• Mark Morris Dance Group in Three Preludes with Laurel Lynch and Words with Domingo Estrada, Jr. and Aaron Loux

Thursday, May 27

4:00 p.m. A River Runs Through It: A Conversation about the Booming Hudson Valley Food Scene

• Curated and moderated by Jeff Gordinier
• Guest speakers Celine Kagan, Gabe McMackin, and Naima Penniman

6:30 p.m. American Lyric: A Kaatsbaan live music and dance site-specific commission with pianist Hunter Noack and dancers/choreographers Garen Scribner, Coral Dolphin, ShanDien "Sonwai" LaRance, Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber, and Taylor Stanley. Created in residence at Kaatsbaan with support from The Howard Gilman Foundation.

Friday, May 28

4:00 p.m. Into the Wild: How Foraging Can Change Your Life-And Your Diet

• Curated and moderated by Jeff Gordinier
• Guest speakers J. Mae Barizo, Maria Pinto, and Will Horowitz

6:30 p.m. American Lyric: same as Thursday, May 27

Saturday, May 29

4:00 p.m. Yo La Tengo, curated by Oliver Ray

6:30 p.m.

• Martha Graham Dance Company in Conversation of Lovers with Xin Ying and Lloyd Knight, Immediate Tragedy with Anne Souder, and Satyric Festival Song with Xin Ying
• New work by Yannick Lebrun with Samantha Figgins from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Zimmi Coker and Carlos Gonzalez in Unforseen (choreography by Zhong-Jing Fang) from American Ballet Theatre
• Maria Kowroski & Ask la Cour in After the Rain (choreography by Christopher Wheeldon), and Gonzalo Garcia in A Suite of Dances (choreography by Jerome Robbins) from New York City Ballet

Sunday, May 30

4:00 p.m. Steve Gunn, curated by Oliver Ray

6:30 p.m. Mixed dance bill same as Saturday, May 29

Sculptures throughout Kaatsbaan property curated by Hilary Greene and Jen Dragon of Cross Contemporary Partners. Local artists include Emil Alzamora, Stuart Farmery, Tristan Fitch, Anthony H. Garner, Jared Handelsman, Kenichi Hiratsuka, Bernard Klevickas, Portia Munson, Shelley Parriott, Eileen M. Power, Gregory Steel, Christina Tenaglia, and Millicent Young.

Featured culinary authors' books will be made available for on-site book signing at the Festival. Purchases can be made in advance at kaatsbaan.org, in partnership with Oblong Books & Music.

Tickets are on sale here and range in price from $22.50 - $150, with students, seniors, veterans, and essential workers receiving a 10% discount with proper identification.

Limited tickets are being sold as Kaatsbaan will operate at approximately 3% capacity to promote safety. All events will follow current CDC and NYS guidelines regarding COVID-19, including mandatory masks, socially distanced seating, and timed arrivals. Full protocols and procedures will be available at kaatsbaan.org and communicated to ticket purchasers.

All performances will be held outdoors throughout Kaatsbaan's lush 153-acre campus in the Hudson Valley. Visitors must provide their own seating, (blankets, lawn chairs) as all seating is on the property's grassy fields. Visitors are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes as the walk from the parking lot to the Mountain Stage is 3/4 of a mile. Parking at Kaatsbaan is limited and safely carpooling with your group is strongly recommended. Visit kaatsbaan.org to purchase a reserved parking spot. Pre-show emails will also include the option to purchase a reserved parking spot at Kaatsbaan.