Name: PASS: Dandelions + New Research by Madelyn Sher
Start: 2026-01-10T14:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-01-10T16:00:00-05:00
Location: Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden

PASS: Dandelions + New Research by Madelyn Sher

For her PASS residency, Madelyn Sher will present embodied research related to the new evening-length work she will present at Emory University in April 2026 as the current Arts Fellow, as well as Dandelions, an original composition for dance and music created by her and Leo Hardman-Hill, featuring performances by Erica Lee Schwartz, Carrie Furniss, Judette Elliston, Priya Carlberg, as well as Madelyn and Leo.
WHEN: January 10 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
WHERE: Carpenter's Shop at Snug Harbor (View site map and directions: https://snug-harbor.org/visit/directions/)
ADMISSION: $10 | Snug Harbor Members receive a 10% discount
BUY TICKETS: https://snugharbor.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0SQg000008acwbMAA
In Dandelions, dancers and singers move through the space together as the piece unfolds, navigating and retracing pathways between one another. Dandelions explores holding on, and letting go - to ourselves, to each other, to things we hold dear - and the uncertainty that accompanies a moment of release. The dance spans various contemporary movement modalities including butoh and dance theater, inspired by the abstract poem-prose of Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons and the poignant heartbreak of James Baldwin's novel, Giovanni's Room. Through the metaphor of a dandelion’s bloom and decay, Dandelions describes a recurring dream about love, routine, and change. The piece’s music is reflective of the fragility of its themes. Quivering voices are counterposed with deep silences and fragile consonances that seem ready to dissipate as soon as they appear. As the piece progresses, the intimate horror of time’s passing is reflected in a looping structure that finally snaps viscerally forward. This presentation of Dandelions has been supported by a 2025 DCLA Premier Grant from Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Join us for pre-performance refreshments beginning at 1 PM. The performance starts at 2 PM and will be followed by a brief Q & A with the artists.
PASS: Performing Arts Salon Saturdays residency program is made possible through generous lead support from the Howard Gilman Foundation, with additional support from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Snug Harbor is a proud partner with the CUNY Dance Initiative.