Elements: Weaving the Earth through Music, Word & Dance
April 24, 2026 - 7:00pm
April 25, 2026 - 5:00pm
Church of the Village
201 W 13 St. New York, NY 10011 USA
Welcome to the premiere experience of Elements: Weaving the Earth through Music, Word & Dance. You are about to experience a multi-disciplinary exploration of Water, Air, Fire, and Earth. We seek to encounter the elements of the Earth as teachers of life. This experience is a confluence of music, dance, and spoken word. Each of the artistic “elements” came together collaboratively to learn from the Earth elements and imagine how we can honor each one and their relationships with one another.
DANCE is offered as a collaboration between Omega Dance Company and Union Theological Seminary students. Choreographers Martha Chapman and Apollonia Holzer have designed movements that invite us all to remember our original relationships with the elements.
MUSIC is shared by Grace M. Alexander, violin, Raphael B. Zimmerman, clarinet, and Will Rand, piano. The music was composed by Will Rand. Each movement of music is created to evoke the sounds, textures, and stories of each element.
WORDS are offered by Cláudio Carvalhaes. Cláudio writes and performs poetry, prose, and narration to thoughtfully describe each element. Each movement begins with the origin stories of each element unfolding into how they show up in our lives today. The conclusion of each element is a lament for the fracture in our relationship.
The Flow of the Elements
Water
Air
Fire
Earth
The Experience
We could not complete this experience without you. As the experience unfolds, we invite you to join us in creating a variety of sounds, gestures, and even a ritual. The dancers will invite you to snap, breathe, rub your hands together, and pass symbolic props around the room, among other gestures. The musicians will invite you to hum one note to symbolize our common resonance with one another and the Earth. You will also be invited to join in singing a simple song toward the end of the experience. Lastly, you will be invited forward to one of the altars dedicated to each element that calls to you. You will be able to participate by lighting candles, wafting incense, splashing water, and putting your hands in soil. Please join us as much as is meaningful for you.
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The Elements Creative Team:
Will Rand, Cláudio Carvalhaes, Martha Chapman, Grace M. Alexander, Apollonia Holzer, Raphael B. Zimmerman
Omega Dance Company:
Maura Burns, Martha Chapman, Apollonia Holzer, Arielle McKeever
Union Theological Seminary Students:
Christian Aponte, Eden Knutilla, Alyssa Merino Medina, Ian Pereria Miles, Heather Scott, Anna Smith
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Many thanks to:
The Church of the Village for hosting us including: Jorge Lockward, Dereck Panchure, Sheryl Watson and all the staff members at the church, and to the whole community
Paolo Pillitteri for sound engineering and companionship with the team
Ann Kešin-Li for rehearsal photography
Viveka Hall-Holt for rehearsal videography
Michael Stever for performance videography
Front of House: Scarlet Begonia, Sarah Capers, Amos Chapman, Daveed Echevarria, Zack Reedy
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Follow what’s happening for the future of Elements Experience here, on IG & FB
Find out more about The Church of the Village here, on IG & FB