The Yard’s 2025 summer season is bursting with dynamic dance performances, residencies, classes, and pop-up discussions centered on climate activism, indigenous empowerment, collaboration, and equity.
The Yard’s history began in 1973 when Patricia Nanon, founder and choreographer, envisioned it as “a playground without walls, a place to explore, to experiment, construct … a space in which to come together and to be alone.” Those early days took place in a corrugated tin barn on Tabor House Road, where audiences sat on hay bales. A gutted school bus served as the greenroom, where artists would change into their costumes. The goal was to create an opportunity for dancers, actors, choreographers, and others to leave the city and work in a space that nurtured community and creativity.
In those days, artists would come for a month, or maybe more. Residencies are shorter now, but as in the original incarnation, dancers still teach community classes and perform in public. “I think the partnership between artists and the Vineyard and bringing high-quality dance has remained true,” says Yard Executive Director Stephanie Pacheco.
The season opens with the ongoing collaboration between the Puerto Rican/Taíno company Danza Orgánica, a dance theater company dedicated to social justice and decolonization, and intergenerational Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal members. Using indigenous storytelling, dance, song, and installation, “Âs Nupumukômun/We Still Dance” examines what it means to be native today by highlighting traditional and contemporary stories of the Aquinnah Wampanoag. The June 28 event at the Performing Arts Center is part of the Martha’s Vineyard Diversity Coalition’s annual Truth and Joy festival.
Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance explores the intersection of modern dance and natural ecosystems in its climate-engaged performances and workshops. The visually stunning program at the Yard on July 18 and 19 will explore the entanglement of humans with nature. For instance, viewers will observe that elements of the work draw inspiration from nature; when the performers move their substantial, flowing costumes, they intentionally create wind. Pacheco reflects, “The company is dedicated to climate-engaged art, viewing dance not merely as an art form but as programming that tackles critical issues. This approach enables people to come together in conversation and foster empathy for fellow human beings and the natural world. It’s about dance serving as a model for the interconnectedness of everything, and acting as a ritual for transformative change.”
Earlier, on July 9, the dancers will lead a movement workshop at the Yard. The Yard’s programming director, Yvonne Mendez, says, “Part of the company’s engagement philosophy is to activate people in their communities. Jody is curious about what kind of action is already in place on the Island.” They will also perform a pop-up show at the Congregational Church in West Tisbury that will then migrate across the street to the Field Gallery, on July 13 at 11:30 am.
The Afro-contemporary dance company Red Clay Dance will perform “REST. RISE. MOVE. NOURISH. HEAL” at the Yard on July 24 and 25. This piece uses dance and music to examine how people of color have been disproportionately impacted by food apartheid, and the racial disparities in Black farming. It revives and strengthens Black/African-indigenous practices that promote health and spiritual well-being for people of color, aiming to create a more equitable system that prioritizes these traditional approaches.
On August 1, the company will present its work-in-progress, “Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar,” at the Yard. This interdisciplinary project envisions a utopia of freedom for Black women and girls. The immersive work will serve as a sanctuary for their stories, blending dance, song, digital media, and built environments to create a profound and resonant experience. “It’s high-energy, contemporary dance that has this element of African dance layered within it,” Pacheco says. “There’s large-ensemble work, and striking and dramatic visuals.”
The Dance Theatre of Harlem is returning, offering a free community workshop that blends ballet-inspired warm-ups with Motown, culminating in a “Soul Train”–inspired celebration on August 19 at 1:30 pm in Ocean Park, and a ballet master class intensive from August 20 to 22.
There will be many additional opportunities for the community to move, groove, and get active, with an energizing lineup of classes. Each company will teach classes during its residency. There will also be yoga and Pilates through a partnership with Yoga on the Vine, “Modern Dance for Life” with Naomi Goldberg Haas, “Movement Scoring” with Catherine Kirk, and more. The Yard’s beloved Kids Do Dance program offers a three-part summer session that invites students to engage their imagination as they explore Island-specific themes.
For more information and tickets, visit dancetheyard.org.
