An Immersive Dance, Art and Space Experience
Sky’s The Limit Observatory
May 2025
SHOW NOTE: THE PLANETS is an immersive experience that has no fixed stage or seating arrangements. Our Electromagnetic Waves will guide audience members from piece to piece, and we invite the audience to move around if they wish to view dances from any vantage point.
SHOW ORDER
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THE PLANETS Band
Violin: Jérémie Levi Samson*
Guitar: Dusty Brough
Clarinet: Shawn Oshmiansky
Accordion: Dan Cantrell
Vibraphone: Jake Chapman
Bass: Janie Cowan
* Band Leader
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Mercury
Choreography/Dancers: Fred Gehrig, Barbara Koch
Music: Gustav Holst, “Mercury, the Winged Messenger”
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Venus
Choreography: Jenn Henry
Solosits/Solo Choreography: Andee Goldman, Rebecca Plevin
Dancers: Lara Bennett, Halley Brown, Lauren Burgess, Sarah Jackson, Gabrielle Levi, Penelope Levi, Megan Tortora, Nissa-Belle Vidal
Music: Gustav Holst, “Venus, the Bringer of Peace”
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Moon
Choreography: Jenn Henry
Dancers: Robert Haydon (Neil Armstrong-Saturday), Jenn Henry (Moon), Jenn LR Hernandez (Buzz Aldrin), Genny Kristie (Michael Collins-Saturday), Michael Wielock (Michael Collins-Friday), Laura Wondra (Neil Armstrong-Friday)
Music: Claude Debussy, “Clair de Lune,” performed by The Planets Band
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Curiosity/Mars Rover
Choreography/Dancers: Cat Holcomb, Veronica Van Haney
Music: The Planets Band, composed by Jérémie Levi Samson
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Mars
Choreography/Dancers: Kali Poulin, Lauren Slivosky
Music: Gustav Holst, “Mars, the Bringer of War”
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The Asteroid Belt
Choreography: Jenn Henry
Dancers (in order of appearance): Jenn LR Hernandez, Jacqueline Herrera, Kathy Lang, Ann Van Haney, Victoria Sebanz, Susan Amateis, Emberlee Goldman, Scotia Goldman, Matías Fórmica, Penelope Levi, Ella Niemann Hamm, Jasper Peck, Emerson Taggart-Wurth, Veronica Van Haney
Featuring Special Guests from the Coachella Valley Derby Girls: Ericka Battles Williams, Kim Beall, Jamie Brislin, Ginny Broderick, Emily Cornejo, Amanda Dela Rosa, Sherrie Gaumer, Jetta James, Kat Vakoc, Lydia Lee Vincent
Music: Jérémie Levi Samson, “The Asteroid Belt,” performed by The Planets Band
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Jupiter
Choreography: Lauren Slivosky
Dancers: Ella Crowe, Elaine Goddard, Eva Vargas
Music: Gustav Holst, “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity”
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Saturn
Choreography: Nicole Tarro
Dancers: Sonora Atwater, Vera Chinook, Sundance Clark, Kyra Collins, Astral Painter, Leon Parrillo, Mila Rose, Ivy Roth, Lola Sachs, Drew Tarro, Nora Wolfe
Music: Gustav Holst, “Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age”
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Uranus
Choreography: Melissa Daniels
Dancers: Melissa Daniels, Stephanie Dashiell, Jenn LR Hernandez, Kali Poulin, Victoria Sebanz, Barbie Sommars
Music: Gustav Holst, “Uranus, the Magician”
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Neptune
Choreography: Nicole Tarro
Dancers: Ella Crowe, Chelsea Hagler, Royya Sardari, Sarah Scott-Alperin, Lauren Slivosky, Nicole Tarro
Music: Gustav Holst, “Neptune, the Mystic”
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Pluto
Choreography: Eva Vargas
Dancers: Lara Bennett, Melissa Daniels, Lauren Slivosky, Eva Vargas
Music: Jérémie Levi Samson, “Pluto,” performed by The Planets Band
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Electromagnetic Waves
Stephanie Dashiell, Margo Lester, Zayla Meyer-England, Jasper Peck, Nissa-Belle Vidal
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Black Hole
Mike Lopez
PRODUCTION CREW
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Front of House Manager: Jenn Hernandez
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Box Office: Ali Lund, Amanda McGlothlin
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Information Desk: Vickie Connor, Robert Haydon
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Stage Manager: Eva Vargas
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Assistant Stage Manager: Beth Divel
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Back of House: Joel Meyer-England, Cara Moore
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Security: Val Dew
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Parking: Stephen Scigliano, Alex Poulin
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Emergency Medical Services: Donovan Smith
A lonely rover looking around, no one to be with, to travel with, all alone as the wind surrounds.
Built from Earth, but forever on Mars, is this my new home? Earth is too far.
There is another, though I can't reach as, they are on the other side of the planet, a planet so huge, we are so far.
All alone on my birthday, I will sing myself a tune, maybe someone else out there knows and is celebrating for me.
—Veronica Van Haney
Curiosity
Scientific equipment
Amazing rover
technology cool
rocket transport rover wow
rover helps science
Curiosity
drills rock to collect samples
look with microscope
—Cat Holcomb
THANK YOU TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY DERBY GIRLS FOR THEIR SPECIAL APPEARANCE!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
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Visit 29
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Cliffhanger Guides
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Pioneertown General Store
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The Pointed Pearl
THANK YOU TO OUR PATRONS!
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Mercury: Yahaira Familia
Mars: Ashley Holcomb, Kathy Lang, Amanda McGlothlin, Marsha Poole-Hunt, Dr. Emma Tracy
Uranus: Kerry Uher Laster, Adam Sechooler, Jenny Tang, Nicole True
Jupiter: Lara Bennett
AND THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF TIME, SPACE AND SILENT AUCTION GIFTS!
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Susan Amateis
Michele Fischella
Habitat 29
Hi-Desert Daydream
Joshua Tree Music Festival
Mojave Americana
Mojave Arts Academy of Dance
Mojave Walks
Nxwhere
Rose & Co
Sarah Jackson
Studio 29
Wandering Mojave
White Label Vinyl
Wing-N-It
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DANCE MOJAVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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President: Genny Kristie
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Secretary: Robert Haydon
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Treasurer: Michael Wielock
SPECIAL THANKS TO
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Ann Congdon
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Melissa Daniels
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Jacqueline Herrera
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Allen Schiano, Sky’s the Limit Astronomy Team
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Space Truckin’ Gallery
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Namita Thakker, Manzanita Law
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Much of the score for THE PLANETS is from the seven-movement orchestral suite of the same name by Gustav Holst, who composed the work between 1914 and 1917. Each movement is inspired by the a different planet in the solar system.
Jérémie Levi Samson is a professional musician and composer. Samson composed original works for The Asteroid Belt, Pluto, the Curiosity Mars Rover, and the electromagnetic light/radio waves serving as dancing ushers joining each dance piece together.
He and his wife, Jacqueline Herrera, founded an innovative free outdoor drive-in concert series in Yucca Valley that has grown into the Mon Petit Mojave Foundation. Samson has been committed to blending music with nature for many years, including at Soundcheck Earth, an outdoor musical experience hosted by the Harrison House and Joshua Tree National Park.
ABOUT THE FLAGS
Our immersive set for THE PLANETS is complemented by original flag designs representing each planet. Each flag is a unique cyanotype print, an antique form of photography chosen for its connection to William Herschel, the astronomer who discovered Uranus and pioneered astronomical spectrophotometry. The symbolism for each flag takes inspiration from the Greco-Roman pantheon and incorporates distinctive astronomical features, while strictly adhering to the rules of vexillology: limited colors, simplicity and meaningful imagery.
Zach J.F. Boyles is a multi-disciplinary visual artist based in Yucca Valley. A Coachella Valley native, he holds a degree in fine arts from U.C. Berkeley and has exhibited throughout the high and low deserts, including the Victorville Arts Museum College of the Desert, and the Backstreet Arts District.
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dance Mojave Performance Collective is so grateful to be able to celebrate the vibrant desert community of Twentynine Palms with you here tonight.
Gustav Holst’s The Planets was before its time when it was completed in 1917. Holst’s preferred time signature of quintuple meter sometimes made choreography counts tricky - a quirk I didn’t realize until the grant application had already been written, sorry everybody. His themes feel fresh, cinematic, and powerful. Holst composed out of planetary order, and his suite began with “Mars.” However, we have taken the liberty of switching Mars and Mercury so that they match our solar system, in honor of science and the Observatory where we perform. Thanks to Jérémie, we have also added to the suite for astronomy’s sake, with his original compositions honoring the Mars Curiosity Rover, Asteroid Belt, and Pluto. And for fun, we also included The Moon, borrowing the piece from Claude Debussy.
Holst composed on the brink of the First World War, and you can hear the truculent themes of “Mars” echoing throughout the suite. In 2025, more than 100 years later, it seems like there is still a lot to be disappointed by in this universe. But so much of this production has been about seeing our community come through for each other, again and again. We see our young choreographers and dancers create together, and we see friendships grow and strengthen. We hear a little mischief and fun in Jérémie’s pieces. It brings us hope.
The number of “thank yous” to say on a production like this is astronomical. This production would not have been possible without our music and arts teams, led by Jacqueline and Jérémie, Melissa and Zach. And of course, we would not be here without our gracious hosts, Ann Congdon and the Observatory. Special thanks to Visit 29 and Breanne Dusastre for all their support and coordination. Thank you to all our performers and crew, and the families and friends behind them.
And thank you to everyone in the audience for spending the evening with us!
Jenn Henry, Executive Director
Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo
Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo
Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo
Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo
Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo
Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo