An Immersive Dance, Art and Nature Experience

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

April 2026

SHOW NOTE: THE WILD STAGES is an immersive experience that has no fixed seating arrangements. Our docents 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.

PRODUCTION CREW

  • Front of House Manager: Jenn Hernandez

  • Box Office: Khrystina Lund, TBD

  • Emergency Medical Services: Donovan Smith

SHOW ORDER

  • DOCENTS

    Script: Jacqueline Herrera, Sage Storytelling

    Cindi Anderson, Kimberly Bowers, Jimi Castañeda, Jacqueline Herrera, Kathy Lang, Travis Puglisi, Joe Rego, Elena Ricci, Nathalie Rose

  • The Fallen Tree

    Gray Foxes

    Choreography: Kali Poulin

    Dancers: Matias Formica, Margo Lester, River Stenger

    Cryptobiotic Crust

    Choreography: Kali Poulin

    Dancers: Ella Crowe, Yahaira Familia, Kali Poulin, Kim Velez

    Music: Gabriella Evaro, Guitar

    A graphic design featuring an image of a fox against a dark blue background.

  • The Jess Sherrod Deck

    Deer

    Choreography: Kyra Collins* with assistance from Vera Chinnock

    Dancers: Vera Chinnock, Kyra Collins, Gabriela Ross, Ben Sinclair

    The Elements

    Choreography: Penelope Levi*

    Dancers: Mia Bowers, Sophia Bowers, Penelope Levi, Mila Rose

    * Denotes Youth Choreographer in Residence, mentored by Karen Gladis

    Clouds

    Choreography: Jenn Henry

    Dancers: Brooklynn Amanna, Jenn Henry, Megan Tortora

    Music:

    “Dance of the Little Swans" by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “Jota” by Manuel de Falla, “Nuages” by Django Reinhart

    Performed by: Dusty Brough, Guitar and Jeremie Levi Samson, Violin

    Illustration of a deer against a blue background.

  • The Robin Kobaly Deck

    Mountains

    Choreography: Lara Bennett

    Dancers: Marijke Cadenelli, Stephanie Dashiell, Amelia Mahan, Jasper Peck, Ralphie Stenger, Laura Wondra

    Original Music: Lara Bennett (percussion), Brent Simpson (accordion), Amanda McGlothlin (clarinet)

    Trees

    Flamenco Soloist/Choreographer: Sonia Ochoa

    Choreography: Lara Bennett

    Dancers: Lara Bennett, Jenn Hernandez, Wand Anacaona Scheurman

    Original Music: Brent Simpson (guitar)

    A graphic image of mountains against clouds.

  • The Nature Center

    Vermillion Flycatcher

    Choreography/Dancer: Anna Dining

    Western Bluebirds

    Choreography: Karen Gladis

    Dancers: Simone Alperin, Ash Bloemendaal, Noa Bloemendaal, Ava Bowers, Knightley Ford, Ella Niemann Hamm, Astral Sardari-Painter, Leon Parrillo, Emerson Taggart Wurth

    Raven

    Choreography/Dancer: Eva Vargas

    Music: Janie Cowan, Smitty (April 25 only)

    Flag with a white background, blue vertical stripes on each side, and a central blue heart with an arrow pointing upward through it.
Two women performing dance or yoga outdoors on a concrete surface with mountains in the background. One woman is kneeling with her arms extended, while the other is balance on one leg with an arm raised and the other on her partner's shoulder.
Women preparing for roller derby practice outdoors in a desert landscape with mountains, some sitting on the ground, others standing or wearing roller skates and knee pads.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

  • Visit 29

    Graphic promoting a visit to 29 Palms in the Mojave Desert, featuring palm trees, the sun, and descriptive text.

  • Cliffhanger Guides

    A circular logo with yellow outline of a hand with the middle finger raised and the other fingers curled, on a black background. Yellow text around the circle reads 'Cliffhanger Guides Joshua Tree, California.'

  • Pioneertown General Store

    Vintage western-themed logo for Pioneertown General Store featuring a cowboy hat, a lasso, and a cowboy boot, with text providing store details.

  • The Pointed Pearl

    Icon of a stylized angel with a halo, wings, and a flowing gown, set against a circular background.

THANK YOU TO OUR PATRONS!

  • 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!

  • Circular logo for Viva Fit Yucca Valley with a dumbbell icon at the top inside a white circle, black background, white text.

  • 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

  • A circular logo with the text 'Sky's The Limit' around the top. Inside the circle, there is a night sky with a moon, stars, and a mountain silhouette.

DANCE MOJAVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • President: Genny Kristie

  • Secretary: Robert Haydon

  • Treasurer: Michael Wielock

SPECIAL THANKS TO

  • Melissa Daniels

  • Jacqueline Herrera

  • Namita Thakker, Manzanita Law

  • Nathan Wauthier

ABOUT THE FLAGS

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 beauty of the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve with you this evening. 

The number of “thank yous” to say on a production like this is truly wild. This production would not have been possible without our music and arts teams. We would not be here without our valiant defenders of nature, the Preserve Board and staff. 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

Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo

Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo

Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo

Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo

Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo

Credit: Sarah Nicole Photo