KINSHIP: dancing with the land

Jeni is listening through seasons and all senses -- with the land, River Saskawhihiwine, and all that comprises the Living World of the place we call Blue Deer. She is creating a dance: as a collaborative celebration of what is possible in Kinship, and as a gift to Place.

The location was chosen through Jeni's personal relationships with the landscapes and communities (human and beyond-human) of Blue Deer Center, a social benefit 501(c)(3) organization stewarding an historically sacred site in the Catskills.

The first year of Jeni’s seasonal cycles (2 visits per season) was spent primarily as a solo human on the land and with the elements, accompanied by a sculpture conceptualized and designed for this project. Seasonal cycle two wove in human community through Community Conversations hosted at the Autumn and Spring Equinoxes. These gatherings were comprised of part demonstration, part experiential wander, and part sharing/discovery. Participants’ discoveries then become material that is woven into the dance-making.

A culminating interactive performance will be shared with the community in September 2026.