Social Irrigation
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden's summer-long Thursday evening social event, Social Irrigation Presented by EMC Insurance Companies, invited Hurley & Dancers to perform along with guitarist Rob Lumbard on August 10, 2017. This event was held outdoors on the Celebration Event Lawn just as the sun was setting. The performance began at 5:45 p.m. with a choreographed dance titled On My Mind followed by improvised responses to the music, landscape and audience. We interacted with tables and chairs as found objects and created moving body sculptures and shapes throughout the garden in relation to the landscape.
Twirl Into a Tale
Hurley & Dancers/Tandem Theatre and Dance presents "Twirl into a Tale", an interactive children's dance theatre presentation targeted for children ages 2-6. Children are taught dances needed to plug them into an interactive performance in which they become characters in the theatre/play.
This year's story is "Sea Breeze Hotel" using kite and scarf props and is based on the children's book by Marcia Vaughn. Four professional performers — Kathleen Hurley, David Decker, Ben Rethmeier and Lisa Lewis — guide the children through the story of a boy and his grandparents who own a hotel by the ocean. The four will also perform advanced-level dances which give children the opportunity to see fully-choreographed and polished pieces by professional dancers.