“The Flock” has been awarded a FY26 Artist Grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for its forthcoming collaboration with the Bannerman Castle Trust.
Skyla Schreter Dance will create the next two chapters in this ongoing project in October as a site-specific film on the historic Bannerman Castle Island followed by a residency at Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, NY in October 2026 to create the following live dance chapter.
There will be several opportunities for the public to engage with this project, including a [free] behind-the-scenes look on May 31st, 2026 in Beacon as well as a ticketed special event on Bannerman Castle Island in October 2026. (Details for October event will be released soon.)
“The Flock” is a narrative dance work that is inspired by and based off of “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” - a popular 1970s novella that follows a curious seagull as they break away from their Flock in search of blazing their own unique path, driven by the pursuit of personal fulfillment through creative liberation.
Project Development:
The creation of the large scale narrative of “The Flock” is an ongoing project for SSD that will ultimately comprise a 6-chapter full-evening length story. Chapter 3, “Exile” and Chapter 4, “Ascension” are the first two parts of the story to have been choreographically developed thus far, and can be performed as stand alone works, separate or together. Chapter 5 and 6 will be developed in 2026, with Chapter 5 having recieved funding from the New York State Council on the Arts for a site-specific film on Bannerman Castle Island in the Hudson Valley.
Duration:
Chapter 3: Exile - 10 minutes | Chapter 4: Ascension - 7 minutes | Chapters 5 & 6 Forthcoming
Photos by Jeremy Kyle Photography