Framing everyday farming practices within a classical dance aesthetic, The Hayrake Ballet pays homage to the inherent beauty and craft of family-scale agricultural practices. Commissioned by Wormfarm Institute for the 2024 Farm/Art DTour, visiting choreographer Sarah Butler works with local farmers and community members to orchestrate a coordinated dance performance of farm machinery through the beautiful setting of rural Sauk County. The Hayrake Ballet invites participants and audiences to consider that stewarding this land is a choreographed effort among many, and that a web of nuanced, creative decisions made by many have shaped, and continue to shape, our agri/cultural landscapes. Awarded the Ruth Arts WI Special Projects Grant & set to premiere in Fall 2026.
Read more in New York Times, Hyperallergic, WPR, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Photos by Ron Lutz II & Alexander Arena