Carnival of the Animals

The premiere of Carnival of the Animals is rescheduled for Aug. 27, 2024 at the Seneca Park Zoo! (The original June date was postponed due to excessive heat warnings.) BIODANCE is thrilled to partner with Cordancia Chamber Orchestra and conductor Evan Meccarello for this special family-friendly evening at the zoo!

Tickets, $35 general and $10 youth, can be purchased online or at the door. https://spzs.myshopify.com/products/2024-carnival-of-the-animals-biodance?variant=45938456527099

The Program:

Enjoy afterhours admission to the Zoo for the whole family from 5:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. while three musical pieces about animals are performed as you stroll the paths and come face-to-face with the animals living in conservation care.

5:15pm – Gates open to guests
5:30pm – 10,000 Birds by John Luther Adams on the Genesee Trail featured choreographic direction for the musicians of Cordancia and dancers of BIODANCE by Missy Pfohl Smith
6:25pm – Five Frogs by Jenni Brandon at the Crater Canteen
7:00pm – Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens at the Eagle’s Landing Pavilion. A beloved and entertaining classic, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals is a musical portrait of various animals ­– including a lion, an elephant, and a swan – often performed with narration. Our narrator, Rochester storyteller Jay Stetzer, describes the animals in words with his own humorous take on a text by Ogden Nash. BIODANCE dancers join Cordancia musicians with new choreography by Missy Pfohl Smith and costumes by Natalia Lisina. 

Site-specific dance by BIODANCE will also surprise visitors in various locations.
8:30pm – Gates closed to guests

Dancers include Sarah Johnson, Natalia Lisina, Shanna Pagan, Doreen Prempeh, Wynton Rice, Julie Schlafer Rossette, Euridece Seche, Missy Pfohl Smith, and Donetta Tchoroleev.