CWP Evolution Festival Presents 1518

Welcome to 1518. Things here are... well, bad. Political leaders are absolutely corrupt, the climate is in crisis, women are subjected to oppressive legislation and rules, the wealth gap is massive, and there's generally a feeling that the end of the world could happen at any moment.Sound familiar?

It's in this world that one woman begins an uncontrollable, unstoppable dance, starting a contagious mass-hysteria-slash-public-revolt. In the two months that follow, over four hundred people join in her dance.'1518' puts this bizarre-but-real event in the context of a modern pop concert in order to build a bridge from then to now. As we traverse through time, guided by an ensemble of vibrant performer-musicians, audience and cast embodies the story of a people possessed by their political circumstances. In resurrecting the dancing dead, we ask, what can we all learn about overcoming, healing, and resisting in the face of an oppressive society?Part séance, part pop concert, full theatrical extravaganza, '1518' is sure to move you, body, mind, and soul.

Cast and Creative Team

Kait Warner - Composer / performer

Danica Jensen - Director / performer

Chloe Geller - Music Director

Jbroc - Design consultant

Talk back after the performance with mentor John Waller, a historian at Michigan State University, teaches and writes about the history of medicine and mass psychogenic illness. He is the author of The Dancing Plague: The Strange, True Story of an Extraordinary Illness.

About the CWP Evolution Festival

The CWP EVOLUTION FESTIVAL presents original works of theater, dance, music, comedy, and interdisciplinary performance by NYC-based artists in September and October 2025 at venues across Upper Manhattan! For more information and to view the full festival line-up, visit www.centeratwestpark.org/evolution-festival-2025

Host or Publisher The Center at West Park