Dance in the Village Film Premiere
This summer, Arts at the Palace partnered with Syracuse City Ballet (SCB) to bring the first-ever Dance in the Village Residency to Hamilton. The week-long collaboration brought professional dancers and local artists together to create one of our most ambitious projects yet: an original dance film!
Moving beyond the stage and into the most iconic spaces around The Village, the production features SCB dancers Sarah Klok, Rowan Young, and Aria Apparies alongside members of the local CNY dance community.
Photo Credit Sarah Badowski
Jayson Douglas, Creative Director and Choreographer, shared at the premiere that directing a music video was a first for him. Unlike stage choreography, which is designed for a single audience perspective, film captures dancers from every angle. “Thinking about how the movement would translate on camera definitely challenged me creatively” shared Douglas, “It brought a new visual dimension to the Residencies work!”
Cinematographer and videographer Zach Surp of Remsen, NY, captured the production with a distinctive creative energy and style, thoughtfully bringing together the dancers, the village, and the atmosphere of the evening into a moody affect.
Photographer and self-proclaimed “stage mom” Sarah Badowski of SweetBay Images Photography captured incredible moments, showcasing the dramatic architectural lines of Hamilton after dark.
Jayson Douglas directing the choreography for the film. Photo by Sarah Badowski
After introducing the project and helping direct the production, Henry Howard reflected “This summer, we took a big step of faith, inviting new friends to our village to collaborate on an idea that pushed us outside our comfort zone. It took patience and a willingness to trust the process, but seeing it all come together has been incredibly rewarding.”
Photo Credit Sarah Badowski
The film began with Dance in the Village - a week-long residency and youth camp held July 2026, at the Palace Theater. The morning residency was designed for experienced dancers ages 16+, offering the opportunity to work directly with Ballet artists and develop original choreography under the direction of Jayson Douglas and Fallon Gannon. In the afternoons, dancers ages 6-18 participated in workshops open to all experience levels. The experience culminated in a public performance featuring the original choreography developed throughout the week.
Fallon Gannon, Executive Director of SCB and previously Featured Artist, spoke about her commitment to making professional dance more accessible. "Ballet should belong to everyone!"
For Gannon, bringing the company to Hamilton carries a personal connection. Having spent many summers growing up on Lake Moraine, she described the opportunity to return with a professional ballet company as something very dear to her heart.
Dance in the Village participants during the week-long summer residency at the Palace Theater in Hamilton. Photo by Morgan Larson.
The collaboration between Arts at the Palace and Syracuse City Ballet has continued to grow, enriching the programming at the Palace. SCB’s Aria Apparies, who we got to know during the residency, made a lasting impression and we were thrilled to welcome her as a teaching artist for our new Village Academy of the Arts.
Aria now leads Tuesday ballet and dance classes at the Palace, bringing high caliber dance to Hamilton for students K-12, as well as adult dance classes. Originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, she began her professional dance career at just 13 years old and trained at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. Her performance experience includes The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night's Dream, La Bayadère, and Coppélia, along with training through several nationally recognized ballet programs.
Aria teaching a K–2 dance class at Village Academy of the Arts
Beyond the residency, film project, and teaching opportunities, one of the most exciting outcomes of this partnership has been inviting students from rural schools to the Palace Theater for private performances with Syracuse City Ballet.
On October 27, Syracuse City Ballet presented Cinderella at the Palace in a sold-out performance attended by more than 200 students from local school districts, grades K-2nd. For some of those students, it was their first opportunity to experience the storytelling, music, and artistry of classical ballet. Seats are already full for the December 8 performance of The Nutcracker Suite, which will welcome students in grades 3rd-5th from many of the same school districts.
Syracuse City Ballet performs Cinderella for local schools
The success of Dance in the Village has laid the groundwork for an ongoing collaboration between Arts at the Palace and Syracuse City Ballet. Plans are already underway for a second Dance in the Village residency and youth camp slated for summer 2027.
From an original dance film to new teaching opportunities, school performances, and professional productions - this partnership demonstrates what becomes possible when arts organizations invest in one another and in the communities they serve.
Arts at the Palace programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
🌱 Supported by the 100% For Artist Fund
