BUILT ON STILTS
Martha's Vineyard's Homegrown Dance & Performance Festival


REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR PARTICIPATING CHOREOGRAPHERS FOR 2010's festival is July 1st, 2010. Click here in spring of 2010 FOR PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES AND TO DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION for 2010's festival.

This Program is supported in part by a grant from the Martha's Vineyard Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

THANK YOU to the Martha's Vineyard Cultural Council and The Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust for their generous assistance in making Built on Stilts possible in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009!


All participants are invited to provide links to their websites or related online information. Please e-mail Abby with website link information.

PAST CHOREOGRAPHERS (who usually perform too!) INCLUDE:
Sara Ahren
Bonnie Alexander
Flo Alexander
Tilly Alexander
Amara/​Alyssa Coughlin, Michelle Dean, Korinne Hertz, Phoebe Odermatt
Benjamin Asriel
Marta Azzollini
Teo Azzollini
Rhonda Backus
Lily Baldwin
Bemoved Dance Co./​Sara Farley
Abby Bender
Nigel Bristol
Erin Brown
Krista Brown
Mary Ann Brown
Bob Buckley
Victoria Campbell
Tom Carberry & Janet Holladay
Marlon Carey & Christopher Johnson
Bobby Carlson
Kate Cecilio, Abbey Entner, and Julia Friedman
Lorraine Chapman
Bess Child/​Vengeance of the Back Row
Judie Clark/​Clark Dance Theatre
Sally Cohn
Jen Cooke
Elyse Cote/​CoNNetic Dance
Ginger Cox/​LiNK Contemporary jazz dance co.
Teresa Cuevas/​Indorican Multicultural Dance Project
Lori Cunningham/​MV Dance Theatre
Aisha Dacosta
The Debate Society: Oliver Butler, Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen
Richard Decker, Direct Intent
Corinne de langavant
Andrew Dickerson
& Jason Leinwand/​Cirque This

Pablo deOliviera and The Capoeira Group of Martha's Vineyard
Don Dilego
Augusta Dillon
Lucia Dillon
Meredith Dillon
Sarah Donnelly & Charmian Wells/​Refractions Dance Collective
Ann Donohue
Kelly Dumar/​Diary Door Productions
Juliana Dye
Kate Elias and Ellen Smith/​windfall dances
Katie Federowicz
Alexis Fedor
fivefour/​Cortney McGuire & Leah Nelson
Lara Ruth Forman
Rebecca Ann Frank
Nancy Gaffney
Lea Gagnon & Lindsay Guidoboni
Maendy Giordano
Shandoah Goldman
Jessica Gordon
Iris Grace
Valerie Green/​Dance Entropy
Eliza Greene
Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company
Naomi Goldberg Haas/​Dances for a Variable Population
Evan Hall, Emma Lovewell and Alise Haigazian
Laura Sargant Hall
Maya Harcourt
Richard Harrington
Emma Hastings
Meagan Hiltz
Josh Howard
Alexis Iammarino
Sasha Iammarino
IMP/​Donna Swift
Amy Jardin
Lila Jasny
Diane Jetmund
Marci "Selena" Johnson
Ilona Kamins
Elizabeth Kent
Kick/​Stand/​Dance:
(Abby Bender, Anna Luckey, Cary Baker, Sonya Robbins, Layla Childs)
Jon Kinzel
Roberta Kirn
Judy Kranz
Kenneth Lang
Nora Laudini
Maria and Tad Lawcewicz
Kelly Leonard and Sarah Hitti
Natalie L'etoile
Devon Lodge
Carol Loud
Anna Luckey
Kellie Ann Lynch/​slipperyfish dance
Bella Maidoff
Rose Maidoff
Alexis Major
Erin Malley
Mary Esther Malloy
The ManDancers: Nicki Azzolini, Brian Hall, Jonah Maidoff, Paul Lazes, and Sidney Morris
Anna Markwica & Samantha Rabin
Kris Martin for The Vineyard Tennis Center, Workout and Spa
Angela Martinelli & Deanna Beattie
Anita McFarlane
Sheila McHugh
Lyz Merida
Marissa Metelica
Christina Montoya
Ashley Mondrick
Lily Morris
Jaclyn Moynahan, JaxDance
Christi and Kim Mueller
Suzanna Nickerson
noemarchdance/​Kate March and Jessica Noe
Kim Olson (SweetEdge Dance Co.)
Janessa Olsen/​equalandopposite
Sarah Ortlip-Sommers
Daryl Owens
Carolyn PaineCoNNetic Dance
Kelly Peters
Beto Perez
Cathy Proulx
Christina Reppert
RISE
Ana Sargent
Liz Schneiter
Leanne Schmidt
Jessica Seeman
She-Figured Dance: Jil Matrisciano, Serena Smith & Julie Carrando
Leandra Seward
Eliza Sherlock-Lewis
Hartley Sierputoski
Eva Silverstein/​Silver-Brown Dance
Marissa Schoenfeld
Christina Seggos
Caroline Lucy Smith
Cheri Soule, Springfield College Dance
Lindsay Stegeman
Stiefel & Stars
Lilah Steece
Sandra Stone
Wendy Taucher
Daniel Taylor
Keren Tonneson
Saskia Vanderhoop and Patrick Montjoie
Zana van Rooyen
Tanya Vincent/​Cape Cod Ballet
Janis Marlen Vogel
Julie Whitehill
Joan Wiegers
White Road Dance Media

Karin Wilkinson
Lashanna Williams/​Twin Touch African Dance Troupe
Zoe Wolff

ADDITIONAL PAST PARTICIPANTS and PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
Jilana Abrams
Carol Aranzabe
Matt Adams
Dena Ahren
Justen Ahren
Sequoia Ahren
Brent Alberghini
Cameron Alexander
Sarah Aliberti
Whitney Andreser
Annabellina
Esteban Aranzabe
Adrian Aristide
Emelia Armstead
Melora Armstead
Lindsay Ashmun
Tiffany Bagg
Paul Banvinue
Claire Baione
Katie Barany
Sean "bones" Barber
Sabrina Barry
Megan Hillman Bascom
Lauren Beford
Kevin Begley
Jen Bettencourt
Arden and Lollie Bezahler
Nahomi Bienaime
Caitlin Bille
Brynne Billingsly
Beth Blankenship
Julie Bordonaro
Christine Box
Breanne Brasile
Tsuyu Bridwell
Tallula Brodsky
Cindy Brown
Ashley Anne Browne
Sandy Broyard
Della Burke
Huck Burke
Maggie Burke
Megan Burke
Sam Burke
James Burrows
Alyssa Burstein
Larissa Cacique
Gabriella Camilleri
Norman Campbell
Nina Carelli
Louisa Carlson
Colleen Carroll
Erin Carter
Ava Castro
Nicole Celio
Yoshio Chandler
Heather Chipperfield
Hyosun Choi
Ed Cisek
Alex Clark
Ben Clark
Danny Cleary
Nancy Cohen
Toni Cohn
Amy Cohn
David Coleman
Stephanie Coleman-Brodnax
Devin Colter
Chris Colville
Taylor Combra
Alexis and MacKenzie Condon
Jen Cooke
Eddy Cooper
Carlene Coppinger
Brenda Correa
Kathy Joyce Costanza
Amelia Craig
Jessica Cummens
Amy Custer
Isabelle Custer
Courtney Daly
Sheryl D'Agostino
Carter D'Angelo
Sharon Danley
Sue Dawson
Lisa Debassia
Erin DeBettencourt
Melissa DeGroot
Esther Denning
Molly Dickerson
Jimmy Dolan
Jessica Dolliver
Kaitlin Dore
Lucy Dougherty-Soares
Franci DuMar
Will Duncan
Heather Dusty
Sioux Eagle
Daniella Edmonds
Nicole Edmonds
Kayla & Skylar Eddy
Alley Ellis
Jeffrey Enos
Vivan Ewing
Juniper Ezzanno
Alyson Esposito
Adriana Falcon
Sue Fairbanks
Annie Finnerty
Langston Fishburne
Caroline Flanders
Amy Fligor
Emma Forbes
Anne Foss
Alexandra Foster
Amy Fournier
Caroline Fournier
Jessica Francis
Chris Fried
Alexa Fulginiti
Cassandra Gaines
Stuart Gardener
Megan Gardiner
Perry Garvin
Treather Gassman
Erica Gilbert
Mary and Bella Giordano
Ashley Girard
Mary Glackmeyer
Kirsten Glaser
Clara Goldfield
Rachel Goldstein
Emily Goldthwait
Alex GordonBeck
Kim Goss
Tianna Graves
Emily Gray
Molly Gray
Olivia Green-Lingren
Sam Greene
Jessica Grippo
Katharine Grosche
Olivia Gross
Diana Gaudenti
Jennifer Guercio
Katherine Gulick
Frank Haan
Alise Haigazian
Ethan Hall
Evan Hall
Grace Hall
Imani Hall
Sarah Halland
Rilla Hammett
Nadia Hanna
Wayman Harrison
Diane Hartmann
Maria Hastings
Holly Hawks
Zephy Heath
Juno Henderson
Vincent Hernandez
Scott Hershowitz
Betsy Hint
Russell Hodson
Chloe Hoff
Lillit Hogranian
Molly Houghton
Ruby Hoy
Haven Huck
Humphrey Hutchinson
Nancy Hugger
Erika Hughes
Marina Hutchinson
Zeke Iammarino
Ernie Iannacone
Jason Ignacio
Emma Lee Iverson
Chelsea Ives
Linda Jackson
Jess James
Pamela-Ann James
Laura Jernigan
Christina Johnson
Emma Johnson
Sydney Johnson
Phoebe Johnson
Jason Jones
Chris Kann
Tova Katzman
Adelaide and Thea Keene
Dalana Kellman
Darcy Kennedy
Kate Kenney
Kristen Kesner
Sydney Kiden
Raquel King
Carly Kipen
Margaret Knight
Olivia Knight
Jeanne Knowles
Lark Knowlses
Christine Koestler
Haley Krauss
Melanie Krauss
Noah Kulick
Scott Kunce
Linnea LaRocco
Heidi Larson-Arroyo
Michelle Lazerow
Jackson Lee
Poram Lee
Satchel Lee
Joan LeLaucher
Tonya Leonard
Jocelyn Levinson
Isabelle Littlefield
Karen Lobdell
Shannon Lobdell
Alex Loftis
Leslie Look
Liz LoParo
Emma Lovewell
Caitlin Lowe
Meghan Lowell
Ben Luckey
Miranda Lyon
Mariah MacGregor
Mariah MacKenzie
Beth Maderal
Carmen Major
Sydney Maresca
Felicia Maria
Marianna Markwalter
Megan Martiros
Kimberely Mayer
Betsy Mayhew
Sonya Mayrand
Alex Mazza
Kiera and Megan McCarthy
Paige McCarthy
Grace McGlade
Tim and Christine McLean
Connie McHugh
Kourtney McCullough
Deneen McQueen
Cary McWilliam
Grant Meacham
Shirley Mederios
Delilah Meegan
Chelsea Melone
Megan Mendez
Amy Merli
Else Meyers
Audrey Mills
Cynthia Mills
Roger Mitchell
Bailey Moreis
Kate Morway
Jackie Montanile
Kim Montanile
Emily Moore
Nina Moore
Bailey Moreis
Lily Morris
Zion Morris
Lauren Mulvey
Tamara Nash
Ladislav Navratil
Noelle Nelson
Sophie Nelson
Sam Nevin
Elizabeth and Katherine O'Brien
Gillian O'Callaghan
Christina Orloff
Isabelle Ortlip-Sommers
Sarah Ortlip-Sommers
May V. Oskan
Charlotte Packer
Paul Paglia
Anne Palmer
Kathleen Pantos
Nadia Pareja
Jessica Park
Eddie Parker
Michael Pattarina
Kristen Parece
Madeleine Penicaud
Melissa Perrotta
Kelly Peters Dancers: Sweetz, Rabbit, Skilz, Fuzzy, Lover, Ricochet, Jam, Amped, KP
Kim Petros
Vicki Pfluger
Claire Phelan
Melissa Pilarski
Jerome Pikor
Michelle Pikor
Ali Pina
Franklin Pilcher
Judy Pizzella
Hayley Plante
Christine Poland
Daniel Ponickly
Xavier Powers
Vincent Procker
Molly Purves
Patty Quast-French
Zack Rabin
Sergio Racig
Elisabeth Rainer
Sara Ralov
Sheila Rayyan
Diane Reed
Gillian Reney
Sabrina Reppert
Belle Riley
Marcia Rock
Anna Elizabeth Rogero
Kani Romain
Natasha Ross
Jane Rossi
Alexis Rusillo
Nile Russell
Shannon Rynd-Ray
Anna Saluti
Brianna Samyn
Kristin Santos
Dave Sawyer
Kelly Scallion
Christy Schaaf
Rhianna Schahn
Julie Schilling
Alexandra Schoenfeld
Emmie Schreck
James Seacombe
Kirsten Seacor
Anna Seagrave
Kate Seethaler
Brenda Sewall
Seniel Seward
Victoria Shaw
Jackie Sicoli
Christine Sieberg
Miya Signor
Alix Sklarew
Sadie Slade
Allie Slocum
Fiona Smilie
Betsy Smith
Jason Smith
Marguerite Smith
Hanlin Smith-Dorsey
Melissa Sommer
Magno Souza
Erin Spain
Stephanie Spain
David Stanwood
John Stanwood
Ralph Stewart
Abbey Stone
Taylor Stone
Val Stoyer
Sharon Strimling
Gaby Sullo
Sheryl Sussman
Sarah Swift
Pat Szucs
Emily Targbeh
Carline Taylor
Kelsey Taylor
Paige Taylor
Sofi Thanhauser
Ana Thibodeau
Kennedy Thomas
Taylor Thomas
Mariah Thompson
Zephy Thompson
Paul Thurlow
Jessie Tomanek
Lauren Turowetz
David Vanderhoop
Nanauwe Vanderhoop
Anna VanSambeck
Elliot Vecchia
Phyllis Vecchia
Carol Vega
Willa Vigneault
Ava Vigneault
Coby Vincent
Teresa Vittucci
Carrie Waldron
Anna Walton
Diana Waring
Holly Wayman
Kayla Weaver
Gretchen Weber
Avalon Weiland
Richard Westcott
Kyra Whalen
Aliya Whitaker
Indaia Whitcombe
Heidi White
Heather White
Ariel White
Julie Whitehall
Lynne Whiting
Tabatha Whitney
Bonna Whitten-Stovall
Amanda Whitworth
Elisha Wiesner
Tommy Wilkenson
Lashanti Williams
Peter Williams
Carenna Willmont
Alison Wilson
Yeon Seon Yoo
Annie Yuen
Alex Zarlengo
Linda Zarro
Sam Zimmerman


Who are we?

We are YOU, your friends, neighbors, children, parents, students and teachers! The Built on Stilts Dance Festival is comprised of work by members of the Vineyard Community and professional performing artists from the island and other shores.

Registration deadline was July 1st. No longer accepting new contributions to the festival.
Forms MUST have be mailed and postmarked in time

SAVE THE DATES to watch the show THIS SUMMER!!
Our fourteenth year celebrating the shared language of dance through an incomparably egalitarian and inspiring season of programming is slated for
August 12-15 & August 21-23, 2010.



DVDS of individual night's of 2005-2009's fest as well as our 10 year anniversary retrospective video are available. DVDs are $20 each. Please email shakes9999@​yahoo.com to place your order.


FEATURES hip hop, ballet, jazz, ballroom, modern, bellly-dance, theater, improv, comedy, capoeira, drumming, spoken-word and oh so much more...

Built on Stilts' thirteenth Annual Dance Festival was a smashing success--our most diverse season yet--packed to the rafters for 6 nights in a row! Over forty works were presented Wednesday, August 12th through Monday, August 17th, 2009. Each evening's program featured a different arrangement of dances including modern, ballet, bellydance, salsa, hip hop, improv, poetry, jazz, comedy, theater and much more. Thanks to all the performers and choreographers and the incredible outpouring of support from our audiences!



The Martha's Vineyard Built on Stilts project was spearheaded by Abby Bender and Anna Luckey in 1997 in the hopes of creating an all-inclusive, grassroots performance venue for island artists. The pair are two of the five founding members of the former New York City-based collective dance company KICK STAND DANCE which enjoyed a long partnership from 1998-2005. The group cooperatively ran the Brooklyn based studio and theater, Triskelion Arts, a highly active rehearsal and performance center for theater, dance and circus arts, now under Abby's direction.

Built on Stilts has grown substantially since its inception, and what began in August 1997 as a magical one-night performance of the works of seven choreographers, has evolved into an enormous festival of the island's remarkable artistic spirit. The event now runs between 6 and 8 nights and features more than forty original dance or other performing arts pieces presented by dozens of performers from near and far. Interested visiting artists are encouraged to bring their work to the island for the festival.

Built on Stilts is a creative playground for both children and adults, from beginners to professionals, representing diverse stylistic backgrounds. Over the years, the event has showcased ballet, modern, hip hop, jazz, tap, breakdance, bellydance, tai chi, movement theater, circus arts, pilates-based dance, mime, improvisation, spoken word and, of course, a bit of stilting. Each performance opens with an improvisational drum circle open to all willing musicians. The rhythms bouncing down Circuit Avenue draw in passersby, who flood the gates of the historic Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs, which has housed the festival since its inception.

As included in the program handed out to audiences each year, the founders write:
    "The title of our project has a bit of history to it, which in its telling may help you to understand what it means to us. In the summer of 1997, we got hooked on the idea of creating a summer forum for dance here on the Island. It had been two long years since our graduation from Bard College, where we had experienced a unique dance education. It was this experience that we were seeking to recreate in the working process of that first summer's production. We had a short six weeks, very little means and just the beginnings of the incredible network of Island dancers and artists that we have now. That first season of the project instilled in our small group a remarkable faith in the unknown. We named our festival based on the theme of a dormitory project at Bard. The dorm was simply a highly sophisticated tree-house built on stilts over a ravine, constructed on a slightly shaky ground but inside of which the magic of creativity took place.

    And so each summer, we join together to make new dances in a few fleeting weeks, juggling our work schedules to dance with parks and backyards as our training grounds. Built on Stilts has found its home in this beautiful performance space and has made possible the discovery of friends and fellow artists who might otherwise remain strangers. Collectively, we have built a inimitable summer dance community so that we may ALL share our love of dance with you.

    We are endlessly grateful for the efforts of everyone involved in this project. Built on Stilts becomes increasingly important to us with each passing year, both as artists and members of a larger community. As we stand in awe of the festival’s growth over its ten years, we are so proud to have spawned an annual island tradition. Our doors are always open and we are thankful that we have been able to nourish our roots here. We encourage any of you who wish to be involved in the project to give it a go. We certainly are glad we have.

--Abby and Anna



BUILT ON STILTS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT HELP FROM THE FOLLOWING AMAZING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS:

We extend tremendous thanks to Rich Greene and The Union Chapel, to the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust for ensuring the longevity of this beloved space, to The Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council, Debbie Brown, Claudia Miller and The Point Way Artists Residence, Benjamin Hall Real Estate, Harry, Laurie and Rick Dickerson. Thanks to Brent Alberghini, Charmy Wells, and Steve Zablotny, without whom we would be in the dark, to Laura Sargent Hall, Brian Hall, The Azzollini-Kirn family, The Alexander family, Sara & Justin Ahren, Alison Flippin, Lucia Dillon, Eliza Greene, Jim Legando, Judy Sutel, Rich Greene, Mary Gillette, Maurice Reidy, Jaxon White, The Vineyard Gazette, Scott Hershowitz, Paul Thurlow, all the B.O.S. drummers, dancers, and ushers and helpers!


The B.O.S. Crew for 2009
Director/​Producer: Abby Bender
Advancedshop Director: Abby Bender
Stiltshop Directors: Lucia Dillon and Eliza Greene
Stage Manager/​Lights & Sound: Brent Alberghini
Assistant Stage Manager/​House Lights: Charmian Wells
Technical Support: Steve Zablotny
Music Improv. Leaders: Scott Hershowitz and Paul Thurlow
Founders: Abby Bender and Anna Luckey

If you would like to help us continue our efforts, donation boxes are located at the doorways of the chapel. Donations may also be mailed to:
Abby Bender
Built on Stilts
General Delivery
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
or September through June to
Abby Bender
9 Richardson St. #2R
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Checks must be made payable to Abby Bender marked in the memo line for “Built on Stilts”.

If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact .
Any and all help you are able to provide is gratefully appreciated and will be applied directly to production expenses for this and future Built on Stilts events. Please keep in mind that the majority of the funding for this event comes from your genereous contributions! Thank you!

from Abby's "Septic Crisis" at The Yard in a July 06' performance to benefit Built on Stilts.







This is you - having fun - whether you're part of the show, or in the audience.