May 13, 2025 — As part of its 40th Anniversary Summer Season at Marist University, New York Stage and Film (SAF) is partnering with the nonprofit group BalletCollective to present The Woods before its premiere at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, New York. This immersive concert experience will feature two public performances at Marist: Saturday, July 26, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 27, at 3 p.m. The show will be one of 12 projects in residence at Marist during New York Stage and Film’s Summer Season, taking place from July 11 to Aug. 3.

Created by indie-rock band San Fermin (composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone) and BalletCollective (Troy Schumacher, New York City Ballet), The Woods blends live music and athletic choreography to explore storytelling and songwriting in a shifting, often unsettling world.

“Part rock concert, part dance narrative, The Woods is full of beauty and intelligence,” said SAF Artistic Director Ian Belknap. “We’re thrilled to develop this premiere as part of our 40th Anniversary Season.”

“The opportunity to develop The Woods with the support of New York Stage and Film—and to workshop it with the Hudson Valley community—has been invaluable,” added Schumacher.

Building on a decade-long creative partnership, Ludwig-Leone and Schumacher have created eight works together, including 2023’s The Night Falls, praised by The New Yorker as “ingenious.” The Woods continues their exploration of the transformative power of music and dance to turn fear and loss into connection and hope.

The Woods Creative Team & Cast Highlights
Initial casting includes lead vocalists Allen Tate and Claire Wellin of San Fermin, and McKenzie Cahill; featured performers Annalise Gehling, Sophie Rose Shapiro, Thomas Hogan, Mizuho Kappa and Leslie Andrea Williams; and members of the San Fermin band: bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone, drummer Griffin Brown, guitarist Tyler McDiarmid and saxophonist Stephen Chen.

Additional musicians include trombonists Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon, and violinist Lauren Cauley. Ensemble dancers are Arcadian Broad, Justin Daniels, Shizu Higa, Salma Kiuhan, Devin Loh, Solange Rodrigues, Noah Wang and Annika Wong.

The cast of The Heart during New York Stage and Film’s 2024 Summer Season at Marist. Photo by Deborah Lopez/New York Stage and Film.

Get Your Tickets!
New York Stage and Film’s Stories That Move: Developing Dance Narratives project The Woods is supported by leading support from the Jerome Robbins Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, the Frederick Loewe Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and Judith Manocherian.

• Early access ticket sales for The Woods are available.
  • BOOK HERE!
    • This is an exclusive to Inside Marist readers, this link is nontransferable and will expire on May 14.
• General Admission tickets for all Summer Season productions: Opens May 27 (Tickets to select performances include a voucher to a post-show reception with the SAF artistic community)

New York Stage and Film’s full Summer Season at Marist will be announced on May 27! Keep tabs here for updates!