Shine On My Parade is a traveling dance performance by the Bearnstow dancers in collaboration with dancers from Waterville and live musicians. Join us in the Parade!
Shine on my Parade Performers:
The Bearnstow Dancers: Dawn Stitt, Ren Raleigh, Tania Reséndiz, Eleanor Crawford, Molly Hess
Waterville dancers: Matthew Cumbie, Jenny Ngidi-Brown, Yiyun Mao, Tara Weaver
Musicians: Rob Flax and Kristen Jensen
Event Organizers: Molly Hess, Matthew Cumbie, and Jo Tibby
Program of Events
- 11 am – Mini Class led by Molly Hess (Bearnstow Director)
In this class we will warm up our dancing bodies and explore different ways to dance along the route of the parade so you can be part of the performance! - 11:30 am – Parade/ Performance Start at Beach
Dock Dances: Bearnstow Dancers accompanied by Rob Flax and Kristen Jensen
On the Shore: Waterville Dancers - 11:45 am – Future Restaurant
Between the planters: Bearnstow Dancers (Choreography by Tania Reséndiz)
Parking Area: Waterville Dancers - 11:55 am – Memorial Park
“Paneer Enough” a short tune created this week by Rob Flax and Kristen Jensen - 12:00 pm – Scapes Cafe
Led by Matthew Cumbie and Tara weaver, we will build a dance on-site
Thank you!
Thank you to all in Mount Vernon who made this possible including: The Dr. Shaw Memorial Library, The Town Select Board, Scapes Cafe, Scott Horne, The Community Center, Lydia Merrick and Jo Tibby who was the spark for this project and came up with the title!
Thank you for the financial support from our sponsor for this event Kennebec Savings Banks and from individual contributions.
Finally thank you to YOU our audience, we hope to see and dance with you again this summer!
Stay in Touch
Join our mailing list
Take a Community Classes on Wednesday nights at the Community Center
See a free performance at Bearnstow and see us at Vienna Union Hall August 24 (Buy Tickets)
Follow us on Facebook or Instagram
Learn More about the Event Organizers:
Jody Tibby (She/her) is a long-time resident of Mount Vernon. She ran a cat placement organization called Advo-cat, and she continues to advocate for animals and people daily. She has served on the board of Neighbors Driving Neighbors (NDN), the Community Partnership Corporation (CPC), and is currently a member of Bearnstow’s Advisory Council. Jo is an artist, mostly as a personal practice, but you can see her work as the logo for neighbors driving neighbors and she has participated as part of several Bearnstow Performances.
Matthew Cumbie (he/him) is a collaborative dancemaker, writer, and artist educator. His choreography and dancemaking- considered “a blend of risk-taking with reliability, [and] a combination of uncertainty and wisdom,”- weaves together a physical vocabulary of momentum and clarity, moving imagery, and a commitment to relationship-building and community participation. Through his creative projects, he has developed performances around and about Herman Melville and his historic home Arrowhead, collaboratively created intergenerational and afterschool community dance programs in central Maine, and expanded opportunities for LGBTQ+ communities to celebrate and see their connections to the places they live. He has been commissioned and supported by places like Dance Place, the Kennedy Center, the Berkshire County Historical Society, and Harvard University, and by the NEA, NEFA, the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities, and the Arcus Foundation. Matthew has an MFA in dance from Texas Woman’s University and is on the faculty at Colby College.
Molly Hess (She/Her) has served as the Director of Bearnstow since 2020. Molly originally joined the staff in 2011 as an artist intern and Director of Day Camp. During her tenure, she expanded the Day Camp and has enjoyed all these years of fostering creative self-expression and a connection to nature. Beyond Bearnstow’s core programs, Molly created and facilitated projects such as 3 Spice Presents (2017-2020), a series of performances by Bearnstow alumni, and the Bearnstow Dance Map (2021), an interactive map of dance films filmed on Bearnstow’s grounds.
As a dance artist, Molly creates performances that highlight the joy of dance and invites audiences of all ages to dance alongside the performers including a current collaboration creating an evening-length performance that blends a dance performance with a rock show and a dance party. She is also an educator with over a decade of experience, teaching dance to all ages and abilities through organizations including Creative Soul, Berkshire Pulse, and Studio North Dance Arts. Molly is passionate about helping students celebrate their creativity while developing new skills.
