Adaptations Dance Theater presents Flamingos, Starlings & O’opu

Adaptations Dance Theater presents Flamingos, Starlings & O’opu, a sensory-friendly performance on Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. at the Imua Discovery Garden in Wailuku.

This outdoor performance is designed to be inclusive and welcoming to children with sensory sensitivities and their families.

Flamingos, Starlings & O’opu consists of three, short dance vignettes that explore the beauty and diversity of the natural world through movement and storytelling. Audience members will enjoy captivating contemporary dance performance and interactive talk-backs, providing attendees the opportunity to connect with the dancers, learn about the inspiration behind the dance pieces, and practice short movement phrases like the ones they see on stage.

“By creating a sensory-friendly show, we hope to increase accessibility to contemporary dance performance for people, particularly children, who do not feel comfortable in a theater setting where things can be dark, loud and overwhelming,” said Ali McKeon Pineo, Co-Artistic Director of Adaptations Dance Theater. “We hope this show piques the imaginations of the children who attend, inspiring the next generation of storytellers, dreamers, movers and artists.”

The casual nature of this performance allows attendees to engage at a level that suits them. Unlike a traditional theater show, no additional lighting will be used, and the music for each piece will be played at a softer level. Seating is general admission on the lawn facing the stage area and attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs to enjoy the show from the distance they desire.

Flamingos, Starlings & O’opu will run approximately 45 minutes, with a short verbal introduction before each piece to provide context for what the audience is about to see; short descriptions about each piece can be read on the performance website, along with images of the seating and stage areas.

Ticket prices range on a sliding scale from $5 to $25 per family and can be purchased online at our.show/sensory-friendly-adt.

Attendees are encouraged to select the ticket type that best matches their ability to pay, even if it does not match the number of people in their party. Those who would like to add a donation to support the nonprofit dance company’s work may do so at checkout. Online sales will end at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 17.

Tickets can be purchased at the Imua Discovery Garden (2471 Main St.) on the day of the event by cash or Venmo (@ADT-Maui).

Full show details, including the Flamingos, Starlings & O’opu soundtrack and links to dancer bios can be found at our.show/sensory-friendly-adt.