Stories in the Shadows
Upcoming 2026 collaboration with The Hidden Room Theater, exploring hidden voices, storytelling, and movement through residency development and public-facing process with the following two plays:
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Bluebeard - A new dance-theater work exploring myth, self-reliance, gendered power, and the choices we make. Created in collaboration with playwright Matthew Freeman, continuing our partnership from Cloud Cuckooland.
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Theater of Magic - A new theatrical work by The Hidden Room Theater exploring illusion, perception, and transformation. I serve as a consulting artist, supporting the development of physicality, movement, and embodied presence within the production.
The Ballad Tree
A theatrical work inspired by Appalachian “murder ballads,” weaving live music, movement, and puppetry into an exploration of love, loss, and transformation. Rooted in the oral tradition and shaped through contemporary physical storytelling, the work bridges inherited folklore with present-day emotional experience. Developed with support from Dixon Place NYC Work-in-Progress Residency and the Delaware County Community Arts Grant.
Cloud Cuckooland
An original theatrical production inspired by Greek tragedy, exploring death, passion, and the seductive pull of escapism through music, text, puppetry, and dance. A collaboration with playwright, Matthew Freeman.
Twitchers
A full-length performance work of dance and puppetry exploring stories of birds, dreams, and women who take flight. The piece explores instinct, transformation, and the wild edges of the subconscious.
Desert Sin - Selected vignette repertoire (1999–2019)
A body of experimental and sensational dance-theater works integrating narrative and Middle Eastern dance forms, developed and presented internationally over two decades.
Mountain Madness 2021-2023
Co-producer, choreographer, and performer for annual free festival of theatre, dance and music held in the great western Catskills in Roxbury, NY. The ensemble guides the audience along a sight specific, immersive experience that weaves scene work, poetry, music and dance. Sponsored by The Roxbury Arts Group, and recipients of the Delaware County Community Arts Grant.
Winter in the Woods
In 2010, Djahari approached several superb artists and asked them to dwell on the theme “winter in the woods”. Each artist came back with unique stories, and through a bicoastal collaboration we began to weave together a fairytale.
Musée des Femmes - NYC
A carnival spectacle retelling the tales of some of the boldest, most intriguing women in history and fiction. A high energy show that gave a touching and human twist on fantastic characters.
Sita's Fire - The Pathos Within
An intimate, black-box performance of vignettes journeying through the pathos of female villains.
