Ann Carlson Combines Farm Animals, Modern Dancing In New Theater Show For Kids

American dancer-choreographer Ann Carlson combines livestock and her brand of modern dancing in a new stage show called "Animal Dance" at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. For parents who are wondering, the show runs from March 22 to May 1 and is intended for an audience of 2- to 5-year-old kids.

The 61-year-old performing artist admitted to American Theatre that working with live animals really does have its ups and downs, but that's exactly what her new show is all about. There's no stopping whatever happens on stage.

"Part of my approach and curiosity had to do with: Could the stage space be a place where these animals could be welcomed and could they be themselves?" said Carlson. "Not trained to do tricks but just be held in the attention of the viewer with certain parameters? I was working with, in my mind, what their natural tendencies were."

Carlson herself doesn't know what the farm animals would do on stage. This makes for a lot of improvisation and quick thinking on her part. This doesn't worry her as she has already prepared different dance routines for whatever situation that might arise. She even has a special "picking-up-the-poop" dance.

"Animal Dance" features a bunny, a dog, a tortoise, a chicken, a goldfish and two goat kids. Childhood development expert Patty Born Selly, the author of "Connecting Animals and Children in Early Childhood," was brought in to advice the creators on what to expect.

"The first thing she said is: You have to remember, when the animal takes the stage, Ann stops existing," CTC's artistic director Peter Brosius explained. "Eyes are going to be focused so profoundly on these animals that if she's offstage right doing some gorgeous combination, it's a kind of noise."

Carlson sees it as a balancing act. She will be doing her own choreographed moves, but will also be integrating the animals' reactions to her performance.

The veteran performer is no stranger to the out-of-the-box philosophy of "Animal Dance." School of Dance noted that Carlson is an interdisciplinary artist known for her innovative concepts which fuse elements of dance, theater and visual arts.