Choreography by Lauren Lovette
Music by John Adams
Set and Costumes by Santo Loquasto
Lighting by James F. Ingalls
(First performed 2025)
Performed by Jessica Ferretti and John Harnage

stim (excerpt) was made possible by the generous support of Stephen Kroll Reidy and the Taylor Future Dance Initiative.

Lauren Lovette 
Lauren Lovette is the first resident choreographer in the history of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. As a principal dancer at New York City Ballet, Lovette choreographed for the 2016 Fall Fashion Gala. She was awarded the Virginia B. Toulmin Fellowship at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU in 2018, and a year later created a second work for the Fashion Gala. In addition to Paul Taylor and NYC Ballet, her work has been commissioned and performed by American Ballet Theatre, Vail International Dance Festival, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company and Nevada Ballet Theatre, and showcased in a self-produced evening, Why It Matters.

Jessica Ferretti
Jessica Ferretti, originally from Port Chester, NY, started her dance training at Westchester Dance Academy. She graduated magna cum laude in 2019 from Marymount Manhattan College, where she performed works by Larry Keigwin, Jessica Lang, Michael Thomas, Loni Landon, Nancy Lushington, Pedro Ruiz, Chase Brock and Tito Del Saz. She attended the Paul Taylor Summer Intensives in 2016 and 2018 and the Martha Graham Intensive in 2017. She joined Taylor 2 in 2019. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 2021.

John Harnage
John Harnage, a native of Miami, studied dance at the Miami City Ballet School and New World School of the Arts. In 2014 he graduated from The Juilliard School, where he performed works by Pina Bausch, Alexander Ekman, Jose Limón and Lar Lubovitch, among others. He then began working with Jessica Lang Dance and joined the company in 2015, performing and teaching around the world. He also performed as a principal dancer in Washington National Opera’s 2017 production of Aida at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Harnage joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 2018.

Choreography by James Whiteside
Music by Franz Schubert
Performed by Sierra Armstrong and Finnian Carmeci

James Whiteside
James Whiteside is redefining the meaning of multihyphenate as a principal dancer and choreographer for the American Ballet Theater, host of the Stage Rightside podcast and author. He began his ballet training at age nine at the D’Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre in Fairfield, CT. After completing his training, he was a principal dancer with Boston Ballet until 2012 and has been a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre since 2013, dancing principal roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, Giselle and many more. Additionally, Whiteside has choreographed for pop stars Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift. He continues to choreograph for music videos, commercials, film and ballet. The short film Daytripper, which he directed and choreographed, was nominated for a New York Emmy Award. Off the ABT stage, Whiteside published his first book, Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost Memoir of a Boy in Ballet. Instagram:@jamesbwhiteside

Sierra Armstrong
Sierra Armstrong was raised in Advance, NC, and began dancing at the age of five at a dance studio in Winston-Salem. At the age of 15, Armstrong was a finalist at the Prix De Lausanne competition in Switzerland and received a full scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Armstrong joined ABT Studio Company in 2016. Armstrong joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in 2017 and became a member of the corps de ballet in 2018. She was promoted to soloist in 2025. Instagram: @sierranarmstrong

Finnian Carmeci
Finnian Carmeci was born in Medford, OR, where he began dancing at the age of 11. He began his studies at the Oregon Ballet Theatre School at age 12 under the guidance of Anthony Jones. Carmeci joined the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in 2019 and became a member of ABT Studio Company in 2020. He became an apprentice with the main company in 2023 and joined the corps de ballet in 2024. Instagram @fcarmeci

Created by Gilbert Bolden III
Modeled by Cameron Bullins, Preston Chamblee, Eli Raphael Gruska, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares, Kennedy Targosz, Shane Williams

Gilbert Bolden III
Gilbert Bolden III is a principal dancer with New York City Ballet, as well as a choreographer and fashion designer. Once completing his training at the School of American Ballet, he joined NYCB in 2017. As a choreographer, Bolden’s work has been featured on stages across the country, including Fire Island Dance Festival and Vail Dance Festival. His work in fashion design has become a visible extension of his artistic practice, with custom gala outfits and performance costumes that have been featured in The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily and Vogue.

Cameren Bullins
Cameren Bullins is a senior program associate for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s Sustainable Development program, focusing on climate finance, movement building and just transition. Bullins joined the fund in 2018. Cameren is on the advisory board of the Youth Climate Finance Alliance and Climate Cardinals; and is on the steering committee for the Next Gen Environmental Philanthropy initiative. Cameren holds a Master of Science degree in international relations from the University of Edinburgh, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a concentration in international relations from the University of California San Diego. 

Preston Chamblee
Preston Chamblee was born in Wendell, NC, and began his dance training at the age of 14 at the Raleigh School of Ballet under Mary Legere and Pablo Perez. He continued his training at the International Ballet Academy in Apex, NC. Chamblee studied at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, during the 2012 and 2013 summer courses, and enrolled as a full-time student in 2013. Chamblee was named an apprentice with NYCB in 2014 and joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2015. He was promoted to the rank of soloist in 2022.

Eli Raphael Gruska
Eli Raphael Gruska was born in Los Angeles where he began his formal dance training with Marat Daukayev. He continued his studies at The Royal Ballet at age 16. Upon graduation, he joined the ABT Studio Company, where he performed works by Stefanie Batten Bland, Lauren Lovette, Ethan Stiefel and Stanton Welch. He danced with Houston Ballet from 2021-2023 when he joined BalletMet under the leadership of former New York City Ballet soloist Edwaard Liang. Gruska joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2024.

Mckenzie Bernardino Soares
Mckenzie Bernardino Soares is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. He was born in Danbury, CT, and began his dance training locally at the age of four at the Academy of Dance Arts. He enrolled at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, at age six. As a student there, he performed in ballets including George Balanchine’s Harlequinade, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and Peter Martins’ Romeo + Juliet. Soares became an apprentice with NYCB in 2021 and joined the corps de ballet in 2022.

Kennedy Targosz
Kennedy Targosz is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. She was born in Grand Rapids, MI, where she began her dance training at the age of four at The Moving Company with Crystal Delgado. She received additional training at Imprint Dance Company with Delgado and David Braciak, and Ada Dance Academy with Braciak and Laura Berman before attending the School of American Ballet’s California Junior Summer Program and its summer program in New York. She enrolled full-time at School of American Ballet in 2018. Targosz became an apprentice with NYCB in 2021 and joined the corps de ballet in 2022.

Shane Williams
Shane Williams is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. Williams was born in Cleveland, OH,  and began his training at the age of 11 at Cleveland City Dance and was a member of its pre-professional company, City Ballet of Cleveland. He attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet before entering full-time in 2022. He also received additional training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet summer program. In 2023, Williams was named an apprentice with NYCB and in 2024, he joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet.