The Room Upstairs (previously Dances with Trane)
April 29 - May 2, 2026 (world premiere)

From Natasha:

The inspiration to create a project around the music of John Coltrane started in 2017 when I first encountered the documentary, Chasing Trane. Understanding more about the short life of this prolific artist, I learned so much about his values, rigorous work ethic, successes and challenges, and his personal and professional relationships. A father and husband to pianist Alice Coltrane, John and his family made the move from New York City to the suburbs in their efforts to create space for music-making, spiritual practice, while raising their children. Some of John’s most notable music was created in this home.

The development of this project began in 2018 when I was initially curious about interpreting his music through choreography. The original presentation date of this project was April 2020. We were 2 weeks shy of opening before the world went into lockdown. Since then, I’ve had the space to further reflect on the ideas that inspire my work as a choreographer - supporting emotion, community, intimacy, and location. Acknowledging these curiosities and remaining intrigued to creating to the music of Coltrane, I became more interested in John’s creative space in the home, and his personal and professional relationships. Thus, The Room Upstairs (working title) - is work set to the music of Coltrane, inspired by his home and his thoughts, in a location that holds space for devotion, camaraderie, and grief, using the dancing language of jazz, lindy hop, and black vernacular dances.