Outdoor dance and music performance explores freedom, resilience, and stories rooted in the land
from Staff Reports
History, art, and landscape will come together in a unique outdoor performance at Middleton Place later this month as the historic site hosts Witness Trees at Middleton Place, an evening program blending dance, live music, and reflection.
Set for May 31 from 5 to 8:30 p.m., the event is part of Middleton Place’s ongoing programming marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. But rather than focusing solely on battles or political milestones, this program turns attention toward the people whose stories were often left out of traditional narratives.
Presented by RootsUprising Dance Company with live music from the Colour of Music Festival, Witness Trees is a site-specific performance inspired by Middleton Place’s Conversations of Freedom exhibit. Organizers say the production reflects themes of struggle, liberation, and resilience while honoring the relationship enslaved Africans and African Americans had with the land itself.
The performance will unfold outdoors in the gardens, inviting guests to experience the grounds not simply as scenery, but as part of the storytelling.
Gates open at 5 p.m., allowing attendees time to explore the gardens before the formal program starts. At 6:15 p.m., musicians from the Colour of Music Festival will present a live prelude, followed by the dance performance at 6:30 p.m. A post-performance conversation with artists and speakers begins at 7:15 p.m., with additional open garden time afterward before the evening concludes at 8:30 p.m.
The program will feature remarks from Nailah Randall-Bellinger, founding artistic director and choreographer of RootsUprising Dance Company. Boston-based Randall-Bellinger is known for combining scholarship, movement, literature, and history in works that examine memory, identity, and the African diaspora. Her company has performed at institutions including Harvard University and has staged site-specific works exploring the legacy of slavery and resilience through dance.
Joining the evening will be Lee Pringle, founder of the Colour of Music Festival, and Dr. Robert Bellinger, a descendant connected to Middleton Place, who will offer personal and historical context before the performance begins.
Middleton Place has increasingly used arts programming to interpret difficult and layered chapters of Lowcountry history, and Witness Trees continues that approach by creating space for conversation as well as performance.
Tickets include evening garden admission, one drink ticket, light snacks, the musical prelude, dance performance, and post-show discussion. Admission is $55 for non-members and $50 for members.
Witness Trees at Middleton Place will be held on Sunday, May 31 at Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Road. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (843) 556-6020 or visit www.middletonplace.org.
