Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals
Atlantic Center for the Arts - Residency
February 8th-28th 2026
Puppeteer and Collaborator
John Heginbotham, Greg Corbino, Ocean Music Action
In February 2026, Katy was selected as one of four puppeteers to join the company at the prestigious Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Over the course of three weeks, puppeteers, dancers, and musicians worked together to bring the new composition by Stephanie Ann Boydd to life. The piece was inspired by Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. It followed the same structure, length, and amount of movements, telling stories of 13 endangered or extinct animals.
Under the mentorship of NYC-based puppeteer Greg Corbino, Katy and the three other puppeteers helped fabricate and bring to life the animals. The puppets were all created out of compostable materials like cardboard and paper. At the end of the three weeks, a gorgeous piece of art highlighting all three disciplines was presented to the public. This show will have a residency with Ballet Hawaii in the fall and in NYC in the spring. It was a life-changing and groundbreaking experience that reminds us all why art is so important.
