ELKHORN — Peter Stathas Dance returns to Elkhorn in June for Barn Project 5, an annual creative residency and intimate performance experience held inside the Sugar Creek Barn in Sugar Creek Township.
Taking place June 8–12, 2026 and culminating in a public performance on Friday, June 12, the project brings the New York-based professional dancers of The Peter Stathas Dance Company to rural Wisconsin for a week of collaboration, creative development, and artistic exchange.
Started in 2021 during the pandemic as a way to safely rehearse and create together, the Barn Project has since evolved into an annual tradition for the NYC-based company and a growing bridge between the Milwaukee and New York dance communities.
Led by Peter Stathas, a former Limon and Marta Renzi dancer with roots in both Milwaukee and New York City, the residency gives company members the opportunity to step away from the demands of city life and focus deeply on the creative process in a quieter setting. Through a collaboration with Danceworks, local dancers and students participating in the organization’s summer intensive will work alongside the visiting artists throughout the week before joining the Friday evening showcase.
“There’s something powerful about taking artists out of New York and placing them in a quiet Wisconsin barn together for a week,” said Peter Stathas. “The work changes. The conversations change. Through our partnership with Danceworks, we’re also able to share that process directly with young dancers and the local community in a really meaningful way.”
This year’s work centers on the idea of “home” and the often complicated act of “coming home.” Through new contemporary dance pieces set to music by David Byrne, Roberta Flack, and John Prine, the company explores themes of belonging, vulnerability, memory, and connection. Rather than presenting polished final works, audiences will experience pieces as part of an active and unfolding creative process.
The public performance takes place Friday, June 12 from 6–8 p.m. at Sugar Creek Barn, 5907 Pierce Rd. in Elkhorn. Seating is limited to 50 attendees, creating an intentionally intimate atmosphere that includes artist conversation and audience interaction following the performance.