Animalis: Immersive Ballet, Dinner & Orwellian Allegory

JAD Experience proudly presents Animalis, the twelfth installment of its immersive, multisensory event, taking place over two weekends: July 11 – 13 and 18 – 20. Set atop the rolling terrain of Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma, with sweeping views of the surrounding hills, this open-air performance and dining experience draws thematic inspiration from George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Each evening begins with a family-style, multicourse, farm-to-table feast, featuring transparently sourced food from the local bounty of Sonoma and Marin counties. Guests then gather with steaming cups of sipping chocolate and bone broth at the outdoor stage for the world premiere of a ballet by renowned choreographer and former San Francisco Ballet principal Julia Adam, performed by her corps of elite dancers.

JAD Experience is the creative partnership of Adam and her husband, Aaron Lucich, a producer, farmer, and agricultural activist. Together, they have cultivated a team of artists and artisans to create a transformational experience under the stars. Animalis continues JAD’s signature series, designed to explore what ties us together through community, art, food, and the natural world. The project has evolved an in-situ approach to cuisine, with Lucich producing proteins on-site.

Join JAD for an evening of dance and dinner in the hills of Northern California, where literary allegory meets physical landscape in a powerful performance experience.

Drawing from Orwell’s Animal Farm and the raven’s haunting tale of Sugarcandy Mountain, a paradise where “it was Sunday seven days a week”— Animalis reimagines the hilltop as both sanctuary and stage. As guests ascend this elevated ground, they’ll explore the seductive pull of utopian dreams and the cautionary truths embedded in Orwell’s fable. Through movement, meal, and the natural amphitheater of the landscape, the performance examines the corrupting nature of power and the eternal human longing for paradise.

Prices are as follows: 

$200 for opening night, Friday, July 11, and Sunday, July 13

$250 for Friday, July 18, and Sunday, July 20

$300 for Saturday, July 12, and Saturday, July 19