Fish Creek, Wis. (October 23, 2026) – On Sunday, October 25, the Fish-Creek based Smith-Redmann Dance Co. will present The Firekeeper at 7 p.m. at Door County Auditorium. Get ready for Halloween with hazy parties by lamplight, strange and haunting rituals, memories from childhood, and worlds of inspiration! From a gray world to the colorful mountains of Eastern Europe, you’ll enjoy this never-before seen storytelling extravaganza.
Inspired by tales such as Little Match Girl, The Giver, and Rite of Spring, this three-act contemporary story ballet depicts a chilling dystopian world, and the spirits of rebellion that come from unlikely places. Featuring characters from Slavic Carnival traditions and inspirations from the likes of Akram Khan and Pina Bausch, 9 Milwaukee-based dancers bring the heat that is The Firekeeper.
The show premiered on October 17 at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee to rave reviews by arts critics and two standing ovations. Performing arts critic Ed Heinzelman of An Intuitive Perspective said, “This is the most moving and touching dance program that I can ever remember seeing.” It is Lia Smith-Redmann’s first evening-length production.
A third-generation Fish Creek native, she is a product of DCA’s unique ecosystem of world-class performances and arts education. She participated in Gibraltar’s theater and music programs, began working at DCA in 2021, and now leads its Production and Marketing.
“I grew up on DCA’s stage, dreaming for a long time that I would one day present my own work here,” Smith-Redmann says. “Here I am, 20 years later, bringing dance back to DCA.”
Smith-Redmann studied dance and experimental theater through the Five College Consortium in Massachusetts before earning a BA in Dance and English from UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts. She established Smith-Redmann Dance Co., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Fish Creek, in fall 2025.
DCA is located at 3926 Highway 42, Fish Creek. Tickets and more information are available online at www.dcauditorium.org, on the phone at (920) 868-2728, or in person at the box office, located inside the Cramer Exchange at 3931 Highway 42 in Fish Creek.
Door County students are eligible for free tickets; tickets for accompanying adults and teachers are $10! Please call DCA box office to purchase.
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