Directed and Choreographed by Dominic Moore-Dunson
Original score by Theron Brown
Based on the book by Jessie Oliveros
Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
James’s Grandpa has the best balloons because he has the best memories. He has balloons showing Dad when he was young and Grandma when they were married. Grandpa has balloons about camping and Aunt Nelle’s poor cow. Grandpa also has a silver balloon filled with the memory of a fishing trip he and James took together. But when Grandpa’s balloons begin to float away, James is heartbroken. No matter how hard he runs, James can’t catch them. One day, Grandpa even lets go of the silver balloon. Meanwhile, James realizes his bunch of balloons is growing, and it’s up to him to share those balloons, one by one.
This heartfelt dance production for the entire family breathes three-dimensional life into the pages of the original book that inspired it. The performance includes themes related to Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss, presented with sensitivity.
2:00 PM | Information & engagement in Mandell Lobby
3:00 PM | Performance
3:45 PM | Community conversation with Dominic Moore Dunson immediately following the performance.
Tickets for this event are free, but registration is required in advance. Get Tickets HERE
Engage more with this artist!
The visionary choreographer and director of The Remember Balloons, Dominic Moore-Dunson, is a 2026-27 Rankin Scholar-in-Residence for Drexel’s Antionette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. His artistic visit to campus includes class visits and workshops for Drexel students and the community, Sep 30-Oct 3, 2026.
____________________________________
Dominic Moore-Dunson, one of Dance Magazine’s 2023 “25 to Watch,” is an award-winning choreographer, director, and educator based in Akron, Ohio. After his 25/26 appointment as Lloyd Richards New Futures Fellow (SDC Foundation) at the Wilma Theater and delivery of the 2025 Drexel Fall Lecture in Dance, Dominic returns to Philadelphia as a 2026-27 Rankin Scholar-in-Residence, accompanied by the company of his production, The Remember Balloons.
Dominic is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of MooreDunson Moves, a family-led creative studio and consulting company helping people move better—as teams, couples, and artists. Alongside his wife and co-founder Ashley Moore-Dunson, Dominic leads the company’s growing slate of work, including THRIVE Leadership & Team Development.
Dominic’s work spans regional and commercial theater, dance, and immersive performance, creating emotionally resonant, culturally rooted experiences that explore memory, identity, safety, and belonging. Through Urban Midwest Storytelling, he also designs university residencies and workshops that empower the next generation of artists to combine creativity and entrepreneurship. His work has been presented nationally and featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Akron Beacon Journal. For more information: dommooredun.com
Rankin Scholar-in-Residence Series
Named in honor of former Dean Marjorie Rankin and established through the continuing donations of her friends and colleagues, seeks to bring noted individuals to campus who excel in the multidisciplinary education championed by the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.