The ensuing apocalyptic extinction ended the 150-million-year reign of the dinosaurs, captured forever in the fossils of Montana's Hell Creek Formation. Acheroraptor, the last of the fierce feathered raptor dinosaurs, prowled the Hell Creek flood-jungles before her annihilation in the fires of mass extinction. Then, a miracle: our earliest primate ancestor Purgatorius rose from the ashes and thrived on the first fruit as the world was born anew.
Ghosts of Hell Creek is Prehistoric Body Theater's flagship evening-length dance-theater work, a eulogy for the last dinosaurs and an exploration of humanity's deep-time ancestry at the moment of planetary crisis. The performance unfolds across four acts like a mesmerizing diorama, with an immersive clay-textured set installation, dancers in full-body clay makeup with iconic prosthetic elements, a lavish ever-changing lighting design, and an original soundtrack of experimental gamelan and undulating soundscapes. In development since 2017, the work moves toward its definitive premiere with live gamelan orchestra in 2027.
66 million years ago, a massive asteroid struck the Earth with the force of a billion atomic bombs…
ROOTED IN
SCIENCE…
Ghosts of Hell Creek is built on a long-term collaboration with paleontologists at the University of Washington's Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, beginning in 2017 with the Bergstrom Award for Art-Science Interface. PBT's artists have participated in multiple seasons of fossil excavation at the Hell Creek Formation in rural Montana alongside Burke Museum scientists, working directly with the 66-million-year-old landscape and fossils that inspired the work.
This interdisciplinary methodology is documented in an article published by Oxford University Press in Integrative and Comparative Biology (2018).
PROGRAM OFFERINGS
GHOSTS OF HELL CREEK
(flagship production)
1
The crown jewel of the project, the flagship show is a 90-minute evening-length proscenium work with immersive clay-textured set installation, full-body clay makeup and prosthetics, lavish lighting design, and original soundtrack. Available with live Gamelan Gandrung orchestra from Banyuwangi, East Java, or pre-recorded audio.
World premiere with live gamelan coming in 2027.
STONE GARUDA
(lightweight production)
2
A 60-minute companion production adapted for agile international touring. No full set installation required, highly adaptable to diverse venue types. Available with playback soundtrack or live gamelan accompaniment.
Premiered at Salihara Theater, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and Asia Society New York, 2025.
PRIMITIVE STREAK
(dance film)
3
A 30-minute cinematic adaptation of the live performance, bringing the audience in closer to the world of Ghosts of Hell Creek. Completed 2023. Available for screening events and festival programming.
EDUCATION
(workshops, presentations, etc)
4
A menu of art-science educational programs inspired by the prehistoric characters of Ghosts of Hell Creek. Taught by PBT's core Indonesian artists, each session blends science and movement, inviting participants to explore the embodied worlds of ancient species through PBT's paleoart dance practice. Available as paleo-dance seminar presentations for museums and schools, or as movement workshops tailored for diverse contexts and participant backgrounds.