Follow Me, or How To Start A Movement

ricksubel
2 days ago
2 min read

Trust the instinct. Take the step. Let it ripple.

“When you feel the urge to move,

to start a movement,

and you don’t know where to begin…

just move.

The steps will come together

and be what they’re supposed to be.

You just have to move.”

The 2026 Paramount World program, “Follow Me, or How to Start a Movement,” explores the creation of dance as a metaphor for change in the world. What begins as one bold, authentic step can awaken others and build collective momentum. Revealing itself in stages, the journey breaks free from inherited expectations and carries us toward discovery—until individual courage becomes a shared movement.

Visually, the program draws inspiration from Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose work challenged tradition through raw honesty, layered meaning, and fearless self-expression. His art reminds us that movements don’t begin polished—they begin real. Musically, the production opens with Rudyard Kipling’s “Boots,” a relentless reflection on obligation, routine, and the weight of marching forward without choice. From that rigid foundation, the program awakens—asking what happens when motion becomes intentional, human, and free. At the heart of the show is an original work, where each vocal line mirrors the actual process of creating dance—and creating change. The instructions for movement can be the blueprint for creating a movement.

The work is about not waiting for permission. It is about trusting your instinct. About taking one brave step—and watching it ripple outward into the wold.

“That’s how you start a movement.”

Design and Instructional Staff: Rick Subel, Andria Foerch, Emily Lumpkin, Jordan Fleming, Jennifer Leslie, Stephanie Stewart, Carrie Smith, Daniel Riley, Jeff Sacktig, KC Perkins, Janet Meador, Josh O’Kain, Jose Morales, Eryn Boone, Madison Adcock, Tyler Edrington, Molly Favret, Andy Toth, Michael Rosales, Katie Hopkins, Kaysey Thompson, Tyler Richards, and Wayne Harris

Set Design and Flag Designs: Sara Solomonson, Rick Subel, and Band Today

Costume Design: Byron Valentine, Molly Favret, Rick Subel, and Fred J. Miller, Inc.

Soundtrack Design: Rick Subel

Musical Selection(s):

“Boots,” by Young Fathers

“I Sit on the Ridge at Dusk,” by Dirty Projectors

“How to Start a Movement,” by Rick Subel