An afternoon of natural choreography

On Sunday, she will bring her critically acclaimed Project Company dance troupe to us. But don’t look for her at a local theater.

Renzi will perform at 2 p.m. in the shadow of Joseph Wheelwright’s mythic sculpture “Oracle’’ on the grounds of the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard. Along the 10-minute walk to the sculpture’s wooded setting, guests will encounter dancers performing vignettes beside the path. Then, once everyone settles in on a sloping field that abuts the sculpture site, a show unlike any found within four walls will ensue.

“I chose this spot because it’s in a beautiful quiet grove with beautiful dappled light,’’ said Renzi. “Then, what always happens when I work with a site is that the dance piece evolves.’’

Renzi’s locations become her sets. Objects on the sites serve as her found props. Every movement is choreographed in response to the surroundings. And if, as at Fruitlands, a giant tree-like sculpture of a woman anchors the site, Renzi draws her theme from it - and, of course, sends dancers skipping between the sculpture’s legs.

“In this particular case, what I thought about was the femaleness of ‘Oracle,’ ’’ said Renzi. “Eventually I decided the site might be a place where women would gather and tell their stories, and that became the basis of the piece.’’

Titled “Come Round Right,’’ (in reference to Shaker lyrics), the performance features female Project Company members and 10 dancers from the area (five young girls and five teenage girls). As the multigenerational group dances and plays about the sculpture, musician Terri Roben of New York will accompany them with traditional folk music on guitar, banjo, and dulcimer.

Renzi notes that working outdoors does have its challenges. Weather or poison ivy can intervene. Power generation takes creativity. Dancers may need to trade their ballet slippers for rubber boots so they can dance through a stream. But Renzi says she likes these “contingencies,’’ and they inform her work.

“Yes, it could rain. Yes, I’m sometimes competing with sunsets or other distractions. But I like this sense that we are small people in a large environment outdoors,’’ said Renzi. “It creates a wealth of complication, but I perversely like those complications because they help commission the piece.’’

When choreographing for outdoor sites, Renzi also aims for more natural movements. “I want it to feel like a naturally occurring event and not a dance concert stuck in the woods,’’ said Renzi. “So, I try to look at it to see how heightened it can be toward art or concert dance but not look absurd in the environment. Sometimes that can just be an expression on the face reminding the audience that we’re all under the big sky instead of the studio ceiling.’’

Bob Eiland of Harvard was so swept up by that big-sky feeling at a Renzi performance on Martha’s Vineyard last summer that he immediately invited her to perform in Harvard.

“It was innovative, it was spirited, it was fun, it was witty, and it was poignant,’’ said Eiland, who organized the Fruitlands show as a volunteer member of the Harvard Friends of the Arts. “It was just the kind of thing I wanted to have here.’’

Locals performing alongside Renzi - from Sudbury, Concord, Stowe, Harvard, and Ayer - are Jackie Cantow, Erin Garvin, Kelsie Johnson, Emma McVicar, Gabby Tarini, Phoebe Clark, Abbie Cronin, Thea Eiland, Helena Justicz, and Meilei Stanten.

“Come Round Right’’ with Marta Renzi and Project Company, 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. Gates open at 11 a.m.; admission is $20 per car. Rain location: Harvard Public Library. Updates at 978-456-3924. www.fruitlands.org.

ETERNAL LOVE: Proving once again that heartache and longing are universal, acclaimed local choreographer Jothi Raghavan will bring the love poems of mystic poet Thirumangai Alwar to life on Saturday in her solo piece “Nayaki.’’ The show offers a rare opportunity to see a master perform the rhythmic Indian dance form bharatha natyam.

“It’s a highly emotional art form. It’s also an art form of high discipline. But all three - the mind, body, and soul - have to be involved,’’ said Raghavan, who is a former recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer’s Fellowship.

The dance’s intricate footwork, fast-paced dance patterns, and an extensive language of hand and facial gestures are not the only draw. The piece is accompanied by live South Indian Carnatic music. Performed on mirdangam drum, the lute-like veena, and bamboo flute, the score was composed by respected Indian composer Rajkumar Bharathi and features vocalist G. Srikanth.

“Nayaki-A Poetic Journey: Solo Dance Theater by Jothi Raghavan’’ 6 p.m. Saturday at Sorenson Theater, Babson College, 231 Forest St., Wellesley. Tickets: $15 to $35, or $10 students/seniors. Purchase tickets at www.lokvani.com or www.sulekha.com. Info at 978-392-4677. Proceeds benefit charities in India.

CLAFIN’S SUMMER SONGS: Though lack of funding forced Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra to cancel their popular Independence Day Spectacular concert this year, their summer concert series will go on. Family Night at the Bandstand, which takes place Tuesday evenings in Milford Town Park, is putting on its usual parade of weekly performers that range from alt-folk to big-band. Next up on Tuesday is Caribbean-country group John Burrows and the Cocabanana Band.

Meanwhile, Prizm the Clown works the crowd at every show and The ABC Store of Milford provides free balloons. Bring a picnic or buy dinner at the Nelly’s Sandwich Shop stand. St. Gobain Glass Container Company is the sponsor of this week’s show.

Family Night at the Bandstand, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 11, rain dates Thursdays, at Milford Town Park, corner of Walnut and Congress streets. Admission free. Info and schedule at 508-478-5924 or www.claflinhill.org.

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