"In Hell Creek, Montana, there are fossils that preserve the story of the extinction of the dinosaurs, caused by an asteroid impact 66 million years ago," Rudenko said in fluent Indonesian during a phone interview with The Jakarta Post on June 16.

"It triggered a colossal catastrophe," he added. "Around 85 percent of all animal and plant species on earth vanished in a single moment. In the blink of an eye."

While excavating the scorched landscape alongside paleontologists, Rudenko uncovered the remnants of Acheroraptor, a sleek, two-meter-long predator that once roamed the river valleys of the late Cretaceous. He was captivated.

“[Acheroraptors] had an elegant bird-like body structure,” he said. “They couldn’t fly, but their arms were covered in feathers. Their tails also fanned out with feathered plumes. They’re very beautiful.”

That moment of awe gave birth to Ghosts of Hell Creek, Prehistoric Body Theater’s 90-minute dance score exploring mass extinction, climate crisis and evolutionary ancestry through movement. From mid-June to early September, the company will tour the US with the performance, carrying it across the country, from theaters to the ancient lands that sparked its creation.

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