The Yard promises a high-energy, laugh aloud evening of work by three very different artists: Jamal Jackson Dance Company (African/hip hop/contemporary dance), performance artist Claire Porter, and solo dancer Lorraine Chapman share the stage on Friday and Saturday, August 1 and 2 at 8 p.m., with a free family matinee on Saturday at 4 p.m. at The Yard, Middle Road in Chilmark.

Jamal Jackson’s dynamic company of dancers and live drummers brings This Place Called Home, a Wizard of Oz-inspired piece that draws on Jackson’s signature mix of African, hip hop and modern dance.

Mr. Jackson will also teach his signature blend of dance at The Yard’s community class today, Friday, August 1, at 9 a.m. and in a special master class on Saturday, August 2, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at The Yard. Both classes will have live drummers and are open to all levels. The cost is $15, and Yard class cards can be applied.

Wickedly funny performance artist Claire Porter will perform Interview, in which a woman applies for a tough job. She describes the piece as “funny . . . and not.”

Lorraine Chapman, one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch in 2008, will perform a solo version of Here to There, a witty takeoff on MGM’s That’s Dancing.

Vineyard artist Niki Patton will perform her monologue Volare, followed by a set of original songs in the Yard festival tent, Sunday, August 3 at 8 p.m. After her mother’s death in 2004, Ms. Patton decided to follow the threads of her Italian heritage, where she found a rich past and family tales that were the stuff of novels. Part storytelling, part monologue, and part real-life fantasy, Volare is the true story of Ms. Patton’s larger-than-life Italian mother, Jolanda, and her large family of artists and musicians who thrived and survived wars, loves and dramas that would rival any operatic plot — all the while living in a 16th century palazzo in Naples, Italy — a building whose own tales of intrigue and mystery were a match for their own.

Tickets for the evening shows are $50 for premium seating, $25 general admission, and $15 for seniors and under 30.

The Saturday matinee is free; donations are gratefully accepted. For reservations and information, call 508-645-9662.