Discovering new depth in our collective movement language, creative exploration of source-material, and building trust, has garnered a willingness to explore all areas of awkward and uncomfortable with courage and imagination. Andrew Ritfeld is an expert in the field of the experience of being Andrew Ritfeld. Here, he describes his unique connection to the Race Circus Project source-material and the world . . .

MakeShift is so excited to welcome our second fulltime artistic collaborator! Composer.  No poser. . .  Ladies and Gentlemen, Hiron Roy of Atlanta! His breadth of musical talents brings a new layer of expression to our team. Hiron connects strongly with music’s ability to create intentional space, draw in those who hear and feel it, and transcend language and culture barriers. A participant in the dialogue sessions and longterm Atlanta resident, he knows this city backwards and forwards and brings a unique perspective that we are so grateful to have.

We say “Until next time” to Chelsea Gregory, a force who has guided us and given us wings. We are now a flock of social artists ready to break out of the perimeter into unknown territory – equipped with tools to construct innovative, depthful performance interventions. We send her love and support as she moves on to her next steps. She sent us this beautiful video about her experience working with us, thank you so much Chelsea!!

Artistic/cultural literacy consultant Chelsea Gregory guides the Race Circus Project team as we build trust and a common language…

Through physical creative explorations we learn about each other. As we are the culmination of our experiences, our movement styles reflect our life paths. We try out each others’ movements to see what it’s like in another persons’ shoes. We represent social roles and feel what its like to be in them in relation to each other…

And we have a lota fun 🙂

Our first moments with Chelsea have been filled with information as she shares her knowledge of the community art making methodologies of Cornerstone Theater Company, Urban Bushwomen, Tectonic Theater Project, and We Got Issues.

She has opened a beautiful space for us to voice our intentions and our questions about the project that we are embarking on.

Under her guidance the Race Circus Project team set out to dig in to our first creative explorations…

Our first artistic and cultural literacy advisor to the Race Circus Project, Chelsea Gregory, has joined us for four intensive sessions to help us develop and practice a community engaged circus methodology that is steeped in the wisdom of our forerunners in the field of performance arts for social change. Yeeeeehaw!!!! 😀

Chelsea Gregory is a movement theater artist, cultural organizer and arts educator originally from Atlanta, GA. She is currently on tour with Cornerstone Theater Company’s “California: The Tempest,” a community-engaged adaptation of Shakespeare’s play that addresses issues such as food equity, immigration reform, climate change and the prison industry. Other recent performances include “Mapa Corpo” with Guillermo Goméz-Peña, opening for the internationally acclaimed musical group Rising Appalachia, and a performance piece called “Body Stories” based on the research of somatic psychologists on how experiences of oppression impact the body.

Her original work has been presented at venues such as The Culture Project, LaMama ETC, Nuyorican Poet’s Café, The Living Theater, Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance, and Brooklyn Arts Exchange in New York City; the LA Women’s Theater Festival in Los Angeles; La Pena Cultural Center in the Bay Area; and 7 Stages in Atlanta, GA. Her solo performance piece “The 6 Project” integrates documentary theater, movement and poetry to explore how cultural identity shapes our point of view. She has toured the piece to 12 US cities with performances, workshops and dialogues, engaging over 3000 people around racial justice and racial healing. From 2006-2011, she performed for the tour of Eve Ensler and Jane Fonda’s co-production “We Got Issues!” and worked as a choreographer with Cornerstone Theater Company’s Summer Institute, Yadira De La Riva’s “One Journey” and several other theatrical productions. Her directing credits include “Dance Me Free,” a play devised with Bristol Riverside Theater’s Teen Company exploring the transformative power of dance, “Future Academy” for Queens Theater in the Park’s youth theater festival, as well as Girls for Gender Equity’s “Yo Shorty,” a performance piece about the safety of young women’s bodies in the New York City Public Schools.

Ms. Gregory’s poetry is published in anthologies such as The Charis Review, Steve Cannon’s “Gathering of the Tribes” and “We Got Issues: A Young Woman’s Guide to a Bold, Courageous and Empowered Life.” She also contributed a chapter to Jlove Calderon’s book “Occupying Privilege,” discussing performance as a vehicle for racial justice and healing. As a dancer she has performed with Movement for the Urban Village, ASE Dance Theatre Collective, Beacon Dance Company and Ned Williams Dunham Dance Company, and has studied with The Limón Institute, Urban Bush Women, Boston Ballet and Baba Richard Gonzales. She received her B.A. in “Community Empowerment and Creative Culture” from New York University, and her M.F.A. in “Theatre and Contemporary Performance” from Naropa University.

WE ARE SO SO LUCKY TO HAVE HER!!!