featured Artists

Asha Rowland

Featured Artist

Asha Rowland is a multi-disciplinary artist and dancer with a focus in Bharatanatyam, various African idioms of dance, Raq Sharqi (mentored by Sabah Saeed), Hip Hop, and more. A disciple of Smt. Hema Rajagopalan and Smt. Krithika Rajagopalan of Natya Dance Theatre, she has been training in Bharatanatyam since the age of 8. She has been a professional group and solo performer since 2014 after her arangetram. Her personal work and movement has been a guide and a by-product of exploring her multiethnic heritage; driven through her curiosity of cultural intersections and ancestry. Her solo work is based in storytelling, world-creation, character development, and puzzle-making; encompassed around social justice concepts and mythology. Often drawing from her dreams has led her to explore themes on reality, time, paradoxes, illusion, and how to convey subjective perspective.

Reign Drop Winker

Featured Artist, Dancer

Reign Drop is a trans dancer, choreographer, and Co-Founder of We Are Collective. Over the last seven years, they have grown roots in the Chicago dance community focusing on creating sustainable and accessible dance spaces for all ages. They research contemporary movements that demonstrate autonomy, liberation, and connection. In the community, they have led an Improvisers’ Jam for Chicago Dancemakers Forum, performed for Alix Shilaci and Erin Killmurray, presented work at j e l l o dances, created work for Synapse Arts New Works, and have choreographed for New Dances and the iconic Chicago drag queen Shea Coulee’s "Rewind" music video. Their newest role includes being a Company Lead for Queer Dance Freakout, the largest trans dance organization in Chicago which aids them in their mission to be heard—to share their story—to honor the stories of all magical trans people.

I AM is a punk display of gender expression, body autonomy, and the celebration of each person's unique gender identity, researching the juxtaposition of thrashing and magic. Why do we thrash? What makes something magical? For this project, Reign Drop is researching stories of trans resilience. Trans bodies are in danger and being trespassed against by harmful legislation causing detrimental impact on community healthcare, employment, and safety. Reign believes trans history deserves to be preserved and that making art is necessary to the healing of the trans and nonbinary community. This project is a love letter to the trans community...we are the magic they cannot confine. No matter how hard they try, our glitter still flies.

Crew

Lighting

Adeline “A” Else is a multifaceted movement artist. They began studying lighting design and theater production in 2021. Professional credits as a lighting designer include; Links Hall, Harvest Dance Festival, PARA.MAR Pivotal and Movementum‘s “Reimagined” at The Den Theater. They strive to create environments of radical love, empathy, and benevolence.

Sound

Brendan Lemkin is a Michigan-raised, Chicago-based DJ, lifelong musician, and nightlife worker. Spending most of their free time digging through crates and bargain bins for anything that scratches their sonic itch, Brendan strives to unify the dance floor by combining the intoxicating digitalism of the turn of the millennium with more recent techno, trance, and progressive house.

Recently resurrected and back in action after a brief hiatus, they have organized a bi-weekly Open Decks event since 2021, which sees DJs from near and far share their voice in an inclusive and community driven space.