May/June
Art is not a luxury. It’s a rehearsal for freedom.
Cuts to the NEA are making headlines—but on the ground, artists have long known how to work without guarantees.
This moment hits hardest for the institutions built to receive government support: touring companies, arts nonprofits, festivals. The ones whose very design—501(c)(3) status, grant infrastructure, salaried staff—relies on public funding to survive.
Independent artists? We’re used to not being funded. We’ve long made work outside the systems, on porches, in parking lots, in dance studios after hours, our homes. We make it for the sake of movement. For the sake of each other.
Still, this moment matters. It signals a turning point in how arts ecosystems function—and who they serve. And as the cracks widen, the resourcefulness of the independent artist is vital.
I’m interested in how we continue. In skill shares and conversations about community funding, private support, shared means. In the poetry of voice memos. In coming together not just to perform, but to be in practice. To move. To witness each other To rehearse defiance. To remember the body’s knowledge in the face of authoritarianism.
If you’re curious about the intersection of movement, mutual aid, and local arts organizing—join us.
Join the Signal group: Movement Assembly
Call your representatives:
Email: Use Americans for the Arts’ Arts Advocacy Alert to send an email to your elected officials.
Phone: Refer to Americans for the Arts’ Arts Advocacy Alert phone script when calling your Members of Congress OR use the 5calls NEA script.
Postal: Use Americans for the Arts’ template to send a letter via the US Postal Service with a personalized note to your elected officials.
Rep. XXX XXX
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Senator XXX XXX
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
What will me make of it?
Perform for your people. Document it. Keep it alive.
This is not collapse. It’s reconfiguration.
We’ve rehearsed for this.
With heart,
Anna
for undercurrent
Upcoming:
Long Shake @ Heartward Sanctuary
Date: May 17, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location : Heartward Sanctuary
Description: Group Shake is a collective solo durational practice. We come together to tend to our own bodies, in community. It offers an alternative to ecstatic dance for those interested in movement without touch or interaction with others. We shake and move to music over an extended period, focusing on shaking and rocking, allowing the body to move naturally—free from concerns about appearance, skill, or rhythm. While it may resemble dancing, the true intention is to release tension and energy. This practice promotes circulation, supports the nervous system, enhances overall health, and fosters a sense of community.
Accessibility Information: Directions & Parking
Point of Contact: anna.maynard@gmail.com
Website: https://www.undercurrentnc.com/group-shake-archive
Dance Assembly - Class with Alexander Lieberman
Type: Classes/Workshop
Date: May 17, 2025
Time: 1:00 -3:00 PM
Address: Gallery 1250 @ Revolution Mill (1250 Revolution Mill Drive), GreensboroDescription: Every class is a new experience rooted in exploration and play. We'll dive into instant composition, partnering, improvisation, contact improvisation, floor work, Viewpoints, and conditioning. Classes are designed to challenge habitual patterns, awaken physical listening, and cultivate individual and collective presence. awlvideo.com ; awlimplements.com
*All Dance Assembly classes are intended for and taught to the advanced/professional level dancer
Cost: Dance Assembly is committed to offering professional-level training that is affordable for the contemporary dance communities in North Carolina. All classes are offered at a sliding scale $5-$25 (suggested price range; no one will be turned away due to lack of funds nor if they are feeling generous beyond what's suggested)
Point of Contact: danceassemblync@gmail.com | Carrie Plew + Caitlyn Schrader, Dance Assembly NC'
Website: https://forms.gle/DAt6chmHaiX1knTj6
Wheel of Consent Workshop
Date: May 25, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: The People's Solidarity Hub - 1805 Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC 27707
Description: Join our Wheel of Consent workshop to awaken your somatic awareness, deepen your communication skills, and explore the embodied power of saying YES and NO. Through playful, clothed, non-sexual touch practices, you’ll learn to give and receive with clarity, consent, and joy.
Accessibility Information: Accessible parking, entrances, and bathrooms
A back deck for outdoor and socially distanced small gatherings and work sessions
A radio & communications tower. High HVAC filtration & fresh air
Point of Contact: Kathleen Aurora Smith
Website: https://kathleenaurorasmith.com/workshops
Imaginative Series: Landscape of Embodiment
Dates:
Intermediate/Advanced dancers: All movement techniques and trainings are welcome.
Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 pm Current Studio May 6,13,20,27 June 3,10, Showing June 17 7:00-8:00pm
New and Curious to Dance:
Thursdays 6:30-8:00pm Current Studio May 8,15,22,29 & June 4,12 Showing June 19th
Address: The Current Space, 123 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Description: A six-session progression offers an improvisational technique to support your movement, expression and articulation. Applying movement theorist Rudolf Laban’s 9-point system to discover nuances in our imagination, voice and bodies. Exploring individual improvisations and choreographic works of Amanda.
If you have years of dance experience and want to shake off past training, or you’ve never danced and are looking for a new relationship with your body, this workshop series is for you!
Taught by Amanda K. Miller, former principal dancer and resident choreographer at Ballett Frankfurt and former artistic director/choreographer at Pretty Ugly Dance Company, (Germany) and Yummy Dance, (Japan). www.amandakmiller.com
Fee: 120$ Cash, check, Cash App & Zelle accepted. Drop- ins welcome if you have worked with Amanda before or Imaginative Series 25$
Accessibility Information: : Free parking on Franklin after 6pm. Studio space is at ground level and ADA accessible.
Point of Contact: amandakmiller413@gmail.com
7 Flavors of Jam: CI Jam with Live Improvised Music and Guided Warm-up.
Type: Classes/Workshop
Date: Mondays, May 12th - June 23rd
Time: 7:00 PM
Address: 3717 Murphy School Rd, Durham, NC 27705
Description:
This contact improvisation jam has its own unique “flavor,” with live accompaniment by local musicians and warm-up led by a different teacher each week.
Accessibility Information: The Shared Visions Retreat Center at the Old Murphey School complies with ADA standards and is accessible for attendees.
Point of Contact: Toni Craige, tonicraige@gmail.com
Website: http://www.livingartscollective.com/contact-improvisation
RECITAL
Date: June 5-7
Time: 7:30PM
Address: Barriskill Dance Theatre School, 3642 Shannon Rd, Durham, NC 27707
Description: Get ready to hoot and holler for the fourth installment of Durham's favorite variety show: RECITAL. This year's event is bigger and better than ever, featuring performances by many beloved local artists and hosted by the one and only Ms. Vikki (Chris Strauss) and Miss Victoria (Alyssa Noble).
Point of contact: Alyssa Noble
Website: https://www.alyssanobledance.com/recital
Culture Mill's Tango & Chill quarterly workshop (no experience or partner necessary!)
Type: Classes/Workshop
Date: June 15, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM
Address: 1612 Jordan Drive, Saapahaw, NC
Description: Through Argentine Tango, we invite you to discover a practice that has deeply informed Culture Mill's leadership and followership style. As you are guided you through this embodied experience, you will also learn how the basic principles of tango such as leading, following, deep listening, playfulness, centeredness, togetherness away from sameness, moment to moment presence, and posture that have helped shape Culture Mill's ethos.
Accessibility Information: Accessibility:
Accessible parking and entry is located in the lot to the right. Culture Mill has an accessible entrance and bathroom. Chairs will be available for anyone who would like to sit. Masking is welcomed, and there will be masks available at the door. The workshop will include speaking, standing, and moving throughout the space. Please reach out to info@culturemill.org with further accessibility needs!
Point of Contact: info@culturemill.org
Website: https://forms.gle/wJEyNNHJEuWvodds6
How To Be A Visitor World Premiere
Type: Performance
Date: June 21, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM
Address: 2020 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27708
Description: How To Be a Visitor is a new work by Culture Mill, conceived by dancer/choreographer Tommy Noonan in collaboration with artists across the world: Jassem Hindi (Palestine/France), Frank Mugisha (Rwanda/Uganda), Edgar Kanyike (Uganda), Sebulime Elisha Davis (Uganda), Cortland Gilliam (USA), and Caitlyn Swett (USA). This innovative performance connects artists and audiences across multiple countries through simultaneous, live-streamed solo performances in dance, sound, and poetry.
Accessibility Information: ADA parking is available in the Duke Performances lot adjacent to the Rubenstein Arts Center on a first-come basis at all times. On weekends, the Duke Gardens Weekend Overflow lot is open across Anderson Street from the Ruby and includes ADA spaces as well (also referred to as the Duke University Campus Drive/H lot). We do not encourage parking in the lot for Nasher Museum of Art. For further accessibility info visit https://tickets.duke.edu/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=D871367D-30F7-46B0-9D81-174FDF16B75E&menu_id=CAB32B1F-53CA-45ED-9910-C3724F751CAB
Point of Contact: American Dance Festival
Classifies:
Brooks Frederickson
Email: trianglesoundservice@gmail.com
Description: Triangle Sound Service provides A/V rentals and production support for performances, workshops, festivals, and other events. Creative solutions for sound, lighting, and projections.
Website: http://www.trianglesoundservice.com
Anna Maynard
Email: anna.maynard@gmail.com
Description:
-Web Development -Film and Digital Photography -Darkroom Printing
Website: www.annamaynard.com
