Mission
MashUp Contemporary Dance Company is dedicated to the movement of female bodies and feminist ideas. Prioritizing innovation, collaboration, and inclusion, MashUp uplifts female-identifying artists and builds community through contemporary dance.
Cultural Equity and Inclusion and Accessibility Statement
MashUp Contemporary Dance Company believes that dance is a means for building community and exploring ideas that should be accessible to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, religion, age, or disability status. Founded in 2010 as a shared artistic leadership model by two women of different backgrounds, artistic styles, races, and socio-economic statuses, the company has always been committed to exploring alternative leadership structures and organizational systems that allow for creative democratization and more voices to be heard.
Although the female experience and feminist lens drives MashUp’s work, all community members, regardless of gender identity or any other classification, are invited to participate in the company’s programming, for Mashup values the inclusion of many voices towards building empathy, sparking meaningful conversation, increasing understanding, and driving positive change. In its programming, MashUp defines female-identifying to include trans woman, as well as non-binary individuals who identify with feminism.
MashUp is committed to cultivating a collaborative, inspirational community that is welcoming to ALL women artists and intersectional allies, and to building and sustaining an inclusive culture of shared power, ongoing learning, active listening, transparent communication, healthy workloads, equitable treatment and pay, and support at all levels of the organization.
MashUp leadership and staff recognize that fully embracing these beliefs, values and goals in action as well as word requires continuously examining our own biases, processes, and systems towards greater inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility. MashUp is committed to continued learning, growth, and planning to ensure this statement, and any future iterations of it - is embedded in all facets of the organization.
If you would like to contact MashUp with questions, issues, or concerns regarding equity, diversity, inclusion or accessibility, please contact Creative Producer Faye Viviana at faye@mashupdance.com or 213-866-7526.
HER-STORY
HER-STORY
Witnessing a slim ratio of opportunity per number of females in the dance industry, Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse founded MashUp Contemporary Dance Company in 2010 to provide more avenues for women in dance to be heard and seen. This commitment to uplift female-identifying artists of all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds is the company’s strong anchor.
Leading with core values of empowerment, creativity, community, diversity, and innovation, the company aims to embody and exemplify inspirational, inclusive leadership and collaboration within the arts, spark conversation around inclusive, intersectional feminist idealogies; democratize the creative process; and work towards a more equitable future for the dance industry and beyond.
Since its founding, MashUp has been privileged to work with over 300 women artists. The company has produced 7 full-length works, performed throughout Los Angeles County, and toured at several national festivals. Currently, the company sustains 5 core annual programs - an International Women’s Day Dance Festival, a Choreographic Residency for a mid-career artist, donation-based Open Company Classes, after-school dance programming, and an event commemorating National Women’s Equality Day.
From 2010-2020, MashUp’s co-founders, who are of different backgrounds, artistic styles, races, and socio-economic statuses, shared artistic leadership. In 2021, MashUp took a step towards greater organizational equity, inclusion, and creative democratization by transitioning artistic leadership to a Creative Council of 4 dance artists who oversee all creative visioning and decision-making. In 2021, MashUp also hired its first full-time Executive Director, recognizing the need for a strong administrative voice for future growth and sustainability.
MashUp is committed to cultivating a collaborative, inspirational community that is welcoming to all female-identifying artists and allies; to serving as a space for female-identifying artists to be uplifted, mid-career artists to receive support, and early-career dancers to have accessible opportunities to train and grow; and to providing arts engagement opportunities for people of varying backgrounds, cultures, experiences, races, abilities, and socio-economic statuses to celebrate and participate in the wealth of thought and creativity that female-identifying artists bring.
Selected Works
MashUp Contemporary Dance Company is deeply invested in the creation of new work and collaboration with female artists of all genres, backgrounds, and disciplines. Below are select pieces of the company's repertoire that highlight MashUp's commitment to artistic excellence.
-
What is power? Who innately has power? Why? How is power transferred? What does power mean within marginalized groups? How do we generate power? All of these questions and more will be examined through this collaboration from MashUp Contemporary Dance Company’s 4-women artistic leadership team, with music by songwriter, vocalist and live looper, Margot MacDonald.
Premiered in Culver City in August 2022
Choreography by Victoria Brown, Stephanie Heckert, Madison Hicks, and Sarah Rodenhouse
Music by Margo MacDonald
Filmed by Sam Chavez
-
In honor of National Women’s Equality Day, MashUp commissioned 3 LA-based choreographers — Victoria Brown, Marissa Osato, and Carissa Songhorian — to lead the creative direction of a dance film exploring the racial tensions within the feminist movement. Embodying the progress and collective power of the feminist movement, while simultaneously acknowledging its glaring setbacks, current, and past discriminatory tactics, bound / less inspires moments of introspection while interrogating societal expectations. You can rent the film, here.
Premiered in Los Angeles October 2021 at
Filmed by Nathan Kim
Choreographed by Victoria Brown, Marissa Osato, and Carissa Songhorian
-
This virtual re-staging and live streaming experience merges dance, architecture, and creative camera work for an engaging and captivating experience that amplifies the original 2018 performance. Ideas of projection, reflection, and revolution are revisited and Expansiveness is reimagined as audiences are led through and between the dancers movements, and the mind bending installation. In honor of National Women’s Equality Day, the performance created by an all female team, explores the potential of people recognizing a problem, considering solutions together, and collectively producing change through the expansion of one small idea.
Premiered in Los Angeles via Live Stream in August 2020
Architectural installation by Curious Minds LA as part of Project XYZ
Choreography by Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse
You can rent the film, here.
-
Whether it's our reproductive or mental health, our relationship status or relationship with our bodies, women experience deeply rooted shame throughout our lives. Unlike guilt, which tells us we've done something wrong, shame makes us feel like we ARE something wrong. UNRAVEL takes an intimate look at these ideas and explores the process of confronting and releasing the shame and stigma surrounding our bodies, health, and relationships. How can we stop shaming and start embracing? In addition, MashUp has partnered with female photographer Bree McCool, to present an incredible photography gallery inspired by this topic at both performances. UNRAVEL is a powerful and visceral experience celebrating National Women’s Equality Day.
Premiered in Los Angeles August 2019 at Highways Performance Space
Choreography by Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse
-
Architecture studio CMLA and MashUp Contemporary Dance Company, in collaboration with the A+D Museum and HomeMake Labs, present Expansiveness: Changing perspective. This immersive performance evokes both spatial and social manifestations of expansiveness. The physical and projected environment is a design implementation of CMLA’s ongoing research project Architecture of Effortless Attention, through which the studio is investigating means and methods for producing qualities of mystery and novelty to promote psychological wellness. MashUp’s choreography brings the audience through a narrative of identifying truth among the thoughts we each project upon ourselves and upon each other. The performance explores the potential of people recognizing a problem, considering solutions together, and collectively producing change through the expansion of one small idea. Co-produced by two female-owned organizations, Expansiveness: Changing perspective celebrates Women’s Equality Day
Premiered in Los Angeles August 2018 at A+D Museum
Architectural installation by Curious Minds LA as part of Project XYZ
Choreography by Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse
You can rent the performance recording, here.
-
A journey through the labyrinth of a woman’s self exploration and quest for gender equality. Intrinsic Motivation is the self-desire to seek out new things and new challenges, to analyze one's capacity to observe and gain knowledge. It is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures. A gender role is a set of societal norms dictating what types of behaviors are generally acceptable, appropriate or desirable for a person based on their actual or perceived sex. There is an ongoing debate as to what extent gender roles and their variations are biologically determined and to what extent they are socially constructed.
Intrinsic Motivation focuses on exploring our position as women in a modern society. We are analyzing the complexity of a woman’s function and redefining traditional gender roles. Through the labyrinth of this self exploration, we gain a sense of empowerment that contributes to the gender equality movement.
Premiered in Los Angeles July 2016 at Frogtown Creative Studio
Choreography by Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse