2022: A Retrospective
In our first season of in-person events since the pandemic, MashUp’s programs and events have spanned 7 LA neighborhoods and cities and brought women-centered dance to over 1,000 people! We launched our first ever weekend intensives and two new community programs (Self-Care Saturdays and Choreography Open Mic Nights), continued our partnership with LAUSD after-school program LA’s Best, partnered with other organizations to bring dance to nontraditional spaces and special events, featured work from 52 female-identifying choreographers with the involvement of 150 female-identifying artists, and so much more.
We’re so proud to share with you all that has been accomplished in 2022 and equally thankful for the community of people who have contributed to make it all happen. Thank you for partnering with MashUp in lifting women’s voices and building community through contemporary dance!
Uplifting Female-Identifying Artists
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International Women's Day
The 6th International Women's Day Dance Festival returned in-person with live work and dance films from 33 women-identifying choreographers, 7 free dance master classes, and panel discussions on gender identity and representation, the state of the LA dance ecosystem, and more!
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Exemplary Women
We started a new tradition of honoring two exemplary women leaders in the LA dance industry – the inaugural awards went to Kate Hutter Mason (pictured with MashUp Co-Founders Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse) and Mackenzie Martin.
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Residencies
Thanks to two grants from the California Arts Council, we got to bring back our Choreographic Residency Program and support two choreographers in the creation of new works. Our spring choreographer-in-residence was Waeli Wang, and our fall choreographer was Tess Hewlett.
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National Women's Equality Day
Our first, live, full-length work since the pandemic - titled “POWER,” was a collaboration between MashUp’s 4-women Creative Council and composer Margot MacDonald. A pre-show panel discussed ways in which power affects our everyday lives, both negatively and positively, through interpersonal, institutional, and socio-political structures.
Waeli Wang
Tess Hewlett
Spring 2022 Choreographer-in-Residence
"I am incredibly grateful for the space, time, dancers, and dollars that MashUp provides through the Choreographic Residency programming. It has felt like a huge leap in my artistic career to be able to work in the ways and with the communities that I want to continually be making art in."
Fall 2022 Choreographer-in-Residence
"Having opportunities like this residency gives artists the permission to take time in their creation process, to feel valued as an artist and to help let go of some of the outside stressors that can negatively affect a process."
Building Community
In April we launched Quarterly Choreography Open Mic Nights and, in June, in partnership with women-owned Zen Wellness LA, we launched monthly Self-Care Saturdays.
In February and November we held our first ever weekend intensives, welcoming 29 students for master classes, industry conversations, and more in an atmosphere of empowerment.
We spent a day as artist-in-residence with the Mt. San Antonio College Dance Department, teaching class, performing, and holding a Q&A about life as professional, women-identifying dancers in LA.
We deepened connections in our LA neighborhood, performing for the Taylor Yard Bridge Opening celebration, volunteering for the LA River Clean-Up, and holding events as part of the Frogtown Artwalk.
AND, we taught 3 after-school residencies in partnership with LA’s Best, providing 95 hours of free dance instruction to 88 kids, grades K-5.