Sophie Ortiz works together with Taylor Jones in WillCheer4Beer. They met through a New York City queer non-profit adult charitable cheerleading organization. As ‘main’ and ‘side’ bases, they’ve performed in queer nightlife, honing skills in tumbling, stunting, dance, parkour, and virtual design. With infectious glee and iconic wit, they’ve built a community, exploring cheer’s ties to drag, performance art, dance, martial arts, gymnastics, and sex work. Their collaborative, DIY performances offer an ethnographic view of cheerleading, challenging media stereotypes, gender perceptions, national identity, and the sport’s kinesthetics.
Sarazina Stein
Sarazina Joy Stein works together with Emily LaRochelle. Both are NYC-based dancers who met at Bates Dance Festival summer of 2017 and have been collaborating ever since. They’ve performed their work at PSNY, Triskelion Arts, Theater for the New City, Wild Project, TADA, New Dance Alliance, HONK! Open Streets, and in community gardens. The two have performed with Žilvinas Jonušas, Mindy Toro, and Kathleen Clark. They curated and performed an evening of dance and music at Spoke the Hub with Toro and Clark. They’re also in the Brazilian samba reggae-style drumline, Fogo Azul, and work as freelance theater electricians.
Hannah Wagner
Hannah Wagner, a dancer, and Joey Rosin, a musician, began collaborating in 2022. Their first work IN EACH PASSING MOMENT… is a duet between dancer and solo saxophonist that explores how our shared experiences, feelings, and relationships transcend time. They premiered IN EACH PASSING MOMENT… at the Perpetuum Mobile Dance Festival in Brussels, Belgium. Hannah and Joey have continued to work together and are currently assembling a new show that expands their original vision of their piece.
Elya Osmanova
Elya Osmanova is an Azerbaijani dancer, actor and a writer based in New York. She is a versatile artist, who has a background in Latin dance, Afro Cuban dance, House, Contemporary and Physical Theatre. Elya’s first narrative film acting debut ‘My Heart Is My Only Country’ directed by Iva Gocheva, was screened as part of Rooftop Film Series in Central Park as well in New Orleans Film Festival, summer of 2022. As a dancer & an actor she has worked with artists such as Tim Young, Sun Kim, Iva Gocheva, Najla Gilliam, J9 Dance, Elsa Nilsson, Deepak Chopra, and many … Continued