Grace Yi-Li Tong Projects
Movement Collage of the "Regular" and "Ridiculous", by and for the Asian-American femme
Heather & Grace's Hometown Tour!
2 Cities, 2 Choreographers, and 2 Different Split-Bill Programs!
Seattle, WA & Philadelphia, PA, US
This all began in 2022,
in New York City, where two hopeful, silly dance artists (Grace Yi-Li Tong & Heather Dutton) met for the first time on Zoom for Mare Nostrum Elements’ Emerging Choreographers Series orientation. Navigating post-grad, mid-pandemic life as freelance artists was full of challenges but their proclivities to humor, theatricality, and storytelling made them fast friends. Over the next few years they cheered each other on through various projects and processes, took dance classes side-by-side, and had coffee dates across the city. Eager to travel, work together, and plug into new dance communities, they schemed up a grand idea: to pool their resources and take themselves on a…
Hometown Tour!
Hi all! Heather and Grace here! We are very excited to announce that we are planning two distinct programs to share in cities we respectively call home… our “hometown tour”, if you will!
First, in August we will travel to Seattle– where Grace grew up– to share our split bill: Odds & Ends. This program in Seattle will be shared between Grace’s on-going work MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY and Heather’s work This is what I’d do if I loved you. For more information, please visit: http://gracetong.com/touring.Thursday August 28 & Friday August 29 at 7:30pm at the NOD Theater.
Then, in September, we will travel to Heather’s home city of Philadelphia, to produce our second program Shebang! at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. This program will feature Grace’s work: ZOO! and Heather’s most recent work: You’re Actually the Last Person I Wanted to See Today. For more information please visit: http://heatherduttondance.com. Saturday September 20 at 7pm & Sunday September 21 at 1pm at Performance Garage.
With these two distinct programs curated for each city, we are exploring topics such as: identity, queerness, the Asian-American experience, adolescence, fantasy, and more. We are so excited to reconnect with the communities that raised us while also building relationships with dance communities that are new to us!
How Can You Help?
We’re so glad you asked! As you may already know, being a dance artist comes with a lot of bending over backwards (literally and figuratively) to make things work, especially when across the nation funding for emerging artists is constantly being deprioritized. Although we are still in the early stages of our careers, we are both deeply committed to honoring our dancers and collaborators, and doing everything in our power to create opportunities that excite them, fulfill them, and compensate them fairly.
Please consider making a contribution to support us in this effort today. Every dollar helps us pay artists what they deserve, therefore creating a culture that makes dance a healthy and sustainable community practice.
Please consider making a contribution to support us in this effort today. Every dollar helps us pay artists what they deserve, therefore creating a culture that makes dance a healthy and sustainable community practice.
How Does Your Contribution Support Us?
We're so glad you asked! We are currently preparing for the following expenses:
Primary Expenses:
- Artist Fees (For our casts of 2-7 performers, a 4 hour rehearsal with hourly wages can cost between $120-$420, and a weekend of performances ~$1,200 per work)
- Venue and Studio Rentals (Each venue costs ~$3,000 for a weekend run including tech rehearsals and two performances)
- Traveling Expenses (To travel to Seattle and Philadelphia from New York, we are each spending $600-$1000 on airfare, train tickets, housing, groceries, and more)
Other Costs:
- Costumes, Props, Sound Equipment, Lighting, etc.
- Theater Staff: Lighting Designers, House Managers, and more
- Festival Registration Fees
- Proper Marley Flooring
- Photographers/Videographers
- Living Expenses
- Event Insurance
- and more!
Your tax-deductible donation made through this platform will directly fund all of the costs listed above. Gifts of any and all sizes are welcome and appreciated, especially since just a little support can go a long, long way. Over the past few years, it is only because of our community that we have been able to make work-- every single donation, text message, ticket sale, Instagram story, and much more has made a monumental difference to us both.
Finally, if you are unable to make a fiscal contribution but you would still like to support, please help us reach new people and build our audiences! Here are other things you can do:
- Attend our show(s)!
- Bring a friend, lover, neighbor, sister, bestie, or trusted stranger to our show(s)!
- Share our ticket links and updates on your social media accounts!
- Share this crowdfunding campaign with other people who love dance & want to support artists!
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Grace and Heather
About Grace and Heather:
Heather Dutton (she/they) is a Brooklyn-based queer and gender fluid dance theater artist driven by a deep fascination with human nature. Their multidisciplinary approach to movement calls on their background in theater, comedy, creative writing, and a range of dance techniques. She strives to tackle complex concepts in logical and digestible ways, with an eye toward simultaneously challenging and entertaining audiences. Their work has recently been seen at Flushing Town Hall, ODC Theater, American Dance Festival, Arts on Site, Here Arts Center, Dixon Place, LPAC, the Tank, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and more. She holds a B.A. in Dance (choreography & education) and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Muhlenberg College. Dutton is the founder of the emerging company, Middle Child Dance Theater. Learn more about their work here: heatherduttondance.com
Grace Yi-Li Tong (she/her) is an playful, experimental Chinese-American choreographer crafting physical collages. Influenced by make-believe games, clowning, paper collage, pantomime, and contemporary dance theater, she ridiculously cuts-and-pastes “regular” events onstage to decontextualize bodily and social identity, fairytale, and comedy. Based in New York, she has recently shown work at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, The Center for Ballet Arts, Flushing Town Hall, Triskelion Arts, and more. Grace currently performs with The Metropolitan Opera, and has recently collaborated with choreographers Annie-B Parson, Patricia Hoffbauer, Luis A., Beth Gill, and more. Originally from Seattle, WA, she holds a BFA in Dance and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Learn more about her work here: gracetong.com
Rewards
Pal
Donate $20.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
Your $20 supports the equivalent of 1 hour of rehearsal studio rental in New York City.
0 claimed
Friend
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $1.00 is tax-deductible.
Your $50 covers ~1 rehearsal for 1 dancer, and you'll receive:
- A signed postcard from Heather and Grace!
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Bestie
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $1.00 is tax-deductible.
Your $100 covers a dancer's round-trip travel from New York to Philadelphia, and you'll receive
- Video access after both shows
- A signed postcard from Heather and Grace
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Lover
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $20.00 is tax-deductible.
Your $500 covers a dancer's round-trip travel from New York to Seattle, and you'll receive:
- A complimentary ticket to either show
- A printed program credit (optional)
- Video access after both shows
- A signed postcard from Heather and Grace!
0 claimed
Soulmate
Donate $1,000.00 or more
Amount over $60.00 is tax-deductible.
Your $1000 will cover the theater rental for 1 evening of performances, and you'll receive:
- 2 complimentary tickets to either show
- A Middle Child Dance Theater T-shirt
- A printed program credit
- Video access after both shows
- A signed postcard from Heather and Grace!
0 claimed