kt williams + artists, "Contraflow"

kt williams is an independent dance artist based in Chicago, IL. kt considers dance as a site for collective transformation, and she believes that working in-and-with community fosters the wellbeing and sustainability of the artist-citizen, cultivating a responsive, dynamic, and vibrant dance ecosystem. 

 

In June 2024, kt curated a group of dance artists over a shared interest in movement, collaborative working structure, and dance experimentation. Establishing this independent collective as kt williams + artists, they work under a shared agreement that trust, empathy, and vulnerability are essential factors to fostering a generative dance space. Together, kt williams + artists research, build, and present dance works through a horizontal working structure as a means for social connection and collective transformation. 

 

Contraflow will be the first evening-length dance performance that is produced and presented by kt williams + artists. Considering the reality that multiple, opposing truths can exist at once, Contraflow presents resulting themes of embodied contradiction, or the internalized tension felt from complex dualities carried deeply within the body. The initial inspiration for this project stemmed from collective experiences of grief and a need for interpersonal connection amidst complex, dual-sided conflicts. The early stages of Contraflow informed the work as a meditation on embodied contradiction: when observing the simmering tension between opposing truths that manifest through the body, nuance can emerge. As an evening-length performance, Contraflow will exist as a mirror: to provoke sensations, memories, or emotions that allow the viewer to witness and reckon with their own nuanced experiences, while being present with themselves as they navigate through their own internalized embodied contradiction. 

 

Currently, Contraflow exists as a 12-minute dance work for 5 dancers. The final version of Contraflow will premiere as an evening-length contemporary dance performance on June 26-27, 2026 at the Drucker Center/Menomonee Club in Chicago, IL. Rehearsals for this project begin in January 2026 and will meet on a weekly basis for 3 hours per week, for a 6-month process. Since 2024, members of the cast have volunteered their time, so it is a priority to compensate their effort, time, and expertise as collaborators in this work. Additional funds raised will cover rental costs for rehearsal space and rental costs for the performance venue.