I am very excited to announce the launch of Middle Child Dance Theatre! After 3.5 years of working as a freelance dance artist in NYC, I’ve decided it’s time to build a home for my body of work. Middle Child will strive to make dance that everyone has a place in, especially those who don’t always know their place. To me, being a middle child means being a negotiator, a communicator, a goofball, and a deeply sensitive person. It means trying to account for all sides of a story. It means knowing how to entertain yourself. It means problem-solving, puzzling, and never getting all your questions answered. I hope my work resonates with anybody who relates to those experiences. Middle Child will work with the intention of building community and uplifting womxn and queer artists. We will prioritize creating spaces that support vulnerability, conversation, play, and collective healing. Moving into this new chapter of my life as a dance-maker is intimidating and very fun! To anyone who has supported me and my work in the past, thank you so much for helping me get to this point. None of this is possible without the village behind me and the artists beside me. To anyone who is new to my work, I'm happy to have you and I hope you'll stick around!

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 to tell stories with humor, sensitivity, and an attention to detail. She strives to tackle complex concepts in logical and digestible ways, with an eye toward simultaneously challenging and entertaining audiences. Her recent work has considered themes of gender fluidity, queer intimacy through the lens of public vs. private, queer fantasy and hypothetical romance and queerness through the lens of Christianity.  She holds a B.A. in Dance (Choreography and Education) from Muhlenberg College, where she also minored in Women’s and Gender Studies. She was a recent artist in residence with the American Dance Festival and is preparing to share work at Flushing Town Hall and ODC Theater. Their work has also been seen at Arts on Site, Here Arts Center (Sublet Series), the Craft NYC, Dixon Place, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Spark Theater Festival, the Tank, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and more. 

We are making this announcement around the exciting premiere of “You’re Actually The Last Person I Wanted To See Today” at Flushing Town Hall on April 12 & 13, 2025. I created an early version of this work last summer at the American Dance Festival as part of their International Choreographers Residency program, and have continued its development in NYC throughout 2025 with the support of Mare Nostrum Elements. 

“You’re Actually The Last Person I Wanted To See Today” is a dance theater piece/slumber party/diary entry/place to honor and grieve our collective and individual teenage girlhood(s) through a queer lens. What were the stories we told ourselves to make sense of our queerness before we came to know it? How do we tell those stories now? From first kisses with boys that disgusted us (sorry) to “girl crushes” on our besties, the work is a collage of memories, fantasies, and worst kept secrets. 

Collaborators & performers:
Abigail Linnemeyer, Corinne Lohner, Josephine Brunner, Sabrina Canas

July - Residency, Summer Camps, and Showing at the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC

August - Performance at ODC Theater in San Francisco with the Fact/SF Summer Dance Festival 

September - Shows in Philadelphia and Seattle (Dependent on funds) 

You already know this but it needs to be said - art is important, art is expensive, and artists deserve to be paid well for their labor! Unfortunately the current state of our country makes pursuing a career as an artist extra challenging, especially as a queer woman. However, I feel that it is all the more important to uplift my community and create meaningful opportunities for other dancers. As our culture minimizes the work of artists and their impact on society, we need additional support from the people and communities that value what we do. I believe with all my heart that there is a lot of power in coming together, dancing together, and inviting audiences into worlds that let them think, feel, and laugh freely. I believe we all need some of that power right now. Every donation helps to make that possible. While funds help to cover everything from space rentals to travel fees, the vast majority of donations go directly toward the artists I work with. I am committed to employing womxn and queer people as I build this company, and intend on giving them opportunities that support and respect their time and energy. 

Here is an idea of how your dollars might be spent! 

$10-20 - 1 hour of rehearsal space 

$80 - 1 dancer’s fee for 1 rehearsal

$200 - Accommodations for 1 dancer for 1 week of touring

$320 - All artist fees for 1 rehearsal 

$450 - Round Trip flights for 1 dancer

$700 - Venue rental for 1 show

Thanks A Bunch!

I am so deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me in the past, and everyone who continues to support me as I begin this new journey. If you have donated to a campaign, been in the audience, helped me find studio space, presented my work at your venue, helped me altar a costume, given me a ride, cut my music, reposted a ticket link, taken a class with me, forwarded me an application, or texted me words of encouragement - thank you, thank you, thank you.