kt williams + artists

As an independent dance collective, kt williams + artists works under the shared agreement that trust, empathy, and vulnerability are essential factors to building a generative dance space. kt williams + artists practice and prioritize equal collaboration, play, and authentic self-expression and together, we co-research, co-develop, and present dance works through a collaborative and interdependent working structure as a means for deepened social connection.

It is through these necessary working conditions where dance-making and performance can become a transformative experience.

Help kt williams + artists produce Contraflow!

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 complex dualities carried deeply within the body. The initial inspiration for this project stemmed from personal, collective experiences of grief and a need for interpersonal connection that emerges within complex, multi-sided conflicts. The early stages of Contraflow now informs 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.

This crowdfunding campaign is built to primarily fund dancer compensation for this project. The proposed, final version of Contraflow will premiere as an evening-length contemporary dance performance on June 26-27, 2026 at the Menomonee Club in Chicago, IL. Rehearsals for this project will begin in January 2026 and will meet on a weekly basis for 3 hours per week, for a 6-month process. While members of the cast have volunteered their time since 2024, it is a priority to compensate their effort, time, and expertise as collaborators in this work, both in rehearsal and performance.