Past Projects
Worth the Effort: a Translation
(2023)
A solo in 3 parts inspired by a love note received during tumultuous times. "Worth the Effort: a Translation" celebrates the emotional journey of intimate relationships (romantic or otherwise) and the ways we communicate our love when we cannot find the words to say aloud.
Places this work has been:
Arts Mission Oak Cliff (2023)
{254} Dance Fest (2025)
University of Texas at Dallas (2025)
Choreographer & Performer: Rai Barnard
Music: Heaven's Dust 2 by Michael Wall
First M.I. Last
(2022)
An immersive dance theatre production investigating chosen and imposed identities, through the lens of names. Drawing upon lived experiences of the performers and community members (through public dance workshops), “First, MI, Last” examines the power of self-identity and shared experiences in understanding who we are and choosing who we will become.
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Excerpt featured above: Section 5 of 6, examining gender & sexual orientation as identity.
Places this work has been:
Arts Mission Oak Cliff (2022) - created through the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program.
Choreographer: Rai Barnard in collaboration with performers
Performers: Timothy Amirault, Marlee Fleisher, Attiyya Fortune, Gabriel Scampini
Music: Nu by Ori Lichtik
Putting It On
(2022)
“Putting It On” is a solo work examining the nature of gender performance in (and between) private and public spaces. Combining aerobics, performance art, and contemporary dance, the soloist blurs the line between performativity and authenticity.
Places this work has been:
Agora Artists - Seeds (2022)
Choreographer and Performer: Rai Barnard
Music: Our Day Will Come by Mort Garson and Antonio Rossi & His Orchestra
The Cost of Visibility
(2021)
A contemporary dance theatre production excavating the complexities of existing as a trans person in America during rising anti-queer political vitriol. This work examines trans visibility as both a joyful liberation and a genuine risk, through vignettes contrasting conformity, discovery, connection, and grief. The small ensemble of gender-diverse performers demonstrates how, despite the risk (presently and throughout queer history), trans people continue to set an example what it means to embody self-liberation and empathetic community.
Places this work has been:
University of Texas at Dallas (2021)