westFEST 2024

Thank you all who joined us for westFEST!
See you next year.

Submissions for westFEST 2025 will open May 2025.

westfest 2024
performances & events

Split Bill Performance

Friday, September 27 @ 7pm

Featuring a solo dance-theater piece by Nicole Wolcott (Missoula, MT | NYC) and a work-in-progress dance piece by Contemporary Dance Wyoming (Jackson, WY)

rehearsal

by Nicole Wolcott

Wolcott’s improvisatory performance is a hyper live spectacle blending structured improvisation with her signature comedic flair and "rolodex" of characters. Her compositions operate like a series of cinematographic quick cuts where density of narrative detail is delivered in complex blasts, placed in theatrical settings that look like the dreams of the real places we inhabit. Witnessing a dance being composed in real time gives the audience a sense of being an intimate co-conspirator in the venture and a feeling of shared risk.

Collaborators: Sound Designer Omar Zubair and Production designer Markus Paminger

For Maira Kalman

by Contemporary Dance Wyoming (CDW) performers: Francesca Romo, Michaela Ellingson & Bailey Walker

This work-in-progress exists in its most raw form, at the intersection of awareness and transformation. The responsibility of creating any art can be exhausting, leaving one feeling unmoored. As we navigate this human experience, we are the doer, the reactor, and the observer, constantly perceiving the interplay between action and reaction. This short piece is the early stages of a deeper exploration into the idea of holding something and also being held—whether by a person, a concept, space, or by oneself. Inspired by Maira Kalman’s question, “What do women hold?”, this work seeks to uncover the layers of that experience in holding: the work, the work of the world, the work of being human, and most of all, the love.

Cheeky Geeky Vaudeville Presents: Saints & Sinners

Saturday, September 28 @ 8pm

Hosted by Mavryk, featuring dance, drag, pole art, singing and burlesque. 18+

Okay…Go!

Various live performance artists each get 5-7 minutes to perform new work.

Sunday, September 29 @ 5pm & 7pm

featuring:

Jenna Lyons, McKenzie Shoults, Emilee Mosbrucker, Annica Scheerens, JoJo Phoenix, Augustus Ballantine, Hannah Dusek, Jessica Erben, Kinetic Convergence Dance (KCD), Shaun Gant & Kevin Canty

WESTFEST WORKSHOPS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

  • Saturday, Sept 28 @ 10am-12pm

    Taught by: Francesca Romo

    Francesca was born in London and realized quite early on in life that movement is her source of pleasure and healing. She trained and graduated from the Royal Ballet School and the London Contemporary Dance School and danced for The Richard Alston Dance Company from 2002-2006. After a six week American tour she fell in love with the United States and moved to America in 2006 where she Co-founded Gallim Dance Company based in New York City.

    Francesca also served as the Associate Director from 2007-2014. She has toured both nationally and Internationally and has set work on major Dance companies in Europe and America.

    Francesca currently resides in Jackson Hole Wyoming where she teaches Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® as part of the wellness program at Dancers’ Workshop. She is also a Rehearsal Director and Co-creator with Contemporary Dance Wyoming, she is involved as  a teacher, mentor and student at Dancer’ Workshop.

    Her pursuit with healing extends beyond dance.
    She is currently on a certification track in doingVisionary Craniosacral work®, studying with Hugh Milne at his Institute.

    $15 or pay what you can

    REGISTER

  • Saturday, Sept. 28 @ 2pm-5pm

    This workshop is for anyone and everyone that has ever been curious about performance art. If you've ever wanted to share something "strange" or "weird" or "simple." We will explore elements of performance art and use our sensory systems to create stimuli influenced pieces.

    You'll leave with a short performance art piece AND --if you would like--can be a part of westFEST's Okay...Go! showcase-style event on Sunday, Sept. 29.

    Facilitated by Gabriella Giordano

    Gabriella/Gab Giordano has lived in Missoula since 2017 except for one reprieve year in Salmon, Idaho. They got their MA in Theatre from the University of Montana with a minor in Psychology. Their senior thesis was a one hour half-improvised, song/dance, performance art experience. They currently work as the event coordinator for Fact & Fiction books downtown. When not at work, they can be found at the dog park with their girl Shuggie or at the rave.

    $15 or pay what you can

    REGISTER

late nite lobby

Friday, SEPt 27 @ 9pM

Mike and Me

Basement tape, lo-fi sad boi rap singing with escapist dance beats w/ Kyle McAfee & Mike Merlo

Wormwood Nowa

emcee and beat sequencer