bio:

Hawkinsdance is a Tucson contemporary dance company that creates work for both the proscenium stage and non-traditional spaces. They presented their first evening-length production in March 2019, titled The People Electric, producing three standing-room only performances. The company works on a project-by-project basis and is known for their work with the Tucson Museum of Art, where they were in residence for the Arizona Biennial 2018 exhibition. Artistic Director Shelly Hawkins was a Commissioned Artist for Breaking Ground Contemporary Dance Festival in Tempe, AZ in both 2019 and 2020. Locally, Hawkinsdance has collaborated with musicians like Katie Haverly, Jillian Bessett, Samantha Bounkeua, and Anton Faynberg.  

Shelly Hawkins is a graduate of the University of Arizona School of Dance MFA program, and has been a resident of Tucson since 2003. She was recently awarded the stART Mini-Grant 2018-2019 from the Arts Foundation for Tucson And Southern Arizona. Her company focuses on creating new works as a way to give voice to the dance artists of this generation. Her work is motivated by a love of community and a desire to share dance as art, embodying ideas of feminism, transformation, the afterlife, and an exploration of truth and reality. For more information visit www.hawkinsdance.org, or visit Facebook and Instagram @hawkinsdance.