Fresh Congress was established in 2021 in San Diego, California, with the goal of helping to encourage connection and collaboration with other artists and the community at large. We believe in healing through art, through expression and through therapy. Under the direction of Rachel Catalano, Fresh Congress’ mission is to help to create platforms and opportunities for those frequently unable to speak out or be heard. We believe that the feeling of safety is crucial for creativity. We practice actively growing in compassion, understanding, and a true collaborative spirit. The environment inside our rehearsal space invites the dancers to have full transparency about their needs, and to extend collaboration not only to the choreographers, but the dancers as well.  We value the individual voice.

Lux Boreal Founded in 2002, Lux Boreal Dance Company is a circle of choreographers and dancers from all over Mexico, converging through dance towards a common language to express their vision of reality through Art. It relies on a team of full-time members, collaborators and guest artists. Lux Boreal is part of a bi-national artistic movement, which takes place in the Tijuana (Mex) – San Diego (USA) border region, reinforcing the bonds between artistic communities and diverse audiences. The troupe has been featured in major dance festivals and venues throughout Mexico, and has performed internationally including in the United States, Chile, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Spain, Latvia, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Ireland and Romania. 

Katie Walsh (she/her) is a theatre and movement artist and educator from San Diego, CA. She holds her Bachelor's Degree in Dance from Cal State Long Beach and her Master's Degree in Theatre Education and Applied Theatre Studies from Emerson College in Boston. She centers much of her work around ensemble building, collaboration, and finding movement vocabulary and character through Viewpoints techniques. Katie's most recent choreographic works have been featured Off-Broadway at The Theatre Center in Times Square, Boston Center for the Arts, and The Hudson Backstage Theatre in Los Angeles. She is passionate about the power of community building through storytelling and aims to create spaces where exploration is not only possible, but is key.

Reg E. Gaines is a Tony Award winning playwright, Grammy nominated lyricist, Artistic Director of the NYC Downtown Urban Arts Festival and author of four books of poetry. His latest collection, Circle of Fifths will be published in fall 2024. Current projects include TIERS premiering June 2024 at Theater Row in NY, and his new musical, The 88, with music by Calvin Gaines.