Milwaukee in Motion [Dance Fest 2025]

Golden Hour Arrival

I arrived downtown just after 4:00 p.m the late afternoon sun filtering between buildings, music drifting across the lawn, and a real energy in the mix. Families, friend groups, and solo festival-goers converged; kids running and flipping around on the lawn while young dancers in dressed up or most of the pre show performers in all black warmed up in areas not so noticeable practicing on repeat for pre-show jitters. Across the street, a sobriety event unfolded quietly, while here, movement and community reigned.

Pre-Show Magic (6:00 p.m.)

The evening began with LunaBellas, whose graceful, Asian-inspired youth performance set a gentle, elegant tone. The energy built from there, ending with the Milwaukee Irish Dance Company their rhythmic, high-speed footwork instantly brought to mind The Sinners movie. The beat, flow, and precision pulled you in, and I couldn’t help but be in awe of all the dancers’ memorization, strength, and the exactness of every step.

Sweet & Salty Interlude

Before the pre-show, and again during intermission, I grabbed eats. First, brunch style festival comfort: a brat on the grill,  cheese curds, and mozzarella sticks. Then, candy bars and a brookie ( brownie/cookie)  perfectly timed between performances.

Mainstage Highlights (7:30 p.m)

Ailey II kicked things off with dynamic precision, followed by Water Street Dance Milwaukee, Madison Ballet, House of JIT, Visceral Dance, and M.A.D.D. Rhythms (whose tap performance was especially mesmerizing), and Chicago Dance Crash. Again, I found myself in awe not just of the choreography but of how perfectly it was memorized and executed, the sheer physical strength behind each movement, and the razor-sharp timing that made the performances so magnetic.

A Milwaukee Moment with John Ridley

Here’s a sweet festival memory: Before the pre-show, my father introduced me to John Ridley, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind 12 Years a Slave. After the pre-show, I approached him again. I shared my role with CopyWrite Magazine and asked if he could offer feedback on my blog writing. That brief exchange between art forms, styles, and generations felt meaningful, as well as a memory worth remembering [for future reference]. 

Twilight Farewell (8:00 p.m)

I stayed until about 8:45 p.m., caught the opening wave of the ticketed performances. Something about the stage being outside just felt so theatrical and surreal. The architecture downtown also made these performances, and overall, the festival was a wonderful experience. 10/10 recommend, GO NEXT YEAR [2026]. 

This festival wasn’t just a series of dances; it was Milwaukee, alive and moving together in rhythm, strength, and precision.

xoxo Jazale Hill for /CW

YOU ARE INVITED TO BRONZEVILLE WEEK 2025 | GOOD NEIGHBOR COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY

/CW Chat w/ The All White Xperience | June 29th, 2024 [Rooftop Ballroom Baird Center]

Get out your white linen fits because the All White Xperience is about to go down! Your /CW fam sat with event curators Myron Smith, Johnny L. Jones and Tim Ricketts about the Saturday, June 29th, 2024 event that is bound to change the way Milwaukee see’s entertainment. From intergenerational programming with a step show & runway fashion to a highly anticipated live performance by Jagged Edge, this will be one of those events that has to make the MKE summer hit list.  It’s not just a party but an “Xperience” you won't want to miss.

/CW

Local2Local - MosaicoX, the curators of Austin's Local

“If you’re throwing a function and you don’t have proceeds going somewhere right now, you’re doing it wrong.” -AH

Meet the ladies of MosaicoX, the curators of Local (well Austin’s local).

Ashley on the left, Claudia on the right

MosaicoX or Mosaico Experiencia is a women duo featuring creatives Ashley Hicks or known by her DJ name as Adzua-Gette (from The House of Shakur) and Claudia Aparicio-Gamundi or  Mazapan (de Puro Chingón Collective). The two DJs started Mosaico Experiencia a year ago as a way to support Black and Brown women and self-identified women artists. And basically to listen and play any music they wanted in a club environment. (Disco Trap anyone?) 

So what does the Experience do?

CAG: “So the name became because we wanted to create experiences for people to have a safe place for everyone to just come and have a good time.”

MosaicoX creates “little festivals” specifically curated to the different vibes they want to showcase that night, whether that’s a poetry event, music event or an event for healing. They’re using their connections to grow the Black, Brown and women community of Austin. 

CAG: “...We not only have performances and music. But we also have a community of women that have their art for sale [in a marketplace environment.]”

The events and markets primarily support and prioritize women of color and self-identified women directly in response to the venues being hard to access for artists.

AH: “It’s a network for Austin, because we know a lot of people and artists. … It’s really just a space to bring people in and give them a platform to share.”

The platforms they create are often quick turnaround but well curated events that give an open forum for people to network and showcase their talents while giving back to a charity and their community.

“It really is just … a disruption of whatever ‘Scheduled Programming’ is.”

And we love disrupting the norms at CopyWrite.

Focused on event planning, curating and connecting artists with PAID gigs in safe environments, MosaicoX is creating a more consistent and concise way to keep the party going.

AH: “We started this for Black and Brown unity, because we just don’t see a lot of Black and Brown link-ups in Austin.”

Though they separately work in different collectives that target their own culture (Ashley of The House of Shakur and Claudia de Puro Chingón Collective); they thought ‘Why not merge who we are?’ to create a bigger impact and more visibility to the movement.

Connect with them on Instagram at @mosaico_experiencia or email them at mosaico.experiencia@gmail.com to experience an event or link up with them to plan your next event in the Austin area. They’re working and open to collaborative efforts to grow the culture and your passion. (Maybe you'll see a CW x MosaicoX event soon? **insert thinking emoji here**)

“Don’t start no shit, won’t be no shit.”

So lastly, what do you want people to know?

CAG: “Continue to support POC business owners.”

AH: “...And let’s be conscious of how we want our entertainment in our lives.”

CAG: “PAY ENTERTAINERS… Gawd Damnit.”

F*** EXPOSURE. (... said every artist ever.)

And lastly (for real this time):

AH: “I just want to plug my band… Mamis.”  Where Ashley is the guitarist killing it in the band and their EP is dropping real soon. 

We hear you Mosaico. 

/Syn for Austin

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Photos by Whitney Devin. Follow her on Instagram and see her work on whitneydevin.com