Photo by Stephen Delas Heras.
Smashworks Dance is a New York-based group of movers dedicated to accessible dance performance and confidence-building education.
In collaboration with Rachel Neville for #movethevote campaign 2018
MISSION: Smashworks Dance is a New York-based dance company founded and directed by choreographer Ashley McQueen. We dance to advocate for women’s empowerment through performing arts, educational programming, and community outreach. We make dance accessible and inspire audiences to take action through our performances both onstage and in site-specific environments. We view artistic expression as power—smashing stereotypes and promoting dance as a unifying and confidence-building practice for all.
“Choreography that was at once innovative to the eye and relatable within the heart.
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What We've Achieved
Rebel Girls Book - Smashworks Dance collaborated with Rebel Girls on a series of empowering activities for their latest chapter book, Alicia Alonso Takes The Stage! Published worldwide August 2020.
Partnership with Yap About It - Smashworks Dance has partnered with Yap About It (a nonprofit org that works to destigmatize talk therapy through arts and talk therapy) to teach Ballet & Creative Movement classes to their youth.
Partnership with Girl Scouts of Greater New York - Smashworks Dance leads original confidence-building Dance Badge Workshops for troops in the NY area.
Village Voice "Voice Choices" for City Stories, our first evening length performance at Center for Performance Research.
For Which It Stands - evening length political satire performance - featured in "Brooklyn's Top 20 Things To Do," "Time Out NY," and the Dance Enthusiast.
Girls Move Free - a benefit performance in support of Global Girls Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation that seeks to empower adolescent girls around the world through education. Hosted by Hope Salas, GIRLS MOVE FREE featured guest performances by Kiva Carman-Frank and The Ephyras.
Smashworks Film Festival provided a free platform for artists to present their dance films, with all proceeds benefitting Planned Parenthood.
Partnership with Dancers Responding to AIDs - accepting donations at public performances.
Collaboration with Lake Arts Project and Bright Hill Press - created original choreography in response to war veterans' workshops with Feast of Crispian and local students’ poetry; sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Company Tours to Santa Barbara, St. Louis, Kalamazoo, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Oneonto, and Los Angeles.