Born in 2020 (DEEP pandemic) CROWNING follows four familiar characters—each an embodiment of nature in the city—through the urban natural world. 

There’s GATITO (a streetcat), SUGAR (a walking river), SLINGSHOT (a ghost child/plants growing in the cracks) and RUST (crumbling industry holding on for dear life). 

CROWNING lives through dance, interactive storytelling, moving meditation, altar building, and scaffolded levels of collaboration, the first level being with audience. 

CROWNING in the cold (January 13, 2024) will wind and weave through the wild wetlands of BAAD! Bronx Academy of Art and Dance, along four pathways, one for each character. There will be staggered entry, at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm. 

Each entry allows time to walk one character path. Those who want to walk more than one path are welcome to either buy an extra ticket to be sure of a spot, or to stick around and walk another path if space allows. 

Those who choose 3pm entry may opt into a guided walk along the Bronx River, beginning at the Boogie Down Grind (a cafe with deep history in the neighborhood with delicious food, tea and coffee) and ending at the Elder Avenue 6 stop, a couple of stops away from BAAD! There will be a short talk back and after party beginning at 6:30pm. All are welcome. 

A note about accessibility: BAAD! is not wheelchair accessible, though they are actively working to become so. A portion of this work (about 15 minutes) takes place outdoors, in January, so please dress accordingly. Three of the four paths (GATITO, SLINGSHOT and RUST) move though uneven terrain. Audience is asked to move in groups, and cooperative navigation is encouraged. Necessary, really. 

CROWNING in the cold features Alicia Raquel Morales (lead artist, performer) with deep collaboration from Kikashima (sound design, voice performer), Alexander Lambie (performer: DOORKEEPER), Cleopatra Jach (performer: MOODY TROLL), Fana Fraser (audio+ contributor: SUGAR’s path), STEFA* (audio contributor: RUST’s path), Chelsea Laboucane (audio contributor: GATITO’s path, reading text by Thomas King) with audio offerings by past audience members. 

The work is made possible by generous support from BAAD! Bronx Academy of Art and Dance, Pepatían's Dancing Futures residency (funded by the Jerome Foundation), Hi-ARTS, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, CulturePush, Brooklyn Arts Council, NYFA and Boogie Down Grind. Creative support from Johnnie Cruise Mercer and Queerly Femmetastic, mentorship from Charles Rice Gonzalez, Arthur Aviles, gina breedlove and Sharon Bridgforth, and support from countless community members who have offered space in their homes, cash, rides, ideas, consulting and equipment to make CROWNING in the cold possible. Thank you to all of the ones who walk (roll, crawl, fly) with me.