Turning the Wheel >> History

Over the last 14 years, Turning the Wheel has created seven major original dance/theatre productions which have been performed for full houses in Boulder and Denver CO; Seattle, WA; San Antonio, TX; Andover/Lawrence, MA; and Cedar Rapids, IA, as well as created and performed informal community productions in seven other cities in the U.S. and Canada. Founded in 1989 and incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in 1993, we have served a wide constituency, with our cumulative audience for these seven productions reaching more than 18,000 people. In addition, over 5,000 people have participated in our workshops and performances across the country.

Participants and Audience
Our participants have come together from all walks of life and age groups spanning almost a century of life and experience, from our youngest performer at 4 years old to our oldest at 95. Our "Confetti Conspiracy" project culminated in a performance with a cast of 100 performers from twelve cities across the United States and Canada. To draw participants together, Turning the Wheel offers free workshops in schools, senior centers and community organizations serving very targeted populations, such as teen mothers, residents of assisted living facilities, homeless children, physically or developmentally challenged individuals, recovering alcoholics and youth at risk. Our very unique and transformative approach brings these traditionally segregated groups together with the whole range of people from their community, from business leaders and psychologists, to massage therapists and homemakers.

Focus on Youth
In the past seven years Turning the Wheel has participated in programs for at-risk youth in twelve cities across the United States, interfacing with over 300 schools and youth organizations nationwide. Thousands of teens and young children have created and performed with us, dancing and singing and speaking their stories, and forming alliances with elders and mentors in their community.

Focus on Elders
Turning the Wheel serves the senior population on many different levels, from free on-site workshops in the nursing homes for those who are no longer mobile, to integrating elders directly into our professional productions. Over 100 elders have woven into our productions and become active members of our supportive and caring communities.

Focus on Outreach
In the past 12 years of travel and collaboration we have worked with a broad range of populations and addressed community issues ranging from:

	alienated teens at risk who are seeking reconnection with each other and their community;

	teen moms, who need community support to parent their children and finish their education;

	physically and mentally challenged populations individually and in centers;

	battered women, and the men who batter them;

	youth and children from low-income families who don't have access to the arts and self-expression;

	gay populations and the fear and ignorance that scapegoats them;

	homeless youth, and the isolation they feel;

	isolated elders, and their loneliness and hunger for intergenerational community experience;

	ranchers and new age liberals struggling to resolve value differences;

	troubled families who care and don't know how to get help for themselves or their children;

	and artists who want to help create social change.