"As a director, Alana has proven to me over and over that she has the discipline, perseverance, and physical stamina necessary for evolving and managing an organization on this scale. Her attention to careful planning and consideration, detailed management of every facet of their operation, from fund-raising to housing out-of-town collaborators, to personal notes and flowers for every participant, is exactly what it takes to enable a vision of this nature to thrive and take root." Mike Vargas, Composer, Musician and Instructor.

Alana Shaw (in center) with training participants.

Alana Shaw, co-artistic director and founder of Turning the Wheel Productions brings more than 35 years of experience and training in dance, music, and the visual arts to the collaborative process. In addition, Shaw has an MFA in Dance from the University of Colorado, which includes all of the coursework in the Naropa Institute masters program in somatic psychology. Shaw's eclectic approach to teaching and creating has evolved through work with people in all aspects of the arts, among them Liz Lerman, Jowale Zollar, Frank Sampson, Meredith Monk, Lucas Hoving, Bill Evans, George Emilio Sanchez, Ralph Lemon, Nada Diachenko, Contraband, Rachael Rosenthal, Remy Charlip, Mel Wong, Robert Bly, Anna Halprin, and for more than 15 years with Nancy Spanier, and the late Eloise Ristad. Shaw conducts workshops in cities throughout the US and teaches improvisational dance/theater classes and workshops on a regular basis in Boulder and Denver. Nancy Spanier states, "I am struck by how skilled Alana is at integrating professional performers with non-professional performers, and her ability to work with mingled ages. Alana's work has great integrity, a sense of purpose, imagination, and depth of vision." Dance, theater, narrative, choral singing, visual arts and instrumental music are the primary artistic media used in Turning the Wheel performances. TTW has built long-term relationships with artists who have extensive experience and who are committed to the process of bringing together artistic excellence and community building.

Tanja Asmus and Andy MacDonald, facilitators

Trained Turning the Wheel facilitators, Tanja Asmus, Pat Biggers, Aviana Bowie, Andy MacDonald, Amy Millennor, Georgia Rose Park, Jason Pratt, Ashley Garcia, Dora Ruffner, and Lizzie Juda form a dynamic and open-hearted team that travels through the country dancing and creating with communities of all ages. In addition to our traveling team, Turning the Wheel has ongoing projects in seven cities that are managed and facilitated by local City Project Managers. Click on Current Projects for information on activities in your area. Original music is written and performed live by Jesse Manno and Mike Vargas, in collaboration with cellist James Hoskins, all rising stars in the national dance-music scene. Many professional dancers, actors, and vocalists have joined the team to perform with community participants. Turning the Wheel fosters collaboration between professional artists of varied disciplines and creates new connections between the artists and the community participants. Lighting is designed by J.P. Osnes, who is the director of the Macky Auditorium theatre in Boulder, and has worked with Turning the Wheel since 1990. Set design and construction is a collaboration between Boston artist, Diane Grieco, San Francisco artist, Deirdre Visser, and Boulder artist, Dodi Jackson; an especially talented and versatile group of contemporary artists.