All Styles Freestyle Sessions
Our next All Styles Freestyle Session is Friday, March 28th! Join us 7-10pm at Evenground Dance Studio.
Led by David Cha, Stephanie Patrick, and Jairus Carr, our sessions are low ego, high energy, and open to all styles and levels. Dallas-based Dancer Rishi “Rift” Desai will kick things off with a Popping class for all levels!
Popping Class - 7-8:15pm, $16
All Styles Freestyle Session - 8:15-10pm, donation-based (appreciated but not required)
at Evenground Dance Studio
8000 Anderson Square #104
Austin, TX 78757
Popping class taught by Rishi will delve into the fundamentals of the style through drills and exercises, and the music and social dances that gave way to this technique.
Class and the session are open to all styles, training backgrounds, and levels. All footwear and bare feet are welcome. Ages 17+.
Registration
Register at the door or in advance! For advanced registration, please send payment through:
Zelle: to stephanie@earlyeracollective.org
Venmo: @earlyeracollective (as a nonprofit, we are listed as a "charity" account)
As a note on the payment, please specify your first and last name, and if you're attending the class, freestyle session or both.
Thank you for attending "Say That Again!"
Austin, you showed up and showed out! We’re still buzzing with joy and gratitude from the incredible energy that you brought to our five performances of "Say That Again." We can’t thank you enough for sharing this unforgettable run with us. This exchange of passion, creativity, and connection between the stage and the audience is why we do what we do. Let’s keep celebrating, connecting, moving, and inspiring!
Praise for "Say That Again"
“Thank you, Early Era Collective, for reminding me why artistic expression is critical for society to heal and thrive. This show was everything. I whooped and hollered. I cried. I laughed. I sat in stillness as I soaked up everything this show had to say.”
-Jennifer Williams
“Art is a refuge from the chaos and a reminder of beauty, truth, and hope. Something we all need now and this show was exactly that.”
-Purna Esha
“I absolutely loved the show!! It really was so powerful and beautiful. Thank you for creating a space for Black artists to be free to express and share their art and voice.”
-Cellise Brown
Donate to Early Era Collective
Support community & art
We are ready for more dance, collaboration, and connection in 2025, but we can't do it without your help!
We strive to maintain equitable hourly wages for artists, while providing pay-what-you-wish tickets for our audiences to keep performance art accessible to all Austinites. We also provide community programs that offer donation-based training for dancers and professional development for performance artists.
If you love what we do, please consider supporting us with a donation today!
lately
A Week of Dance at ACC
Thank you to Austin Community College for the opportunity to perform at your 8th Annual Faculty & Guest Concert!
It was a pleasure to perform our "Say That Again" dance/spoken word collaborations "A Piece of My New Love" by Nala Washington and "Ghetto in a Coke Can" by Christopher Michael Brown. These three shows supported ACC dance student scholarships.
We also had a great time grooving with the community at our Freestyle Masterclass led by David Cha, Stephanie Patrick, and Jairus Carr.
We hope to see you at the next event!
Rising from the roots - 2024
Thank you for two incredible productions!
Austin Cast
Oklahoma City Cast
Our Gratitude
We are grateful for the 13 performances, eight dance companies, and five filmed/live interviews across two states! Thank you to everyone who shared this journey with us on both sides of the curtain. We hope to bring "Rising" to more cities in 2025!
Early Era Collective's "Rising from the Roots" celebrates U.S. immigrants through filmed interviews and live dance. This production features interviewees and artists who have immigrated from Lebanon, Palestine, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and more. Co-Produced by Chakra Media Company, interviews feature activists, educators, spiritual leaders, and artists working for change in their communities. Live performances from local dance companies celebrate the traditions and cultures that exist in each hosting city.
Austin, TX
"Rising from the Roots" premiered in Austin, Texas, September 13-15, 2024, at the George Washington Carver Museum.These featured companies celebrated Austin's local dance community through Flamenco, Bharata Natyam, Afro-Latin fusion, Contemporary, and Filipino Folk Dance:
A'lante Flamenco
Austin Dance India
Oro Dance Company
Alexa Capareda + Lisa del Rosario
This production was co-produced by Chakra Media Company and supported, in part, by the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Artist Access Program. Lighting design by Patrick Anthony. Sound Engineering by Casey Lee. Photography/Videography by Earl McGehee.
Oklahoma City, OK
On September 28-29, 2024, at the First Americans Museum's Five Moons Theater, "Rising from the Roots" ran in Oklahoma City and was part of the Cultural Week of Action 2024, hosted by Americans for the Arts and Race Forward. We were honored to be included in this national event exploring themes of race and democracy. Head to Race Forward to check out the other amazing projects featured at this event! These featured companies celebrated Oklahoma City's local dance community through Mexican Folkloric Dance, Contemporary, Lebanese Folk Dance, Flamenco, and Modern:
Yúmare Mexican Folkloric Dancers
Natasha Abu-Fadel
Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast
Capitol Hill High School
RACE Dance Collective
This production was supported, in part, by Americans for the Arts and Race Forward. Lighting design by Patrick Anthony. Sound Engineering by Court Myers. Stage Management by Kristie Cheng. Photography/Videography by Jake Kelley.
Celebrating U.S. Immigrants
Interested in partnering with Early Era Collective to bring any of our productions to your city? Reach out to us through the contact form below!
"Rising from the Roots" Trailer by Chakra Media Company.
"Rising" Gallery
Photos by Earl McGehee, Easton Oliver, Qazi Islam, and Jake Kelley.
Media
Our latest features in local news, reviews, radio, and more.
Austin Chronicle review
Journalist, Cy White, from The Austin Chronicle reviews our multimedia production, "Rising From the Roots." This show premiered in Austin on Sept. 13, 2024 at the George Washington Carver Museum. White discusses the nuances and similarities of the American journey between the four interviewees and four live performing companies featured in the show.
we are austin September Interview
On September 12, 2024, we were featured on CBS Austin’s We Are Austin. Early Era Founder Stephanie Patrick and collaborator Alexa Capareda shared the details about the "Rising from the Roots" Austin and Oklahoma City productions with Chelsey Hernandez.
Thank you for having us!
Daily Texan Article
Released September 23, 2024, Daily Texan Journalist Riddhi Bora interviews Early Era Founder Stephanie Patrick, Co-Producer Rahul Chakraborty and Collaborator Alexa Capareda about the why and how that "Rising from the Roots" came to be.
Classical kuco radio
Early Era Director, Stephanie Patrick, and Chakra Media Director, Rahul Chakraborty, discuss "Rising From the Roots" on Classical KUCO's program, Spotlight on the Arts, hosted by Paul Nesper. This segment, which aired on September 26, 2024, promotes the show's Oklahoma City production as part of Cultural Week of Action 2024.
koop radio
"Let's Talk About It" hosts Michelle and Nora sit down with Early Era Founder Stephanie Patrick and "Rising from the Roots" collaborators Olivia Chacon, Anuradha Naimpally, and Alexa Capareda to discuss the production's Austin premiere. This episode aired on September 2, 2024.
Early Era is proud to be a KOOP Radio nonprofit partner. We are grateful for their continued support of the Austin community.
We are Austin February Interview
Artistic Director Stephanie Patrick and Spoken Word Collaborator Andre “S.C. Says” Bradford appeared live on We Are Austin on February 20, 2024. They discussed Early Era Collective's mission, “Say That!” and S.C. Says' national touring work as a spoken word artist.
Thank you, We Are Austin, for having us!
Early era collective
A Bit About Us...
Early Era Collective’s mission is to present multiform art featuring diverse perspectives for diverse audiences. We believe that professional creative work is strongest when collaboratively made by individuals with a variety of training, artistic processes, expertise, lived experience, and world views. Early Era is a nonprofit dance company comprised of dancers from contemporary, hip-hop, tap, and ballet backgrounds. We also collaborate with filmmakers, spoken word artists, actors, and singers. Many of our productions carry a social justice message folded into their artistry, emphasizing personal stories over politics.
Our company creates:
- Live shows for Austin audiences.
- Dance films featured at festivals worldwide.
- Thoughts That Move - community artist interviews discussing the intersection of race and arts industries in Austin.
- Embolden Workshop Series - donation-based artist development workshops created in partnership with Salvage Vanguard Theater and Ground Floor Theatre.
Awards and honors include:
- "Rising from the Roots" selected as 1 of 14 anchor projects for the 2024 national event Cultural Week of Action, hosted by Americans for the Arts and Race Forward.
- Live piece “Gimme Your Hands” featured at Austin Dance Festival 2024.
- Recipient of the City of Austin Economic Development Department’s 2024 Thrive award and 2023 Elevate award.
- Recipient of the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreational Department’s 2024 and 2023 Artist Access Program.
- Dance film "Milez" featured in eleven 2022-2023 film festivals nationwide, including Dance on Camera Festival (New York City) and Dance Camera West (Los Angeles). Received the Virtuosic Editing Award at Capitol D.C. Fest (Washington D.C.) and Local Favorite Award at Austin Dance Festival in 2022.
- Artistic Director Stephanie Patrick was a 2019 nominee for the Austin Chronicle's Best Choreographer/Dancer.
- Dance film "They Go Wild" was featured in three national/international film festivals in 2019.
Early Era was founded in fall 2018, and became a 501(c)3 organization in March 2019. Concepts and Artistic Direction are by Stephanie Patrick, the Founder of Early Era. Previously, the company was called Stephanie Patrick Dance (founded in 2012) of San Francisco, Asheville, and Austin. Stephanie brings a lifelong career in performance, a passion for social justice, and her love for Austin (her hometown) to the company. Early Era is organized as a nonprofit organization to best support its collaborating artists.
leadership
Early Era is a small but mighty organization founded by Artistic Director Stephanie Patrick. Our Board Members fundraise, contribute specialized services, and provide valuable expertise for our company. Thanks to the City of Austin, we added a Marketing Coordinator to our team in 2023. Click each picture to learn more about the people who make Early Era happen.
Stephanie Patrick, Director
Lisa del Rosario, Board Member
Krista Robinson, Board Member
Earl McGehee, Board Member
Black lives matter
Black Lives Matter
In light of the murders of George Floyd, Mike Ramos, and so many other Black and African Americans lost to police brutality, our company acknowledges and joins the fight for justice for our Black brothers and sisters.
In a country that claims to be one nation and touts justice for all, this tradition of violence is simply unacceptable. The roots of racism must be examined and swiftly removed. Our art form, local community, and company would not be what they are without the innovations and talents of Black dancers, musicians, and spoken word artists.
In one of the most segregated cities, we recognize the disparities young Black dancers face in accessing training and factors hindering Black professionals from producing work. As part of this community, we advocate for change and welcome feedback from Austin’s artists and citizens of color.
Black lives matter. We see you, we stand with you, and we are in this ongoing and important fight for justice.Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Films
Peep some of our film creations.
Milez
Featuring Austin-based hip-hop duo Magna Carda, eight Early Era dancers inspect the systems by which we abide and the sameness required of average people to operate within those systems. Our artists must decide whether to stay within the boxes that confine them or break free.
Produced by: Early Era Collective and Stephanie Patrick. Co-directed by: Stephanie Patrick and Ben Lee. Co-Choreographed by: Daniel Broxton and Stephanie Patrick. Director of Photography and Editor: Ben Lee. Poster design by: Ketan Patel. Featuring Magna Carda and their original song "Milez."
Danced by: Daniel Broxton, Lauren Parra Faudree, Mia Moi, Michelle Barfield, Jairus Carr, Jaylin Lane, Ciceley Fullylove, and Stephanie Patrick."Milez" was featured at the following 2022-23 film festivals: Dance on Camera Festival (New York City, NY), Dance Camera West (Los Angeles, CA), San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Capitol Dance & Cinema Festival (Washington D.C.), Austin Dance Festival, deadCenter Film Festival (Oklahoma City, OK), Hyperreal Film Club (Austin, TX), The Martha's Vineyard Film Festival, Film Fest Petaluma, AV Fest (Healdsburg, CA), The Front Fest (Austin, TX).
They Go Wild
Warning: A natural disaster is coming. In "They Go Wild," Early Era Collective parallels wild landscape with the reckless treatment of womxn, and what might happen when they will no longer endure.
Directed By: Stephanie Patrick
Director of Photography: Ben Lee
Danced By: Lauren Parra Faudree and Laura Vazquez
Spoken Word (Written & Performed) By: Amber Wilson
Second Camera: Derek Butvin
Edited By: Ben Lee and Stephanie Patrick"They Go Wild" was featured in the 2019 Oaxaca Film Festival, Directed by Women: NYC Shorts of All Sorts, and the Tipperary Dance International Film Festival.
finding home
A commissioned work by Equality Texas that honors our Black and LGBTQIA loved ones lost to violence in 2020. A big thank you to Equality Texas for including Early Era in their virtual gala, All Eyes on Texas, on October 17th, 2020! We were proud to help fundraise for such an important cause, and to honor Black and LGBTQIA lives lost to violent crimes in 2020 through words and movement.
Words By: Addy Allred and Andre Bradford
Dancing By: Mia Moi, Kaitlyn Jones, Ciceley Fullylove, Lauren Parra, Stephanie Patrick, and Jairus Carr
Shot and Edited By: Ben Lee
Produced, Directed & Choreographed By:
Stephanie Patrick
Against Shadows
Ten performers in five scenes explore racial and gender discrimination against graffiti sites in Austin and San Francisco.
Filmed & Co-Edited By: Justin Kirchhoff
Produced, Directed, Co-Choreographed & Co-Edited By: Stephanie Patrick
Danced & Co-Choreographed By: Lauren Parra Faudree, Krista Robinson, Alex Miller, Mahalaya Tintiangco-Cubales, Kyle Limin, Leslie Panitchpakdi, Robin Nariyoshi, Michael Love, Alyssa Myers, Stephanie Patrick
Assistant Directed By: Maddie Alfaro
View full project at:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7164800
I Begin
"I am literally smiling, now. I am really, truly filled with joy watching this. It exudes the joys of coming home. It's not quite like anything I've seen before. It feels like each of the places themselves are Stephanie’s dance partners, with Texas being her final, real partner. I did not see her dancing IN a place, as much as WITH a place." -Kathryn Taylor, viewer
This is a Stephanie Patrick Dance film, which was the pre-cursor company to Early Era Collective. Danced & Edited By Stephanie Patrick. Filmed By Rafael Alba and David Kallison. Music by Diana Gameros.
Shows
Glimpse some of our recent live works.
Gimme your hands
This original Early Era live piece explores the significance of community support in grieving and processing the current social and political climate. Our contemporary trio premiered at Early Era's April 2023 production “Whirligig,” and was performed at Austin Dance Festival 2024.
Choreographed by Stephanie Patrick
Danced by Mia Moi, Kanami Nakabayashi Timpe, Amanda Anstey, and Lilly Thurman for ADF 2024 performance (not filmed)
Music arranged by Matthew Jackson
We hope you enjoy!
Of Thee I Swing
It was a joy to honor Veterans Day and the legacy of our beautiful interview subjects Albert & Virginia Sanders, Alfred Dotson, and Bob & Jewell Goolsby in "Of Thee I Swing" in November 2023.
“Of Thee I Swing” was produced by Early Era and Stephanie Patrick. Choreographed by Stephanie Patrick, Daniel Broxton, Mia Moi and the dancers. Documentary segments were filmed, edited, and animated by Ben Lee, captioned by Maddy Leitner, and directed by Stephanie Patrick. Second camera by Andreina Byrne.
Technical direction for the live production by Natalie George Productions. Costumes by Lindsey Gerson.
Our fantastic cast: Lauren Parra Faudree, Mia Moi, Jack Dunlap, Matthew Sommers, Bradi Nelson, Taylor Conaler, Lilly Thurman, and Olivia Howell.
Whirligig
Sponsored by Bacardi, this April 2023 live production at Factory On 5th showcased the creativity, fun, and professionalism of Austin's dance community through six brand new works by Lisa del Rosario, Daniel Broxton, Mia Moi, Jairus Carr, and Stephanie Patrick.
16 dancers brought this production to life: Cara Cook, Lisa Schreck, Veronica DeWitt, Fay Leonard, Clay Moore, Angelina de Leon, Aubrey Turner, Amelia Bachofen, Matthew Sommers, Bradi Nelson, Sanchita Sharma, Rachel Culver, Mia Moi, Kanami Nakabayashi Timpe, Amanda Anstey, and Katie Lowen.
Lighting Design by Natalie George Productions. Footage by Earl McGehee. Edit by Clare Schweitzer. Music by UNCOMMEN, Gareth Donkin.
Smorg
Produced by Emily Rushing and Carissa Topham, "Smorg" showcased some of the variety that Austin's contemporary dance community has to offer. Early Era Collective premiered "Doubts & Dreams" for this April 2023 show at Cafe Dance.
Choreographed by Stephanie Patrick and the dancers. Danced by Matthew Sommers, Cara Cook, Rachel Culver, Sanchita Sharma, and Bradi Nelson. Picture by Earl McGehee.
Shift
"Shift" took place at ElectrikCITY Dance Movement in June 2022. Featuring multiple forms of dance styles, spoken word, and dance film, "Shift" was about the life transitions and change that come for all of us.
Performed by Mia Moi, Michelle Barfield, Lauren Parra Faudree, Jaylin Lane, Jairus Carr, Becky Nam, and Stephanie Patrick. Spoken word by Andre Bradford. Choreography by Stephanie Patrick, Daniel Broxton and the dancers.
"Proceed With Caution" was choreographed by Stephanie Patrick + the dancers. Footage by Earl McGehee and Stephanie Patrick. Edited by Stephanie Patrick.
Lookout fest
Early Era Collective performed at The Long Center's LookOUT Fest in September 2022.
Performed by Mia Moi, Michelle Barfield, Lauren Parra Faudree, Jaylin Lane, Jairus Carr and Taylor Conaler. Choreography by Stephanie Patrick, Daniel Broxton and the dancers. Pictures by Heather Arnos and Earl McGehee.
Blurred on All Sides
"Blurred on All Sides" was our first show back from the pandemic lockdown in December 2021, at The Gift. This show was our most mulitform yet, combining multiple styles of dance, spoken word, acting, singing, film, and photography.
Danced by Lauren Parra Faudree, Mia Moi, Jaylin Lane, and Michelle Barfield. Spoken word by S.C. Says (Andre Bradford). Acting by S.C. Says (Andre Bradford) and Stephanie Patrick. Singing & Direction by Stephanie Patrick. Choreogaphy by Stephanie Patrick and the dancers.
Choreographed by Stephanie Patrick and the dancers, "Back At It" celebrates the return to gathering, celebrating, and sharing art together. Footage by Tori Nunn.
Thoughts That Move
Created by Daniel Broxton, Lauren Parra Faudree, and Stephanie Patrick during the pandemic, Thoughts That Move is an artist discussion series that reveals how the arts and race intersect in Austin. Over 50 artists have been featured across three seasons of interviews. View our Season Three episodes below.
Episode flyers designed by Ketan Patel. Theme music by Magna Carda.
Creativity & Social Justice
Featured guests engage in a poignant talk about artists’ roles in social justice-themed art and challenge the expectation for Black and African American artists to explore racism in their work.
Host: Stephanie Patrick
Featured Guests: Alyssa Dillard, Amber Wilson, Andre Bradford and Chinwe Okorie
Edited by: Daniel Broxton and Chinwe Okorie
equity in arts funding: what is 'reputable?'
Four guests discuss fair pay for artists, whether college degrees are necessities, what they wish they had learned while training, and the cycle of big companies receiving funding over emerging artists.
Host: Daniel Broxton
Featured Artists: Will Walker, Lucy Wilson, Alisa Guardiola, and Marina DeYoe-Pedraza
Edited By: Daniel Broxton
creating in a white world
Five artists discuss what it’s like to train and create in white-centered arts industries, and the change they'd like to see in Austin and the larger arts world.
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Host: Lauren Parra Faudree
Featured Artists: Alexa Capareda, Andreina Byrne, Becky Nam, Mia Moi, and Anna Reyes
Edited by: Daniel Broxton
Race & Ethnicity in arts education
Current and former teachers discuss the necessity of aligning racial and ethnic studies with arts education for students of all ages, both in the public and private sectors.
Host: Daniel Broxton
Featured Artists: Jordyn Marsh, Toni Neal, Krista Robinson, Rebeca Gamborino, and Kathleen Fletcher.
Edited By: Daniel Broxton
Triple Threat: Black, Female & Creative
An intimate conversation between Kaitlyn Jones and Leah Tubbs that covers topics like self-care, lineage, energizing artistic communities of color, and when to say “no.”
Host: Kaitlyn Jones
Featured Artist: Leah Tubbs
Edited by: Daniel Broxton
Captioned by: Lauren Parra Faudree
tap: a thriving black american art form
Four professional tap artists discuss the history of rhythm tap, the responsibility of white artists in a Black art form, and discovering your authentic artistic identity.
Host: Michael Love
Featured Artists: Karissa Royster, Ginnifer Joe, Alisa Guardiola
Edited by: Daniel Broxton
Caption by: Lauren Parra Faudree
Embolden Workshop Series
Created in partnership with Salvage Vanguard Theater and Ground Floor Theatre, Embolden Workshops are donation-based professional development for artists. Featured speakers are local nonprofit/arts business owners, artists from multiple mediums, and professional fundraisers. Through Embolden, we strive to help Austin artists empower themselves to gain the business skills we were never taught, prevent burnout, and build community. We hope to reimagine and resume this program soon.
Flyer design by Embolden Co-Creator Marina DeYoe-Pedraza.
Photos
Films + Shows
Contact
We'd love to hear from you! Please reach out for booking inquiries, questions about Early Era Collective, or if you'd like to receive updates about our events.
© Early Era Collective 2025