NEW SHOES 2025 (Week 2)

Imagine a space where the human body becomes a kind of hyper-articulate language—each movement a syllable in some unknowable yet deeply familiar dialect, speaking directly to the viewer’s nervous system. Now imagine seven such voices, each distinct, conversing over two weeks of relentless experimentation and unflinching honesty. This is NEW SHOES 2025, Highways Performance Space’s annual descent into the raw, intricate machinery of contemporary dance. Created & Curated by Highways' Artistic Director, Patrick Kennelly.

In WEEK 1, Gia Bella & Casey Shea’s Cabin of Pleasure pries open the strange and intimate terrain where desire meets imagination, while Caitlin Javech / T O R R E N T’s Drive unpacks the psychic costs of ambition, exposing the sinews of what drives us forward. Melissa Younker’s Elytra, a mesmerizing solo within a synthetic exoskeleton, offers a viscerally tactile meditation on metamorphosis, where transformation feels both inevitable and claustrophobic.

WEEK 2 shifts from the personal to the mythic, as Beth Huelsenbeck’s WYRD weaves an intricate choreography of fate and free will, threads literally drawn through the air. In por tal, josie j & Wendy Zhuo inhabit the liminal space between ancient traditions and contemporary identities, blurring lines with an almost alchemical grace. Lindsay Lykins’ Infinite Circuit explores the ceaseless negotiation between conformity and freedom, each sound a physical pulse and each movement an emotional exclamation. Closing the series, North Star Dance Company’s Polaris transforms the discipline of kung fu into a luminous, living archive, bridging ancient philosophy and modern artistry in a single flowing gesture.

At once cerebral and visceral, NEW SHOES 2025 doesn’t just invite the audience to watch; it demands that they feel, think, and ultimately move.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Beth Huelsenbeck is a choreographer and dancer with a focus on the uncanny and unexpected. She began her choreographic journey with the Harvard Ballet Company and has since worked internationally, including creating emotional bandwidth during a residency in Germany. @beth__huel

Casey Shea (she/her) is a dance artist based in Los Angeles with East Coast roots. A 2019 BFA graduate from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, she is represented by BLOC Talent Agency in LA. Her work emphasizes queerness and sensuality, blending drama, softness, and exaggeration. @caseeeey123

Gia Bella (she/they) is an LA-based artist working in both commercial and concert dance, with experience across stage and screen. She blends storytelling with movement, exploring the intersection of humor and grief. @giagiagiagia7

josie j is a multidisciplinary artist who began studying dance in 2010 with Koichi and Hiroko Tamano. They currently leads workshops and develops work at The Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz. @divinebrickartist / www.razethewhitebox.com

Lindsay Lykins is a movement artist, dancer, and choreographer based in Los Angeles, currently pursuing a BFA in dance and a BA in psychology at USC. Her work focuses on connecting art with mental health, supporting artists' well-being through creative collaboration. @lindsaylykins

Melissa Younker (she/her) is an interdisciplinary dance artist from Southern California, blending movement, theatre, costume design, and film. She holds a BFA from California State University, Long Beach and has toured globally, sharing her curiosity and creative exchange. www.melissayounker.com / @mryounker

Northern Star Dance Company is a collective of dancers and martial artists based in Los Angeles, training under Grandmaster Jason Tsou. Their work honors Traditional Chinese martial arts (kung fu) while expanding its cultural relevance in contemporary dance. @northernstardance

T O R R E N T is a project-based dance company led by Caitlin Javech, creating work for stage, film, and installation. The company's mission is to bring together LA-based artists from various fields to create thought-provoking performances through collaborative risk-taking. @t_o_r_r_e_n_t_ @caitlinjavech

Wendy Zhuo is a Singaporean actor and multidisciplinary artist in Los Angeles, blending traditional and contemporary art forms. She is trained in Noh Theatre, Wayang Wong, Kutiyattam, Chinese Opera, and Butoh, and is an alumna of Singapore's Intercultural Theatre Institute. @wendyzhuoling