Happendance Velocity is a professional company of concert dancers founded in 1976 by Diane Newman and directed by Happendance’s Executive Artistic Director, Rachel Miller and Velocity Rehearsal Director, Jennah Quinn Gray. The company specializes in Contemporary dance, working in styles informed by traditional modern, jazz, ballet, and Hip Hop/Urban styles and performing works made by the company directors, company members, and guest choreographers. Their performances are always meaningful, exciting, and unpredictable!

Junia Femina (aka TR Linsley) first fell in love with piano in 2nd grade. Since then, she has learned many other instruments, including guitar, concert percussion, accordion, and banjo. Her influences include classical standards, baroque pop, gothic rock, symphonic metal, psychedelia, emo, and folk. Her songs explore religious trauma and reclamation, gay identity, history, self-acceptance, mental health, and her crush Emily Dickinson. She has some tunes at juniafemina.bandcamp.com, where she will share upcoming songs. (You can sign up for updates by downloading a song and providing your email.)

Her 2023 Master of Fire music video was nominated as a finalist in the Toronto Women’s Film Fest and the Michigan Music Video Awards. It was selected to be shown at the Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival. In September 2022, Grace teamed up with percussionist Carolyn Koebel, violinist Cori Somers, guitarist Adam Main, and bassist Sarah Fuerst to bring her songs to the stage with a powerful presence. They performed at the 2023 WYCE Jammie Awards where Grace was nominated for several awards including artist of the year. This summer they’re playing several huge Michigan venues and festivals: Kalamazoo Pride, Frederik Meijer Gardens, Fort Wayne Botanical Roots Music Festival, Blissfest, Buttermilk, Dunesville, and Earthwork Harvest Gathering. Her newest single and music video, Honey’s Dripping, is out on all platforms.

Sistrum, Lansing Women’s Chorus, is a long-time staple of the Womens in the Arts Festival. The mission of Sistrum is creating music that inspires, empowers, and entertains.

Learn more at sistrum.org

Longtime friends and frequent bandmates Tammy Cook (guitar), Amy Starr (bass) and Kelly Jo Garland (drums) have performed together in various combinations since the mid ’90s when they were all members of the band Mustard Pie and played at women’s bars and festivals throughout the midwest.

Tammy and Kelly Jo currently perform (with occasional guest appearances by Amy!) in the indie rock band Little Things. Their debut EP is available here from Goldenrod Music.

https://www.facebook.com/tammycookmusic