Simon Montalvo

From the Artist:

I’m fundraising to support the growth of my choreographic and pedagogical work. As a freelance choreographer hoping to expand into Montalvo Dance Theatre, general start-up costs including labor, rental fees, and residency fees are at an all time high, with little grant support available for BIPOC and Transgender artists.

My ongoing project, ‘a house with no walls’ explores transgender and gender expansive individuals' experiences of transition, relationships, and joy through audio interviews & movement. I hope to expand this project into a multi-room installation of movement, visual art, and music. The first half of the project was presented by The Boston Center for the Arts in 2024, and I’ve since begun initial movement research for the second half of this project.

I was recently awarded a Choreographic Residency position through the Choreography Project in Providence, RI to develop a new work over the course of August 2025. ‘PHENOMENON’ is about collective power and community in the face of oppression. I’m seeking additional funding support for this residency to support commuting costs and costuming for 10 dancers. 

Additionally, I'm developing a new class series with fellow Movement Educators Aiden Marshall, Mira Göksel, and Angie Benitez. TransDans aims to connect with and create community with Transgender and gender expansive individuals through weekly movement classes taught by a rotating group of Trans/gender expansive educators. We’re currently in the development phase of the project, and are hoping to have classes up and running by Summer 2025. If you have questions or would like to get involved, please email transdansclass@gmail.com . 

If you would like to reach out to me to get involved or ask questions, you can check out my website at simonlikestomove.org, email me at simonmontalvodance@gmail.com, or find me on Instagram at simonlikestomove. ​

Learn More about Simon: 

​

Simon Montalvo (they/them) is a non-binary/transgender movement artist, researcher, and collector of stories born on the land of the Coahuiltecan and Karankawan peoples. Building movement through improvisation, dance theatre, and radical community care, Simon’s deep commitment to sharing and protecting their community’s stories has guided their artistic journey. Simon is a first company member of Jo-Mé Dance Theatre, a Part-Time Fellow with Danza Orgánica, a past Next Steps for Boston Dance Artists award recipient, and a recent mentee of Midday Movement Series’ BIPOC Mentorship Program. Simon holds a BFA in Contemporary Dancer Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and has had their choreography presented by the Boston Center for the Arts, Danza Orgánica, the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Project31, and TAMUCC.​