CONNECTING AND CARING FOR PEOPLE AND PLACES IN RURAL AND GREATER MINNESOTA THROUGH DANCE.
In rural and Greater Minnesota, people deserve connection, creativity, and belonging. SOFTBODY Movement was born to meet this need — bringing high-quality, inclusive, and accessible dance experiences to communities that often go overlooked. These places are not peripheral; they are essential to the well-being of us all — rural and urban, human and ecological alike — we see dance not as a luxury but as vital community care.
To have a SOFTBODY is to live responsively in the world, to listen, and to move in relationship with self, others, and our Earth.
To have a SOFTBODY is to live responsively in the world, to listen, and to move in relationship with self, others, and our Earth.
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OUR 2026 PROGRAMMING Mass for the Endangered with Borealis Chamber Artists: May 2026 SOFTBODY joins Duluth's Borealis Chamber artist to present Sarah Kirkland Snider’s powerful call to action for the Earth and its fragile beauty. 6 dance artists, 16 vocalists, 13 instrumentalists, 1 dramaturg, 1 production assistant, 10 environmental professionals, and 2 performances in Duluth. We are excited to have already secured funding to host a FREE student performance with bussing provided for Duluth, Two Harbors, and Silver Bay schools! Dance on the Waterfront: Fall 2026 A live improvised dance and music performance, followed by a community folk dance in Two Harbors, Minnesota. It is our dream to provide this event to the community free of charge and with accessibility supports including ASL, personal amplifiers, and sensory accommodations (ear defenders, fidgets, social script, quiet zone). Duluth Dance Week (Development Phase): February 2027 A celebration of dance in the Arrowhead Region featuring performances, workshops, and conversations with local dance artists, practitioners, and educators. It is our dream to provide this event to the community free of charge and with accessibility supports including ASL, personal amplifiers, and sensory accommodations (ear defenders, fidgets, social script, quiet zone). |
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Kayla teaches a free dance workshop for youth in Grand Marais, MN (2025).
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WHY SOFTBODY MATTERS
In northeastern Minnesota, access to mental health care can feel out of reach. According to Wilder Research (2023), 64.3% of adults in our region are not receiving the mental health care they need. Nearly 1 in 3 rural adults say stigma alone keeps them from seeking care. But there’s another path to healing already rooted in our communities: the arts. Research shows that creative community programs like SOFTBODY:
By offering dance as a lifeline for community well-being, SOFTBODY is part of the solution. Our work helps people and places feel seen, connected, and inspired. |
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WHY SOFTBODY NEEDS YOU
2025 marks our first year as a fiscally sponsored organization. Without prior funding history, we’re working to build a foundation of trust and sustainability. Your contribution will:
Arts funding is uncertain — but your support gives us something more reliable, more sustainable: community trust and shared care. |
Workshop participants in Fergus Falls, MN explore ways of seeing one another (2025).
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Meet the Artistic Director
Kayla Schiltgen is an interdisciplinary dance artist based in rural Two Harbors, MN. She is a 2025 McKnight Artist Fellow in Choreography, a 2022 Upstream Artist Fellow, and the recipient of multiple Minnesota State Arts Board and Arrowhead Regional Arts Council awards. Kayla is recognized by Springboard for the Arts as a creative rural leader in the upper Midwest. A word from Kayla: I grew up thinking I don't belong, that I needed to leave in order to have a creative and vibrant future- the Rural is nothing more than a place to escape - where horror movies happen. None of this true! These are places of possibility and magic! This is where I want to make and share dance. To rewrite the narrative, to give people and place art that feels like them, shows them they belong, to inspire imagination, to care for and to love. This is SOFTBODY. I am so glad you are here. If supporting SOFTBODY financially feels right for you at this time, please make a tax-deductible contribution this Give to the Max Day or any time through the end of the year. If supporting our work another way feels like a better fit, we love that too! Please consider sharing our work, booking us for an event, or following us on social media. |
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, CONSIDERATION, AND LETTING US SHARE OUR ART AND EXCITEMENT WITH YOU!
dance artists in photos: Kristen Hylenski, Allisun Zagar, Kayla Schiltgen
