community empowerment through dance.

Photo by Lauren Garbutt.

works | workshops

Community Garden, commissioned by Ontario Culture Days.
Photo by Lauren Garbutt.

BLOOM, presented by Hamilton Festival Theatre Company.
Photo by Mina Sayedi.

Movements of Culture, workshop presented by the City of St. Catharines.
Photo by Dan Custudio.

A new dance-theatre work, choreographed by Skye Rogers (she/her) and Vik Mudge (they/he), in collaboration with Kestra McCurry (she/they) and Soraya Lee Wo (she/her).
Animating the iconic Pink Floyd song, “Money,” we ask ‘How can true creativity take place in a system that values competition, exploitation, and greed?’ Created through dialogue between the artists, and specific attention to the musical landscape, this piece invites the audience to consider their own value systems, and the currency of meaning.
For more information, visit our digital program.
A new performance commissioned by the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. Inspired by the concept of “sonder,” the collective wandered through the BPAC building, with pop-up improvised performances and scheduled performances in the seating of the Main Theatre, with live improvised saxophone by Collin Fisher.
Collective dancers: Chae Shin, Daria Lomangino, Emillee York, Giselle Magie, Kestra McCurry, Soraya Lee Wo, Skye Rogers, and Vik Mudge.
How can we pay attention to the uniqueness of a place? What would happen if a community garden were planted in Hamilton's concrete, rubble, and glass? What if we embodied that? Would a vibrant splash of hope ripple outwards? Would we all move freely?
BLOOM by retrograde: dance in motion at Fringe on the Streets is a live improvised dance jam made to explore these questions.
You can see more of BLOOM here.
Ontario Culture Days Creatives in Residence, Vik Mudge and Skye Rogers (retrograde: dance in motion) took up residence in the Niagara Region throughout the 2024 Festival, activating the community through public workshops and collective creation for the premiere of a new dance work, “Community Garden.”
Click here for information on the full span of our residency.
This 2024 Hamilton Arts Week Signature Event brought folks from all over Hamilton (and beyond) to 541 Eatery & Exchange for an afternoon of collaborative art-making. Activities included group idea generation, poetry writing, and movement creation.
Check out our highlight reel from the event here!
a new dance film choreographed by Vik Mudge, in partnership with the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program and Aeris Körper.
the debut dance piece from retrograde, premiered at In the Soil Festival, 2023.
click here for the show program.
a free community workshop created in partnership with the City of St. Catharines in June 2023, assisting with arts-based research for the creation of their new Culture Plan.
private offerings for your business, workplace, or classroom.
see below for testimonials.
contact us to learn more.

who we are.

Vik Mudge (they/he)

Vik Mudge (they/he) is a trans non-binary dancer, choreographer and facilitator, currently living on Treaty 3 territory, in the city colonized as St. Catharines. With experience and training in various dance styles, performance and acting techniques, and visual arts disciplines, Vik’s creativity stems from the intersection of these interests and their journey towards healing and self-actualization.
Vik previously worked on the development of their professional skills through mentorship with dance artist Sid Ryan Eilers from 2022-2024, which led to the creation and presentation of his own dance film, “<3”. In 2023, Vik received the Emerging Artist Award from the City of St. Catharines.
Vik dreams of a creative landscape that’s rich in cross-pollination and diverse voices. They continually strive to connect with folks and artists from all over, further enhancing the web of creativity and community that he strives to spin.

Skye Rogers (she/her)

Skye Rogers (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate performing artist based in Hamilton and St. Catharines, Ontario. Dearly devoted to making spaces for people to feel at home, Skye explores her relationship to place, body, and community, through choreography, workshop facilitation, devised theatre creation, film creation, and performance. Skye is the co-Artistic Director of retrograde: dance in motion and Tapestry Theatre Collective, and is an Artistic Associate with Aeris Körper. Skye is an alumni of the RBC Apprenticeship with Musical Stage Co. in (Choreography, 2023-24), Brock University (Arts Leadership, 2022) and Randolph College for the Performing Arts (Triple Threat, 2019).

Photos by Lauren Garbutt.

"Skye & Vik orchestrated an exceptional team-building experience, elevating our unity and connection beyond expectations. Their innovative approach fostered genuine camaraderie, blending laughter with meaningful vulnerability. An unforgettable journey that truly unites any team!"

Colleen M., Caddle CRO; Participant in Team Building Workshop
Our company set up a Movement Session with retrograde for one of our monthly Team Building Gatherings. I really didn't know what to expect but the idea of a Movement Session with co-workers felt weird out of my personal comfort zone. But I said to myself "give it a chance". And was I ever glad I did. The session was filled with movements and actions that really focus on "letting your hair down", being silly with coworkers and team building in alignment of company values. It was brilliant actually and I left feeling with more energy, less stress and more connection to my team and company. My fav was the dance off circle and busting out moves that I thought had long eluded me. Nope, I still got it! Sitting in boardrooms trying to instill values to employees is so yesterday, coming out of one's shell with teammates and embracing company values through creativity. movement and "silliness" should be a new norm! I highly recommend other companies try it! Thank you Skye and Vik for making it so easy to come out of my comfort zone. You were an excellent moderator for this session!

Mark S., VP, Brand Partnerships, Caddle Inc.; Team Building Workshop Participant
retrograde: dance in motion creates inspiring, safe spaces to move freely, and to feel moved. Their workshops are inclusive and accessible across genders, cultural origins, age, physical abilities and socioeconomic status. Promoted principles of "Pay what you can" and "Shades of participation" empowered me to take new action towards healing and growth despite financial and physical challenges. Rooted in, and woven through their teachings are the mental health magic of mindfulness, consent check-ins, and clear communication of boundaries. This is deeper than follow-the-leader, top-down dance. This is articulate, collaborative, body-mind skill-building. Embodied explorations created by Skye and Vik quicken my heartbeat, lift my spirit, and expand my sense of what's possible for me.

Angeline J., Workshop Participant, Collective Member for “Community Garden”