The Wolfpack

Using organic and primal imagery such as being reborn in the river, opening the throat chakra by howling at the moon, and having the autonomy to showcase each artist’s individual voice in an accumulating performance—The Wolfpack is a home for dancers of any style to come and be heard.

It is essential to the heart of The Wolfpack to celebrate individuals who go against the grain in pursuit of sharing their own stories and concepts that support the pack of like-minded individuals.

Regardless of the voice leading the pack, our agreements are as follows:

🐺We are an improvisation collective

🐺We investigate freedom, confidence, and healing through movement

🐺We are guided by nature and the healing properties found within channeling these archetypes

🐺We obnoxiously celebrate each participant

THE WOLFPACK will be a series of improvisational performances, directed by Reign Drop, that will include theater and slam poetry elements while also leaning into postmodern aesthetics appearing in Ground Up.

The Wolfpack: Mission

Meet the Wolfpack

Zach Dreelin (any pronouns)

Zach Dreelin [Any Pronoun] is a queer multi-faceted artist from Harrisonburg, Virginia. Graduated James Madison University in May of 2022 with a B.A. in Dance and Theater minor. Zach currently works as a freelance stage manager, dancer, load in crew, and theater technician in Chicago, IL. They recently stage managed shows such as Harvest Festival, Dance Crash, Elevate, as well as, designed and ran Chicago Repertory Ballet’s Gala. They also currently teach dance and flag at Allegiance Colorguard located in Dundee, IL.

Lydia Jekot (she/ze/they)

Lydia Jekot is a freelance dancer, writer, and creative from Dallas, Texas.
They have performed in Chicago with Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape, Federica Cocom, J E L L O, and Freedom From & Freedom To improvisational series, and created independent work and staged performances. Asking questions and envisioning futures are central aspects of Lydia's artistic practice. This has taken the form of a documentary film titled "Danceable Wage," commissioned by Anti-Capitalism for Artists, as well as a panel for Elevate Chicago Dance 2022 themed "Queering Career," which interviewed five dancemakers about how they diverge from the dance field's expectations, and the work of embodying a sense of queerness in their approach to their career. Lydia's creative practices are ever adapting but are broadly driven by curiosity about how to feel things, fix things, and shift things.

Ali Lorenz (she/they)

ali lorenz is a movement-based cross-disciplinary artist, alongside many other identities. they are located in chicago - the land of the peoria, potawatomi, kickapoo, kaskaskia, and myaamia peoples. lorenz has shown work through short stack film festival (il), queer spectra arts festival (slc), deseret expiremental opera (slc), and pink slip zine (il). recent process and physical performance work include khecari, project bound dance, common canvas, and we/are collective. independent collaborations include work with rachel damon, mia martelli, free pool collective, and kara brody.

Dani Oblitas (she/her)

Daniele Oblitas (she/her), originally from Houston, Texas, is a dance artist and educator currently based in Chicago, IL. She graduated from St. Olaf College in 2019 with a BA in Dance and Environmental Studies. Since graduating, Daniele has collaborated on a dance film for the UW Madison P.O.W.E.R. Collective CYPHER performance for restorative justice (2021) and has additionally performed with Liz Sexe Dance and KLJ Movement. She was a dance educator for Performing Ourselves, KLJ Movement, and Senior Movement Meditation classes and is currently a Teaching Artist at Prescott Elementary.

As a dance artist, performer, choreographer, and educator, Daniele is passionate about the intersections between movement, sovereignty, environment, and justice, as well as making movement accessible to all. She is interested in improvisation as a form of movement and performance. Daniele is excited to find connection and community with the Wolfpack!

Hanna Swartz (they/them)

Hanna Swartz is a Chicago-based dance artist who holds a BFA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. After a decade of ballet and jazz training in their home state of Missouri, Hanna spent a year of undergrad studying contemporary dance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. They moved to Chicago in 2018 to continue their education at the Dance Center of CCC along with freelance performance work. Hanna currently dancing professionally in Chicago as well as using choreographic research, improvisation, and writing as personal practice.

Garret G Welker (they/them)

Garret Welker (they/them) is a dancer, choreographer, musician, actor, tattoo artist, and storyteller. They got their BFA in dance performance in 2015 from the Dobbins Conservatory at Southeast Missouri State University, while there, they performed works by Larry Keigwin, Sam Watson, Hedwig Dances, Victor Alexander and Murray Gutierrez, and Gus Giordano. In the years since graduating, they have worked with Giordano Dance Chicago, Ashleyliane Dance Company, Soilsigh Ireland, the Fly Honey Show, and are currently a member of We Are Collective. Through all mediums and projects, Garret seeks to delve deeper into the connection between community, culture, tradition, and ritual, and how they can intersect to build a stronger foundation for a brighter tomorrow.

The Wolfpack: Meet the Team

The Wolfpack: Image