Words From Eliza

Hi everyone! Thank you for taking the time to even consider donating to this fundraiser, I'm already touched that you're reading this to be honest 🥹 I am aiming to raise $15,000 for my newest project by September 1, will you help me!?

my shirts all shrunk: a queer dance-theater work by Eliza Malecki
my shirts all shrunk is a whimsical dance theater work that is rooted in the belief that style is inseparable from identity - that what we wear, how we move, and the choices we make are expressions of who we are and who we’re becoming. This dance explores the desire to stand out, the fantasy of becoming the next version of yourself, and the power of self-presentation as a form of self-knowledge. It examines what it means to “dress queer,” not as a single aesthetic, but as an ever-evolving expression of identity, resistance, joy, and possibility.

The piece centers an all-queer cast/creative team and emerges from the Dance Lab Residency at the Boston Center for the Arts. Through movement and storytelling, my shirts all shrunk celebrates multiplicity and messiness in a fireworks display of personality, humor, and authentic connection. Through this work, we acknowledge that queerness is essential to art and culture, is a radical act of self-expression, and represents connection to ourselves and our communities.

Check out some clips from rehearsals!

Fundraising Goals

$5,000 by March 13
Supports the March 13 showing at the Boston Center for the Arts

Performance stipends for 5 dancers + 1 understudy
Choreographer, dramaturg, and stylist stipends
Costumes, set, and food

$10,000 by July 19 (my 30th birthday!)
Supports summer development residency

Rehearsal fees
Residency space fees
Creative team stipends

$15,000 by September 1
Supports fall showings & Boston premiere

Rehearsal and performance stipends
Production costs

Donor Benefits

To show my gratitude to each one of you beautiful donors I am offering the following benefits to folks who donate over $100!

$2,500+
4 reserved tickets to all showings · name/logo in all print & digital promo · rehearsal access · custom art print · merch

$1,000–$2,499
3 reserved tickets · digital promo credit · rehearsal access · custom art print · merch

$500–$999
2 reserved tickets to select showings · custom art print · merch

$250–$499
2 reserved tickets to select showings · merch

$100–$249
Merch

Fundraiser Events

All proceeds from these events go towards the fundraiser!

Repertory + Creative Class
Thursday, March 12· 6–8 pm
For pre-professional and professional dancers! Step inside the set, movement, and process of my shirts all shrunk.
Free with suggested $15 donation. Click here to register!

Clothing & Story Swap
Saturday, April 25 · 1–4 pm
For Queer identifying folks! A queer clothing swap + facilitated story sharing.
Free with suggested $10 donation.

RSVP link coming soon!

Collaborators

Choreography: Eliza Malecki
Dancers: Aliza Franz, Dawn Stitt, Izzi King, Miranda Lawson, Olivia Moon, Eliza Malecki
Understudy: Emmi Small
Costume Styling: Mary O’Keefe
Dramaturgy: Desiré Graham

On a Personal Note

I've been making dance in Boston since 2018, and have self produced/choreographed five full length shows, made at least 20 dances of varying lengths, and worked for probably six nonprofits. Despite plenty of challenges and lots of burnout, Boston has been very good to me, and I feel really proud of the way that I have grown here. This project feels like a lovely chaotic conglomeration of all of my growth thus far, and as I prepare for my 30th year of being a human, I see this moment as a marker of how I want to spend the next leg of my creative career.

Through weekly rehearsals with my cast, meetings with my creative team, and over 15 one-on-one interviews with queer folks of all ages, identities, and backgrounds, I've affirmed what I already knew to be true: queer people are each so different, so uniquely beautiful, so full of deep emotion, so empathetic and open to the world, so truly themselves. I love queerness, and I love being a member of a community so expansive and filled with joy. This process has filled my cup to the brim, and I'm really excited to share the mess I've made with you all. Thanks for reading this far!

my shirts all shrunk

fundraising for dance theater production by Eliza Malecki!