ABOUT US

Undercurrent is a Seattle-based dance organization dedicated to creating and experimenting with floorwork technique, biomechanically sustainable movement practices, experiential design, immersive performances, interdisciplinary collaboration, and care-centered community building.

Undercurrent offers varied floorwork classes, from an all-ages community practice to advanced technique for professional dancers. Drawing on floorwork training with Piso Móvil, Flying Low, Psico-Físico, RUBBERBAND, Jorge Crecis, Ihsan Rustem, Adam Barruch, Moving Air, Duela-Cemento, A Surprised Body, CONTINUUM, Release, Austrian Parkour, and 14 years of personal floorwork research, director Hilary Grumman continues to fine-tune a thoughtful and thorough technique that can be taught from the ground up. Within this practice, movers learn conscientious and functional mechanics and nurture muscle memory to care for their joints while experiencing the joyride of floorwork flow, empowering inversions, and unique tricks. Originally founded in 2017 by Hilary Grumman, Liv Fauver, and Ashley Jade, Undercurrent has been solo-directed by Hilary since 2019. In 2023, Seattle-based artist, pedagogue, and community organizer Alethea Alexander came on board as a co-facilitator and creative collaborator.

Since its founding, Undercurrent has held weekly classes year-round at Fremont Abbey. Through Undercurrent, Hilary + Alethea are also currently Kawasaki Artists in Residence at the University of Washington and Adjunct Professors at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University. Additionally, they teach Undercurrent workshops at art and activist organizations globally, including New York City Center, FIDCDMX Ciudad de México, Mark Morris Dance Center, Peridance Center New York, AWID Forum Brazil, Mosswood Hollow Retreat Center, The Dance Complex Boston, Bodies of Empowerment SF, and Velocity’s SFD+I. We host additional learning and community-building opportunities through collaborations with touring artists, such as Nicole von Arx, Babatunji Johnson, Ground Grooves, Lavinia Vago, Elia Mrak, and RUBBERBAND dancers. We have created and performed new dance works commissioned by Actualize AiR, CO– Seattle, Walk Don’t Run, Cornish Dance Theater, Sessions in Place, The Round, Ode at Mini Mart City Park, Studio Current Sessions, Starbucks, music videos, and more, often collaborating with artists from other mediums to shape an immersive environment and perspective for audiences.

In 2025, Undercurrent was awarded the Sustained Support grant from 4Culture, which led to the launch of a new and long-awaited platform under this umbrella – Undercurrent Research Lab (URL) employs five professional dancers to collaboratively deep dive into floorwork partnering and movement vocabulary innovation.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to further sustain our work, thanks to our fiscal sponsor, Velocity Dance Center.

Our ongoing work is made possible by the generous support of our community, Abbey Arts, Mosswood Hollow, and 4Culture.