We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Reign Drop a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Reign, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Being a full time creative is a life full of constant changes. I am currently a dancer, choreographer, stage manager, and theatre technician working in Chicago and every week my schedule holds an exciting new element. While the changes can keep things lively, the lack of stability can start to weigh on you. Overall, I am happy to be an artist and I feel really lucky to be working in my field. At the same time I hav considered switching out of the field to pursue consistency and stability for myself. It’s unfortunate that you have to decide one or the other but the lack of funding in the arts creates this scenario.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Reign Drop is a trans dancer, choreographer, and Co-Founder of We Are Collective. Over the last seven years, they have grown roots in the Chicago dance community focusing on creating sustainable and accessible dance spaces for all ages. They research contemporary movements that demonstrate autonomy, liberation, and connection. In the community, they have led an Improvisers’ Jam for Chicago Dancemakers Forum, performed for Alix Shilaci and Erin Killmurray, presented work at j e l l o dances, created work for Synapse Arts New Works, and have choreographed for New Dances and the iconic Chicago drag queen Shea Coulee’s “Rewind” music video. Their newest role includes being a Company Lead for Queer Dance Freakout, the largest trans dance organization in Chicago which aids them in their mission to be heard—to share their story—to honor the stories of all magical trans people.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

For We Are Collective, we build our social media presence by sharing insights into our rehearsal process and creating engagement opportunities for folks to contribute to our collective. One of the ways we do this is by creating a zine to coincide with our performances. We have hired illustrators and do an open call for poetry to be included. This gives people a stake in the upcoming project and keeps them engaging with us in the future.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The best way to support the arts is to advocate for organizations you believe in. While attending events is amazing and ultimately how we impact our audience, often times the arts cannot be funded off of ticket sales alone. The ecosystem relies on investors and donors who support the work.

Contact Info:

• Website: wearecollective.online
• Instagram: @wearedancecollective

Image Credits
Photos by Phylinese Brooks