Flight of Swallows was established in 2010 when co-founders Deisha Oliver-Millar and Sadie Hawkins began to explore collaborative improvisation: music and movement working together. Since then, they have invited an ever-evolving group of musicians and physical performance artists to join in creating moody, magical one-time-only experiences. Ann Marie Spexet joined as a curating collaborator in 2015.
Our pieces function as conversations between movement artist and musician. We have incorporated pop up installations, sculptural elements, site specific movement, and audience participation in venues ranging from traditional theaters, to galleries, to non-traditional public art spaces.
Principal Artist Bios
Deisha Oliver is a multi-instrumentalist and soundscape artist. She regularly works as a studio musician and an invited performing artist in public art spaces, as well as with dance and theatre companies.
Oliver's early training was with polish cellist, Kristoph Kielbasovich. For the next few years and while in college, she continued her classical training in cello as well as developed skills in operatic singing. As a form of rebellion and after getting to play Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, she respectfully left the classical ladder, opting for avant rock, jazz groups, and working with dancers and art galleries. As she unlearned her training, she retrained in the art of listening - enjoying the spontaneity of live performance - failures and all.
Deisha currently composes and performs with Flight of Swallows as well as the Atlanta Improvisor's Orchestra, and sometimes simply solo under a bridge. Her most recent credits include composition and cellist muse for Theatrical Outfit's An Iliad and as an ensemble cellist for Actor's Express' rock musical, Lizzie.
Sadie Hawkins is Atlanta’s gravity-defying fireball. A performance artist and producer, her acts are charged with a sensuality and a sense of humor.
Sadie travels extensively to produce and perform at corporate events, festivals, and local productions. She collaborates with several performance groups, and is cofounder of the Flight of Swallows improv movement+music collective. As a producer, Sadie works to provide opportunities for performers and audiences to push outside their comfort zones. Her past productions include regular series such as Last Pasties Standing, an improv burlesque game show; the Cheap Thrills! series of DIY-on-a-budget variety shows, The Men's Room showcase of male-presenting burlesque, and many more well-received shows. She has served as the Branch Manager of Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School Atlanta and coproducer of Naked Girls Reading Atlanta.
Previous COLLABORATions
Starlings Cabal (now defunct) was established in 2017 to create a vehicle for the musicians of Flight of Swallows to perform structured improvisational music in settings not conducive to dance and movement. The core musicians included Deisha Oliver, George Kotler-Wallace, Renee Nelson, and Ana Balka. You can check them out here.
AnnMarie Spexet is an Atlanta-based engineer and trained aerialist who has performed in and produced works for Fringe Festival, Art on the Atlanta Beltline, CORE fieldwork, and the Atlanta Science Festival. She has also danced with the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company since 2017.
MOVEMENT COLLABORATORS
Kristina Guede - dancer
Tony Schott - movement
Corian Ellisor - dancer
Jacosa Kato - trapeze
Kasumi Kato - silks
Lola LeSoleil - dancer
Stephanie Kohler - dancer
Steve Seaberg - movement
Lucifer - movement
AnnMarie Spexet - movement, aerialist, curator (2015-2022)
COMPANY COLLABORATORS
Hours of the Darkest Night (Atlanta Fringe Fest '14)
The Hereafter Artist Collective
VISUAL COLLABORATORS
Kris Pilcher - video
Steve Seaberg - video & words
MUSICIAN COLLABORATORS
Terry Boiling - singing saw
George Kotler-Wallace - lap steel, pedal steel, effects wizard, guitars
Blake Helton - percussion
Sacha Dzuba - sax, guitar, keyboard
Mario Schambon - percussion
Scott Burland - theremin
Bryant Upchurch - wrench-o-phone
Tricia Chenard - accordion
Nathan Brown - percussion
Michelle Griffin - soprano voice
Majda Anwar - violin
Michael Poteet - percussion
Skylar Ross - bass
Ian Robert Flürrance - stand up bass
Cory Fica - percussion
Brian Kirk - bass
Colin Bragg - guitar
Renee Nelson - harp
Klimchak - percussion & sound maker
Stephanie Francesca Kohler - monkey chant, harmonium
Rasheeda Ali - flute
Christopher Salmon - fiddle
Michael Durham - flute, sax
Ana Balka - violin, guitar, mandolin
Benjamin Shirley - cello
Brian Hallaran - cello
Jennifer Proctor - cello