The Team

From sanitation workers to firefighters, power linemen to maintenance teams, Allison Orr creates award-winning choreography with the people whose work sustains our everyday lives. Inspired by the beauty and virtuosity in the movement of labor, and building on her background in anthropology and social work, Allison has honed a methodology of ethnographic choreography that engages community members as co-authors and performers in the creation of large-scale civic spectacles. Challenging audiences to expand notions of dance and performer, her dances have been performed for audiences of 60 to 6,000+.

In recent years, Allison has been named a MacDowell Fellow, a Dance | USA Fellow in Social Change, a Doris Duke United States Artist Fellow, Best Choreographer by The Austin Chronicle, Most Outstanding Choreographer by the Austin Critics Table, one of Tribeza Magazine’s Top 10 Austinites, and one of eight “Extraordinary Texans” by Texas Highways Magazine. Her large-scale work The Trash Project was named a #1 Arts Event by the Austin American-Statesman, #1 Dance Event by The Austin Chronicle, and Most Outstanding Dance Concert by the Austin Critics Table. It is also the subject of a feature-length documentary film entitled Trash Dance.

Allison has been commissioned three times by the Fusebox Festival and was the single US choreographer selected by the Kyoto Arts Center as part of the National Performance Network’s Asian Exchange program. A guest artist for numerous dance programs including Williams College, Wake Forest University, the University of Maryland, and Texas A&M, Allison has been a Mellon Foundation Creative Campus Scholar at the Center for the Arts of Wesleyan University. Her work has been funded by the City of Austin, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Doris Duke Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, the MAP Fund, The New England Foundation for the Arts, Engaging Dance Audiences/Dance USA, numerous foundations, and the City of Venice, Italy.

Currently a Distinguished Fellow of the College of Environment at Wesleyan University, Allison directed The Artist in the City — a hands-on course in her community-based dance-making practice where Wesleyan students embedded within the local water/wastewater department to create collaborative artistic projects with city employees. Allison has also taught children, adults over 65, and people with disabilities. Before founding Forklift Danceworks in 2001, Allison danced and studied with Deborah Hay and MacArthur Award winner Liz Lerman. She holds an MFA in Choreography and Performance from Mills College and a BA in Anthropology from Wake Forest University. Allison is a fourth generation Texan and lives in Austin with her husband and two children. 

You can find and follow Allison on Instagram.

Qainta Harris is a native of Dallas, TX and holds a B.A. in Women’s Studies & Psychology from Southwestern University. Her distinguished career in nonprofit development began in Austin over 25 years ago. She has held integral roles within various esteemed institutions across diverse sectors, from Community Health to Higher Education where she specialized in event planning, volunteer management and recruitment, and major donor relations and stewardship. After more than a decade of dedicated service in the nonprofit realm, Qainta transitioned her career trajectory to become a Registered Nurse, while continuing to be an active volunteer for Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and Big Brothers Big Sisters. She served on her Alma Mater’s Alumni Board and was a dedicated board member and board President for ATX Kids Club. She is a recipient of Alpha Phi Omega’s Alumni Professional Service Award and is a 2024 awardee of AFP’s Fundraiser of Color Scholarship. Now, after more than 15 years in the medical field serving as a charge nurse and a hospital Quality Manager, Qainta has renewed her initial passion for nonprofit strategy and relationship cultivation by joining Forklift Danceworks as their first Director of Development and Communications, where she brings her wealth of experience and expertise to steer the organization towards further growth and impact.

With over 30 years of expertise in strategic public affairs and nonprofit operations, Lyda is pivotal in helping advance the mission of Forklift Danceworks (FLDW). Her knowledge base spans across the legislative, regulatory, environmental nonprofit, and communications realms. Lyda’s wealth of connections in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors is essential for her role in positioning FLDW as a strategic partner and building valuable relationships among a variety of stakeholders.

Lyda is founder of a strategic business services firm, where she conducts organizational development, executive management, operational resilience, and recruiting tailored to individual clients. Representative clients include Great Springs Project, The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation, The Meadows Center for Water & The Environment, The Hill Country Alliance, The Texas Hill Country Conservation Network, The Texas Water Foundation, Barton Springs Conservancy and others.Through her results-driven perspective, Lyda was also successful in her work with national clients such as the Large Public Power Council, where she provided association management, leadership advancement, and membership recruitment. Previously, Lyda served as an executive with a professional health services association in Texas, leading their award-winning philanthropic initiatives, organization-wide rebranding, and nationally interfacing operations. As vice president of a public affairs firm, Lyda managed daily operations and directed legislative, regulatory, and communications issues for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, law firms, banks, political campaigns, and professional associations. A veteran of Texas politics, Lyda advised many executives and assisted political and corporate clients with successful international, national, and local political and public relations campaigns.

Lyda is a licensed attorney, certified mediator, and fluent in Spanish. Lyda received J.D. with honors from St. Mary’s University School of Law, which featured her non-traditional journey, and graduated from Duke University.

Rachael Garbowski is a seasoned professional in the nonprofit sector, specializing in development, strategic partnerships, and community building. Previously serving as the Director of Development for both Big Medium and AIA Austin, she has played a pivotal role in supporting artists and fostering artistic communities in Austin and across Texas. Rachael has also held key roles in various organizations, including serving as Managing Director of Austin EMS Relief Fund, Corporate Relations Manager for The Contemporary Austin, and Director of Development for Texas Land Conservancy. With a background that includes a BA in Art History and Theater from Bates College, as well as formative years at Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School, Rachael’s commitment to the arts is deeply ingrained. She is currently dividing her time between Brooklyn and Austin, where she has resided for over a decade. From 2021 to 2023 she owned and operated Ani’s Day & Night, a hybrid coffee shop, bar, community space, and event venue, reflecting her commitment to creating inclusive spaces for connection and creativity. She is excited to embark on her new role as Institutional Giving Manager with Forklift Danceworks.

Marina Garbalena is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and development specialist from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. She has collaborated with institutions like the National Dance Institute and Kids Excel El Paso, where she served as co-artistic director and program coordinator. Marina also co-founded Mountain Movement Dance Company, showcasing her work at events such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Currently based in Austin, she contributes to Forklift Danceworks’ outreach and community impact through her work in development and communications.

Marina remains deeply connected to her roots in the El Paso/Juárez region, visiting often to spend time with her family and support the local arts scene, while actively engaging with Austin’s dynamic music and arts communities.

Kayleigh is an activist, artist, community steward, and medicine woman. Over the past ten years, she has orchestrated spaces for people to share recorded audios of poignant histories and stories oriented around critical social and political narratives to be presented in an Oral History Performance Initiative: The Community Storytelling Composition Project. Above all else, she believes that sharing personal stories has the power to restore humanity and resuscitate life back into one another when in need. Because “if we don’t share your stories, Who will?” (Mia Mingus 2018)

Most of her work focuses on socio-political discourse, drawing upon performance as a subversive tool to generate conversation around a particular poignant or charged subject. Her educational background spans degrees in Sociology from Hunter College, NY, Anthropology from SUNY New Paltz, NY, a Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine where she became a Licensed Acupuncturist, and Masters of Oral History at Columbia University. Professional accomplishments include some getting onto the Cirque du Soleil roster of Circus artists in 2014, Dance Oral Historian Assistant in New York Public Library’s Library of Performing arts, Production Stage Manager with Roll the Bone’s Letter No. 9, Network Director of Zen Peacemakers International, and administration for a variety of reputable arts nonprofits. Outside work, Kayleigh is often escaping into other worlds through reading and writing, or walking quietly in nature. 

Amy Martinez is a devoted wife and mother of two, deeply rooted in faith. As a lifelong resident of Austin, Texas, she has developed a strong passion for helping others in every way possible. Growing up in a family of artists, she possess a profound appreciation for creativity, which she continuously nurture and see reflected in her children.

Before launching her own virtual assistant and digital photo organizing business, Amy dedicated 24 years to the medical field. Amy’s diverse experience encompasses various roles, including EMT, medical assistant, operations manager, practice executive assistant, and vendor relations specialist. In 2024, she made the exciting decision to become her own boss full time, and she cherishes every moment of this journey.

For the past three years, Amy has been volunteering her virtual assistant services, and recently took the leap to turn her passion into a business, achieving success along the way. In August 2024, she proudly joined the Forklift Danceworks team, and she’s incredibly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such a remarkable group of individuals.

Born and raised in Austin, TX, Rachel Nayer is a performance artist, choreographer, and yoga teacher. In 2018, Rachel completed her undergraduate degree with honors in both Performance/Choreography and Environmental Science at Scripps College in Claremont, California. She is passionate about using the body as a tool for communication, celebration, community building, and acknowledgment. Rachel first joined the Forklift team in the summer of 2018 for Dove Springs Swims/Nadamos Dove Springs, and since then has collaborated on Givens Swims(2019), The Way of Water: Waller Creek (2022), and The Way of Water: Onion Creek (2023/24).  

Francis Rodriguez (she/her) is a dance maker, performer and educator currently based in Austin, Texas. Originally from the Rio Grande Valley, she holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from The University of Texas at Austin and is a graduate of the UTeach Dance program. Francis’ journey with Forklift Danceworks began in the summer of 2018 as an Artistic Intern for Dove Springs Swims/Nadamos Dove Springs. Since then, she has collaborated on Austin FC Collaboration (2021), Dances for Dogs and People Who Walk Them (2022), The Way of Water: Waller Creek (2022), and the ongoing Leaps & Bounds creative movement program.

Emily Morgan (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in dance, working on her dissertation on community dance practices at Texas Woman’s University. When she finishes her dissertation, she is eager to delve back into her own community dance practices while continuing to write about others’ work on the subject. Emily lives in Fort Collins, CO, where she is the Director of Dance and an Associate Professor at Colorado State University. She has taught, performed, and presented her work throughout the United States and internationally. Whenever possible, she loves to be outside with her husband, two children, and dog.

Born and raised in Austin Tx, Damian comes from a background of film. At 18 years old, he wrote and co-directed his first short film and debuted it at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, he has continued to work on his craft, exploring other avenues of visual media in commercials, music videos, and feature films. Damian has done work for Microsoft, Capital Metro, Austin FC, E4youth, I ACT, DAWA and others. “I enjoy the process of filming and editing, but I love having the ability to turn a life’s moment into a beautiful story”.