Tiger Balm #7

Khary Jackson

Khary Jackson is a writer, dancer and musician. Khary has written several plays, one of which (Water) was produced in 2009 at Ink and Pulp Theatre in Chicago. In 2020/21 Khary co-composed a MNiatures commission with MN Opera. As a hip hop/street dancer Khary created and performed work at the 2018 and 2021 Choreographers’ Evening at Walker Art Center. Khary has been a recipient of several generous grants, including the 2019 Jerome Artist Fellowship and the 2022 and 2016 McKnight Artist Fellowships in Writing. Khary is an alum of Cave Canem, the esteemed writing fellowship for Black writers. Khary's poetry book, Any Psalm You Want, was published with Write Bloody Publishing in the spring of 2013.

Juliet Irving

Juliet Irving aka Sonny Dee is a Black, femme multimedia artist, choreographer, writer, and graphic designer hailing from Monetta, South Carolina. Invested in cultivating radical imagination and practices of tenderness in rural BIPOC communities, her multidisciplinary practice originates from a childhood spent crafting performances with her sister for a dedicated audience of cows. This evolved into a collaborative practice of immersing audiences and performers into fantastical worlds of possibility integrating environmental installation, improvisation, and audience interaction. Their current work is rooted in the exploration of biomythography as a method of recovering the ancestral stories and knowledge of Afro-Carolinians across the diaspora. They also assist in producing the visions of other creatives through their work in dramaturgy, creative direction, and experiential design. Juliet has presented work at Choreographer’s Evening (Walker Art Center), Red Eye's NW4W, NextGen Choreolab, ADF, the Schaefer Center, and CADD. In May 2026, she will present a new work as part of CANDY BOX Dance Festival. She invites collaboration, collective imaginings, and curiosity at www.julietirving.com.

Cecil Neal

Cecil Neal, professionally known as Virgo: The Final Warning, is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and mentor specializing in Krump. Based in the Twin Cities, his journey began with a passion for recreating Chris Brown and Michael Jackson performances before evolving into a deep love for street dance. By age twelve, he was already performing at venues such as Stepping Stone Theater and Intermedia Arts, laying the foundation for his artistic growth.

He refined his craft at the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, where four years of intensive training deepened his artistic vision. In 2019, Cecil premiered a debut solo work at the Fitzgerald Theater and the Walker Art Center stage in Minneapolis, marking a defining moment in his choreographic career.

Cecil has toured internationally with Breakfast Dance Company, performing in cities such as Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Bates, Maine; and Vancouver for the Vancouver International Dance Festival. He has also performed with Meridian Movement Company on some of Minnesota’s premier stages, including the Ordway, Park Square Theater, Red Eye Theater, and Peavey Plaza for the Minnesota Orchestra’s Day of Music Festival. In 2024, he was the winner of House of Dance’s 10th Anniversary All-Styles Battle at The Fillmore. In 2025, Cecil was awarded the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Dancers.

Cecil is also a leader in the Minnesota Krump and street dance community, creating spaces where expression, creativity, and community thrive. Whether stepping into the role of leader, event producer, educator, performer, or student, he shows up in his fullest capacity—believing that each role not only strengthens him, but also serves the bigger picture of uplifting the community at large. His work reflects a commitment to showing that while dance is his career, it is also a powerful tool for expression, a safe space, and a place to belong.

As an educator, Cecil has taught at the University of Minnesota, Macalester College, and internationally in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and San Diego, California. His teaching and mentorship extend beyond movement—his mission is to create impact by helping people see the best in themselves and equipping them with ways to consistently show up for who they are becoming, no matter their age or background.

Pedra Pepa

My name is Pedra Pepa, I am a performance maker based in Minneapolis via Venezuela. Movement, like water, is life. I observe movement in how we relate with one another, with nature, with the world around us. I'm a co-director of Drag Story Hour, theatrical productions. Most recently completed a 3 show series at the Pillsbury House Theatre. I'm a Jerome fellowship for Dance ('19-'21) and McKnight for choreography Fellowship ('22) recipient. Over the years I've spent time in Latin America for a collaboration that bloomed into a month long run of a duet in Buenos Aires in 2023. My latest solo work, TRANSUBSTAN (2023), emerges from an embodied practice developed in natural settings - Armila, Guna Yala, 2022.