Spotlit in Seattle: kelly langeslay

Key Takeaways:

• langeslay merges movement, performance art, pop culture, and theory
• They navigated a creative hiatus brought on by COVID and concussions
• Self-produced shows like “girl dinner” help them explore long-form work
• Site-specific performances transform unusual spaces into immersive stages
• Their ongoing project “crush” combines personal reflection and queer history

Early Beginnings

“I grew up in a teeny town and took dance classes from when I was 3,” langeslay recalls. These early lessons laid the foundation for a life devoted to performance. At the University of Washington, they pursued dance—along with a double major in psychology—though langeslay quips, “I use the dance degree all the time,” highlighting how their passion for movement shaped their credo more than psychology ever did.

Challenges and a Surprising Return

After graduating during the COVID lockdown, langeslay took a respite from dance. A short-lived stint running a childcare karate dojo and the misfortune of two significant concussions kept them away from producing new work. But eventually, an internship at Velocity Dance Center drew them back into the performance world. From there, as langeslay puts it, “I was applying to everything. I started getting things, and I’ve been making stuff nonstop.”

Creating “girl dinner”

As an emerging artist determined to make longer, more complex pieces, langeslay learned self-production was essential. Backed by grants from 4Culture and Northwest Film Forum, they created their first evening-length work, “girl dinner,” at Base: Experimental Arts + Space. The piece blended elements of self-reflection and pop culture, incorporating what langeslay describes as “ghosts and queer time and Barbie-embodiment-as-escapism, and literal/metaphorical fingering.”

Performing in Unexpected Places

A signature of langeslay’s style is the use of unconventional sites. “Theater spaces feel like a blank piece of paper,” they explain. Instead, they prefer to transform existing contexts, such as a pastel kitchen, someone’s apartment, or even an annex at Mini Mart City Park. During one rendition of their work “crush,” audience members were invited to gather in a cozy blanket fort and feast on Totino’s. In an earlier version, chili simmered on the stove of langeslay’s own apartment, enveloping spectators in an intimate and sensory experience.

Introducing “crush”

“crush” is an ongoing, long-form project that evolves with each performance. With every iteration building an offbeat narrative—from pop culture references to queer history—the piece defies theatrical norms by directly addressing the audience. “Sometimes it goes around theory and queer history and kind of blends all together,” langeslay says, underscoring the importance of personal stories and the freedom to open up new possibilities at every turn.

Each show brims with a balance of reality and absurdity, such as imagining “10,000 cockroaches falling from the ceiling.” As langeslay notes with a playful grin, “It’s not about crushes, but [it] has this crush theme woven up into it because they’re kind of horrible. I want something horrible to happen in crush.”

Through a potent mix of humor, sincerity, and evocative storytelling, kelly langeslay is reshaping Seattle’s performance scene. And whether you walk into a pastel kitchen or a makeshift blanket fort, one certainty emerges: you will experience something utterly unforgettable.