Heartland is a multi-disciplinary collective directed by Heller, with collaborators in dance, the visual arts (such as scenic design, print making, and puppetry), and music composition and performance. It is our desire to re-imagine a new company model, where leadership and creative motivation is a movable, non-hierarchical exchange. This way of working also manifests in the event itself, where the audience has permission to move through and with their experiences, decide how/if/and when to participate in the work, and to choose their perspectives. The model for Heartland is based around curated, themed performances (such as Valentines Day, Woodland Creatures, Cosmos) that open an evening. The performance then merges into an open dance party, where the audience immediately has permission to move and groove through their experiences and engage in connection (and most importantly, to experience JOY).

Our work has been presented by: Beehive Concert Venue in downtown SLC (February 2019), Urban Lounge in downtown SLC (June 2019), and Shawl-Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley, CA (July 2019). These intimate and non-traditional performing spaces support the nature of Heartland. We purposefully work with venues that are small (and even limited), that invite the audience to become part of the experience. The open design and history of community engagement of these venues, work with the Heartland concepts instead of prescribing certain expectations that a traditional theatre space often holds.