As art grows increasingly inaccessible, I aim to tell stories through multidisciplinary vehicles - movement, voice, theatrics, props, visuals, & prose - beyond the confines of traditional theater.
I believe that these diverse methods, when driven by community & collaboration, are vital for the accessibility of narrative.
Photo by Katie Bruce Sorenson.
Mads Ward (they/them) is a freelance artist who combines the languages of dance, design, prose, and theatrics to create engaging, multi-disciplinary work. They are also a student at the University of Utah pursuing a dual Honors B.S. in Sociology and Urban Ecology through the College of Architecture and Planning.
Originally from North Carolina, Mads received their formal dance training at Charlotte Ballet Academy - alongside summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet & Ballet West - before accepting a trainee position with Charlotte Ballet in 2019. They moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to work with Ballet West as a trainee in 2020. After injury and re-evaluation of their creative goals, Mads stepped into the world of contemporary dance. They joined SALT Contemporary Dance's second company in 2021 and spent three seasons under the direction of Amy Gunter-Lolofie. While at SALT, Mads was fortunate to work in process with guest artists including Courtney Mazeika, Alice Klock of FLOCK, Noelle Kayser, Nicole von Arx, and Elijah Labay. Mads has also trained at BODYTRAFFIC, Orsolina28 (Nunes/FLOCK), and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago summer programs.
Photos by Shelby Taylor. Pictured with Alex Seager.
In 2022, Mads began developing their improvisational practice - guided by gesture, storytelling, & playful imagination - and recording it in an online "journal", @madsismoving. The practice led to curiosity about the use of props, dialogue, & soundscapes to better communicate narratives through movement in nontraditional performance spaces. Mads first explored this with collaborator, Maeve Friedman, in their co-creation, "It Used to Rain for Me, Too", for a cast of SALT2 dancers in their 2023 production of PLAYPRETEND.
Mads has worked with 801 Salon for two years in the choreographic flash incubator, PlayGround, as well as in the colorful music and movement improvisational installation, PRISMATIC. They have also worked with Repertory Dance Theater in their 2023 Regalia production, 2024 LINK Series - which sponsored an evening length opera, ¿Te Vas?, produced with Ballet Opéra de Guerra - and in their 2025 productions of EMERGE and Regalia. They have created work with dancers and musicians for SLC Arts Council's Shoreline Swell, centered around Utah's ecology, as well as a solo in collaboration with the University of Utah's School of Music for their Winter Composition Concert. Mads has performed a two-hour, live durational improvisation scored by Constance Anderson at DeepFake Film Festival, as well as a piece at RedRock Dance Festival.
Pictured with Charlotte Stehmeyer.
Pictured with Manny Santos and Charlotte Stehmeyer.
Their acting experience includes the lead, 'Vi', in Nora Price's "Bunionhead": a body-horror short film exploring themes of reproductive and bodily autonomy. Mads has modeled for Rusted Salt Photography and Lucero Hair & Wellness for their National American Hair Association (2025) competition submission.
Mads is a proud member of Fleet Cooperative - Salt Lake City's artistic co-op - and the leader of Fleet's design and merchandise.
Photos by Bleached and Bewitched Photography.
