Our History

The Fuerta Dance Company, founded by Margaret Morrissey and Alyson Quigley, is a modern dance company currently located and performing in Atlanta, GA under the artistic direction of Margaret Morrissey. The idea for "Fuerta" developed soon after the start of a lifelong friendship between these two artists. The Northwestern graduates share an interest in unique movement qualities inspired by the many contrasting facets of femininity.

 Upon moving their artistic endeavors down to Atlanta in 2012, the pair began creating work together, both in dance and on film. Morrissey presented a piece entitled "Fuerta” at Atlanta's Dance Canvas showcase for emerging artists in 2013. The Fuerta Dance Company began in 2014, with a group of 10 passionate dancers, premiering its first full length show, “(luna)tics" in June of 2015. Their next show, an evening of dance for film works titled, "en la mente," premiered in November of 2016. Morrissey became the sole artistic director in 2017, with the support of Quigley from Chicago, and went on to present work in Dance Canvas in 2017 and Zoetic’s MIXTAPE in 2019. Fuerta’s third season, “WAKE,” was a collaboration with Atlanta’s Esthete Collective in 2022. Its fourth season, “sole.” showcased multiple choreographers and premiered at Emory Performing Arts Studio in 2023. Morrissey is currently working on Fuerta’s fifth season, “Ripe,” to premiere in the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival in June, 2024. Her work continues to explore the complex duality of what it means to be feminine; the ugliness and beauty, darkness and light, and strength and vulnerability. She has become deeply woven into the fabric of the Atlanta dance community over the past decade and is looking forward to the future of the Fuerta Dance Company.