Our Story
The Croft Residency was founded by Benjamin Cheney in Northern Michigan in the winter of 2018, under the name Crojik’s Croft, to provide a nature-based residency for artists. It is inspired by his experience at other artist residencies across the US, and by his deep commitment to nurturing the links between the land and those of who draw from it physical, spiritual, and creative nourishment.
The residency is designed to provide a platform and refuge where visiting performance, dance, and other movement-based artists can develop new work, hone and rework developing projects, and draw inspiration from the variety of nature that is both part of and surrounds The Croft. For example, during the 2018 season, one resident company specifically focused on the relationship between land and water. The collective made numerous visits to and performed at the nearby Fisherman’s Island State Park, located on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Other companies have developed new work using grand old trees on the residency property almost as adjunct company members. The residency strives to provide a meeting space where artists, audiences, and the community engage with each other. The performing arts are often perceived as inaccessible to a broad audience. Our residency seeks to shatter that illusion. Our artists engage directly with the community through workshops, and informal sharings.
The residency is a continuing evolution of over 10 years of research and embodiment in communal living, movement and balance, and site research. The Cheney family purchased the site in 2016.
Our Staff
Artistic Director
Benjamin Cheney is a performer and designer from Northern Michigan. He is the founder and Artistic Director of The Croft Residency. His personal dance practice centers on moving meditation, with a focus on somatic, intentional, and metaphoric improvisational movement. He uses the tools of Body Mind Centering (BMC) and the Tamalpa Life Art Process (TLAP) as lenses and languages to engage in his explorations and facilitations. He is a level 2 Graduate from Tamalpa and has completed the BMC SME (Somatic Movement Educator) courses. His performance experience includes the New York premier of Bienvenue, with Company SBB in New York in May 2017, The Nutcracker with Crooked Tree School of Ballet in 2018, and a performance at Mass MoCA with Dance The Yard on Valentine’s Day 2019. He worked at The Yard as the Production associate, in 2016, facilitating the onsite needs of incoming artists in residence for performance. He was also an artist educator while at the yard, facilitating classes in schools, senior homes, and at community venues. This is his 5th year as Artistic Director of The Croft.
Technical Advisor
Hannah Bianchi is the Technical Advisor for The Croft Residency. She has over 5 years of experience as a Stage Technician, Lighting Designer, and Stage Manager. She has worked as a stagehand at places such as The Great Lakes Center for the Arts and Tiles Center for the Performing Arts. She designs lights for The Crooked Tree School of Ballet Stage Productions. She designed the lights for the informal showing of, unPacking Pina, by LMnO3. Her Stage Management work includes running a Purchase Dance Company show at New York Live Arts. She is currently the Harbor Springs Performing Arts Center Director.
Organizational and Stewardship Advisor
David King is the Organizational and Stewardship Advisor for The Croft Residency. David has over 30 years of experience in management and organization of non-profit, governmental, and for-profit environmental organizations. He cares deeply for our relationship with the land. As the Chief of Staff for the District of Columbia Office of Planning in Washington D.C. he formulated and executed legislative strategy for the establishment of the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation, a government- chartered corporation responsible for the redevelopment and environmental restoration of Washington’s Anacostia River waterfront. He is now helping us build connections between artists, the land, and the community.
Our Board
David King, serves as The Croft Residency’s board President.
Shawn Lefevre, The Croft Residency’s board Treasurer, graduated from Western Michigan University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Emphasis in Sculpture. He then moved to New York City and worked in arts management for 4 years, including at Sotheby’s as well as at a private contemporary art collection, where he oversaw a 15,000 sq.ft. warehouse renovation. In 2016 Shawn began work at The University of Maine Museum of Art as a registrar, and in 2017 he and his family moved back to northern Michigan.
Natalie Lefevre, The Croft Residency’s board Secretary, graduated from Western Michigan University in 2011, Magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Emphasis in Painting. In addition to pursuing her own artistic endeavours, Mrs. Lefevre has many years of experience in retail management and operations, as well as experience in educational administration.
Holly Jones, A Croft board member, is a field based arts worker, advocate, and consultant who is passionate about arts accessibility, equitable curatorial practices, and trust-based philanthropy. She enjoys engaging and interacting with artists, students, industry peers, and arts patrons. Ms. Jones currently serves in joint leadership of The Clive & Valerie Barnes Foundation where her work is dedicated to the encouragement and recognition of outstanding emerging artists. Previously, Holly served as Associate Producer and Director of Artist Services at The Yard where she oversaw tremendous programmatic growth and professionalized operations in turn, supporting hundreds of artists in realizing their creative visions. Recently Holly has contracted with the New England Foundation for the Arts, CityStep, and The Croft where she will served as Interim Executive Director for the 2021 season. Ms. Jones is pursuing her masters in nonprofit leadership at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice (anticipated December ‘21). She completed an Executive Certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy through National Arts Strategies and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.F.A. in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College. Holly continues to perform, teach, and choreograph in New York City.
Breckyn Dávila Drescher, The Croft Resdiency’s Resident Artist Representative, is a movement artist and director melding live performance, art, dance, fashion, and film. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, she is currently based between New York City and Paris. She graduated from SUNY Purchase, studied abroad at Taipei National University for the Arts, and has since been performing, creating, and teaching internationally. Dávila Drescher is a past artist-in-residence at The Croft, and is very excited to continue being a part of the residencies support system and growth.
Benjamin Cheney, serves as a board member.