Hi, I’M Max

Madeline Maxine Roman if you want to get technical about it. I’m the founder and Artistic Director of GRIDLOCK Dance.

The formal bio

Madeline Maxine Roman is talkative and loud. That's partly due to being hard of hearing, but primarily because she's an outspoken lesbian armed with a dedicated prop closet. She is also the Artistic Director of GRIDLOCK Dance, an inaugural Creative Capital State of the Art Prize recipient, and one of Dance Magazine's 25 to Watch.

A standout force among Gen Z choreographers, her work is “intellectually probing, politically minded, and personally revelatory” (Dance Magazine), “conceptually rich and ambitious” (Maryland Theatre Guide), "boldly explores technology's downsides" (Washington City Paper), and provides "a searing comment on how pervasive social media and mobile devices affect human behavior" (Arts ATL).

Max blends choreography, writing, and multimedia to make audiences lean forward, not sit back. Originally rooted in Washington, DC, she now creates work across Canada and the United States, especially in the Toronto and New York City communities. Her recent engagements include commissions from the National Portrait Gallery, James Madison University, Dance Loft, and Joe's Movement Emporium; residencies with Montgomery College, Rutgers University, Atlas Performing Arts Center, and Dance Place; and presentations with 92NY, Pentacle’s Tour Ready Lab, and Steps on Broadway.

As an educator, Max has taught a diverse range of populations, including pre-professional dancers, seasoned movers, college football players, and theater actors. Max partners with On Our Own of Maryland, a behavioral health nonprofit, to create and conduct workshops on arts advocacy and movement for self-care to young adults with mental health and substance use struggles. Max has also led workshops on arts advocacy to young adults with disabilities through the nonprofit Independence Now.

Max graduated as commencement speaker from Towson University with her B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography and B.S. in Mass Communication. During college, she received the Honors College Award, the Kaplan Award, the Research Impact Award, and the Outstanding Choreography Award.