our history

Mathematics in Motion began as a loose collective of artists and mathematicians doing experiments to connect their respective crafts. Their research produced many fun ways for the public to engage with mathematics through the arts.

The experiments led to annual shows for the Atlanta Science Festival (ASF), beginning in 2016 with Science of the Circus., a collaboration of Evans Harrell and Nicolette Emanuelle. The organization takes it name from three ASF productions we called Mathematics in Motion, originally produced in 2017 by founding partner and choreographer Kristel Rose Tedesco working with a mathematical team of Evans Harrell, Xander Flood, and Andy Imm to create works on dance inspired by the mathematics and history of topics like graph theory and transformations of functions.

The artists and mathematicians contributing to the first two productions of the show Mathematics in Motion were Maxim Beeching, Jessica Bertram, Devin Brown, Mason Brown, Craig Carlson, Xander Flood, Britt Ford, Susanna Green, Porter Grubbs, Kalyn Hardman, Evans Harrell, Andy Imm, Daley Kappenman, Manuela Manetta, Sally O’Grady, and Andrea Ward.

In 2017-2018, Ms. Tedesco wrote and taught a curriculum based on the group’s research to a group of 9th grade students at Cambridge High School. The curriculum centered on engaging movement games to teach mathematics. This culminated in an assembly performance for several hundred high-school students led by Harrell and Tedesco. 

In 2018, Flood, Harrell, and Tedesco incorporated a Georgia educational nonprofit called Mathematics in Motion, Inc., now a 501c3 corporation. Our organization was honored to be selected in the first round of ten nationwide projects funded by the program Science in Vivo, to use original music and dance to engage people with the beauty of mathematics. This was a joint venture with Chaowen Ting, Director of the Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra. The Seven Bridges of Königsberg had its première on September 13, 2018, on the Georgia Tech campus. The Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Ting played music by Atlanta composer Marshall Coats, with choreography by Ms. Tedesco and a narrative about the mathematician Leonhard Euler by Dr. Harrell. The work was also performed at Seven Stages Theatre, Kennesaw State University, and Cabbagetown Park.

In addition to these activities, Mathematics in Motion, Inc., sponsored students from Georgia Tech’s Club Math to create hand-on math activities and take them to schools in the Atlanta area to enrich their math and STEAM programs.

In 2019 Mathematics in Motion launched yet another Atlanta Science Festival event called Mathapalooza! with an expanded set of arts partnerships to engage the world with mathematics, as well as smaller math-themed pop-up events in public spaces.  This was produced by Harrell with Catherine Messina. In March, 2020, Mathapalooza! was canceled at the last moment due to the pandemic, but some parts of it were aired by video later that year at some other internet-organized STEAM events. In March, 2021, Harrell and Angelina Pellini produced a fully online version of Mathapalooza! at the Atlanta Science Festival. Our organization also contributed to online events in 2021-22 including the Celebration of Mind and Math Buffet as well as Atlanta-area performing-arts events.

High school math teacher Jamey Smith joined Mathematics in Motion, Inc., in 2020, and began experimenting with using the arts to inspire students in math classrooms in rural Jasper County and connecting them with productions at the Atlanta Science Festival.

Our 2022 show at the Atlanta Science Festival was an updated Mathematics in Motion produced by Harrell and Pellini. It featured choreography by Julie Galle Baggenstoss and Rose Shields and circus arts by Dan Margalit, Anthony Limiero, and Ziggy Zaptacular.

Co-founder Kristel Tedesco tragically left us in early 2020, but her legacy continues to inspire us at Mathematics in Motion, Inc. Later that year the Kristel Rose Tedesco Residency program began commissioning performing artists based in Atlanta to create original works with mathematical themes.

Mathematics in Motion continues to use the arts to innovate in science and mathematics communication through partnerships with the arts and community organizations. If you are interested in future collaborations, reach out to us!