Three Salem College faculty members are joining more than 60 female writers, playwrights, dancers, choreographers, filmmakers, musicians and craftswomen for the inaugural Ruby Slipper Fringe Festival in downtown Winston-Salem.

The festival, which began last week, will resume Thursday, and Salem faculty members Shawn Bowman-Hicks, Cristy Lynn Brown and Heidi Echols will perform an original dance piece “Forsaking Her” which was choreographed by Bowman-Hicks.

“This piece was created originally with a friend in New Mexico who was a classically trained vocalist,” Bowman-Hicks said.  “Since she was not a dancer I used a bench as a prop as a place to begin the dance. The dance has since developed into a trio, and the collaborations continue. The process of working this way is a gift.”

The festival, kicked off and sponsored by Paper Lantern Theatre Company, is free for both artists and audiences. Performances are at the Mount Castle Forum at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 252 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem. Hicks-Bowman’s piece will be presented as part of the dance showcase, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday.