Rambling:
My Thoughts on Dance
Dance to me is communication and collaboration on so many levels.
Most obviously, it is a physical language that lets dancers express ideas and emotions through movement.
I love the physicality and hard work of dancing, but what is fascinating me more and more is the pathway of communication within the dance world and the number of people who can communicate their ideas through a piece of choreography (especially something new) to each other and the world:
Companies commission choreographers whose works they admire and in doing so, make a statement to their audience and dancers about who and what the company believes in.
Choreographers express their views of the world through the movement they create and work with the dancers to interpret the work in a way true to their vision and the individuality of the dancers.
Dancers’ performance onstage informs the thoughts and actions of the audience, possible resulting in positive changes in their lives and the world.
Dance takes something intangible - an idea - and turns it into something tangible - a series of experiences for everyone involved that have a lasting impact that lasts far longer than 2 hours in the theater.
That’s powerful.
That is why it is important the curation, creation and rehearsal processes involve different voices and different perspectives. Conversations continue and as a result, impact both the dance community and the wider world, and hopefully cause positive and necessary changes in both spheres.
Personally, I haven’t yet discovered a choreographic voice to share my view of the world, but I love working with choreographers who have. I’m young and learning from every experience I have, from every choreographer and company I work with, in order to shape my artistic voice as a dancer and add to the conversation.
What is dance?
What how do I describe myself as a dancer?
Professional. Dependable. Dedicated. Curious.
Dance has allowed me to travel many places and work with many people. Each experience teaches me something new and encourages my growth as an artist and person, which allows me to bring different perspectives to the studio.
Different perspectives allow me to make choices that improve my artistry and keep my mind and body agile. I enjoy building upon my classical training (primarily Vaganova technique, which gave me strong technique without stylistic affectations) by adopting new styles and artistic choices, according to the choreography I am working on.
This, in addition to previous experience with contemporary and classical companies, has made me a well-rounded and dependable performer, with a good understanding of the styles of ballet, contemporary ballet and modern dance.
I consistently look for opportunities to utilize and improve my skills in contemporary dance and contemporary ballet because it is helps me stay curious and open to new ideas. It allows me to understand the ‘why’ driving the movement:
What inspired the choreographer to create this piece?
What are the nuances that can be teased out to make my performance unique?
Curiosity is my way of staying engaged and fueling my commitment to the choreography, choreographer and company. It drives me to work hard to make the essence of the piece become reality onstage.
Curiosity is also the motivation behind my career goal: to try everything!
Realistically, I know this may not be possible. But I may never stop dancing either!
Right now, I cherish every opportunity I have to dance something new; to revisit a piece I’ve performed and see what has changed; and to move to a new city, state or country for a dancing opportunity.
I will dance as long as movement continues to inspire me and teach me about the world, and I am dedicated to bringing everything that I have to the studio to give back to dance what it gives to me.
If you have thoughts to add or another question, or, if you want to have a conversation about what I’ve written, contact me!