To round out the Dance Place 2009-2010 Performance Season, we bring you Sharna Fabiano Tango Company. Led by the fierce Sharna Fabiano - who has been trained in traditional social dance styles by some of the greatest names in the modern Tango Renaissance and is regarded as an innovator who has remained connected to the tango's roots while exploring its ever-changing modern aesthetics and vocabulary - the company brings the passionate tale of Abrazo to the stage. Abrazo brings together the talents of actors and dancers with an original script and non-traditional music to explore the literal and figurative tango "embrace." Here Sharna talks about her road to tango and Abrazo:
How did you get started dancing/choreographing, and how did it turn into a career?
With many thanks to my devoted and perceptive mother, I have danced most of my life but never pursued it with true abandon until I became involved with tango in 1997. It was a chance encounter: a friend invited me to an informal tango "practica" and gave me a 2-minute lesson: "give me a hug, lower your right arm, walk." I was entranced. Teaching later grew out of my role as a volunteer tango organizer, and my desire to travel to Argentina to study tango proved sufficient motivation to leave my office job and work free-lance. In 2002, I embraced tango full-time, and that step began my journey as a choreographer. Over the next three years, I created three pieces for TangoMujer in NYC, then the only all-woman tango company in the world. In 2006 I formed my own company in DC and in August we'll present our third evening-length show at Dance Place.
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
Tango specifically is irresistible to me because it represents the intersection of opposing forces. To name a few: sensual and mathematical, simple and complex, curving and linear, up and down, inward and outward, speaking and listening, motion and stillness, control and release. The challenge and the reward of tango is to hold these opposites together at once in your own being. It is a partnered form, which is in itself another experience of the union of opposites. It's beautiful and lends itself very elegantly to universal metaphors, both spiritual and interpersonal. I have been transformed a million times through tango. It is an art form in which it is very easy for me to experience constant personal evolution.
Why do you create dances?
I think it is my way of expanding the transformative essence of the tango form to include groups, the audience, and other disciplines. By moving through a creative process, greater insight emerges for anyone who is looking for it. The insight can come through a story or an abstract composition, or in the case of the August show, both. We are interlacing tango, dialogue, physical theatre, and contemporary dance to explore a core tango theme: longing for a human embrace and at the same time, encountering our own resistance to it. Of course it doesn't do anything to just say that; it's the non-intellectual experience you have when you perform work crafted around that theme, or watch it being performed. That is the part that changes you. Or at least that is our goal.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
In April I was asked to improvise a tango performance for 150 people partnering one of the tango artists I admire most in the entire world. I had exactly 5 minutes to prepare and the floor was like an ice rink, which is extremely difficult and scary for a female tango dancer wearing stilettos. For whatever reason (the floor, the spontaneous nature of the thing), as soon as the music began my mind went blank and all I remember from the 9 minutes we danced was the thought "I am here to be dancing right now." I don't remember anything about the performance itself although I received several compliments afterward. I consider this one of my most satisfying performance experiences because I felt I was truly in the present moment. We tango dancers strive for this above all else, a zen-like state in which you feel as though the tango is animating your body, that you are effortlessly there with no past and no future. When you are only in the now, you are as purely yourself as you can be.
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
My last performance at Dance Place was in 2008 when we premiered Uno, a collaboration with composer Glover Gill. It was a major step for me, a 30-minute work with original music, and in a way defined a choreographic style for the company, which of course is always evolving. But still, that show stands out in my mind as a turning point.
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career.
It is no exaggeration to say that Dance Place has played a pivotal role in my development as a choreographer. No where else have I felt such trust from the directors and staff, such license to create work simply because it was what I had in me to create. There is no way of knowing, really, what your work will be, or how others will react to it, so the act of producing a show at the beginning of one's career feels incredibly risky, incredibly frightening. No one is giving you encouragement yet, no one is telling you "Yes, you must create your work, your work is important, it's valuable." Dance Place is not afraid - they make it somehow possible to take that risk which is felt on every level of your life, emotional, financial, social, spiritual. I honestly am not sure that I would have created my first show in 2006, nor the second show in 2008 or this one in 2010, if Dance Place had not existed.
If you were not a dancer/choreographer...
I would be a WRITER, because writing allows me to think in a different way than I do when I'm just in my head, or when I'm speaking. I can go slower or faster with my thoughts, either more deliberate and careful or more free and careless. I discover all kinds of things that I didn't know about myself when I am writing, and ideas emerge that would not have otherwise. It can be a tremendous internal adventure for me, and I like that the final assemblage of words can be carried off to people everywhere, across time even, and interact with their lives somehow.
Dance Place will be presenting Sharna Fabiano Tango Company's Abrazo on Saturday, August 7 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 8 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Artist Profile: Keira Hart-Mendoza
How did you get started dancing/choreographing, and how did it turn into a career?
I began dancing at the age of 19 in college at James Madison University. I was deeply moved by the modern dance concerts I attended before I started dancing. I began as an outside eye - an audience member. I was in awe of how dance could tell a story through choreography without words, purely through actions. Once I began dancing I simultaneously began choreographing. I remember my teachers thought I was extremely ambitious because my first piece also included video projections and costumes that I also created. So, in a sense, I have always also been bringing other elements to the table with dance...not just movement, but movement and video, movement and costume design, movement and theater, movement and art, etc. It turned into a career because there was an intense passion and a desire to make new things. With every piece I create, I am my own harshest critic...trying to learn, grow, and evolve with each new dance. I also see each dance as an experiment or a statement. There are many different statements I'd like to make, not the same statement over and over...so with each new dance comes a whole new world, and a set of problems that need to be resolved. Half the fun is trying to resolve those problems!
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
Dance is irresistible because it is ingrained within me. Whether I want to or not, I can't seem to resist it because it is inside of me...it lingers in my mind and echoes through my body. I create because I need to "get it out" in a sense.
Why do you create dances?
I create dances because I am a storyteller and dance is the current medium I am working in. I might not always create dances, I like to create other works of art too - videos and objects. However, dance and movement are the most compelling to me right now at this point in my career. I create dances because I have been inspired by other dance artists and I respect their artistry... it encourages me to create dances for myself. However, I don't feel that I create dances for myself, I do create dances for others to partake in and watch too.
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
I have a few mentors...two dance professors from JMU - Cynthia Thompson and Shane O'Hara. They are each great teachers in their own right and great artists and performers. A professor of art from JMU named Stuart Downs who always tried to understand the intention and meaning behind any work of art - dance or other. He also pushed me to really THINK about what I was doing and why. A museum curator at Arizona State University who helped me make many connections to other artists in other fields and who always had something inspiring to share with me to encourage me. Lastly, I studied with choreographer Shen Wei at the American Dance Festival and I will always remember his unique approach to dance and composition. I know you asked for my favorite, however, each has uniquely shaped me thus far.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
My most satisfying performance experience was performing a piece I created called "Trace Memories." The piece was a very quiet and reflective dance. I once performed the duet for an audience of 500 people in Lexington, VA. The whole audience felt as if they were right there with us, enjoying the quiet moment. After the show, a middle-aged woman who'd never danced before came up to us and said that we'd inspired her to take a dance class...that was a very rewarding feeling!
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
I have never performed at Dance Place!
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career.
I have taken Deborah Riley's modern class off and on over the years and she has a very gentle and soft approach to dance, which I have appreciated in the past.
If you weren't a dancer/choreographer...
If I were not a dancer/choreographer I would be a filmmaker because I like mediums in which I can tell a linear and or nonlinear story. Films are the other medium I am frequently inspired by....I just watched Broken Embraces by Pedro Almodovar, one of my favorite film directors, and he has a magnificent sense of camera movement. The camera movement helps enhance the feeling of suspense and drama within each of his films...that and great soundtracks!
Catch Keira and other choreographers at Dance Place's New Releases choreographer's showcase this weekend, Saturday July 31 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 1 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online now or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600.
I began dancing at the age of 19 in college at James Madison University. I was deeply moved by the modern dance concerts I attended before I started dancing. I began as an outside eye - an audience member. I was in awe of how dance could tell a story through choreography without words, purely through actions. Once I began dancing I simultaneously began choreographing. I remember my teachers thought I was extremely ambitious because my first piece also included video projections and costumes that I also created. So, in a sense, I have always also been bringing other elements to the table with dance...not just movement, but movement and video, movement and costume design, movement and theater, movement and art, etc. It turned into a career because there was an intense passion and a desire to make new things. With every piece I create, I am my own harshest critic...trying to learn, grow, and evolve with each new dance. I also see each dance as an experiment or a statement. There are many different statements I'd like to make, not the same statement over and over...so with each new dance comes a whole new world, and a set of problems that need to be resolved. Half the fun is trying to resolve those problems!
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
Dance is irresistible because it is ingrained within me. Whether I want to or not, I can't seem to resist it because it is inside of me...it lingers in my mind and echoes through my body. I create because I need to "get it out" in a sense.
Why do you create dances?
I create dances because I am a storyteller and dance is the current medium I am working in. I might not always create dances, I like to create other works of art too - videos and objects. However, dance and movement are the most compelling to me right now at this point in my career. I create dances because I have been inspired by other dance artists and I respect their artistry... it encourages me to create dances for myself. However, I don't feel that I create dances for myself, I do create dances for others to partake in and watch too.
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
I have a few mentors...two dance professors from JMU - Cynthia Thompson and Shane O'Hara. They are each great teachers in their own right and great artists and performers. A professor of art from JMU named Stuart Downs who always tried to understand the intention and meaning behind any work of art - dance or other. He also pushed me to really THINK about what I was doing and why. A museum curator at Arizona State University who helped me make many connections to other artists in other fields and who always had something inspiring to share with me to encourage me. Lastly, I studied with choreographer Shen Wei at the American Dance Festival and I will always remember his unique approach to dance and composition. I know you asked for my favorite, however, each has uniquely shaped me thus far.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
My most satisfying performance experience was performing a piece I created called "Trace Memories." The piece was a very quiet and reflective dance. I once performed the duet for an audience of 500 people in Lexington, VA. The whole audience felt as if they were right there with us, enjoying the quiet moment. After the show, a middle-aged woman who'd never danced before came up to us and said that we'd inspired her to take a dance class...that was a very rewarding feeling!
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
I have never performed at Dance Place!
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career.
I have taken Deborah Riley's modern class off and on over the years and she has a very gentle and soft approach to dance, which I have appreciated in the past.
If you weren't a dancer/choreographer...
If I were not a dancer/choreographer I would be a filmmaker because I like mediums in which I can tell a linear and or nonlinear story. Films are the other medium I am frequently inspired by....I just watched Broken Embraces by Pedro Almodovar, one of my favorite film directors, and he has a magnificent sense of camera movement. The camera movement helps enhance the feeling of suspense and drama within each of his films...that and great soundtracks!
Catch Keira and other choreographers at Dance Place's New Releases choreographer's showcase this weekend, Saturday July 31 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 1 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online now or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Artist Profile: Orit Sherman
How did you get started dancing/choreographing, and how did it turn into a career?
I started dancing at the age of 3 and have been dancing ever since. Dancing always provided me a sense of peace and tranquility. Since I remember myself, the dance has always been my source of comfort. This is what actually kept me going on and helped me not giving-up through difficult times.
Throughout my school and college education, I have continued studying all areas of dance and composition. Upon graduating from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, I entered the professional world of dance in Israel by dancing and teaching dance and movement at many different schools and venues.
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
Dancing is irresistible to me because it is the best way for me to express myself in a humorous, powerful, dramatic, peaceful way; a universal way that everyone can understand and communicate
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
Throughout the years I had the pleasure of learning from many artists and teachers who taught me not only to focus on dance but also to ever seek the essence of art, creativity and expression of my individual beliefs through art.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
The first show of my company was probably a corner stone in my life. It finally felt that my hard work and all of the difficulties along the way were worth it and that my artistic views were finally presented to the world.
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
This is the first time my company and I will perform at Dance Place. We are very proud to have the opportunity to perform at Dance Place and consider this a great honor.
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career.
Dance Place gives us as artists the chance to present our artistic beliefs and provides us a place to continue and grow with our art.
If you weren't a dancer/choreographer...
I believe that if I weren’t a dancer/choreographer I would have become a teacher. This could have given me the opportunity to be creative, while helping others gain from my experience.
Catch Orit Sherman and other choreographers at Dance Place's New Releases choreographer's showcase this weekend, Saturday July 31 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 1 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online now or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600.
I started dancing at the age of 3 and have been dancing ever since. Dancing always provided me a sense of peace and tranquility. Since I remember myself, the dance has always been my source of comfort. This is what actually kept me going on and helped me not giving-up through difficult times.
Throughout my school and college education, I have continued studying all areas of dance and composition. Upon graduating from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, I entered the professional world of dance in Israel by dancing and teaching dance and movement at many different schools and venues.
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
Dancing is irresistible to me because it is the best way for me to express myself in a humorous, powerful, dramatic, peaceful way; a universal way that everyone can understand and communicate
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
Throughout the years I had the pleasure of learning from many artists and teachers who taught me not only to focus on dance but also to ever seek the essence of art, creativity and expression of my individual beliefs through art.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
The first show of my company was probably a corner stone in my life. It finally felt that my hard work and all of the difficulties along the way were worth it and that my artistic views were finally presented to the world.
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
This is the first time my company and I will perform at Dance Place. We are very proud to have the opportunity to perform at Dance Place and consider this a great honor.
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career.
Dance Place gives us as artists the chance to present our artistic beliefs and provides us a place to continue and grow with our art.
If you weren't a dancer/choreographer...
I believe that if I weren’t a dancer/choreographer I would have become a teacher. This could have given me the opportunity to be creative, while helping others gain from my experience.
Catch Orit Sherman and other choreographers at Dance Place's New Releases choreographer's showcase this weekend, Saturday July 31 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 1 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online now or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Artist Profile: Nkosinathi ‘Natty' Mncube
Dance Place has recovered from last weekend's tornado and is back up and running! This weekend, Dance Place presents an evening of exciting new works by emerging and established choreographers in the Washington, DC area. All week, we'll be featuring interviews with some of these talented artists, so check back each day. Today, we spoke with South African dancer/choreographer/Dance Place intern Natty Mncube.
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career. How did you get started dancing/choreographing, and how did it turn into a career?
I have not been in DC for a long time, but already I have come to appreciate and value the fundamentals that DP offers and projects to the kids and artists’ alike. All respect and more respect to Carla for her visions and support.
I did not start dancing professionally until I was….. I will say 20 years old. Now that’s very late for most male dancers. Though I must say I have come across a good number of male dancers who started at the same age but continued to defy the odds of age and capability.
Growing up in South Africa it was not a surprise or something new to see or be involved in cultural dances, be it social or ritual dances. As kids we grew up surrounded by such occasions and thus making it natural for one to find attune to rhythm and recognize their own talent.
For me, choreographing came about as I was watching William Forsythe’s work in 1997. Ever since then I have not stopped choreographing either for myself or other dancers and artist. I have had the liberty of creating works in South Africa, Portugal, Holland, England, Mozambique, America, Cyprus and Germany. To date, William Forsythe is still my favorite dance makers of all time.
I will say from the first time I created my first work I knew then that choreographing was my “Clyde me being Bunny.” As hard as it can be as a career, there are a lot of pleasures that underline this career, traveling, collaborating, researching and not to forget being inspired by so many elements that surround us people as well as meeting people from all walks of life.
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
Freedom to do what I need, without having anybody to inhibit my visions as far as choreography is concerned, I believe that like the Pioneers, to name a few, Merce, Isadora, Dunham, Jose, etc. They have had their moments that made them to look at art from a very deep rooted perspective. Not allowing the criticism to pin them down. At the end of it all, it's that criticism that builds an individual. That’s where I am at this point and always have been, I definitely don’t see myself giving in to hanging my gloves and saying I retire from this field. No! No!
Yes, I might do other odd jobs, hey! That’s how most, if not all, artist survive. Unless you are in France or some Scandinavian country where the government takes good care of their artists. Freedom to do what I love and need is what keeps me in this field.
Why do you create dances?
It’s the best way for me to communicate with myself and the audience. Over the years, I have taken a deeper trans4mation as I call it, 4 being the WHY, NEED, WHERE, QUALITY. I create works to find that solace, dance has been the best therapy for me. All my works have been about and will continue to be about my life because I have lived and experienced instances first hand. I might side track every once in a while and do something different.
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
I do not have a favorite; they all have been attributes of what I am and where I am going. Sello Pesa (South Africa), Moeketsi Koena (South Africa), Gregory Maqoma (South Africa), Robert Hylton (England), and Patricia Rainne (England).
Like I said, I don’t have a favorite that I can single out from the above list. They all chiseled and sculpted my mental and visual state. They allowed me to make mistakes that will help me to realize that creating is not always about satisfying the audience. Most importantly, they enabled me to discover and excavate the untouched territories within my own entity. For that, I am forever grateful.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
It will have to be the one in South Africa in 2000 at the International Dance Umbrella Festival. I was performing part I of III, which was the base of all the solos that make up the trilogy. Part III is the one performed by a beautiful mover Kjerstin Lysne this weekend [at Dance Place's New Releases Choreographer's Showcase].
During this performance, I got myself into trance for 2 minutes, I must say I could not control my mental and physical state. It was the thrill of being lost in a world that no one knows, achieving that kind of climax is by far not comparable to any instance. This made me realize how much dance has on me, and what I can achieve from it.
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
My last performance was with Lesole’s Dance Project during Dance Africa 2010.
If you were not a dancer/choreographer...
I would be a doctor because I come from a family of practitioners
Catch Natty and other choreographers at Dance Place's New Releases choreographer's showcase this weekend, Saturday July 31 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 1 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online now or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600.
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career. How did you get started dancing/choreographing, and how did it turn into a career?
I have not been in DC for a long time, but already I have come to appreciate and value the fundamentals that DP offers and projects to the kids and artists’ alike. All respect and more respect to Carla for her visions and support.
I did not start dancing professionally until I was….. I will say 20 years old. Now that’s very late for most male dancers. Though I must say I have come across a good number of male dancers who started at the same age but continued to defy the odds of age and capability.
Growing up in South Africa it was not a surprise or something new to see or be involved in cultural dances, be it social or ritual dances. As kids we grew up surrounded by such occasions and thus making it natural for one to find attune to rhythm and recognize their own talent.
For me, choreographing came about as I was watching William Forsythe’s work in 1997. Ever since then I have not stopped choreographing either for myself or other dancers and artist. I have had the liberty of creating works in South Africa, Portugal, Holland, England, Mozambique, America, Cyprus and Germany. To date, William Forsythe is still my favorite dance makers of all time.
I will say from the first time I created my first work I knew then that choreographing was my “Clyde me being Bunny.” As hard as it can be as a career, there are a lot of pleasures that underline this career, traveling, collaborating, researching and not to forget being inspired by so many elements that surround us people as well as meeting people from all walks of life.
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
Freedom to do what I need, without having anybody to inhibit my visions as far as choreography is concerned, I believe that like the Pioneers, to name a few, Merce, Isadora, Dunham, Jose, etc. They have had their moments that made them to look at art from a very deep rooted perspective. Not allowing the criticism to pin them down. At the end of it all, it's that criticism that builds an individual. That’s where I am at this point and always have been, I definitely don’t see myself giving in to hanging my gloves and saying I retire from this field. No! No!
Yes, I might do other odd jobs, hey! That’s how most, if not all, artist survive. Unless you are in France or some Scandinavian country where the government takes good care of their artists. Freedom to do what I love and need is what keeps me in this field.
Why do you create dances?
It’s the best way for me to communicate with myself and the audience. Over the years, I have taken a deeper trans4mation as I call it, 4 being the WHY, NEED, WHERE, QUALITY. I create works to find that solace, dance has been the best therapy for me. All my works have been about and will continue to be about my life because I have lived and experienced instances first hand. I might side track every once in a while and do something different.
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
I do not have a favorite; they all have been attributes of what I am and where I am going. Sello Pesa (South Africa), Moeketsi Koena (South Africa), Gregory Maqoma (South Africa), Robert Hylton (England), and Patricia Rainne (England).
Like I said, I don’t have a favorite that I can single out from the above list. They all chiseled and sculpted my mental and visual state. They allowed me to make mistakes that will help me to realize that creating is not always about satisfying the audience. Most importantly, they enabled me to discover and excavate the untouched territories within my own entity. For that, I am forever grateful.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
It will have to be the one in South Africa in 2000 at the International Dance Umbrella Festival. I was performing part I of III, which was the base of all the solos that make up the trilogy. Part III is the one performed by a beautiful mover Kjerstin Lysne this weekend [at Dance Place's New Releases Choreographer's Showcase].
During this performance, I got myself into trance for 2 minutes, I must say I could not control my mental and physical state. It was the thrill of being lost in a world that no one knows, achieving that kind of climax is by far not comparable to any instance. This made me realize how much dance has on me, and what I can achieve from it.
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
My last performance was with Lesole’s Dance Project during Dance Africa 2010.
If you were not a dancer/choreographer...
I would be a doctor because I come from a family of practitioners
Catch Natty and other choreographers at Dance Place's New Releases choreographer's showcase this weekend, Saturday July 31 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 1 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online now or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Roxann Morgan Rowley: Next Reflex Dance Collective
In part 2 of our feature this week, we spoke to Next Reflex Dance Collective's co-artistic director, Roxann Morgan Rowley.
How did you get started dancing/choreographing, and how did it turn into a career?
I got started dancing very young when I begged my mom to take dance classes. She put me in dance classes at the YMCA when I was 5. When I was older, I continued dancing at San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts, San Diego's Fame school, where I also started choreographing for productions and for dance classes. I really felt like dance became a career when all I could do was eat, sleep, drink, and do it.
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
The freedom of movement is the irresistible part for me. You can be anyone and anything when you're dancing. Dance feels great!
Why do you create dances?
I create dances to experiment with expression. I ask myself how can I use dance to convey a certain idea and then we do it.
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
I look to many people for inspiration. The late Merce Cunningham because of his use of chance; Doug Varone with his use of real human emotion; John Cage because he wasn't afraid of pushing boundaries and experimenting with what the audience is really hearing; my partner Erika and our company dancers because they always offer new information about what we are working on.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
I have had many satisfying performance experiences, and I know I am forgetting many! The one that I thought of first is the month long series of performances I did in Greece with a circus company out of NY. It was great to be part of something so artistically different from my training, and to have the opportunity to explore one of the most interesting countries in the world while doing what I love.
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
My last performance at Dance Place was for the New Releases Showcase in 2009.
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career.
Dance Place is the dance hub in DC and has offered me countless ways to become involved in the DC dance community. I was a development intern learning about individual giving and development. I have performed in productions, taught classes and helped costume many dance companies performing at Dance Place.
If you were not a dancer/choreographer...
I really can't picture myself being anything other than a dancer/choreographer/teacher and mother because I'm able to do everything I would ever be interested in doing, travel, teach, learn, design, explore, etc.
Dance Place will be presenting Next Reflex Dance Collective's Electro Shutdown and the Pea on Saturday, July 24 at 8 PM and Sunday, July 25 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600. VIP tickets are available and include a pre-show wine and cheese party and an opportunity to mingle with the band.
This promises to be a thrilling show and the recognizable environment of the nightclub offers a great opportunity to introduce the uninitiated to modern dance, so bring a friend!
How did you get started dancing/choreographing, and how did it turn into a career?
I got started dancing very young when I begged my mom to take dance classes. She put me in dance classes at the YMCA when I was 5. When I was older, I continued dancing at San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts, San Diego's Fame school, where I also started choreographing for productions and for dance classes. I really felt like dance became a career when all I could do was eat, sleep, drink, and do it.
What about dancing is irresistible to you?
The freedom of movement is the irresistible part for me. You can be anyone and anything when you're dancing. Dance feels great!
Why do you create dances?
I create dances to experiment with expression. I ask myself how can I use dance to convey a certain idea and then we do it.
Who is your favorite mentor and why?
I look to many people for inspiration. The late Merce Cunningham because of his use of chance; Doug Varone with his use of real human emotion; John Cage because he wasn't afraid of pushing boundaries and experimenting with what the audience is really hearing; my partner Erika and our company dancers because they always offer new information about what we are working on.
Talk about one of your most satisfying performance experiences.
I have had many satisfying performance experiences, and I know I am forgetting many! The one that I thought of first is the month long series of performances I did in Greece with a circus company out of NY. It was great to be part of something so artistically different from my training, and to have the opportunity to explore one of the most interesting countries in the world while doing what I love.
When did you last perform at Dance Place?
My last performance at Dance Place was for the New Releases Showcase in 2009.
Tell us a bit about how you feel Dance Place has nurtured your career.
Dance Place is the dance hub in DC and has offered me countless ways to become involved in the DC dance community. I was a development intern learning about individual giving and development. I have performed in productions, taught classes and helped costume many dance companies performing at Dance Place.
If you were not a dancer/choreographer...
I really can't picture myself being anything other than a dancer/choreographer/teacher and mother because I'm able to do everything I would ever be interested in doing, travel, teach, learn, design, explore, etc.
Dance Place will be presenting Next Reflex Dance Collective's Electro Shutdown and the Pea on Saturday, July 24 at 8 PM and Sunday, July 25 at 7 PM. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Dance Place box office at 202-269-1600. VIP tickets are available and include a pre-show wine and cheese party and an opportunity to mingle with the band.
This promises to be a thrilling show and the recognizable environment of the nightclub offers a great opportunity to introduce the uninitiated to modern dance, so bring a friend!
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