Hometown: Ankeny, IA
Current city: Minneapolis, MN
Age: 36
College and degree: University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, B.A in Dance
Graduate school and degree: current student at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, MFA in Contemporary Dance choreography and performance. Began at age 34. Projected graduation is this August 2014.
Professional website: www.livewiredance.com
How you pay the bills: I currently direct the dance department at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, MN. It is a college preparatory boarding school, where students come from around the world for academics, athletics and the performing arts. I teach dance classes full-time for students grades 6-12, levels beginning through advanced. Dance at SSM is an elective course and the students who register for class receive 1 Art credit for the school year. While I would consider myself primarily a modern/jazz dance choreographer, I expose my students to various forms of dance including jazz, modern, ballet, tap, hip hop, as well as social and cultural dance forms.
All of the dance hats you wear: I am a choreographer, dance educator, amateur website designer, costume designer, director, grant writer, and sometimes a performer (however, I do not often perform anymore). As the director of my own dance company, I wear many hats and pretty much do it all for the company. Overall, I am interested in continuously learning about all aspects of dance and strategies to successfully run a company.
Non-dance work you do: I am fortunate to say that I am not in the position to seek alternative work for income. However, I often serve as a proctor for the ACT and SAT tests at SSM.
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Describe your dance life….
My current dance life includes teaching full-time in a private school (5 classes each day and after school rehearsals), grades 6-12, choreographing for multiple performances, as well as the school musical, presenting choreography professionally 2-3 times per year, and doing grad school. It is not often that I perform and when/if I do, it is usually for a fellow choreographer. I would like to say that I am able to rehearse more often with my company members; however, at this time I am only able to rehearse maybe once a week or every other week. In addition, I enjoy doing freelance workshops and master classes for local dance schools when time allows.
5 years post-college:
Immediately following my undergrad, I began performing for local choreographers in the Twin Cities. Additionally, I began to show my own work when and wherever I could find an opportunity. In 2004, I traveled to Munich, Germany where I served as a judge for a world dance competition. While I was there, I had the pleasure of teaching workshops for a local dance school. Fast forward to five years after graduating from UWSP, I began to discover that I did not have the love for performing like I thought that I would or needed to have. I began to focus more on my own choreography and trying to gain more exposure. Additionally, I found my love for teaching in public and private schools and slowly taught less in dance studios.
10 years post-college:
I have been out of school from my undergrad for 10 years now. Here I am, getting ready to graduate from UWM with my MFA, in the thick of developing my own dance company, and building my own dance program in a private school. I feel very blessed in my dance life at this point in my career.
Major influences:
There is no short list of things that influence me. Many things including music, fashion, movies, history, and obscure events and stories inspire me. I am also very influenced by horror films and eerie themes and I use this research in a show I co-direct around Halloween titled “Wake the Dead." Overall, I am consistently moved by the work and words of the late choreographer, Pina Bausch. The sentiment and theatricality in her work often overwhelm me emotionally. I am left continuously wanting to see more, and that is how I strive to leave audiences after watching my work.
What are you exploring in your artistic work over the next year?
As part of my thesis for grad school, I am currently exploring femininity, fashion and women’s roles in the workforce throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Additionally, I am working toward clarifying my artistic voice and dance company mission.
When did you know it was time to start your own company? How do you find dancers? On average, how many hours a week do you devote to the company (choreographing, rehearsing, administration, etc)?
Technically, I began my company in 2011. It was during a year that I was not teaching in the schools, only doing workshops, and I missed that daily connection with the high school students. I had always wanted to begin my own dance company, and decided that the timing was perfect. I created the company name Live Wire Dance and developed two avenues of the company; a junior group of performers age 15-18 and a professional dance group. The junior dance company met once each week. It was an opportunity for me to continue to work with younger, more serious and eager dancers, and to practice teaching technique. LWD junior company performed in local youth cabaret shows, as well as other performances, but after a few months I was hired at my current school and did not continue the LWD junior company. Sadly, time does not allow for everything! As far as the main company of dancers, I consider LWD a pick-up company. This means that I hire dancers based on my current project. I enjoy working with a wide range of dancers that include dance colleagues, friends, and artists from the Twin Cities dance community. It is very rare that I feel a need to “audition” dancers. I usually find someone who I believe is a good fit for the project and simply ask. I very much enjoy working with physically smart dancers that I feel are underused or not seen enough.
When did you begin grad school? What was the motivation to go back to school?
I have always had the motivation to go to grad school, but as I became more settled in my life in Minnesota, the option seemed more out of my reach. There are no MFA programs for Dance in MN. When I learned of the low-residency program through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the summer of 2011, I jumped on the opportunity to return to school and applied the following fall. This program has provided me the chance to study intensively on campus during the summer and at home, fall through spring. My primary reason for going back to school is because I seek a future in teaching higher education. Additionally, I wanted to be challenged again choreographically and deepen my knowledge of dance education.
Last performance you saw that really inspired you:
I was just in NY over Feb 28-March 3 and had the pleasure of seeing an immersive theater production called “Sleep no More." The performance took place in an old hotel, which was 5 stories high with over 100 rooms. Audience members walked the building randomly and “stumbled” upon a scene. We were asked to wear a white mask, provided by the theater, and were told that we were not allowed to speak. All of the scenes happened simultaneously on each floor. We could explore on our own, or follow the actors throughout the building, but not everyone was at the same place at the same time. The theme was 1940s-esque, and each room was decorated with impeccable detail. The actors did not speak, but rather expressed each emotion, thought or idea through movement. I am a sucker for costume and detail, and this show blew me away with both of these things.
Do you still take classes? How do you train and care for your body?
Sadly, I do not often make it to a technique class. The majority of my training in the past 2 years has been through grad school. Teaching additionally provides me an opportunity to often practice technique exercises with my students. Otherwise, I give myself class or improvise when I can and eat a healthy well-rounded diet.
Bates Dance Festival…..When did you attend? Did you apply for the fellowship? What did you love about being there? Can you talk about the value of attending an iconic dance festival (Bates, Jacob’s Pillow, ADF)?
I attended the Bates Dance Festival in the summer of 2011. I was fortunate to be a recipient of a Teacher Fellowship, and therefore I was able to attend the festival at no cost to me. Going to Bates got me excited about the thought of returning to school. People who were eager to learn, share ideas, and celebrate the joy of dance surrounded me each day. I was inspired daily, and returned home refreshed and full of new ideas. As a dance educator, this helps keep teaching exciting.
Final advice to young dancers:
It can often be scary to put yourself out there, but don’t let that fear hold you back! Take risks and don’t always play it safe. Stay true to your artistic voice and don’t get lost in what you think it “should be."
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