Aves

How do you use your dancers, and what do they contribute to your choreography?
I’m fortunate enough to get to choreograph on dancers that I work with every day. So every piece I make is usually created around what I already know my dancers can offer me. I picked these four particular dancers Kelly Korfage, Lieneke Matte, Antonio Morillo, and Nathaniel Santiago because they each show a light and delicate energy, without compromising their strength. And with a piece all about birds, that was an important quality to have.

Can you take apart a piece of the music and explain how that was countered to your choreography?
Actually every piece of music in the piece can be broken down to a different meaning. I wanted to show a similarity between human and animal emotions. Each song has a different situation, or a different story, that portrays an emotion that any human can relate too. For example, the first variation, done by Kelly Korfage, is supposed to represent a baby bird jumping from the nest for the first time. I played on the already clumsy and displaced nature of the song to show a weak, uncoordinated bird building up the bravery to make a scary jump. Each song has a different tone, and therefore has a different emotional situation attached.

You designed your won projections. Do you have a background in the visual arts also? How did you go about creating those?
I have absolutely no background in visual arts. In fact, I was a straight A student, except for art! For my projections I wanted to keep things minimal, so as to compliment the dancers and not overshadow them. I went on to Microsoft paint and played with the already made shapes to make some geometric and visually impactful images.

What influences your own inspiration?
I am a very internal person, and tend to spend a lot of time stuck in my own head. Because of this it has always been difficult for me to communicate emotions, ideas, and even just regular conversation. What inspires me the most about choreographing is that, through body language, I am able to say these things that I’ve had bottled up for my whole life! It’s almost like finally learning how to speak English after living in an English speaking country for two decades. Now that I can communicate through choreographing anything and everything inspires me! I have hundreds of playlists on my phone all dedicated to different ideas for future pieces. My main inspiration probably comes from emotional health, and different mental phenomenons. They have always been an interest of mine and there are so many different ways the mind can work.

What is something you learned from the field trips involved with the choreographic research project?
I learned that technology really is the future of the dance world. In an ever evolving technological world, the theater process is becoming outdated. I was able to learn all different ways to take dance from the stage, to peoples living rooms.

Whats my biggest dance wish?
In a perfect world I would be the new Head Master in Chief  of New York City Ballet. But in the real world I would love to be a resident choreographer or a ballet master/rehearsal director of a ballet company. As long as I get to continue to choreograph I will be happy!