How are you working with the music?
The music has been especially challenging. The best I can squeak out on the piano is chopsticks, so I am no match for the score of Pace Pace’s “Excursions”. However, I am a dancer who appreciates a strong connection between music and movement, so I must know phrasing intimately to generate choreography that naturally responds to the musical accents. This is particularly difficult with “Excursions” because it has so many meter changes and seemingly random overlaying melodies—it has taken me dozens and dozens of hours to map out the music so that I can understand it. I write a lot of notes, make a lot of mistakes, do lots of scratching and erasing, but eventually figure it out. Once I finally internalize a section of music, the movement easily comes to mind!

Your piece is about stars. Where did the inspiration come from?
Ever since I was a little girl I have always taken an interest in astronomy. My dad and I frequented the science museum and used to read “Scientific American” together, so I probably have a bit more knowledge about celestial objects than your average ballerina. When I first heard the music, I couldn’t help but notice the tings and chimes and how they reminded me of a star’s glinting in the night sky. After that thought came to mind, I began visualizing how the various musical movements each seemed to reflect a certain stage of a star’s lifecycle. It was an astronomical idea to abstract a stellar lifecycle, but one that I kept coming back to.

This show features live music—how has that impacted your process?
As a dancer, it is a gift to perform to live music because you collaborate in every moment to make stage magic even richer and more dynamic for the audience. As a choreographer, it is exciting to know that your work will be brought to life in that way, but it also forces you consider other details like cuing (i.e. how the musicians know when to start playing a certain section), tempos, where the musicians are placed in relationship to the dancers, etc. I have attended the musicians’ rehearsals as well as had phone conversations with the flautist, George Pope, to make sure that our line of communication is clear. We will have one rehearsal together at Verb’s studios before moving to the theater.

What is your process in developing a new work?
Usually, I find music that inspires me and see what general theme or idea naturally spawns from it. Then I start playing around with improv while listening to the music, noticing when certain steps or motions are palatable and jot them down in my notebook. I’ll also use my phone or iPad to capture some of my improvisation so I can go back and pull ingredients from it later. Once I have a solid idea of my theme and a well stocked pantry of steps, I get to work cooking them up into phrases of choreography. Once I give the meal to the dancers, I sometimes make tweaks based on what best suits their needs so I can cater to their taste and aesthetic.

What do you always do while stepping into the choreographer role?
I try to be both humble and prepared to lead. I work diligently outside of the studio to make the best use of the company’s rehearsal time leading up to and throughout the rehearsal process so I can create the best work possible in the time given. I also keep my mind open to changes—what you see in your head is often not what comes out in the studio…and sometimes that is for the best!

Is it hard to step out as a dancer and work with your colleagues in a different role?
It is and it isn’t. It throws my headspace off a bit because as a dancer, you are a team player, and it is rarely (if ever) your place to direct the room. I have to do a “mental quick-change” of sorts when I begin rehearsing my piece so that I switch gears to become an effective leader. My colleagues have been incredibly supportive of me in this choreographic role, so that definitely makes it easier. I can’t thank them enough for their patience and empowerment 🙂