Erin Vonder Haar Reflects on the Creation of 'Backcountry Basin'

My journey rehearsing and filming Backcountry Basin in Las Cruces, New Mexico with Dark Circles was life changing. It is a memory I will have forever – I’m happy to share it in the hope that my story may encourage and inspire others.

Personally, the first few days of rehearsal were rough; I was still recovering from a four-day bout of food poisoning that wiped me out prior to leaving. But, I listened, and took care of my body, knowing that as long as I performed my best each day, I would regain my strength and stamina. Working with Joshua Peugh previously and in college I knew he wasn’t going to push me any further than I was willing to go. It’s wonderful to feel the mutual respect of the director you’re working with in any dance job. I am forever grateful for him. By the fourth day (first day filming) I was feeling back to normal and much stronger. I was so excited that I was beginning to feel good again in time for our first day of filming. We drove out to the White Sands National Monument, hiked up and down sand dunes, and enjoyed the beautiful nature surrounding us. The White Sands were like nothing I’ve ever seen before, just breathtaking. Finally, we found the perfect spot. Unfortunately, this is when the wind began to pick up. Things weren’t going well and I’m not sure if it was my inexperience in dancing in sand, or the loss of sight and balance from 17mph winds that had joined us. Throughout the chaos I remember finding time to be grateful for Chadi El-Khoury. I’ve never had a dance partner take care of me in the way he does. I really think he is the reason I was able to push through the obstacles encountered. He was constantly looking out for me and I felt so loved throughout the entire process. It was clear that we were in this together. We pushed through, getting as much footage as we could before calling it a day. I was pretty upset with my performance but after food and conversation with a group of good people who genuinely believed in me, I was ready to give it another go for our second day of filming. I figured we could only go up from here!

The team at dinner after a long day of filming.

Some thoughts on expectations . . . don’t set them. On this 2nd day I had zero expectations. I remember thinking “It’ll be what it’ll be” and “I’ll just let the sand guide my movement today”. Needless to say, this day went much better (plus the winds were low this time!). We pushed through a seven-hour day of filming out in the white sands. Videographer Orlando Agawin, who I had just met this trip, already felt like home to me with his welcoming and open heart. I absolutely loved the way he worked when he was behind the camera. He had a plan, was efficient, and communicated clearly. There were so many moments of encouragement from him that made it feel like we were all in this together - giving our best and pushing past the obstacles together. Chadi and I had a nightly routine of rolling/stretching out our bodies followed by an Epsom salt bath to rejuvenate muscles to be ready for the next day. I promise, if you take care of your body it will take care of you. By the end of the second evening of filming I was feeling ready to push through anything. 

Third day of filming and off to our second location: an all white handball court with no roof. Josh chose this 2nd location for the film due to how hard the more difficult parts of the choreography were to perform in the sand. It was cold, overcast and sprinkling on and off. When we first began filming it began to rain and we almost called it a day because of how everything felt but we pressed on, since we only had two days left of filming and a lot of footage to get. I’m really glad we decided to push through, because we ended up accomplishing so much that day! six-hour filming day done – teamwork makes the dream work! Once we were able to relax and see the sands footage juxtaposed with the footage at the court I was re-inspired to push through the third day. The footage looked amazing. All I could think was “I’m thankful to be asked to be a part of something like this and now motivated to give my all on our last filming day”.

The team on location at the handball court.

Returning to the sands the next day, it was a beautiful, clear, sunny sky with no wind. We didn’t have too many shots left to get and it felt good getting what we needed to. After about three hours we finished filming! I’ll never forget the feeling knowing we had finished. What we accomplished together feels like so much more than a five minute film.

Everything we encountered as a group was so special and helped me learn many lessons along the way. I came back from this trip believing in myself, knowing what the love and support of real friends surrounding you looks like, and more confident to push past my fears. I don’t think I would have been able to perform this well if I didn’t have Josh, Chadi, and Orlando collectively with me every step of the way. I seriously can’t thank them enough. 

The revelation for me from this trip is that challenging times are inevitable. If you’re willing to work hard and ride it out you’ll learn to sit with hard feelings and accept them. This newfound ability to push past obstacles then leads to deeper appreciation when things turn out to be fantastic. This trip was everything I needed and more. I cannot fully express my gratitude to Dark Circles for including me in this journey.

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BACKCOUNTRY BASIN premieres TONIGHT, May 6 at 6PM EST as part of DANCE NOW NYC's 25th Anniversary Digital Season!

For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Bhuvana Venkatraman Reflects on the Creation of Joshua L. Peugh's Dialogue

Less than a couple of months back, what started as a casual conversation over lunch blossomed into a memorable and gratifying endeavor. The driving factor was that we did not see art as mere entertainment but as a vehicle to elevate everyone involved, and bring about human efflorescence in all its dimensions. There were no other expectations. This kind of freedom is very rare in collaboration.

We decided to come together, share our techniques & give ourselves the liberty to move within the space & find new ways to express ourselves. Little did we know, what would emerge was a contemporary dance performance in the Margam format. Margam, a framework for a traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire, is a well-thought out plan to approach a dance performance. Created in South India in the early 19th century, it is set to facilitate the physical and spiritual journey towards self-discovery through dance for the performer; and goes beyond that by harmonizing the experiences of the performer and the connoisseurs as well.

In the initial stages of our collaboration, there was a little apprehension with each side taking a cautious approach so as to not affect the sentiments of the other. It’s born out a respect for each other. But creativity craves freedom. Early on in the process, we decided to substitute misgiving with trust and in the process there was perceptiveness to each other’s feelings, reactions & overall energy. We learnt how to listen more. We also afforded ourselves the license to make mistakes, if there was genuine scope for innovation. This provided a safe environment for us to explore new movements, techniques and push the boundaries of our art forms freely without inhibition. We figured out new ways to communicate, new ways to express ourselves, to be more sensitive to each other. An amazing dialogue emerged!

Bhuvana & Chadi El-Khoury in rehearsal.

The exciting factor about coming together with Dark Circles was that our toolkits were mutually exclusive. On the one hand, we had the ancient storytelling art form with a wide range of techniques, poetry and elaborate gestures to communicate deep emotions. And then there is Joshua’s unique ways of using viewpoints in developing intriguing phrases, finding new meanings for familiar narratives and skillfully transforming something very familiar into unexpected; most of the times simply by digging out something what was already there but remained unnoticed. There was a lot of reciprocity. Every technique we learnt was a valuable tool that just changed the way we dance & our attitude towards it.

Joshua’s rehearsal ritual starts with an hour of company class each morning, where he guides the dancers to become fully alive to the present, increase awareness and intuitively welcome movement within the space. At the end of the session, we are left with every cell in our bodies awoken and ready to burst into movement. With his calm personality, non-hierarchical approach to choreography & working with his dancers, he creates a safe space to move and create without judgment. It is a privilege to work with an outstanding dancer like Chadi. His humility and dedication towards the effort is quite admirable. Chintan and I are both grateful for all the talented dancers at Dark Circles for letting us into their beautiful world of dancing.

This has been a collaboration like none other. With faith on the ever-expanding potential of our art forms, we connected our dance forms from the inside out. We highlighted and celebrated our differences. We honed in on our similarities not just in the form & external appearance, but in the philosophy of how the art form approaches any subject. What manifested was an artful & seamless integration of our vocabularies, ideas, and visualizations. A dialogue!

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Reserve your seats for Joshua L. Peugh’s Dialogue featuring Tejas Dance, as well as Sidra Bell’s NERVOSA.

Performances will run MARCH 22-24, 2019 at Addison Theatre Centre.

For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Jaiquan Laurencin Reflects on the Creation of Eoghan Dillon's BOYS ARE // Photographs by Chadi El-Khoury & Joshua L. Peugh

Nasty, anxy, dead, stuck, glitter, glamour, queeny and awkward are just a few of the descriptive vocabulary used throughout our two-week residency with Eoghan Dillon for the extended version of Boys Are. We had a little taste of what he was going to throw at us through his dance film of “Boys Are”. Speaking on the societal issue of gender norms and what a male or female should and shouldn’t be. But, little did I know, the final product was nothing that I would’ve expected for our queer program. Ever since I’ve been working with Joshua on his works speaking upon LGBTQ topics, I’ve been intrigued in different approaches to this topic when it comes to dance works. Eoghan’s process on voicing his perspective and what is of importance to him was very eye opening and inspiring. Inspiring in the strong use of women, the theatrical aspect of putting on different faces, explanations of where his brain space was and just the use of his movement vocabulary.

Victoria Daylor in rehearsal.

When first learning Eoghan’s movement, I don’t think anyone’s brain was ready for such fast and detailed work. His aesthetic required a lot use of effort, tension and sitting in the pocket for lack of better words. The movement was heavily driven by the music, hitting musical cues or capturing the very catchy lyrics of Lesley Gore. It took us a while to actually find where we needed force, effort and resistance behind our movement since we’ve been working a very specific and differently efficient way of moving with Joshua. But this wasn’t anything out of the norm when you work with a new guest artist. What made it even more challenging was making six dancers with different aesthetics look the same within the context of Eoghan’s choreographic voice. Because there was so much detail and fast paced it was sometimes easy to lose those details in body translation. It was a switch both physically and mentally for us for sure. As we got further into the creation there were a lot of theatrical aspects of the piece that once finished really highlighted and heightened the piece. This created quite the emotional rollercoaster of extremes and a little bit of a balance between both. But what helped with some of those changes between the extremes were the song choices. Lesley Gore gave you a very youthful sitcom feel. Making you feel like a confused teen that just got a new pair of legs and trying them on for the first time. While the newly composed music gave you a curious and anxious battleground feel, except with the idea of avoidance and non-confrontational.

Throughout the process Eoghan spoke a lot about his ideas, what he wanted for each section and what this piece stood for. Two things in his discussions really stuck out and registered in my brain. One was him mentioning that too much and over the top wasn’t what he was looking for. It was easy to get carried away with the acting. But getting the point across without doing and trying too much was already there from the movement and how the work was set up. That right there on its own was enough. No more. No less. Once you start doing too much extra acting and movement, it starts to take away from the work. Another idea that Eoghan spoke of that made going forward a little easier was his talk about having to stand up for the importance of Pride. From the outside eye and those who don’t understand the culture of LGTBQ, they receive it as doing the most for Pride. That all the glitter and glam that people put on during Pride was just for attention and sometimes even unnecessary. Granted there are some that do it for attention. But the main point being, this extravagant person that people think isn’t the real you is just an extension of you. Stripping away that outer layer and showing your true colors, free of judgment. So of course they pull out the extravagant clothes, bright colors, feathers, make up and colored wigs. It’s the freedom of expression towards everyday life as a homosexual. And it’s the freedom aspect of Pride and the continuous fight for acceptance and inclusiveness that gives Pride its importance to the LGBTQ communities all over. This piece really exemplifies and hits some of those key points. Moments of giving in to the outside judgment and moments of not giving two cares in the world. What a statement to make in a world that wants to mold you into what they think is morally or ethnically right. Going against the gender norms and capturing all the emotions associated with it. Who said a woman can’t be masculine or a man be feminine?

After the piece was set and completed, I thought about how insightful it was to watch as a spectator and a dancer. Being able to watch his ideas unfold and having an outside eye into knowing what to pay attention to when I jump in. It was really challenging for me at first and I freaked out because after learning a large chunk of choreography I was thrown right into it. In which I didn’t have much practice with in the actual dance space and surprisingly didn’t butcher too much on my first attempt. But what came out of it was learning a lot about patience, the importance of simplicity, confidence and vulnerability. Excited for us to share this piece as a part of our LGBTQ program in January and keep the conversation going. Or started for those who haven’t really put much thought into the glitter, glam and glitz of the queers.

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Reserve your seats for guest choreographer Eoghan Dillon’s Boys Are, Mark Caserta & Mikey Morado’s Dregs, and Joshua L. Peugh’s Bud.

Performances will run January 24 – 27, 2019 at Addison Theatre Centre.

For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Gretchen Ackerman Reflects on the Creation of Joshua L. Peugh's BUD

Pools of light warm our feet as we stand in a circle facing one another. The sun is always high in the sky by this time. It comes together like setting mosaic tiles into a window sill. The tiles are pretty themselves, but it is where they are placed and where they face which produces the magnificence. We each share our own tiles. We add tiles of books, events, ideas, questions, discoveries... They are thrown together, mix & matched, broken down, reversed, and scattered about. We glue and re-glue. How will the image appear? How will the image be understood? As dancers, we must be masters of communication. Our bodies must act as servants to the dictations of the mind for information to be absorbed and interpreted eloquently.

Josh’s creation process pushes us to explore levels of embodiment which we do not previously conceive. What is a duet missing one person? What is a solo with two people? What is a broken expectation, and how is it explicated? How do we inhabit multiple perceptions of reality so we can understand how someone else understands? Each rehearsal is spent turning questions like these inside out and backwards, chewed up and spit out. In our most recent work, ​BUD, ​we are exploring questions surrounding sexuality in our world today. What effect does one’s coming out experience have on years passed? How do homo/heterosexual people view the word gay? What role do the generalizations and archetypes of homosexuality play in how we view ourselves and others?

The company with NY based multimedia artist Brian Kenny in rehearsal for Bud.

I appreciate the work for the manner in which it forms. Pieces are placed and moved and removed until the result is a snug fit. It is eclectic and tumultuous. The room for question and discovery pushes us to steer from habit and demand ferocious curiosity. There is no “this is how it should be, how it will be.” Everything is explored in order to find the clearest message. We erupt around the studio to Brandon Carson’s original drum score. We let the light produce little drops on our foreheads and spill to the floor.

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Reserve your seats for Bud as well as guest choreographer Eoghan Dillon’s Boys Are and Mark Caserta & Mikey Morado’s Dregs.

Performances will run January 24 – 27, 2019 at Addison Theatre Centre.

For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Shelly Cochrane Reflects on the Creation of Mikey Morado and Mark Caserta's DREGS // Photographs by Joshua L. Peugh

We begin our day in darkness, our sleepy bodies and minds quickly coming alive with the excitement of the unknown. The day is a soundscape, the soundtrack of rehearsal neutral enough to allow for uninhibited exploration, but daring and twisting with electronic drones, providing seamless transitions from the ordinary into the world Mikey Morado and Mark Caserta begin to build with us. Their practice is filled with improvisation scores, an open forum for discovery and movement research. They create a foundation, clearer rules for this emerging world, through their intricate phrase work. A spectrum of juxtaposition cradles flowing undulations against harsh tension, our bodies learning to adapt and embrace our new movement language for the next two weeks. Feeling discomfort and ease sliding past each other in harmony charges the room. Harnessing the ability to control and let go simultaneously warps phrase work into small manifestos and new inspirations emerge. Obvious aesthetic conquerors from the moment they enter a room, Adidas-clad Mark and Mikey make the perfect team to spot these moments of magic and extract them from the extraneous. They mold seconds of intrigue into complex characteristics and relationships that emerge and grow over the course of their work. They guide each dancer with immense care coupled with cheeky whim, giving space for what is meant to happen within their world, coaxing out the impossible and making it unquestionable.

Another gift Mark and Mikey shared with Dark Circles was the attention to the music in our world. Working to a score by dancers-turned independent music duo slowdanger allowed the audio elements of the piece to grow and shift along with the movement. This nebulous approach to sound culminated in our final days in the studio when we were able to collaborate with slowdanger live in the space. This added another now essential tendril to Dregs; twisting in between phrase work and creating riffs off of movement that was yearning for a highlight. Transitions fold in on themselves and stretch out into empty space, the open studio latching onto new sounds given life through the fingers and voices of Taylor and Anna.

As part of Dark Circle’s LGBTQ centered Winter Series, Mark and Mikey’s world within Dregs invites themes of sexuality without heteronormative pressures. They’ve welcomed the audience into a space without labels, anonymity fully available for anyone to explore and play with. The movement slips through sensual, coarse, driving, performative, internal, and everything else lurking just past the edges of an unsuspecting viewer’s mind. Jarring convulsions follow slick curves, question marks follow hard evidence, and each lucky audience member leaves with an almost voyeuristic peek into this ephemeral yet timeless world; they’ll each take with them the leftover remnants of what we carry with us, the Dregs.

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Reserve your seats for Dregs as well as guest choreographer Eoghan Dillon’s Boys Are and Joshua L. Peugh’s Bud.

Performances will run January 24 – 27, 2019 at Addison Theatre Centre.

For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Lena Oren Reflects on the Creation of Joshua L. Peugh's RATTLETRAP // Photographs by Joshua L. Peugh

“Rattletrap,” Josh exclaimed one day in the middle of rehearsal, to which the company looked at him with wide confused eyes. “Rattletrap is going to be the title of the last work in our spring program.” ‘Rattletrap, what a strange word.’ I thought to myself, ‘Oh it must be a word Josh made up or some sort of onomatopoeia.’

Well, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I finally decided to ask Josh what rattletrap meant. He seemed slightly surprised that I didn’t know the meaning, but also that I had waited so long to ask him. But in my defense, I was surprised that it was even a real word!  He then informed me that a rattletrap is an old, rusty, and rattly pickup truck. For Josh, Rattletrap perfectly exemplifies his adolescent years growing up in the small desert town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Almost every family he knew growing up had some sort of rattletrap that him and his pals would either hang out by or in until the wee hours of the morning. In thinking of his past and teenage years, Josh decided to create a new work that explores the themes of adolescent sexual discovery, curiosity, and youthful lust, but not through his own personal narrative. Instead, Josh manipulates and uniquely interprets the writings of Larry McMurty in order to relate to a broader audience and provide a deeper look at this tumultuous time within every human’s life.

Although Josh may have grown up in Las Cruces in the eighties and nineties, Rattletrap is set in West Texas in the fifties. However, things in the southwest did not change much in those forty years, so Josh heavily relates to the lives of the characters in McMurty’s novels. For those of you who are not from the southwest or a small town, imagine a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and as much as you would like to have your privacy, small town secrets are whispered through the wind.

Lena & Orlando rehearse Rattletrap.

I personally cannot relate at all to the setting of the work, as I grew up in Southern California as the child of two very liberal/hippie-esque psychologist parents. But, regardless of one’s upbringing, the themes within the work are extremely relevant and relatable. In RATTLETRAP, similar to real life, the six dancer cast is left to fend for themselves and figure out how to deal with their blossoming sexuality. One would think that intimate relationships and sex, which play a huge part in the overall human experience, would be taught by society in a much more beneficial way. But instead, most people learn the norms of these very individualized experiences from movies, TV shows, songs, and watching others go through it, creating confusion, shame, judgement, the construction of restrictive patterns. These constructs restrain us, which make youth rattle with desire. This in turn, often leads to aggressive, irresponsible, and insincere circumstances of love and intimacy, although most youth desire attentive, gentle, and genuine love experiences.

Josh questions these fabrications and the adolescent experience with a twist, in order to comprehend the constraints of small town living within the vast landscape of the desert. In Josh’s West Texas world, although the boys may think they are in control, the girls also assert their authority--deceiving, shielding, pursuing, watching, judging, and pouncing in a way that may not actually have been possible without consequences during the fifties. Along with these bursts of gender revolutions, the piece also features the women and men acting within the confining gender roles that are characteristic of the fifties and even present times, making us wonder if things have changed at all. In addition, as is distinctive of Josh’s recent work, there are undertones of gay relations occurring in secret and sometimes with the eyes of society watching. In a way, Josh’s creation allows the teenage sexual experience to transcend the restrictions of the small town while simultaneously diving deep into the stereotypes of southwestern traditional living. The piece for this reason is bursting with young lust, playfulness and flirtatious behavior sprinkled with underlying aggression, and some dangerous and suffocated acts and movement. It almost ever so slyly and gently shatters our preconceived notion of what young love should look like, what is sexy, what intimacy means, and how society participates in private relationships.

Lena rehearsing Rattletrap.

With brand new music composed by our beloved collaborator Brandon Carson, the work swirls with the sounds of the desert, rattletraps, ratchets, and bits of blues. It is a piece that will have you tapping your foot to the beat while simultaneously pulling at your heartstrings. Forcing you to question who is in love with who, if that matters at all, when love is stronger than lust, and if the ideals of love that we seek and romanticize over ever truthfully flourish?

Grab your truck and buckle up! Let’s get this rattletrap guzzlin'!

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Reserve your seats for Joshua L. Peugh's Rattletrap & Yellow as well as guest choreographer Gabrielle Lamb's Can't Sleep But Lightly. The performance will take place Saturday, March 3 at Addison Theatre Centre at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

FIRST LOOK at Joshua L. Peugh's new creation RATTLETRAP with brand new music by Brandon Carson! Reserve your seats for a ONE NIGHT ONLY performance Saturday, MAR 3 at 8PM at Addison Theatre Centre! GET TICKETS: https://watertowertheatre.org/book?id=256

Victoria Daylor Reflects on the Creation of Gabrielle Lamb's CAN'T SLEEP BUT LIGHTLY // Photographs by Joshua L. Peugh

As most people know, the first day with a new boss is always nerve-racking no matter what one’s job. For a dancer, the first day working with a new choreographer, can be equally if not more nerve-racking! For me these nerves lead to my mind scrambling with all sorts of questions. What is this new choreographer like--friendly, soft-spoken, mean, tense, inspirational? Will he or she be super demanding and direct or passively indirect? Will I, as a dancer, be able to talk or contribute any of my own ideas to the piece? Will my style mesh well with his or her style? Will this choreographer appreciate the way I move?  And on, and on, and on. It is sometimes impossible to quiet my mind until we start moving, and even then these questions often continue to pester me!

Gabrielle Lamb rehearsing her new creation.

I remember walking into the studio the first day of rehearsal with our guest choreographer, Gabrielle Lamb, feeling a bit anxious for this reason. But, to my surprise, upon walking in the door and introducing myself to Gabrielle, she quickly reminded me that we had in fact met before. Gabrielle had attended my senior showcase in New York City just a few months prior at the Gibney 280 Broadway studios. I had been taking class before our performance at the same venue, and in an attempt to be bold had introduced myself to a woman sitting near me and Gabrielle. After some small talk, I ended up inviting them both to my performance the following evening. Little did I know, that the woman I haphazardly invited to my show would not only attend the performance, but soon I would be working with her on a new piece created solely for Dark Circles Contemporary Dance!  I always enjoy looking back at my path thus far, and seeing how my school, a bit of risk, and Dark Circles brought me into a creative process with Gabrielle Lamb. It is no joke when they say that the dance world is very small!

Victoria rehearsing her solo in Lamb's new creation.

In the studio, Gabrielle came in with a plan, pleasant smile, and addictive sense of focus. On the first day, Gabrielle taught us a Feldenkreis-inspired modern warm-up class in order to get to know us a bit better and to begin developing a movement language together. The class featured some release style exercises that were extremely refreshing to us, as we train primarily in improvisation and ballet. Within this different style, she utilized animal imagery such as octopus tentacles, bats wings, and serpent slithers in order to manifest distinct textures and pathways of movement. The company was quick to connect with these images as we train using imagery and sensation in order to enhance our movements constantly.Thus, from the start, it became apparent that working with Gabrielle would compliment and contrast the work we do with Joshua remarkably well, and all my fear and anxiety quickly faded away.

Lamb rehearses her new work.

The first few days of the process involved learning phrase-work and building our own solos and duets. Gabrielle’s phrase-work is extremely detailed and intricate with clear hand and finger movements and foot positioning.  However, amidst this unique specificity, she allows the dancers in the room to create independent and individually stylistic movements. In this way, the two weeks with Gabrielle felt like a group effort to construct a puzzle. Gabrielle worked with us slowly, piece by piece, to figure out how she fits into our movement world and how we fit into hers, creating an amalgam of movement and inspiration that showcases our company beautifully. We were encouraged to voice solutions to any awkward moments within the movement and discuss how the piece felt from within. From a dancer’s perspective this sort of open process inspired me to perform to the best of my ability. The work environment that Gabrielle created lead to a sense of clarity, which allowed the movement to settle into my body rather quickly, pushing me to perform with risk and abandonment very early on in the process.

Victoria and Lena Oren in rehearsal.

One of the more challenging aspect of Gabrielle’s process for me was discovering and conquering the one-of-a-kind musical composition that guides the work. Gabrielle, just like in her movement vocabulary, has a very specific sense of musicality. The music that Brandon Carson composed specifically for the work, flows freely with intricately small subtle details and counts. Throughout the piece, we have to count like mad-men and women in order to accomplish the correct movements on the correct sounds. There are sections where we count in 6’s in sets of 24, then switch to 8’s, then switch to just listening for a splash or shells clanking. It takes a team in order to keep everyone on the same page, but we all enjoy the provoking counts as they unite us through the work. 

The company in rehearsal.

The musical composition is truly what drives the piece as a whole and also inspired the special movement vocabulary of the work. Gabrielle's movement is complex, detailed, virtuosic, and requires an agile body to execute it properly. She finds ways to slip in and out of floor work, partnering, and lifts effortlessly. She truly takes her time to cultivate the work, editing and re-editing constantly as we progressed through the two weeks. The result of this steady, slow, research-oriented development is piece that is action/reaction based. Each dancer relies on another event or movement or person in order to continue the trajectory of the piece. To perform in this way, every dancer must be completely present, sensitive, and aware of everything that is happening onstage.

Victoria and Lena Oren in rehearsal.

Working with Gabrielle for two weeks was extremely fulfilling and satisfying as an artist. It is funny for me to look back and think how nervous I was on the first day. Gabrielle is a an extremely humble, brilliant, sweet, intelligent, driven, and caring choreographer. I am so happy to have gotten to know her better through this process and I am excited to continue to work on her piece and eventually perform it!

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Reserve your seats for Gabrielle Lamb's Can't Sleep But Lightly as well as for Joshua L. Peugh's Yellow & Rattletrap. The performance will take place March 3 at Addison Theatre Centre, Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Nicholas Heffelfinger Reflects on Creating BIG BAD WOLF

Nicholas Heffelfinger in Joshua L. Peugh's Big Bad Wolf. Photo by Sharen Bradford

As a dancer growing up at a Performing Arts High School and then attending the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, one of my biggest fears was never landing a dance job post-graduation. You hear “horror” stories of dancers trying to make it after graduating only to give up dance fully after one, two, five, or ten years of trying. Thus, I feel extremely lucky to be where I am today as a company member of Dark Circles Contemporary Dance. It all seems like a blur—I attended the Dark Circles audition back in March, was offered a contract, decided to sign the contract, and moved all the way from Pennsylvania to Dallas this past summer. But even after landing my first professional dance job, my feelings of fear did not seem to go away. All of a sudden, I was in a new city, in a room full of dancers I did not know, and working with a professional dance company for the first time in my life. Fear continued to creep up on me even in small unnoticeable ways. My fear along with the fearful future of our country and planet, lent itself perfectly to the creation of Josh’s Big Bad Wolf. Through the process of creation and discussion of the role that fear and “bad guys” play in children’s stories, I began to truly grasp this concept of fear and learn to deal with it in my own small ways.

Nick & Lena Oren rehearse Big Bad Wolf

After joining Dark Circles, I realized that the company operates in a unique way. Josh’s creation process allows us dancers to act as creative influences on the movement and structure of the piece. This was very evident right off the bat, as we began creating phrase work for Big Bad Wolf. The movement for Josh’s work comes out of inspirations from daily life and occurrences within rehearsal. I believe this process allows the movement to remain alive in our bodies and modalities. It is as if the movement phrases Josh forms create a skeleton for the work. Then we dancers, as individuals, are given the freedom to insert the organs, nerves, muscles, and fluids to our liking in order to give life to the piece.

Joshua L. Peugh rehearsing the company in Big Bad Wolf

The first few weeks of creation were extremely exciting and exhausting. Josh has a very specific and unique movement vocabulary that changes and adapts to whoever he has in the room and whatever piece he is working on. At first, finding one’s own groove within this specific aesthetic can be quite difficult, but over time one’s body finds its home within the “Peughtiful” technique. The specificity of movement vocabulary is a result of Josh translating various tasks into movement. These tasks can be as simple as tracing the lettering on someone's t-shirt with different body parts in space. Josh’s elemental, pedestrian, and playful inspirations for movement enable us to bring ourselves and our personalities into the work. For Big Bad Wolf, the specificity in style and movement quickly sorted the cast into characters. Each character became essential to the overall theme of analyzing the installment of fear in children through cautionary tales. 

Composer Brandon Carson recording the score for Big Bad Wolf

The unique musical score for Big Bad Wolf is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Brandon Carson, a recent graduate from SMU, composed such wonderful tunes that make the eerie stories within the piece come to life. Using influences such as carny music from the 1800’s as well as spooky musical tones that sound like they belong with campfire tales, Carson perfectly matched the mood and atmosphere the work provokes. The music connects in a wonderful way to our movement, bringing out and deepening our various characters and the stories we tell with our bodies. 

Nicholas & Lena in Big Bad Wolf. Photo by Sharen Bradford

Big Bad Wolf, is a true theatrical experience produced through beautiful collaborations. The piece comes together when our movement is paired with the incredible music by Brandon, the lovely costumes by Susan Austin, and the intriguing lighting design by Roma Flowers.  As a dancer new to Dallas, its art scene, and Dark Circles, the creation of Big Bad Wolf has been inspiring and fulfilling. Through all of the creativity and collaboration, I have begun to discover my place within the work, the company, and this city.  Although fear continues to creep into my thoughts every once in a while, our research through movement on fear and storytelling has helped me overcome small struggles with fear. And even though this piece focuses on children’s stories, there is truth and depth within it that relates to people of all ages. We all fear something and yet we also use fear as a tool to manipulate others. So, tell me this, are we all the Big Bad Wolf?

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Reserve your seats for the U.S. premiere of Joshua L. Peugh's Big Bad Wolf as well as for the world premiere of Peugh's Les Fairies. Performances will take place October 19 through 21 at Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, 6th Floor Studio Theatre, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. Tickets can be purchased online at darkcirclescontemporarydance.com.

10 Questions for Hattie Haggard

When and where were you born?

I was born in Plano, Texas on November 3rd, 1992.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on a farm in the middle of Plano.

What was it like?

Growing up on a farm was really fun. I loved riding horses with my dad and goin' ropin' with him on Thursday and Sunday nights. My mom would jump on the trampoline and go swimming with me in the pool. All of my memories as a little kid were all really fun and happy. The only thing I wanted in addition to my family was another baby brother or sister. Looking back, I couldn't imagine my parents having multiple "Hatties" running around. I was extremely high energy and could talk to a wall.

What is your earliest memory?

My earliest memory that I can think of is riding around on a little red train scooter that had a squeaker on the steering wheel. I remember rolling around the white tile of the kitchen, sitting on top of it until I ran into a cabinet.

How has your life been different than you’d imagined?

Well, I remember wanting to ride side saddle as a kid, but my dad wouldn't let me. He said I could ride however I wanted to when I was grown up and had horses of my own. I planned on having a farm and horses when I grew up, just like my dad. Unfortunately, I became allergic to horses and can no longer ride them. I have spent most of my life indoors dancing, and I doubt I will ever have a farm. Who knows though!

Who are your parents?

My parents are Owen and Reesa Haggard. They both came from farming families and love Jesus a lot. They taught me how to love big and instilled morals in me I will always have. My dad is the kindest and most patient man I've ever met. My mom loves people, is super passionate, and also very creative. They both love to dance.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

After my parents took me to Sea World, I wanted to be a killer whale and dolphin trainer. When I found out how long they have to hold their breath, I figured I might want to look into something else.

Are there any funny stories your family tells about you?

My parents love to tell stories about how as a child I would talk to everyone, strangers included. I would always ask, "Hi, what's your name?" to random people standing in line at Luby's. In return I would get asked what my name was and I'd say, "I'm Hattie Louise Haggard from Plano, Texas." On occasions, I would say my name was Hattie Louise Haggard Mo, and to this day, no one, including me, knows where "Mo" came from.

Do you have a nickname?

My nickname growing up was Hattie Woo. My grandma started calling me that and it stuck. Other nicknames include Hattie Lou, Hat, and Haggie.

Who are your best friends?

My best friends came from all different aspects of life. My best friend Anna Claire was my first best friend, and we met in gymnastics. Then I made another best friend named Laura Beth, who I met at church. Later, I met Liza Wilk and Hannah Hunt through dance, and my college best friends were Megan Cotton, Katie Schaible, Kaitlyn Klena, and Kelly Zitka. Lastly, my work best friends were Tenley Dorrill and Shelby Moran. I have lots of best friends, which in my eyes are the biggest blessings! Now my best friend is Joel Gobble, who I get to marry December 30th, 2017! I'm so excited because all of my other best friends, who are still my best friends to this day, will be standing by my side the day I get married!

10 Questions for Victoria Daylor

Where were you born?

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas! I always felt like I didn't belong in the place I was, but that keeps changing. I've come to love and feel at home in the east coast, Europe, and Texas once again!

Do you have any funny family stories?

One time I told my mom her cooking smelled horrible, but we actually just had a skunk stuck in our garage. Sorry, mom!

Can you describe your relationship with your parents?

They have been the most supportive people! I am constantly throwing crazy ideas at them, and almost always following through with them. They have helped guide me through the chaos, and always help make my desires my reality. It's really special to have people who care so much about you. 

What are your best and worst memories of childhood?

My best childhood memory was of when my siblings and I used to make movies together, whether it was a school project or just for fun. We remade Home Alone one time, that was a classic. Also, once we invited my parents into the dinning room, and put together a "dinner theater" performance. I improvised some dancing in a red velvet leotard, one brother pretended to play the piano (really it was just a present song), and my other brother filmed the "performance". My worst memory was the time my brothers threatened to lock me in a cage with a lobster, if I didn't drink an entire bottle of ketchup. Luckily, my mom walked in before I downed it, and luckily there was no cage or lobster. In all seriousness, my brothers are the best!

What are your best and worst memories of grade school?

In 5th grade, I was voted class President, which is already funny. Although on the last week of school, I got in trouble for the first time. I wanted to leave my mark at that school, so I signed my name on a tree in sharpie, thinking it was no big deal. Then EVERYONE signed their name on it (one of my few trend setting moments) so, I got called into the Principle's office to be told I was a poor leader. I'd say that was a best and worst moment all in one. 

Was there a teacher who had a strong influence on you?

There are many, but the teachers I feel directly altered my path include Ariel Freedman, Robbie Moore, Joy Davis, Alissa Cardone, Uri Shafir, and Marcus Schulkind. They each have influenced me in different ways, but I feel there was something they felt or did so intently that I couldn't help but implement it in my own work. I have had many other wonderful teachers beyond this list, many are my peers from The Boston Conservatory.

What do you do for fun?

Besides dancing, I like to paint, even though I'm not very good. I used to bake homemade bread, and i love to play board games! I'm always looking for people to play games with, if anyone's interested!

How has your life been different than you’d imagined?

Well, since before I can remember, I said I wanted to be a Doctor and a cheerleader who drives a pickup truck mustang. But, I have done none of that, and no one has invented a mustang truck yet! 

What does your future hold?

I have absolutely no idea! I can only hope it contains dancing, traveling, meeting good people, and completing my Gyrotonics teaching certification.

How would you like to be remembered?

I hope to leave a kind impression on people. I want to be remembered as a good person, and maybe a little bit spunky!

Lena Oren Reflects on the Creation of Gregory Dolbashian's EVERMORE // Photographs by Joshua L. Peugh

I first met Gregory Dolbashian this past summer while I was interning for BODYTRAFFIC Dance Company’s Summer Program in Los Angeles. As part of my job, I acted as the liaison between the guest artists and BODYTRAFFIC, driving the artists around LA, helping to set them up in their apartments, and assisting them in the studio setting. I met Gregory on the Sunday before classes started at a burger place in Venice, California. He was there with his girlfriend enjoying a burger, fries, and a beer and instantly offered me some fries as soon as I sat down. As I sat there with him and his girlfriend, I could not get over the fact that he was such a DUDE! He was unlike any male dancer I had ever worked with before, a complete bro, yet so smiley, kind, generous, positive, curious, and hard working. As my week with him progressed, he surprised me over and over again. I experienced his devotion and passion towards dance and his craft, his extreme optimism, and his omnipresent generosity. But after a week of diving into his world I had to say goodbye and move onto the next guest artist. Little did I know that seven months later we would be back in the same room, diving even deeper into his unique world!  

Gregory in the studio creating Evermore.

I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to work with Gregory again in such an intimate, creative, and collaborative process. He brought a very different and new energy to Dark Circles. He always came into the studio with games, tasks, and prompts for us to warm up with that both informed his work and woke up our minds and bodies in a different way than our usual improvisation or ballet warm-up. We worked very collaboratively with Gregory in the creation process of Evermore. Gregory challenged us to create our own phrase work for solos and duets through task-oriented prompts. After we created our movement, he would come in and help to diversify quality, range, relationship, texture, and timing. Through these changes, a concept and context for the piece was further developed.

Gregory coaches dancers during rehearsal.

It was a fascinating process because on the one hand, Gregory has a very specific style of his own that he carries into the work and movement vocabulary. But, on the other hand, he is very committed to the dancers bringing their truest self into the work. For me, this balance or sweet spot between his style and my own aesthetic was very difficult to find. I dance from an internal place, listening to my body and mind to create images or sensations that drive my movement. He comes from a much more tactile, observant of the external, and almost hip-hop influenced aesthetic, resulting in many isolations and holds within his epic movement. Because of this, I often felt that my instincts when performing his movement or even my own phrase work were always incorrect or faulty. I had to work through this negativity and truly listen to his positive and constructive feedback to get past all of the over-thinking I was doing and trust him, the process, and myself. Talking with the other dancers, it became apparent that all of us were going through some sort of emotional or internal conflict throughout the process. Between life changes coming up, fear of the future, self-doubt, conflict within relationships, etc., real life was occurring during our time with Gregory and sometimes it was difficult to separate our dancing from our issues.

Taylor Rodman rehearses Evermore.

Towards the end of the residency, I believe a shift occurred within the work for all of us. We somehow stopped worrying so much, and placed our reality into the work. Evermore, in both the way it was created and the way it is performed is truly just an experience of working through life. One should not watch this piece wondering what it is about. One should watch this piece to better understand oneself, humans, relationships, and the act of existing. I believe there is something for everyone in this work, as it is a piece, which exemplifies that art is not always something separate from reality. In Evermore, we let ourselves get lost within the world we create. Really, we just let life happen.

Gregory with the company.

Reserve your seats for the world premiere of Gregory Dolbashian's Evermore as well as for the world premieres of Joshua L. Peugh's Halt! and Bleachers. Performances take place May 5 through 7 at Erma Lowe Hall, Studio Theatre, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15-25. Tickets can be purchased online at darkcirclescontemporarydance.com 

10 Questions for Lena Oren

What was the happiest moment of your life so far? 

One of the happiest moments in my life was this past may when I performed my senior solo (really a duet) spilt. with one of my best friends and role models, Nicole Patrick (a percussionist) for the School of Music, Theater, and Dance’s commencement ceremony. It was such an honor to be representing my department, and to perform for such a huge, appreciative, and friendly audience! When we finished we were met with a sincere and voluminous applause, overwhelming me with happiness, pride, and pure gratitude! 

Who are your parents?

My parent’s names are Susan and Kaya and they are absolutely crazy, in a good way! My mom is from around Boston, Massachusetts and my dad was born in NYC, but grew up in Israel. They both work as psychologists in and out of the office. They constantly psychoanalyze me, my brother, and all of our friends/relatives whatever chance they get!

What are your parents like?

My parents are extremely wacky, hyperactive, funny, smart, adventurous, supportive, loving, and goofy. I have always enjoyed hanging out with them as they enjoy basically all of the same activities as I do. My mom somehow always happens to be wearing the same outfit as me, likes practicing Iyengar yoga, has a knack for picking the most disturbing films for the family to watch together, is much better at picking good books for me to read, and is the best Jacuzzi partner ever! My dad is the type to make sure each experience is the best experience you will ever have in your life, gets hooked on certain words and will not stop repeating them, loves his bike rides, and is a super sweetheart. In essence, they are truly the best!

Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?

I have one older brother, Geffen. He is only two years older than me, so we have always been very close. We have never been big fighters. However, when Geffen would help me with my math homework and I asked a silly question he was quick to become impatient with me. Even today when I am visiting him in New York and cannot figure out how the subway works, he’ll give me a little snap. But I love him dearly and admire him and the person he has become! He has been a really wonderful big brother. 

Did you get into trouble? What was the worst thing you did? 

I am a total conflict avoider and have never dealt well with people being angry with me. For this reason, I stayed far away from trouble during my childhood. But, this one time when I was 15 or so, I called my mom “an old wannabe hippie” and that really upset her. Those were some dark times.  I don’t know if she has entirely forgiven me, even 7 years later. 

Who were your best friends growing up? What were they like?

One of my best friends from elementary school, Hannah, is still my best friend today! We went to the same elementary school, middle school (partially), and high school and have remained super close all through college. She has the best laugh in the country, is super spunky and funky, is a total trendsetter, is an avid rollerblader like myself, and is the best crafter out there! We both went through kind of bratty phases, but boy did she turn out well! 

How would you describe a perfect day?

A perfect day for me would begin with banana pancakes and friends. We would then hit the road to go to a national park that is not too many miles away, but is absolutely breathtaking. We would take a long but not too strenuous day hike to a beautiful alpine lake and open up our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to enjoy the view, each other, and this simple but delicious treat. We would spend an hour up there swimming and lounging and then descend. We would then drive home with no traffic and head to the beach for a sunset rollerblade and swim. We would come home and cook some yummy Mexican food together. The day would probably end there because we would all be exhausted and fulfilled. 

How would your classmates remember you?

My classmates in high school would probably remember me as the girl who checked over her test answers by holding up the sheet unintentionally allowing everyone to copy her. I had no idea I did this until someone came up to me on the last day of 10th grade and thanked me for helping him pass chemistry. From then on, I checked my answers with my paper down on my desk. 

Was there a teacher or teachers who had a particularly strong influence on your life? Tell me about them.   

I had the pleasure of working closely with Bosmat Nossan, first while I was studying abroad in Israel, and then again during my last semester of college. Bosmat is possibly the sweetest, most talented, kindest, and humblest human on this earth. She casually danced for some of the most prestigious companies including Bat Sheva and Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Dance Company. As a teacher, she pushed me to find new ranges within my movement in terms of quality, delicacy, and volume. She completely reinvigorated my curiosity as a dancer, mover, and human, inspiring me to dive even deeper into dance and constantly reminding me why I love this art form. I really cannot thank her enough for the support, inspiring instruction, and push she gave me! 

What are your best memories of grade school/high school/college? Worst memories? 

One of my best memories from college was the creation of the band Gunky Girls And Corporated. One of my best friends, Spencer, and I created this two person band in March 2016. It all began one day when we were in the Catskill Mountains for a residency with an MFA student. Spencer is a Performing Arts Technology student at Michigan and always has different gadgets with him. That day he had a guitar that was out of tune and missing a string, a computer, and two microphones. He said something like, “Lena can you sing and I will play guitar and we will record it?” And I said something like, “sure,” because I pretty much cannot say no to Spencer. Anyways we sang stream of consciousness songs for about 15 minutes and in the process made our first album. If interested, I think it is on bandcamp.com. Anyways, Gunky Girls was a total hit and we have performed on three different occasions. I am really not a good singer at all, and the songs we sing are beyond silly, but it was super fun to play around with our voices and imaginations. Worst memory of college was definitely wintertime. My four years at Michigan taught me that I am not a snow person.

10 Questions for Cody Berkeley

When and where were you born?

I was born and raised in Plano, TX on May 18, 1992. I’ve always loved my hometown. I had everything I needed growing up, and I’m lucky to say that.

Did you get into trouble as a kid? What was the worst thing you did?

Growing up, I was typically a well-mannered kid. I lived through very unique circumstances because I was training so heavily seven days a week. As far as missing curfew, sneaking out, etc., I had no time for such things. The only moment I rebelled was a weekend my mother’s home was vacant for the weekend. I threw a party. It was small and hardly counts. 

Did you enjoy school?

I moderately enjoyed high school on an academic level. I did what I had to do, but I had much more interest in school for the energy that my classmates created. I loved the ‘buzz’ that went around my 5A sized school of close to 2,500 students. Needless to say, it was easy to feel like a number out of a mass number of the student body, but therefore so much diversity. It kept things interesting.

What kind of student were you?

Since freshman year, I joined the yearbook staff and found myself as Editor-in-chief by my graduating year. It was extremely difficult work, but I loved it. I listened to my peers and tried to capture a wonderful year, through my own vision. Everything from the concept and theme to the execution and distribution of the books was my vision. It was really when I learned how much I loved creating.

What was the happiest moment of your life (so far)? 

Hands down, the happiest moment of my life was the evening I was awarded my scholarship to college from the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation. In front of hundreds of people, I broke down when they announced I’d be attending school in the amount of $160,000. Everything I’d ever trained for was validated in that moment. The feeling was so humbling and has given me more in my life than any tuition I potentially could have owed. Lastly, it has given me my closest friends in life and hopefully my lifelong friends. I’m forever grateful.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?

Donna Faye Burchfield, the current Director of the school of dance at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. “D-Faye” as she’s infamously known in the UArts community, took my existing ideas about Dance, performance and research and blew them wide open. Her teachings are like nothing I’ve ever experienced. She is the most knowledgeable individual I could reference in this artistic life I live, because her experience and passion have taken her so far. She put the work of Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, and Bill Forsythe in front of me and changed my artistry for the better. The world is an inspiring place for having Donna Faye Burchfield in it!

When in life have you felt most alone?

I’d say it was a month prior to my 24th birthday. My life completely changed overnight. I packed my belongings and moved to an apartment, all alone and newly single. Those were truly the longest and most restless weeks of my life. I’d never wish that on another soul.

How would you like to be remembered?

I want to have been an inspiration to someone near to me and hopefully someone from a far. I want to have shared my career experiences and personal research with young artists that deserve that nourishment. I want to be a memory that could make a room laugh, cry and smile once I’m gone. 

What lessons has your work life taught you?

My work life now has me plugged in to numerous outlets for success, it can become overwhelming. However, I’d say that’s really what I love about my work: the connections that can occur within a single day to a combined volume of contacts after just one year. It taught me to always stay available! Emotionally, physically, and spiritually allow as many connections as you can no matter what field of work you’re in, stay available! 

If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?

I have a strong interest in design. Both interior and fashion, but possibly a bit more emphasis on the fashion design. So I suppose if finances were not limited, I’d go down that path and see if I’m any good at it! I’ve always loved clothes. I own far too many clothes! There’s just something about clothing and their connection to culture that really interests me.

Our women reflect on their time at Girls Inc.

Joshua L. Peugh and the dancers of Dark Circles Contemporary Dance have spent the last three weeks working on a very special project. They have collaborated with the young women of Girls, Inc. to create a new choreographic work. The project will culminate in a public performance of a brand new choreographic work titled Gal Friday at NorthPark Center's NorthCourt this Saturday, August 6 at 3 PM. The event is FREE and open to the public. The project has inspired new art by Peugh and nurtures creativity and passion for the arts in the young women of Girls, Inc. by affording them direct involvement with the creative process and access to professional artists.

Here, our dancers have taken a few minutes to reflect on their experience with the strong, smart, and bold young women of Girls Inc. 

EMILY:

Dancing with the girls at Girls Inc. was a blast. The girls are so creative and full of energy; each unafraid to let their unique personality shine. Beyond the fun dance moves we shared, these girls inspired me with wisdom and confidence beyond their age. Many of them shared that one of their favorite things about being a girl is the opportunity to prove that girls can do anything. It is easy to see gender inequality as a negative part of being a woman, but they see it as an exciting challenge.

We played a lot of movement generation games with the girls to not only share with them our love of dance, but bring them into the creative process we use in DCCD rehearsals, and in our last class with the girls, we showed them rehearsal videos of our progress on Gal Friday. Watching the girls watch Gal Friday was so much fun. They were so excited to see some of the steps they had created in the piece. Many unique voices have contributed to the creation of Gal Friday, and I think that makes it an incredibly special piece. I am very excited to share it!

REBECCA:

This creation process has been a unique and especially exciting one because of our opportunity to work with the vibrant young girls of Girls, Inc. We knew very little of what to expect on the first day; would the girls be receptive and curious, or would we need to push very hard for that cooperation and openness? As the two hours of dancing passed, the girls grew comfortable with us, and we began to see lights of creativity shine through. During our two hours together, I saw each and every one of them (a few with a bit more coercion than others) burst with self confidence. I was reminded that dance can do so much more for young girls than just keep them busy or start a career. Dancing fills youth with joy and a positive sense of self. I realize now that there's nothing better I could have done growing up, and sharing the gift of dance with girls who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity is beautiful beyond measure.

ALEX:

The experience at Girls Inc. was fulfilling and gratifying. It reaffirmed my belief that dance is an extraordinary medium which connects, inspires, and transforms people of all ages. In the short two-hour visits that we had with the girls, I witnessed the power that movement had in bringing individual personalities and creative voices forward. You cannot hide when you move your body; you’re exposed and vulnerable to judgment and criticism. What was so rewarding about the time with the girls was watching each young artist’s confidence and support for one another grow as we moved together. They were encouraged to contribute individually to the whole, and as a result, felt important and valued—especially when they could reflect on the process and their contributions that made it possible to choreograph a short dance phrase. Thanks to the creative, collaborative effort of the girls, DCCD built multiple phrases and worked them into the company rehearsals of Gal Friday.

The most moving moment for me was the last day at Girls Inc. when we showed them footage of the company rehearsals and their faces lit up—eyes widened—jaws dropped—when they recognized “their move” a company dancer performed. Girls Inc.’s ultimate goal is “to empower girls to become strong, smart and bold women who positively contribute to our communities and who understand, value and assert their rights.” Our time with the girls did just that, and through dance—through moving and sharing our unique characters in a supportive, positive environment—I am hopeful that these girls will carry forward a newfound creative conviction that will embolden them to discover new potentials as young women.

10 Questions for Taylor Rodman

When and where were you born?

1994 in Dallas, Texas. Yeehaw

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Growing up I remember wanting to be a marine biologist. I always had a fascination with the ocean and science, and one year for Christmas my parents gave my brothers and I the Planet Earth DVD sets and I was obsessed with the underwater chapters.  I still geek out over them today.

Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?

I’ve always been a daddy’s girl and I remember growing my dad would pick me up from school sometimes and take me out for a father daughter date.  We would go to the mall and split an Orange Julius and M&M cookie and sometimes he would take me to Claire’s to pick out some new earrings.  I just remember sitting across from my dad in the mall cafeteria talking about my life as an elementary school girl and thinking he was the coolest dad ever and my day couldn’t get any sweeter.  My dad always did and still does make simple seemingly mundane outings so much fun.

Did you enjoy school?

Yes and no.  I’ve always been a determined student and have made very good grades, but at the end of the day I always just wanted to be in the studios.  I find comfort in this place where my studious self who loves research and investigation clashes with my artistic self who feels adventurous, sensitive, and curious.  This marriage between both worlds is why the studio is my ideal classroom.

What were your best/worst memories from college?

It was spring of my freshman year at The Boston Conservatory when I was walking from my dorm to the finish line of the Boston Marathon when the bombs went off.  I remember not knowing exactly what happened, but knew that it was serious from the large crowds of people running from the scene, the helicopters flying overhead, and the numerous trucks of National Guard men and women hurrying to help. But amongst the tragedy and chaos, during the weeks to follow I have never felt such a large sense of community and comfort from my classmates, friends, and family.  It was a moment that I will never forget, and one that set the tone for my 4 years at The Boston Conservatory- Boston Strong!

If you could do anything right now what would you do? Why?

My second grade teacher knew sign language and would teach our class from time to time.  Ever since that year sign language and has been something in the back of my mind that I’ve always wanted to learn.  I am currently looking into enrolling for classes this fall because why not?!

What was the happiest moment of your life?

This last year I choreographed a piece for my senior project inspired by my favorite movie Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom.  I had known for years that I wanted to create this piece, but was waiting for the right time and the right dancers.  I finally started the project last fall and it will forever be one of my most cherished processes.  I was able to spend several nights each week in the studio with my closest friends and favorite dancers creating a piece encompassing themes of innocence and child like curiosity. I remember walking into the studio each day, looking at my dancers and feeling so lucky that my line of work includes the people I love and brings me so much joy.

How would you describe a perfect day?

I’m pretty simple and easy to please so when it comes to my ideal day it would probably include hanging with my man Jeff, watching some Parks and Rec, drinking coffee, taking a nap, and enjoying a nice home cooked meal.  I realize this sounds pretty boring but these kinds of days don’t come often so when they do I love it!

Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?

I have two brothers; one older one younger.  Being the only girl has been a lot of fun and I think has eliminated the “middle child syndrome.” On the other hand growing up I remember playing a lot with Legos, Rescue Hero’s, Trucks, and playing kick ball or wrestling with my brothers.  Looking back I think it’s kind of funny I chose dance amongst a family of serious sports fans.  I’m still very close to my brothers and adore them both very much.

Was there a teacher who had a particularly strong influence on your life? Tell me about them.

I went to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where I had Kyle Richards for composition class.  Mr. Richards poured so much into his students and created an atmosphere that promoted individuality, curiosity, and exploration without judgment.  He taught me to embrace the strange, quirky, and flawed sides of myself to be used as inspiration for my movement.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back I think being in his class was one of the most creative times in my life this far. Every time I make a new piece I think about Mr. Richards.

10 Questions for OLIN BLACKMORE

When and where were you born? Where did you grow up? What was it like?

I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. It's a brilliant place and I am so happy I grew up there. My family and I lived in the same house my entire upbringing, and I had this really traditional Alaskan upbringing. This meant fishing and playing soccer all summer, running on trails with my parents and sisters year-round, downhill skiing throughout the winter, and shoveling a bunch of snow to clear the driveway for nine months of the year. It was humbling, it was strange. I look back on my Alaska days with nothing but fond memories. 

Who has been the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?

I have several, but I think the most important person was a girl I met in college. She and I acted together, and on the surface she seemed so put-together and polished. She is a terrific actor and and kind soul, and we connected immediately. The more I was around her, the more layers were uncovered, and what was revealed was not at all what appeared on the surface, but something even more beautiful. She has truly lived. The stories she told me and the things she has been through are unbelievable and tragic. These events really shaped her into this compassionate, provocative, and commanding woman, and she's used the hardships of her life as lessons to learn from, nothing more. The more I grow, the more I try to be like her. 

Are there any funny stories your family tells about you that come to mind?

Oh, there are so many. I think the one that comes to mind first was during winter in Anchorage. Downtown, there's this beautiful historic stationary train that acts as a sort of playground for bored Alaskan kids. I decided to play on the train with my father one day when we were in the area (I was probably 5 or 6). I remember the snow on the train looked so fluffy and clean, so naturally I decided to take a lick of it. Immediately, my tongue got stuck on the train and the scene turned tragic. After many attempts at calming me down, Dad just bit the bullet and pulled me away. I was inconsolable and demanded he take me to McDonalds to make it better. After downing a happy meal, I asked him where the local television news team was. I really thought this event was alarmingly newsworthy, and I wanted some fame and publicity for all the struggle I endured. I think that story really encapsulates what a drama queen I was/am. 

When in life have you felt most alone?

Probably when I first moved off to college in Oregon. I remember leaving my family was incredibly hard, and even though I was excited to begin this new chapter of my life, they were (and still are) my best friends, and leaving people that like was something I had never encountered before. I remember I sort of forgot how to make friends too (I hadn't had to work to establish new relationships really since kindergarten!), so the beginning of college was surprisingly strange for me. This loneliness ended up being incredibly transformative for me, and I turned into this super social animal later on at school, but the first two months or so were definitely the most lonely I've ever felt. 

How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?

It's been different in every way imaginable. I think a lot of us have a plan when we're young about acquiring a fulfilling job and finding the perfect partner and living out every dream we've ever imagined. Of course, my life is not that, but I honestly like it better this way. I never in a million years thought I'd be dancing professionally. I NEVER thought I'd be living in Texas. I never thought I would make the connections I've made, or be privileged to meet the incredible people I have surrounded myself with over the past few years. 

Who were your parents? What were your parents like?

My parents were (and still are) pretty rad folks, although I never would've admitted that before college. Dad (Kevin) worked for the government and is a health nut. He would always wake up before anyone else in the house, make coffee, go off to work all day, and still have time for marathon training somewhere in there. Mom (Teresa) was a seamstress and always made sure my two sisters and I had our lunch packed and were super stoked for school. She would always make our Halloween costumes (two sizes too big, so we could wear snowsuits under of course) and our spring and fall jackets from scratch. I remember I was crazy obsessed with Harry Potter (some things never change) and she made me this fleece jacket with lightning bolt patches all over it. I felt like the coolest kid at Lake Hood Elementary. Between my dad's work ethic and my mom's incredible love for everything, I was a very lucky boy to grow up under their roof.  

What did you look like?

I looked so silly!  I remember I had the longest hair, and I refused to cut it until my senior year of high school (right before graduation). My two front teeth were huge, and quite separated until I got braces late in high school, and I refused to wear anything but sweatpants and ringer tees throughout elementary and middle school. I was also really short. I didn't hit my growth spurt until late in high school, so between the height, the haircut, and the braces, I was hardly recognizable at graduation. 

How would you describe a perfect day?

I'd wake up with the sun, make myself a strong cup of coffee, and be around the person I love most in the world. We'd go exploring around a beautiful city, and run into other people who we know, sharing and receiving true and honest love. Share a meal with someone here, go on a run with my sister over there, just surrendering to the world and seeing where it takes us. Eventually, we'd return back to a quiet place, slow dance until it got dark, and fall asleep in each others arms. 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I really, really, wanted to be a detective. I watched movies like the Great Mouse Detective and really felt drawn to that lifestyle. Although my dad definitely isn't a detective, I totally thought he was when I was little, so I mostly just wanted to be like him. I remember in elementary school I painted this portrait of my dad in a black trench coat and a magnifying glass in hand, and I wrote something like "I can be a detective too!" on it, so that kind of describes how excited and prepared I was for my career in forensics. 

Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?

Oof, I'm not sure how I feel about retirement quite yet. I get so bored so quickly, so I really don't think I'd be good at retirement. My dad (who is also easily bored) just retired and immediately took up a small side job that passes the time when he's not traveling with my mom. I think if I ever do get lucky enough to retire, I'd travel everywhere. I'd try to breathe in as much of the world as I possibly can, because right now I'm already feeling the urge to get out and explore more of the world. 

MEET REBECCA GRACE MOORE

How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?

For years I assumed I would find my adult self dancing in a primarily classical ballet company. In hindsight, I think I even had the ability to do so. My decision to attend college was exceptionally difficult for me as a high school graduate who was so deeply entrenched in the traditions of classical ballet (by traditions I mean you can’t really go to college first and dance classically later). I’m thankful I made the decision to attend a university, because I discovered something new in myself along the way. I became interested in forms of dancing which are the antithesis of classical ballet. My entire outlook on what dance is and what it means to me was changed. I no longer feel intensely passionate about classical work. So here I am dancing professionally, and that was what I always wanted. But what I wanted that career to entail has become quite different.

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered as kind, creative, and honest. 

Did you have a nickname? How’d you get it?

My grandfather was a 6’2” 120 lb sarcastic goob. He always called me Sore Toes after all the hours I spent in pointe shoes. 

How would you describe a perfect day?

65 degrees and sunny. I have sunglasses and overalls on and either a gin and tonic or an ice cream cone in my right hand. I’m probably plopped in the grass somewhere with my bike next to me and Stan Getz swirling in the background. 

When have you felt most alone?

The first thing that comes to mind is the day I boarded my flight to Copenhagen for the summer at the age of 16. I was headed out to a 6 week program at the Royal Danish Ballet School and the foreign country greeted my terrified teenage self with a record-breaking rainstorm to drag my suitcases through. By the time I found my empty little apartment I was sobbing, scared and already wanting to go back home. However, the next 6 weeks of incredible training and special, lifetime international friends certainly made up for that day. 

Who were your parents? What were they like?

My parents (Michael and Marijane Moore of Rockwall, Texas) are kind, generous and incredibly warm. My mom is the world’s #1 Hostess with the Mostess and myfather is the hard-working King of Dad Jokes. Their honesty and resilience, as well as their dedication and love for one another has set an incredible example for my siblings and I our entire lives. 

What are you proudest of?

I am proudest of my ability to be wholly available to people. I think of myself as a really honest and generous person. I don’t hold back and I am unafraid to say what I think. Sometimes that turns out badly, but there are twosides to any coin, and I’d rather hurt someone’s feelings than lie to them.

What did you look like?

I was probably quite a dirty little tomboy, but in most photos my mother has me looking quite put-together. Here’s a photo of me eating pizza with my legs spread eagle. This is a pretty accurate depiction of who I am today as well.

Rebecca Grace Moore 

Was there a teacher or teachers who had a particularly strong influence on your life? Tell me about them.

Tanju and Patricia Tuzer (Tuzer Ballet, Richardson, Texas) truly shaped me into the dancer and person that I am. Passion for dance and artistry runs through their veins. They saw something special in me at a young age and really nurtured it, teaching me good taste and self-assurance. I don’t think I would have pursued dance at all if it weren’t for them. They helped me fall in love with moving. Even at the age of 22, as an almost strictly contemporary dancer, I perform as Marie (aka Clara) in the Tuzer Ballet Nutcracker every year. 

If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why? 

I would change nothing about my life right now. I’m young, I’m terribly broke, and I’m learning so much. I’ve got a great little apartment and two jobs that fulfill me. There’s just enough money in my bank account to go out with my friends, and I get to dance almost every single day. I'm really happy and lucky, and I know that the future is going to be great, but I'm certainly not trying to rush anything. 

Queen Girls?

Dancer Kelsey Rohr reflects on Joshua L. Peugh’s new The Rite of Spring premiering this Friday in Dallas.

So, I just cut my hair. Short. Like really short. As in I-feel-like-I-need-to-wear-pink-because-I-look-like-a-boy short. And, honestly, I really love the concept of it: low maintenance, quick drying, inexpensive. But, in reality, I’m still getting used to it. It took a great leap of feminine faith for me to chop it off and only twenty three years of existence to feel comfortable enough to go through with it. Any sooner and my high school years would have been spent a little differently. After all, this tomboy trim would have been what Regina George could compare to joining the “Mathletes” in high school—“social suicide.”

Lately, we’ve been quoting Mean Girls a little too much in rehearsal. I think being asked to channel our inner high schooler in Joshua L. Peugh’s new The Rite of Spring brings out the “She doesn’t even go here!” references in all of us. With the iconic (and overwhelmingly complex) Stravinsky score, The Rite of Spring celebrates a rebirth of seasons. The narrative features one “Chosen One” who is plucked from the group as a sacrifice to the gods of spring. Characteristically blooming with the ideas of virginity and lust, the piece has multiple versions made by many different choreographers. For the March 4th Dallas premiere and the April 29-May 1st Fort Worth runs, Josh chose to tackle a new version of The Rite of Spring, selecting a setting that definitely suits the birds and the bees of springtime. It is one where you can hear the hormones buzzing from a football field away: a 1950’s prom night.

As I dancer, I am asked to recollect my teenage years. I remember sharing code names for crushes with my best friends, sitting in segregated social circles that presented themselves in the cafeteria lunch tables, and feeling way too desperate as I waited for anyone with male parts to ask me to prom. Josh has a unique way of physicalizing all these memories. Within the first chords of the music, we separate into cliques. Boys versus Girls. “You can’t sit with us!” Instantly, I am back in high school searching for a date. As we pair up, I am pulled, whipped, and slung across the room. The men’s manipulation over the women is apparent yet there is still an angsty, sexual energy that causes the women to run back and attach themselves to their date once again.

Even with all of this, the real question driving the dance is: “Who will be prom queen?” Here, this 1950’s version has a modern twist. With one woman dressed as a man and one man dressed as a woman, Josh dances with society’s current fascination with drag and the transgender movement. The connection is subtle at first but a gradual shift in partnering and gender pairing creates tension that leads to a solo and eventually a “social suicide.” A combustion of dance and sounds closes the ballet, crowning the title of “prom queen” with a completely new meaning.

With the premiere less than a week away, I am still learning and understanding what this new meaning entails and how it relates to my character in the work. But, suddenly, I am finding that my new hairdo feels a lot more relevant. To me, it has become a small-scale test of my own gender identity that has allowed me to reconnect with all my petty high school insecurities. Suddenly, I am the new girl, Cady, from Mean Girls: trying to fit in with a clique, only wearing pink on Wednesdays, and secretly hoping to be crowned high school prom queen.

GET TICKETS TODAY: http://www.darkcirclescontemporarydance.com/upcoming.html

Meet Sarah Elizabeth Stockman

1.   How long have you been dancing?   22 years.

2.   Why did you start dancing?   I was three and do not remember why; probably the same reason so many other little girls want to dance.

3.   Who or what is your biggest inspiration?   Music and people; both are limitless in numbers and qualities. In music, I can discover and appreciate the different layers of instruments and rhythms, and in people, the complex layers built from each person’s unique history.

4.   What is your proudest achievement so far?   Being able to survive and thrive through my three winters in Chicago! (It really is cold)

5.   Tell us about your hobbies.   I love: being in nature, hiking, and backpacking; reading, currently on Reclaiming Conversation by sociologist Sherry Turkle, which discusses the effects of electronic communication on conversation; movies, new and old but never horror; trying to keep my plants alive, although barely surviving my black thumb; cooking, finding a recipe and completely changing it.

6.   Choose one word to describe you.   Curious.

7.   What is your favorite quote?

“Every atom you possess has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to becoming you.”
From Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything

Photo by Brian Guilliaux