Get to know the Dancer // Patrick Griggs

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Get to know the dancers of DCCD, their inspirations, and where their training began. We would like to introduce Patrick Griggs!

1.   How long have you been dancing? Close to ten years now of serious dance. More than just the stuff you get when you’re little.

2.   Why did you start dancing? I started dancing because I enjoyed moving my body around. I liked making strange shapes and being on stage. Performing for others entertainment was something I discovered I enjoyed, so it made sense to me to get into dancing.

3.   Who or what is your biggest dancing inspiration? My biggest inspiration is any dance pioneer. I find that a lot of the pioneers of dance had a huge passion for the work they were doing and gave wholly and completely of themselves. That passion still comes through today and I hope that if I throw myself into the work I am doing that my passion will come through in the work that I do and inspire others.

4.   What is your proudest dance achievement so far? Completing my BFA in dance from the University of North Texas has been my proudest moment in dance. Getting a degree in dance requires so much work and sacrifice and it’s something that I have always wanted so it’s something that I’m very proud to have accomplished.

5.   Tell us about your hobbies outside of dance. I like to collect old vinyl records, I arm knit and crochet, I play video games and binge watch different TV shows. I like to travel to new places and explore new cities. I’m a big bibliophile too. I try to read a new book a week.

6.   Choose one word to describe your dancing. Undulated

7.   What is your favorite dance quote? "To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.” –Agnes de Mille

Aimless Young Girl, Aimless Young World

Dancer and recent SMU alum Kelsey Rohr writes about the creation of Joshua L. Peugh’s Aimless Young Man

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As we get ready to present our first free, interactive, behind-the-scenes program this Saturday called DCCD Undressed, I have never felt so naked—emotionally, of course. Besides the typical feelings of aimlessness associated with my recent alumnae status, I am also involved in the creation of Josh’s new work titled Aimless Young Man.

We are in the studio six days a week working. But, this work feels different from any other of Josh’s creation processes. This one has a very specific story where I am required to play more than just the role of dancer. Especially in Josh’s work, sharing a story through dance comes naturally, but when the story is about martyrdom in the 21st century I must dig a little bit deeper. So, from five to ten o'clock, I am not just a dancer but also a researcher, an investigator. On our breaks, and as a group, we excavate information, uncovering images and articles that might help us communicate this story.

We work with a heightened level of sensitivity because the material that we collect requires it. We record our emotional reactions to images of torn and battered bodies and try to rely those reactions through movement. Just last rehearsal, we watched a video of a mourning ritual where the mourners repeatedly beat on their chests. As we tried to copy their movement, we questioned: how does this make me feel? How can I communicate this feeling to the audience? And in most instances, the movement material that Josh creates for this piece makes me feel naked, undressed, and vulnerable.

And, as I take on this new journey in my life post-graduation, I remain open to these vulnerable experiences. I look forward to the Undressed performance where I can wonder around aimlessly some more exposing myself, the creation process, and the world around me but this time, in front of an audience.

DCCD Undressed | Saturday, May 23 | Preston Center Dance | 2PM

Aimless Young Man | World Premiere | October 9-11 | Erma Lowe Hall, Studio Theatre 

Fresh Moves: Dark Circles Presents New Work in a New Space for the New Year

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FORT WORTH, TX — For its Winter Series, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (DCCD) will unveil YOU AND ME, a world premiere by Founder and Artistic Director Joshua L. Peugh, as well as Critics of the Morning Song, whichrecently premiered in New York at The Ailey Citigroup Theater. The company has also commissioned a new work by internationally renowned choreographer James Gregg with original music by Austin-based musician Jordan Moser. Winter Series will take place January 29-31, 2015 at the Erma Lowe Hall, Studio Theatre on the TCU campus at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $12-20.

Recently selected as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” for 2015, Dark Circles’ Founder and Artistic Director Joshua L. Peugh has had a remarkable year. He has created four new works for his own company as well as world premieres for Philadelphia’s BalletX, L.A.’s BODYTRAFFIC, and Washington D.C.’s Company E.Despite the constant traveling, Peugh has continued to drive his young company forward. For their Winter Series, they have moved to a larger performance space on the campus of Texas Christian University. “I’m very excited to start building a relationship with the TCU community and the students in the School for Classical & Contemporary Dance,” says Peugh.

The recently renovated Erma Lowe Hall, Studio Theatre seats 141, so it is still an intimate venue. “It’s important to me that the audience be physically close to the dancers,” Peugh explains. “The intimate nature of smaller spaces allows for a more electric shared experience between the viewers and the performers; it also makes it easier to get lost in the fantasies we are trying to create.” 

Aside from the new venue, the program itself provides exciting new things. The company has commissioned Montreal-based choreographer James Gregg to create a new work. Quickly emerging as a choreographer in high demand, Gregg has danced with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, RUBBERBANDance, and Azure Barton and Artists. His work, described as “hard-hitting” and “compelling” (Portland Montly), has been set on BalletX, Northwest Dance Project, and Springboard Danse Project, among others. His new work for DCCD features original music by Austin-based musician Jordan Moser (it is worth noting, Moser is a company dancer with Ballet Austin).

Peugh’s new creation for the Winter Series, YOU AND ME, includes a minimal techno soundtrack, vintage arcade sounds, and features DCCD’s newest dancer and recent graduate of University of Missouri, Kansas City, Conservatory of Music and Dance, David Cross. Cross, who began his training as a b-boy, complements the company’s imaginative movement quality and adds a fresh voice to the mix. 

The icing on the cake is Peugh’s Critics of the Morning Song, whichpremiered in October in New York City at The Ailey Citigroup Theater. The piece—commissioned for The Dance Gallery Festival’s esteemed Level UP program—is a duet between Peugh and dancer Alex Karigan Farrior who joined the company last spring. The piece showcases Peugh’s sense of humor and delicacy, which has become the company’s signature.

“We have to keep growing and pushing our boundaries,” Peugh says. “I want to keep things light-hearted but a bit uncomfortable too; that’s the way I’ve been able to keep creating what I hope is thought-provoking material that speaks truthfully to real human beings.”  

Performance Dates:

Winter Series: January 29-31, 2014 at 8:00 PM

Venue Information:

Erma Lowe Hall, Studio Theatre

Texas Christian University

3000 S. University Dr.

Fort Worth, TX 76129