Artist Statement- Choreography

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As a choreographer, my goal is to provide the audience with works that make them ask questions and lead them to make new discoveries about themselves and the world around them. Also, I am interested in creating works that my dancers and myself can be challenged by both physically and intellectually. I use the artistic process of problem-solving, constant editing, and rethinking to accomplish these ambitions.

Strong choreographic works should spark discussion and lead to questions. So, I work with concepts and characters that resonate with audiences either because they can see some part of themselves in the work or the work expresses something they have never seen or considered. My work tends to be an abstraction of the everyday struggles people face within themselves and the world around them. My movement vocabulary within these ideas is very detail oriented and often explores the relationship between weight and breath. I tend to experiment with balancing classical modern and contemporary ideas and play with how I can take the perspective of one style and twist it to incorporate the perspective of the other.

As I am creating a new work, I am heavily focused on embracing the creative process while I push myself to experiment and live outside of my comfort zone. I take what feels new and has potential to be something bigger, and I see how far I can take it. I believe that what happens in the dancemaking process and rehearsal process can make or break the final product. A dynamic process full of experimentation and play leads to a stronger final product with more depth and meaning. So, I find myself drawn to dancers who value the process of dancemaking because they are willing to go on the artistic journey with me, even if that means going back to square one more than once.

For me, choreography is an art of discovery and problem-solving. Dance works should push the audience as well as the dancers to see their world differently. Embracing a dynamic process of constant editing and rethinking makes this happen. Once I finish a process with one piece, I find myself jumping at the chance to start the next one.