Getting to Know Kaleidoscope Dance - Empower One Another Interviews

Stephanie Espinal

Here's another company who will be part of Empower One Another on April 13th!  Don't forget, you can get your tickets to see all of these amazing companies during the afternoon show, catch the Spork (post show conversation) with Monkeyhouse and then head over to the Dance Complex to catch Karen's I-ARE Residency Showcase in the evening! 

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Nicole Harris: ​Collaboration can be rewarding and difficult. What is one great moment and one challenge you’ve faced during this process?
Jackie Bowden: One great moment we had in our collaboration process was finding our vision for the piece itself. We had a great time coming up with topics and discussing issues we have in society today. One challenge we faced with this collaboration was communication. It’s difficult to translate feelings and ideas associated with a piece since we do not share a brain, a lot of thoughts and feelings get misconstrued in the process.

N: Kaleidoscope was started by yourself and Jessica Prince just a couple of years ago.  What made the two of you want to create work together? What are the commonalities between your individual choreographic styles?
JB: We both danced together throughout our years at Salem State University. A few times before we even graduated we joked about creating a company together and how great it would be. Once school was over, we wanted to find an outlet for our choreography. What once felt like a far future dream turned into a current reality and we decided to finally put in the work and get Kaleidoscope going! We both enjoy the process so much of choreographing pieces. Our work has both similar elements that bring us together and unique elements that set us apart.

N: As co-directors, how do you create work?  Do you choreograph things together? Do you each tackle different projects?  If so, how much impact does the other choreographer have on your work?
JB: As co-directors we have a sort of give and take approach to our work. We do keep our pieces separate for the most part and it’s also great for when we have a block in our creative process to bounce ideas off of each other.

N: What other local companies and choreographers do you recommend people check out?  Why?
JB: We recommend people check out Angelina Benitez and her work. She helped Kaleidoscope Dance Company get started as a dancer and has since ventured off to create her own work and perform in various performances!

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Empower One Another today!