ChoreoFest Revisited: Nicole Laliberte

Photo by Robert Coghill

​​ChoreoFest is one month away!  We are busy partnering up with the Endicott College Dance Department in preparation for the festival, but not too busy to catch you up with one of last year's ChoreoFest participants, Nicole Laliberte!  You can find the original interview here. - Nicole

N: Have you used the piece you created during ChoreoFest? In what way?
NL: Unfortunately no, while I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of the process, the subject matter did not touch my heart in a way that propelled me to pursue the piece further.

N: What advice do you have for this year's participants?
NL: Get movement generated first thing. Less talking about it...more doing it.  Attempt to be asleep by 3am. Bring lots of Ibuprofen. Dress for heat. Be prepared for petulant Wi-Fi.

N: What is your favorite memory from last year's festival?
NL: The Ah-Ha moment of using old TV show themes, namely Peanuts and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood...and having them work when we tried them with the movement!

N: What have you been up to in the last year?
NL: I have been deeply blessed. The Choreofest kicked off an unprecedented string of opportunities for Freedom Dances that truly re-birthed the company here in RI / Boston. For one, I met a fabulous dancer, the incomparable Whitney Cover, in the mandatory workshop with Peter DiMuro. Not only did she perform with me for the 24 Hour Choreofest, but I have been lucky enough to continue working with her, and to have her dance the lead role in a very emotional and challenging work - in 2 different sets of performances. The work would not be the same without her!

We did the Dance Works in Process at AS220 in October 2015.

In January 2016, Freedom Dances and Heather Brown Dance co-produced a 3-show concert as part of a Production Residency at AS220 in Providence.

In February, 2 of my works were performed in the Boston Regional Youth America Grand Prix.

​In June we performed "Ruffled" at Dance For World Community in Harvard Square and the Festival of Us, You, We, and Them at the Dance Complex.
July was spent re-staging "Verge - Part 1 - Greatness", and "Verge - Part 2 - Despair" for the Providence Fringe Festival in which we performed 2 evenings.
I am starting my certification training in the Feldenkrais Method in Newton onAugust 19th - something I have wanted to do for years!

N: Where can people see you/your work these days? Any upcoming performances?
NL: Adrienne Hawkins invited us to dance in the upcoming Friends and Family shows at the Dance Complex. We will be presenting "Ruffled" on August 19th and 20th. I am honored by the invitation!