Brenna: Thanks for chatting with us Ben! Can you start by giving a brief introduction of who you are and what you do?
 
Ben: Thank you so much for having me. 
 
My name is Ben Cuba, and I’m an accompanist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist in the Boston area.  I work as a ballet pianist and dance class accompanist for Emerson College, Boston Conservatory, and Greater Boston School of Dance.  I play bass in the band Midnight Motion, and I write and record my own original music as well.  I have composed music for many dancers and choreographers around Boston.  It’s been an honor to compose “Sam Am I” for Katrina and Alive Dance Collective.  It is my first piece for Alive, and I’m excited to share it with everybody.      
 
Brenna: Tell us about how you started making music for dance! What are some of your favorite creations for dance and why? 
 
Ben: My avenue into composing music for dance was through accompaniment and immersing myself in the overall dance scene and environment.  I was a Music Composition major at Bates College, and a member of the Bates Dance faculty found out that I played a number of instruments, and she asked if I would like to try out dance accompaniment.  I immediately gravitated toward the craft and wanted to further my involvement with dance by composing for choreography.  The early stages involved making music for a few videos and short pieces at the Bates Dance Festival in 2015.  During my senior year, I got to compose for a piece in the Bates Fall Dance Concert 2015, which was my first major composition that was performed for an audience. 
 
I have two favorite creations for dance. 
 
I got to see Glenn Kotche, the drummer for the band Wilco, play live on stage for ATE9 Dance at the Boston ICA.  His rhythmic connection with the dancers was unparalleled, and he displayed a keen insight into the movement taking place.
 
Dorrance Dance’s “Myelination” left me speechless.  I have seen this piece in Boston and New Haven, and it continues to excite and stimulate me musically.  Donovan Dorrance’s compositional style is genius; he knows how to get into your brain and under your skin in the most beautiful way.  The music, coupled with the tap dancing, is hypnotic, soothing, and galvanizing, and brings you on a comforting journey.   
 
These two have been the most motivating and influential pieces for me.  It was also amazing to have met Glenn and Donovan after these shows.    
 
Brenna: We’re so excited to see your work featured in Ink In Motion! Can you tell us about your process for creating the music for Katrina’s upcoming piece? What was the most fun? What was the most challenging? How did the process evolve as the piece evolved? 
 
Ben: It’s been a great time composing “Sam Am I” for Katrina.  It’s been a compositional process like no other. 
 
Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” is ripe with back-and-forth quips and confrontations.  There are two forces at play in the story, namely enticing suggestion and fervent refusal.  I wanted to musically capture these two forces by mixing major and minor keys.  Major keys represent the quirky, happy suggestion and the minor keys represent the harsh, blunt dismissal.    
 
It was fun to play around with different sounds and instrumentation.  I had never composed with horns and marimba before, but, while flipping through the book’s pages, I noticed that the dance and story called for those instruments.  I felt a new sense of freedom while composing for this piece.  Since the characters in the story ride a train, a car, a boat, while encountering a goat, a fox, and a mouse, I felt like I could implement all types of sounds and noises.  Anything is possible in this Dr. Suess world that the dance inhabits. 
 
The most challenging component of this process was breaking away from my instinctual creative tendencies.  I had to make a concerted effort to go against the melodies that I would typically write.  I had also never worked on a dance piece directly based on writing or source material.  Having the guidance from both a choreographer’s movement and an author’s visual and verbal aesthetic was a new experience for me.      
 
I composed “Sam Am I” page by page, so I needed to understand the little differences between the scenes.  For example, when the characters are riding through the dark, I implemented more brooding, mysterious electronic sounds, which stand in contrast to the light-hearted, wacky marimba during the beginning’s back-and-forth dialogue. 
 
 
Brenna: In addition to creating compositions for dance, you are also an accompanist. How do you feel these two roles inform each other?  
 
Ben: There are many differences between the two roles.  For instance, while accompanying a class, I’m most often limited to one instrument, while I can record and layer many instruments when composing for a piece.  Furthermore, dance accompaniment operates at much faster pace than working on a composition.  During a dance class, I only have the time it takes for the teacher to demonstrate a combination, and then I create and play something that hopefully works out.  I feel like composing for dance allows for more time to experiment.  I can play with counts, sounds, rhythms, ideas, melodies that are more outside the norm, or outside of a class curriculum so to speak.      
 
There are also many similarities between the two.  The collaborative element is crucial for both forms.  Whether working with a teacher or a choreographer, the musician’s service to the movement is paramount.  Both forms demand a strong amount of observation and listening.  Overall, adaptability is key.  It is also important to understand that the movement taking place, whether it’s in a class or for choreography, is not limiting the accompanist’s and composer’s musical creation, but rather breathing life into it.            
 
That is to say, I enjoy both roles.  I find both challenging and overall beneficial to my own musicianship. 
 
Brenna: Finally, how can people learn more about you and get in touch if they’re interested in working with you?
 
Ben: My website bencuba.com has videos and links to all of my work.  I am also @ben_cuba on Instagram.  My email is also [email protected].  Anybody can reach out to me on these platforms.  I’m always happy to collaborate. 
 
I have also compiled the music I have composed for choreography onto an album called “Savage Movements.”  The album is on Spotify and Apple Music, just search my name with “Savage Movements” and it will turn up.  “Savage Movements II” is also in the works as we speak. 
 
Thank you so much to Katrina and Alive Dance Collective.    
 

Nicole Harris: You are a NACHMO pro by now. Do you have any advice for newcomers or those who have been nervous to take the NACHMO challenge?
Ruth Benson Levin: I would say to any newcomer, just relax and enjoy it! It’s the most supportive, low pressure artistic endeavor you could ever do. And it’s a good place to try something you’ve always wanted to try. Plus, if you choose to perform, you get an audience provided for you, which as a choreographer is a wonderful gift.

N: For most of your past NACHMO experiences you worked with your longtime collaborator, Lynn Modell. Due to her schedule she won’t be with you this year. (We will miss you, Lynn!) Can you talk a bit about what you will be doing this year? 
RBL: I am creating a solo for a a dancer named Amy Caine. We’ve gotten to know each other as we both dance for Lynn Modell. Amy was also in one of my pieces for across the ages several years ago. Amy has chosen the theme for the dance and we are going to work together on the movement.

N: You made a joke during your conversational application about working with a younger dancer and the things that your body no longer does. As more and more of the dance world is moving away from the idea that all dancers must be young, skinny, and bendy, what advice do you have for choreographers working with artists whose bodies have different abilities than their own? What are some of the tools you are using to communicate what your vision is besides demonstration? How are you creating in a way that leaves room for translation and interpretation by different bodies?
RBL: Amy told me she likes to “fly high and fly low”. Meaning, she likes to roll around on the floor and leap in the air. I can do neither of these things anymore. But I am determined to try to come up with movement that will be satisfying for her. I’ve asked her to create some movement motifs based on words that describe our theme. I like choreographing when I get to start with somebody else is movement rather than my own.

Nicole Harris: This is your first time doing NACHMO together. (I believe this is Teresa’s first NACHMO!? WELCOME!) What are you most nervous and most excited about the experience of creating work in a month?
A&T: We’re so excited!!! 

Alexa:  We’re using a large prop for our piece, which is always a challenge in itself, but creating a piece around it in a month adds an extra layer of difficulty!  I’ve had the concept for this piece for about 8 years now so I’m stoked that I can finally put my thoughts to action. Teresa has a WILD passion and drive for dance that I admire so much and I’m thrilled she’s co-parenting this concept with me. 

Teresa: I’ve been aware of NACHMO for a few years now and it’s just never worked out to participate until now! Alexa reached out and asked if I’d be interested in collaborating on a piece and I took it as my sign to just go for it this year.  I’m really looking forward to getting in the studio and exploring both working with a prop and working in this partnership. 

N: How did you meet? What made you decide to collaborate this year? How will your collaboration begin?
A&T: We actually only met 4 months ago at auditions for OnStage Dance Company!

Alexa:  I’ve never seen anyone submit choreo and do FIVE pieces in their FIRST season at the company. We were in a small piece together this season that involved partnering, which is how we got to know eachother better…except that we weren’t actually partnered together! I noticed a lot of similarities in our quality of movement and I was like “I gotta work with her!”

​N: Teresa - When you signed on to the conversational application you were listed as ASL Interpreter instead of just your name. Are you, in fact, an ASL Interpreter? If so, how did that come about? Are there ways that you feel speaking ASL impacts you as a choreographer and/or a dancer? 
Teresa: Yes, I’m an ASL Interpreter! I went to college to become an interpreter and have been working professionally for about 5 years now. During my career I’ve actually had the privilege of working with many talented Deaf dancers and performing artists which has definitely widened my worldview about what dance can be. I enjoy the visual movement aspect that ASL, dance, and choreography all embrace.

N: Monkeyhouse and NACHMO Boston believe that we wouldn’t be here without the support of our community. Who is one of your favorite local choreographers and why?
Alexa: I’ve been a big fan of Nozama Dance Collective for years and I’m always fascinated by their work. Every time I leave a show, I feel inspired to create something. ​

By Nicole Harris

Nicole Harris: This is your first time choreographing for NACHMO. (WELCOME!) What are you most nervous and most excited about the experience of creating work in a month?
Libby Bullinger: Thank you for the welcome! The element of NACHMO Boston that stands out to me in particular is the amount of mentorship opportunities involved. As a fresh-out-of-college choreographer, I have definitely struggled with the transition from strictly laid out assignments, weekly choreography classes, and constant peer and faculty feedback that I received in my dance department to being an independent choreographer with free rein and minimal creative feedback. NACHMO has opportunities for group meetings, individualized mentorship, and peer-mentoring that seem to simulate the environment I learned to choreograph in. I anticipate this month will help ease my personal progression from student to working in the professional world.

I’m, of course, nervous that my choreography won’t be “good enough” or “up to standard,” but I have come a long way in terms of how I frame my own achievement. I look forward to this journey being about the process of creation and a catalyst for creativity, with some guidance along the way from a variety of sources. Low stakes, huge opportunity for growth and fun!

N: You returned to Boston during Covid after your college graduation. What made you want to come back here? What have you been doing since you returned?
LB: I’ve always loved Boston, and as soon as I realized I didn’t want to pursue dancing professionally I knew I wanted to move back to my favorite city post-graduation. There are so many opportunities for creative humans here in Boston, and I have been jumping at every chance I can to get reconnected with the arts community after four years away at college. 

Dance education and choreography are my passions, so I have been teaching dance at studios around the city and started my artistic collective, Dance LAB, over the summer. Since then, my work has been performed at two separate events: at the Dance for World Community Festival and as a guest artist in Nozama Dance Collective’s DISSENT show. I can’t wait to keep creating and learning from the artists around me, and NACHMO is the perfect combination of those goals with a friendly push to get to work! 

N: Having started your career during Covid how are you building community in Boston. How can programs like NACHMO Boston help artists who are starting out in a Covid world?
LB: I’m a people-oriented person, so the physical limitations that COVID placed on interactions, especially creatively, definitely impacted the way that I approach choreographing. My goal as an emerging choreographer is to make as many connections with other creative people as I can. One resource that has been invaluable is my membership with Boston Dance Alliance. I was able to attend their Open Call Audition and discovered some incredible dancers that I get to work with in my piece for this year’s NACHMO performance! Word of mouth and social media have also been great catalysts for growing my own network. 

Of course, the concept of the location-based NACHMO chapters is another example of fueling meaningful connections among the dance community, and I am eagerly awaiting the chance to work with this year’s cohort of choreographers. COVID definitely altered our perspectives on the idea of community, so involvement in community-based programs like NACHMO is a way to reenter that aspect of the creative process. 

N: Monkeyhouse and NACHMO Boston believe that we wouldn’t be here without the support of our community. Who is one of your favorite local choreographers and why?
LB: ​This summer I saw KAIROS Dance Theater’s work in progress showing of “Folktales, Fables, and Feasts.” The athleticism and variety of the dancers’ movement was astounding, and their ability to convey the plotline of the opera fit right in with their collaboration with RenMen. I can’t wait to see the premiere this year!

Nicole Harris: This is your second time doing NACHMO. (WELCOME BACK!) What did you learn through this process last year? What do you hope to do differently this year?
Carli DiMeo & Claire-Solene Becka: Thank you for having us back! We are so excited. Last year, we worked on a piece about laundry; from this experience, we learned about the intricacies of everyday or quotidian movement and gestures. The mentoring session was crucial in our understanding that domestic labor like laundry is so evocative and at times contentious. As we are again working in a duet, we hope to lean into the vulnerability and intimacy of our connection as perceived by the audience. 

N: For last year’s NACHMO you did a piece centered around laundry. There have been several other artists recently looking at invisible labor (including NACHMO Boston mentor Kim Holman’s Common Circus) in their work. Why do you think that is such a relatable theme in our community at the moment?
CD & CSB: With COVID-19 and the following lockdown, our lives were suddenly jammed into our homes. Zoom invited the outside world inside our homes, and so invisible and domestic labor became increasingly visible. Now the boundaries between traditional work and domestic labor are blurred as people work remotely – we ourselves do our laundry in between (or during) meetings!

N: Your laundry piece, Did You Check The Dryer?, was based around the use of props (socks and a laundry basket). Will you be working with props again this year? How do you decide where to begin when starting a new work?
CD & CSB: We will not be working with props again though we are considering having a musician on stage with us – and therefore be part of the piece!

Last year, we began by journaling on the theme of Lost and Found, which is how we arrived at the idea of using socks on stage. This year, we are doing a “physical journal” based on some images we have collected to explore how those shapes manifest in our bodies. This will be the basis of our movement vocabulary. ​

By Nicole Harris

Nicole Harris: For NACHMO this year you are choosing a non-performance track. How do programs like this benefit your process? Are you working towards a specific project outside of NACHMO that you are using your NACHMO time for? Or is this purely exploratory?
Jessica Roseman: NACHMO is the perfect reboot for the start of my year. I love its casual creativity, playfulness, and the supportive environment. This year, I am combining several repertory dances into one longer piece, and I am playing with an interactive installation concept. At this point, both projects are in exploration phases, as I have yet to figure out where or when they will actualize.

N: If this is purely exploratory, or in other places without a clearly defined end product, how do you make sure the process is meaningful? 
JR: Working by myself, I have zero tolerance for tortured process. Alone, I am responsible for meaningfully shaping my work to suit my vision. So I think a lot about what motivates me to dance, what excites me. I am inspired to use stories from my family and identity, by using my senses, and my location.  

N: What are your tools for prioritizing process at least equally to product?
JR: Scheduled time in the studio. In rehearsal, I set my stopwatch for 5 or 20 minutes, for example, to play out a beginning, middle, and end around an idea. I may do timed dances several times throughout a rehearsal. Often the dance is aimless; some sessions I choose to do nothing. Sometimes I phone a friend in rehearsal, or bring in stimulating props for encouragement. Regardless of what happens, by putting in my studio time, I can trust that my process is growing the dance. Over enough weeks, I come to understand a sense of the story I am shaping. Inevitably, I develop a dance I can live in. My process becomes product.

N: You’ve built three distinct pieces for fairly high profile programs in the last year. Do you have any advice for choreographers to care for themselves in the midst of those high pressure situations?
JR: Choreograph wellbeing into your dance. If the piece is emotionally or physically taxing, put a recuperation section in there, or creatively modify the action! Work with things, people, costumes, music that make you happy. Bake care into your artistic process and business practices - schedule daily writing, life coaching, affirmations, play, and rest time to keep grounded. Surround yourself with people who you easily share with and trust. Be honest with yourself. Don’t be afraid to say no, or to ask for what you need. 
 
N: Thanks to a conversation from you a few years ago we started offering childcare during mentoring, tech, and performances for choreographers who need it. Are there other ways that programs like NACHMO Boston can be supporting artists who are parents?
JR: One of my biggest challenges as a parent is balancing my time and energy. I really appreciate how NACHMO offers flexible options in scheduling dates for mentoring sessions, and how to participate. I would love programs for parenting artists to consider offering open, cumulative scheduling, allowing the artist to choose a schedule that works for them. 

It would be ideal if other programs asked accommodation questions to parent artists up front, even if they’re unable to provide. Parents need to feel welcomed to ask for support; so thank you for asking!

N: Monkeyhouse and NACHMO Boston believe that we wouldn’t be here without the support of our community. Who is one of your favorite local choreographers and why?
​JR: The work of Laura Sánchez really resonates for me, among many other local choreographers. Laura is creating new ways to incorporate all aspects of her being in her dances, including beyond her expertise in flamenco. I am excited to see what she’s doing next!  ​

By Nicole Harris

Nicole Harris: You are a NACHMO pro by now. Do you have any advice for newcomers or those who have been nervous to take the NACHMO challenge?
Marissa Chura: Remember that NACHMO Boston is one of the most welcoming and supportive dance communities around! No one is being competitive with each other, or trying to tear anyone down. Something I love about NACHMO is that there’s no hierarchy among the participants- everyone has something to offer, everyone’s contributions and creations are valued and appreciated.

Also, don’t put too much pressure on yourself! That’s something I have to remind myself a lot when choreographing, and it’s especially true in NACHMO. This whole process of creating something in a month can feel really intimidating, and it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of creating that “perfect” final product- and for me, that’s not what NACHMO is about. Don’t get so stressed about your final piece that you miss out on the overall experience, because this really is such a great opportunity to experiment with movement and connect with so many other artists. 

N: You generally create solo work for NACHMO. What draws you to creating for yourself? How do you keep yourself feeling connected to a community when your rehearsals are just you?
MC: For NACHMO specifically, one reason for solo work is just practicality- this is a very fast-paced endeavor and with my current schedule and location, it just makes more sense to create solo work than to try and coordinate with a group. On a more general note, I’m often drawn to creating solo work because it gives me an opportunity to explore movement that feels satisfying in my own body. Sometimes in a class or rehearsal for something, you’ll find that one movement that just feels really satisfying, but then you might have to move onto the next thing without getting to explore that movement as much as you might want to. So I guess in a way, creating solo work is my “me-time” when I get to revisit those sensations that interest me and keep digging deeper into them. It’s an opportunity to focus on what feels good to my body, and then figure out how to build more movement around that.

I think NACHMO Boston makes it really easy to feel connected to the community even when I’m creating something by myself. There are so many opportunities to directly connect with other people, especially through the various mentoring opportunities. I love group and peer mentoring. It’s always so interesting to hear about other people’s processes and see what they are working on throughout the month, and it’s just a great opportunity to connect with other local artists! Another thing that helps me feel connected is the daily prompts. I don’t necessarily use all of them for my actual piece, but I definitely like to play with them. To know we’re all getting the same daily prompts to play with, and then to be able to see how other choreographers are interpreting the prompts through social media, makes me feel really connected to the larger NACHMO community. 

By Nicole Harris

Nicole Harris: Madison, this is not your first time participating in NACHMO. What did you learn last time that will help you this time around? Is there anything new that you are doing this year?
Madison Florence: This year is my third year participating as a choreographer. Last time, it was 2021 and we were creating entirely for video. Choreographing for the stage feels very different and I became very comfortable performing and creating for an audience I could move and choose what angle they could see the piece from while creating video. I'm doing a little unlearning of that this year but I am excited to do some partnering, get creative with music, and push the boundaries of my comfort zone.

N: You will be collaborating for NACHMO this year. Is this the first time you’ve created together? How do you know each other? How will you begin your collaborative process?
MF: This is our first time creating together but not the first time dancing together. We are both dancers with Nozama Dance Collective and became fast friends since the day we first met. Lucky for us our thoughts are very aligned and developing a concept was a simple conversation.

Sarah Ready: Yes, this is our first time creating together but we have been fortunate enough to dance together with Nozama Dance Collective. I met Madison when I auditioned for Nozama and instantly hit it off and found that we work very well together. We began our collaborative process by having a seamless conversation where our concept was developed.

by Nicole Harris

Nicole Harris: This is your first time choreographing for NACHMO. (WELCOME!) What are you most nervous and most excited about the experience of creating work in a month?
Katrina Conte: I have been wanting to create a piece based off the Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham for awhile now and I’m excited to explore some abstract funky movement to match his whimsical book. I'm nervous about completing a piece in a month that I feel is complete, but I am trying to think of this show as a test run before it's shown again in our ALIVE show in April.

N: You are choreographing this year as part of Alive Dance Collective and your piece will be inspired by their season theme of books. Can you tell us about what book you’re using and how you’re planning to use it? What first drew you to the book? 
KC: I was first drawn to this book when I went to see How the Grinch stole Christmas the Musical touring at my university a few years ago. There was a fun fact page about Dr. Suess in the program and it mentioned he only uses a total of 50 words rearranged to create the story of Green Eggs and Ham. This sparked an idea! I will be generating a move for each word in the story and choreographing it in the structure of the book. I am also having my musician be inspired by a similar idea.

Nicole Harris: It’s so exciting to have you back to NACHMO! We have certainly undergone a lot of changes since you were with us in 2020. What have you been doing during that time? How do you feel your practice has changed? What things have you discovered to be vital to you and your work?
Jo Troll: It's exciting to be back! NACHMO 2020 was actually my last live performance before the lockdown. I think that's the real change that's happening. I struggled a lot during the pandemic and had to refocus much more on my teaching instead of performance. In terms of creation and performance, I feel like I'm just coming out of a multiyear hibernation. 

This pandemic has taught me a lot in terms of the value of virtual work in terms of accessibility. I never thought that I would teach only on zoom, and yet, I see how much the virtual world has allowed more people to be able to access dance. Now, I'm trying to bring these lessons into my solo creative practice as well. I'm playing a lot more with video and the idea of performing live in a virtual way. I've been thinking a lot about space recently - my main rehearsal space is still my bedroom. So what does it mean to see a space differently or experience a space when we're not physically in it? 

N: You have a background in a variety of traditional percussive dance practices. Can you tell us a bit about what you’ll be working on for NACHMO this year? 
JT: Nothing noisy or virtual! I'm working with Irish light shoe dancing, which can feel very percussive but doesn't have the accompanying sound.I'm not quite sure what it is I'm actually doing yet, but it seems to involve a chair. I've always been fascinated by how music for dance can change our perception of time and that has been my main starting point. I struggle between the desire to simply dance and the need to say something with my dancing. I'm a trans, aroace, disabled Irish dancer and if I don't frame my work, someone else will do it for me and usually miss something important. But sometimes, I just want to put on good music and dance. I think that tension is an underlying theme in my work at the moment.

By Nicole Harris

By Nicole Harris

By Nicole Harris

Nicole Harris: This is your third NACHMO which means it’s Collective Moment’s second birthday this month! What have you learned through the process of starting a company? What are your goals moving forward?
​Kaylee Mahan: I am so excited for our second birthday month and am so excited to share it with you all!!! I have learned so many incredibly things. 

• Going with your gut is important - you have to be your biggest advocate but also allow others to help/ support!
• You never know until you try, so try! and not every “success” is a “yes” so, be gentle and not attached to results!  
• Connections and community is everything. To fall in and embrace - all and any. 

​My goals moving forward is to just take more chances and dive in more. I tend to let my brain and mental chatter if you will really hold me back from personally following through with some projects, grants, applications, which is okay its part of the journey, but, I think goal wise: apply to more things,  keep performing, and hopefully making new work.  

​​N: You were part of the aMaSSiT program in 2022 (alongside Circe, Lila, Tess, and Soumya who are also part of NACHMO this year!). The piece you created has developed quite a bit since then. Can you talk a bit about your choreographic journey from aMaSSiT to now? When did you feel most successful? What are you looking for to keep your momentum going into 2023?
​KM: Man oh man - first and foremost being apart of aMaSSiT was and is still one of the best experiences of my life, as a person, choreographer, dancer! I found community, happiness, and good healthy dance connections! It was so lovely to be in a shared space of artists of all styles and just share! As for my choreographic journey - I’ve taken a lot of time and put more thought into recent works, allowed myself to really slow down with some movement and approaches.
I’m honestly not to sure where I have felt most successful - thats one that I think I have to ponder on!

To keep my momentum going into 2023 I think is to just really keep diving into making connections and communication with my fellow artists!  To create and move for nothing else other than to just move  - I’m really excited to follow the daily prompts of NACHMO - i enjoy being able to follow along prompts and see what comes up and out of it.

By Nicole Harris

N: This is your fourth NACHMO, making you a pro! Do you have any advice for first time participants or artists who have felt nervous about taking the challenge?
Christopher Croucher: Honestly, I feel like NACHMO is the perfect way to shake off those nerves.  The way that NACHMO Boston supports the choreographers really makes it a choose-your-own-adventure kind of challenge.  Put in as much or as little energy as you have to give, really, it’s okay!  As Brenna Banister and Alive Dance Collective say, we’re full time humans and part time dancers.  It’s okay to jump in at the deep end or stick a toe in the wading pool.  No matter what, you’re going to take something from this experience!

I think the most important things to remember are that 1. This should be fun, otherwise why do it? and 2. You’re stepping into one of the least judgmental and most supportive communities you’ll find in the dance world…enjoy it.  You never know what will come out of it until you shake it off and go for it. 

​N: You have been incredibly busy in the last year working on Letting the Land Lead. Can you tell us a little more about it? Where are you hoping it goes from here?

By Nicole Harris

​Learn more about NACHMO (including where you can see Brett’s work in early March!) and take the #MonkeyhouseNACHMOChallenge by following us on Instagram!

N: This is your third NACHMO, making you a pro! Do you have any advice for first time participants or artists who have felt nervous about taking the challenge?
Brett Bell: GO FOR IT. We have the control and at times only hold ourselves back from exploring our potential as artists. This is your chance to experience a new adventure.

N: Despite this being your third time with us, this is the first time that you will be creating a solo for yourself during NACHMO. What made you make that decision? What does it feel like to be working on your own?
BB: The past year I've sat with myself and did a check-in. The decision came about after reconnecting with my faith. I started looking into what matters to me as an artist, while pushing myself to explore my deeper connection to movement. My inspiration comes from recent time spent in church. It feels scary to do this by myself, but I know my community of friends and family keep me from truly feeling alone. 

N: Monkeyhouse and NACHMO Boston believe that we wouldn’t be here without the support of our community. Who is one of your favorite local choreographers and why?
BB: I will forever be inspired by my very best friend, Jeryl Palaña Pilapil-Brown (She/Her). Jeryl’s appreciation for the art of dance is beyond inspirational, she has a unique way of using her voice and for this I am very grateful. Jeryl has helped me in so many avenues throughout life and I truly appreciate her willingness to help the dance community continue to grow. You can check her out on instagram  @jerylpalana_ 

We joyously continue our Adapting to Uncertainty Series this week with a quick conversation with Jessica Roseman. Eagle eyed readers might have noticed a photograph of her in the background of last week's interview with Kim Holman.  Her Nourish project invites people into her creative practice and often utilizes some unexpected public spaces. If you are lucky, you can catch Jess in action at 6 Faneuil Hall Square Boston, MA, 02109 today from 6 - 7:30PM. And if you go, say hello to karen Krolak or Nicole Harris and share your response to the performance. For more information, click here 

karen: During the pandemic you began building the Nourish project. I know that there is lots of information about that on your website but I am wondering what was different about how it developed compared to things you built pre-pandemic?

Jessica Roseman: Pre-pandemic, my dances were experimental questions. I focused on understanding my choreographic vision - how do I want to present myself? What excites me? What themes and vocabularies serve me best? (Why) is it even important to make dances?

Coming back to choreography after years of healing from trauma, I was examining choreographic approaches to pleasure, searching for ways to make myself - and others - feel better through dance.  I was gathering tools, questioning every step and result along the way. My dances were testing the waters of my own vulnerability and creative capacity. Time and money-wise, I invested in my own self interest without worrying too much about expense, results, or exposure.  

During the pressure cooker conditions of the pandemic, it became necessary to use this line of choreographic inquiry as a means to process, heal, and to actively use my voice for change. I had an immediate need for connection, and to stake a claim in my art and my community. My work, the same approach and content, became at once more political. I invested in building a sustainable career, and built my business in the process
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kK: One of my favorite parts of the land acknowledgements that you share at the start of Nourish workshops is how they encourage me to reflect on the specific site where we are dancing. You are going to be performing for Now +There at Faneuil Hall on August 16, 6pm How has that location influenced your thinking? What sort of research have you done there?

JR: Boston is steeped in colonial history which typically does not tell the whole story. There are tons of historic maps, exhibits, books, tours, and websites about the layered history of Faneuil Hall. Boston’s wealthiest merchant of the time, Peter Faneuil, who built the meeting house, had a significant role in the slave trade.
Farmers from inland, including from what is now called Lexington Community Farm (where I am Artist in Residence), brought their produce to sell in the Faneuil building. As ever, I found it challenging to process an inclusive land acknowledgement of that place without getting swept away by the sheer volume of information from a capitalistic, white supremacist perspective. 

To defy the confines of the colonialism, I am generating my own narrative from my personal connections to Faneuil Hall, and particularly my values for the present: 

• I performed both indoor and outdoor concerts there in my middle and high school choirs in the 80’s. 
• My father’s father commuted from Brookline to work in the U.S Custom House clocktower, once the tallest building in the area. 
• Underneath the granite cobblestones and landfill, Faneuil Hall was constructed at the natural shoreline; these buildings were built over the ocean. 

Now + There’s commission of my dance in front of installation artist Juan Obando’s work has made it possible that I choreograph a space and time where my embodied existence - past, present, and future - is included and valued. I imagine dancing in growth and abundance at the original shoreline of the Massachusetts sea coast. I imagine connecting with brackish marshland, with people who share common values of love, respect, and compassion. My dance is not to entertain or to create an awesome spectacle for a drawn crowd. Nourish: A Public Dance to Feed Your Senses at Faneuil Hall is to publicly claim my own space in public. I invite viewers to do the same by following my movements as they wish.

kK: You have been in residence at Bearnstow last week and previously at Subcircle in Biddeford. How do these weeks away reframe your investigations into the specificity of site where you are presenting work? How do they serve your larger creative practice?

JR: I was born in Maine, and spent many magical summers visiting here as a child. Subcircle and Bearnstow's subsidized Maine residencies bring me back to my childhood self while directly supporting my growth as a choreographer. I feel so affirmed as an artist to be welcomed into their amazing spaces. I have come to rely on time away from my regular parenting routine. I also just love dancing among the plants and trees which each facility environmentally protects. In nature, I deepen my understanding of the good in the world, and my purpose in it.  I reset my sense of time and space. I breathe deeper, and become more grounded. I take experimental new risks.  In residency, I experience a cyclical process of nourishment in relation to the land, which feeds my creative practice. Thanks to Bearnstow and Subcircle, I become fortified to delve into politically challenging places like Boston’s Dock Square, and to make louder, more complex work. 

N: Why is mentoring important to you? Think a bit about the mentoring you have received in your life and where it has come from. Think especially about unexpected relationships or mentoring that has come from completely outside of your field. Can you tell us a bit about one specific mentoring experience and the impact it has had on you?
BB: Mentoring is important to me for many reasons. Talking about dance strengthens the work, resulting in more accessible, interesting, and engaging choreographies. While formal mentorship has been an important part of developing pieces, I have particularly enjoyed the more “casual” peer-to-peer mentorship I’ve received throughout my dance career. These moments happen often; in rehearsals, over text, on car rides, etc. I love sharing my work with Alive members and other dancers I know well and discussing what’s happening. Having these conversations with those close to me allow me to think deeply about my work and what I’m presenting. I also often am able to get feedback from close friends who aren’t dancers, which is also immensely valuable. Alive strives to have work accessible to all, so hearing from a non-dancer what they’re taking away from choreography helps to shape the work. 
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One of the most exciting aspects of producing NACHMO Boston each year is getting to work with dancers from other styles and traditions. When we heard about Samāgata, Monkeyhouse co-Artistic Director, karen Krolak, thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce you to three outstanding classical Indian soloists that we have met through NACHMO Boston: Soumya Rajaram (Bharatanatyam), Sapna Govindan (Mohiniyattam), and Priya Bangal (Odissi).

Samāgata, is an evening of classical Indian dance solos by three artists in - Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Odissi. It will be presented at Andover Town House (Old Town Hall) at 20 Main St, Andover, MA on Saturday, June 11 2022 at 7:30pm. The venue is accessible for people who use mobility devices. Tickets are free. Pre-register here to reserve seating.

karen decided to interview each one of the artists for a different local dance blog. We start with Sapna here but be on the lookout for another interview with Priya on the Dance Complex's blog, and a conversation with Soumya on the CreativeGround blog.


karen: Recently, I have been mentoring Alive Dance Collective whose company talks about being "full time humans, part time dancers". It has made me curious about how many dancers in our area balance performing with other seemingly unrelated jobs. You are both an Anesthesiologist and a Mohiniyattam soloist. How do those parts of you influence each other?
 
Sapna Govindan: Full time humans, part time dancers - that is quite an interesting take. It made me think about how many different roles we juggle in our day to day lives. I have been a doctor and a dancer for a long time now. So by now it feels quite natural to be both. However, this dichotomy is not without its struggles. So maybe I should talk about the struggles first. It goes without saying that being a doctor is a very demanding and at most times a very inflexible job. Balancing that with serious dance pursuit has required me to let go of certain other things in life. I certainly do not believe that one can have it all. Even simple things like getting enough sleep to ensure one has stamina to dance can seem like a project when I have been on frequent overnight calls at the hospital. However, this has taught me to strike a balance and make use of what time is available to me smartly. I told myself that I will continue to dance no matter what when I started my medical training many years back. Dance has certainly kept me grounded throughout my medical career. It has been a home to go back to regardless of how hard the medical training got. On the other hand, being an anesthesiologist has definitely shaped my personality to stay calm, even-keeled and meet challenges head on. Also, it has built a certain sense of responsibility and professionalism towards everything I do. I believe this has translated into my dance career as well. 
 
k: You previously performed with Priya and Soumya in Transcendence as part of Jose Mateo's Dance Saturdays program. One of the things that I truly appreciated about that concert was how Janani Swamy wove the pieces together with insights about each of the different forms of classical Indian dance and music. What are you learning from performing alongside artists in different dance styles?
 
SG: Performing as part of the Transcendence project is something I truly enjoyed. I believe that having a community of like-minded dancers is huge. This feels all the more important coming off of the isolation we went through during the pandemic. Priya, Soumya and I were already working on a project called “Samāgata: A coming together”, when Transcendence happened.  The various Indian classical dance forms have many pan-Indian factors that connect them with each other such as the texts they are based on, musical styles, or the content that takes inspiration from epics and other literary works. At the same time, each of them have strong regional identities depending on which part of India they come from. To me, this kind of collaboration has provided a much needed sense of community, a kind of give and take where we encourage each other, enjoy the commonalities and at the same time learn about nuances and aspects that are unique to each style. I strongly believe that this kind of engagement with dancers of different backgrounds leads to the organic growth of an artist as ultimately art connects everyone beyond all differences.