1. Being in the work prevented me from seeing the overall piece, its structure, spatial
design, cohesiveness….and also from being able to give dancers prompts / feedback for nuanced performance. 2. I sadly realized that although I had a powerful performance presence, my little body had too many anatomical limitations to achieve the look I wanted. I would focus so hard on extensions and pointed feet, thinking I had really done well, and then I would see myself on video and cringe. This is still emotional and deeply personal for me to discuss; in fact, I’m not sure I should be disclosing this fact as I don’t want it plastered all over the web. I chose to work with dancers who had the technical capacity and performance aesthetic that I wanted for my works. NH: What are you most nervous about regarding ChoreoFest? NL: Well, I suppose keeping tensions down as we all become more sleep deprived, especially since I am working with some of my dancers for the first time, and this group is definitely working together for the first time. So I am unfamiliar with their personal triggers and preferred learning styles. Working with new people in a new group is always challenging for optimal communication, and this setting adds much deeper challenges due to its nature. Keeping calm and gentle communication open is key to a successful and enjoyable experience for all. On a humorous but very real note: I am concerned about bringing too much stuff and the horrors of trying to get all the stuff from my little Mazda into The Dance Complex on a traffic filled Friday evening. I’m one of those people who thinks it best to bring something “just in case” rather than to be caught without. NH: Since this is a very controlled creative space (in terms of time and topic) where do you see yourself starting when you get in the space? NL: I will most likely start with some guided improvisation to help all of us get more comfortable with each other. Depending on the topic, I may ask the dancers to engage in a written exploration as a means of movement generation. Writing or no writing, unless I have an extremely strong personal connection to the theme, I would like the initial movement generation to come from each of the dancers. We tend to better remember and most fully execute that movement which naturally emanates from within our own bodies. NH: In creating a new work, what is the relationship between you and your dancers? Do they participate in the creative process? If so, how? NL: Please refer to the information provided in response to the previous question. Additionally, I like to verbally engage with the dancers as to their thoughts and valuable insights about the creation of meaning in the work. Often I will ask the dancers what feels most comfortable or natural when finessing the details of the movement. NH: Knowing that Karen Krolak will be on hand as "choreographic guru", what things do you hope she can help with in the overnight process? NL: Probably technological assistance with computer audio editing. I have a new laptop that I really don’t know how to use with its Windows 8 platform (grrr), and an old laptop that (at best) functions at the speed of a snail trying to get up a molasses covered hill in winter. NH: Who are some of your favorite choreographers? NL: Oh boy…Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Mark Morris, Alonzo King, Jill Bahr, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Bill T. Jones, Ulysses S. Dove… is that enough? NH: Who are your mentors? How are you paying forward the things your mentor gave you? NL: Oh my god, I could go on forever here…but first and foremost I must honor the memory of my recently departed mentor and colleague, Dr. Jan Van Dyke of Greensboro, NC. I can’t believe she is gone. She is being honored with a memorial this coming Sunday August 22nd, held at the UNCG Dance Theatre and livestreamed on the web. I can’t say enough about or adequately summarize how much I learned from Jan as a teacher, choreographer, administrator, and woman of dignity in the arts and academe. Last week I was teaching young student choreographers during an intensive at The Dance Academy in Fall River. I gave them the same first day lesson that Jan used in Choreography II, The Craft at UNCG, for which I was twice her TA. We wrote rhythms on the board and discussed time values of different musical notes, and how many beats per measure, and how to vary rhythm and apply it to movement to create new and interesting variations. It’s actually a very difficult concept to grasp for most of us, but invariably successful in the end. The school director was impressed when she saw the material and commented that they were learning so much from me. I told her that it was all Jan, or JVD as we lovingly called her.
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