Some Goals

THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 2012.  IT'S NICE TO LOOK BACK ON THIS FROM TIME TO TIME AS A WAY TO GROUND MYSELF, AND REFLECT ON HOW FAR I'VE COME AND HOW FAR I STILL NEED TO GO.  


My career thus far has been marked by exploration.  From teaching, to administration, to performing, to directing, to creating to learning, I have had the opportunity to investigate many different aspects of dance. In my diverse career as a dancer - and all that that term means - what I have discovered thus far is that every aspect of dance is connected. 

As a teacher, I build relationships with students and have the honor of watching them learn and grow as artists.  From this experience, I am acutely aware of the impact that teaching artists have on students, and the deep sense of responsibility we share in the development of their technique and the role we play in their overall understanding of their craft and their part in a global community of artists.  As a director and administrator, I shepherd students through various stages of their student and professional careers including entering and exiting programs, placement and evaluation, transitioning through progressive levels, and the like; I work with my partners at Evolve Dance Inc. to develop creative programs and activities that respond to artistic inquiry and social need; and I develop collaborations and relationships with other organizations and programs in an effort to build and strengthen ties within the dance community as a whole.  From this experience, I am aware of the internal and external constructs of a community and how dancers move within, around, and through them... I see the symbiotic relationship - the interconnection between the artist, the student, and the public.  As a choreographer and performer, I utilize my experiences to explore/question/celebrate my personal identity.  In choreographing works for professional and student dancers, I have come to understand that, for me, every moment of artistic creation is a sum total of all my experiences.  Allowing the people, environments, and activities that I encounter to permeate my artistic process has given me a full sense of connectivity. In my experience, the connecting element is community.  Believing that what is seen on stage is just one piece of the puzzle, I have collaborated with many different populations, locally and globally, to discover how dance can exist and thrive in any and every setting (in the classroom, on the street, in the grass, in the theater... everywhere). I have found that dance exists in all these forms through community interaction.

My goal is to explore this community interaction through my professional work and also through a complete academic course of study. I am driven by several questions (I am sure I'll be adding to this list as I go along): 

• How can we define and discuss “community” as whole (can we?)
• Community interaction is an inherent component of dance.  How do these interactions take place?  
• What can we learn from these interactions and how do they inform the discipline of dance?
• How do we interact in a way that addresses/honors the individual and his/her own unique experiences while concurrently addressing/honoring the larger community and the shared experiences of its members?
• What are the implications?  How will the study of community interaction impact the discipline of dance? 
• How can we connect this exploration into the higher education setting?  

Artists interact with communities in myriad ways:  creating work, sharing that work with audiences on stage and off, teaching, collaborating with peers, international exchange, and more. Through a dedicated investigation of community interaction, specifically through the lens of dance, I strive to bring these issues to the forefront of our professional community whose work so inherently and concurrently relies upon/impacts the community at large.  I strive to identify a dialogue that exists between and among artists and the community. Understanding how community interaction takes place will impact every aspect of the field of dance from creative development to education, performance, and the way we connect with audiences.  It will truly reach across the spectrum and impact the field in ways I cannot yet imagine.  A deep foundation for this work is present among the dance community, and the investigation has already made its way in the higher education setting.  I strive to build connections between academic institutions and the dance community; to help open doors to accepting community interaction as a course of study within dance research.  

MANY THANKS

I am eternally thankful for my partners at Evolve Dance Inc.  Jane Alexandre, Karenne Koo, Annie Tucker, and Colleen Cintron-Rivelli have all been stalwart supporters, motivators, challengers, and endless sources of inspiration.  Evolve Dance Inc. is a dance organization formed in 2006.  Our mission is to pursue understanding, advancement, and realization of the human experience through dance. Together, we have created a reflective practice that allows us to work towards our mission in our own individual ways, ways that collectively drive our organization.  My driving force is community interaction, and Evolve Dance has allowed me to explore so many of its angles and avenues... it has taken me many places, and now here, to Philadelphia.  Thank you. 

When I have found a phrase that can trump "thankful beyond all measure that is humanly possible and impossible", I will use that to describe my gratitude for having such an amazing family.  Mom, Dad, Laura, Joe, and all of my loved ones... whether near or far, my family members are all shining examples of what it means to be loving, hard working, supportive, inquisitive (in that deeply special way that makes them contribute all they have to the world around them), and caring.  I wouldn't be here without you.  Thank you.