Connecting People, Misnomer Dance Theater

Christopher Elam jumps. A 50-foot wall shoots out from his feet. Misnomer Dance Theater’s Director has the ground spinning beneath him. Structural forms emerge from his every movement, building a city through physical inspiration.

In the motion capture technology world, the rules bend. “In some ways it’s similar to what one might envision in their body while dancing. But the beautiful irony for a dancer is that you’re very much rooted in the reality of space: the length of muscles, how far you can jump. Only in our minds [can] we extend those concepts,” explains Christopher Elam, Misnomer Dance Theater’s Artistic Director.

His ten-year-old downtown dance company is on the pulse of technology. Bridging artistic genres, Elam collaborated with the multidisciplinary company Tronic Studio in 2006 to experiment with the digitization of movement. Motion capture – often referred to as mocap – has long been used in video game imaging and animation. Now dance is entering another dimension.

“Chris’s style is very much about the physics of dance,” says Jesse Seppe of Tronic. “He’s tweaking reality and…almost defying gravity. We didn’t want ballet or traditional dance. We were much more interested in composition and the experimental side of his work.” Seppe and his partner Vivian Rosenthal approached Elam with just a narrative idea for a mocap shoot. In the rehearsal process, they began to explore the theme of the creative process itself with a blend of movement and graphics.

Like any dance for camera work, the challenges were different than those in choreographing for the stage. The frame directs the audience’s eye, and actions must be repeated and adjusted to achieve the perfect take. It’s no one-shot deal. “You feel like you’re dancing with your ghosts,” Elam says of creating movement within an invisible space that would only become reality in post-production. In the animated piece, every move the dancer makes generates a new 3D building or element in a city being built. “If I’m choreographing a movement where I turn my head and a shape is supposed to come growing off my back, I need to know how long is that shape going to be. If I’m giving an impact of an action, I need to know whether to give a thrust or a gentle petering.” It takes imagination.

Dance and science bonded during the half-day mocap shoot. Elam and his dancers wore suits with multiple reflective markers Velcroed on their joints. “It’s not your typical costume. All the little silver balls fall off your body pretty quickly, especially if you’re partnering with another dancer and lifting them,” says Elam.

During motion capture, multiple cameras circle the room (known as the capture volume) to track the location of each body marker in space, explains Doug Fox, a technology consultant and blogger who has presented research on the topic at the Kinetic Cinema program in Brooklyn, NY. “Motion capture is so valuable because it’s an authentic rendering in animation of the actual movements of dancers.”

“The entire room is mapped out for the software so it can record the XYZ coordinates of the markers. Then the motions are digitized,” says Seppe. A skeletal outline of stick-like diagrams can be played back in real time to be sure the kinetics are recorded as fully and accurately as possible. The data collected is then applied to a character in the 3D software. In this case, it’s the dancer whose movements inspire the creation of other structures.

Initially, Misnomer Dance Theater’s project was set to be the opener of RES Fest (one of the earliest global digital film festivals), but the deal fell through when plans changed for the festival. Tronic Studio and the company are still looking for a final sponsor to help complete its last stages, but in the meantime Misnomer has had other collaborative projects.

In addition to being one of the first modern companies to livestream their performances online and pioneer arts marketing initiatives, they emerged in 3D yet again. Icelandic singer Björk’s 2008 music video, “Wanderlust” featured Elam’s choreography and dancers. While shooting, he coached Misnomer members Brynne Billingsley and Coco Karo through a tumbling sequence in front of a green screen. The final version is a rich visual of movement in an unusual setting.

Dance and animation form a cohesive relationship, particularly for Misnomer. The aesthetics that make dance enjoyable onstage translate well in the digital realm. So often, only ballet is viewed as otherworldly, but with motion capture even abstract movement becomes tangibly, and more engagingly, foreign.

“If you’re shooting mocap for a video game that has soldiers in it, you want to cast ex-military because they move correctly,” Seppe explains. “If you’re doing something that’s really poetic and using the body to speak as the voice, I think a dancer is the right person to look at for that.”

Taylor Gordon
misnomer.org

First published in Issue 9 – Spring/Summer 09 - Arti$tic Reinvention, Poster Issue

Dancers are stupid. The college dance major is a sellout. They have a degree for a low-paying field, and a four-year delay. The student may never see the footlights after graduation. And the professional dancer is ignorant: they don’t have a degree; their brain is in their feet; they don’t prepare for the future.

Such are the stereotypical assumptions of many weighing the pitfalls between career and college. The old school thought that one distracted from the other kept each in isolation. But can’t these camps coexist?

“A part of me felt like I was giving up, or hadn’t tried hard enough,” says Alanna Fisher, a dancer who chose college over a career. The University of Utah ballet major devoted most of her life to dance, training at a ballet boarding high school and attending summer programs at the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and internationally. “I really wanted to experience something new,” she says. But when surrounded by bun-head ballet buffs, considering college appeared to be a sin.

“It’s a constant struggle,” Fisher says of the 19 credit hours she takes in order to double major. “And I honestly have no idea what a BFA in Ballet is going to do for me in my ballet career or later in my life.” Yet she is confident in her pursuit and thrives off preparing for dual careers. “Even though it makes it even harder to stay on top of academics, I like when we have performances because it makes me feel more like I’m in a company.”

The college experience can enrich an artist. Forget studying Shakespeare to understand the ballerina’s role of Juliet. Discussing philosophy, unveiling literature, and self-discovery through writing all stretch a dancer’s capacity to breathe meaning into their work.

“My classes are a much needed distraction from the sometimes frustrating company world,” says New York City Ballet corps de ballet member Devin Alberda. “I find that having something to focus on besides my dancing makes the stresses of casting and the pressures of my workload more manageable.” He squeezes in two courses per semester at Fordham University while performing at New York State Theater and touring internationally with the company.

Even when ballet gets hectic he appreciates his school work. Often he is cast in a role on short notice. “When you have school work and other non-dance related concerns, it forces you to be calm and relax into the part, ignoring the stress of getting thrown in, and focusing on dancing to the best of your ability,” he notes. Both Fisher and Alberda agree they are happiest at their busiest; a trait innate to many dancers.

Majoring in dance is not the only way to integrate education. Schools from Harvard to The University of Missouri offer online or distance education courses in nearly any subject: neurobiology, abnormal psychology, creative writing, American civilization, and more. Working at your own pace rather than slumping in a classroom allows for added valuable studio time.

“The company laughs at me while I sit on the side of the stage reading American History books,” giggles Sabra Perry, a dancer with Complexions for nine years. A former member of the National Ballet of Canada, Perry works towards her BA Degree at Empire State College between seasons at The Joyce and extensive national touring.

“Sometimes it seems like too much. It’s stressful when you’re getting ready for a tour and trying to get courses done, but with independent study I know I can catch up later.” She meets with professors four or five times per semester to get a head start on her education. “When I stop performing I don’t want to feel like I’m jumping off a cliff!” she explains.

“You lose everything – your identity, your friends, your structure,” says LEAP (Liberal Education for Arts Professionals) director Mark Baird of finishing a dance career. “It was very important to help students discover new areas of interest and passions.” Launched in 1999, LEAP offers courses that meet once per week, leading to a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Performance Studies.

In addition to convenient scheduling for the busy performer, Baird believes that “one of the benefits of the program is the acknowledgment of the work students have already done in their dance careers and in their lives.” Dancers are fluent in technique and can “test out” of college level dance courses the way one might do with a foreign language course. They also earn credits quickly through prior learning experience, allowing degree completion in three to four years.

LEAP remains affordable for dancers on low salaries, staying around $22,000 for the full degree program. Students also qualify for grants from Career Transition For Dancers (CTFD). “Our scholarships are the heart of the organization, but our one-onone counseling is the marrow,” says Executive Director Alexander Dubé.

Serving 3,900 dancers nationwide, CTFD is the lifeline for struggling dancers without direction outside of the dance world. Dubé believes performers already possess enviable life skills that transfer to “real life.” “Dancers are versatile, presentable, disciplined, punctual, committed, and quick learners, which makes them an ideal employee that any employer would embrace.”

Career Counselor Lauren Gordon adds, “An emotional tool we always [aim] to offer from session to session is hope. This is a journey of rediscovering who you are and finding the skills and tools to move to another equally rewarding career.” Life (and dance) demands a constant learning process, and now the professional and the student are one and the same.

By Taylor Gordon
Illustrations by Anjuli Bhattacharyya

careertransition.org
stmarys-ca.edu/leap
dance.tisch.nyu.edu

The dancers’ feet beat at the speed of light. Their technique is unparalleled. When they jump, they fly, and they could pirouette for days without effort. But there’s no chattering audience, no house lights fading, no scarlet curtain, no rumble of the orchestra, no spontaneity – and no third dimension. Founded by former professional dancer and choreographer Inarra Saarinen, Second Life Ballet mimics a real dance company but within the virtual space of Second Life, an internet program where users maneuver avatars through simulated experiences.

Dance is conquering a new stage. The footlights of pixels, the wings of windows, the rhythm of the keyboard – dance is going digital and shifting a stifled culture into the 21st century.

New Media, New Worlds: Second Life Ballet

“My imagination was captured by the possibilities of the new virtual medium,” says Saarinen. There are currently 20 online dancers, all handpicked by the artistic director like human dancers are chosen. They rehearse in real time, incorporate understudies, and make corrections as though they were dancers in true physical space. “The only difference might be ‘Can you fly higher on that exit!’” boasts Saarinen, whose dancers defy gravity on the computer screen. Real life audiences masked by Second Life avatars frequent their performances, giving dance a two dimensional home and a fan base. “We hear things like ‘We like Second Life Ballet better than real ballet!’”

With animation programs and motion capture software, the need for the physical dancer to exist is slashed in the digital age. Technology is being developed to directly transport human movement into avatar movement in virtual space. If the user walks, their character will walk. Perhaps, with this, the screen actually will become the separating proscenium between performance and audience. Even video games like Nintendo’s Wii system allow bodies to dive into digital places on a realistic level, by hitting a golf ball or sweating through fitness routines. Can the nuances of dance be translated with Wii?

Communication Technology Gives Dance a Voice

Dance is inherently non-verbal. Yet every dancer has a story to tell, and the internet has become a microphone to thousands of silent stars aching to share their passion. The nature of the internet begs for interactivity, and dancers are raised to be opinionated – “This is good technique. She has a perfect body. He shouldn’t get that part.”

When given the option to speak out we eagerly want to do so. Blogs allow artists to express their process, struggles, laughs, and preparations behind the scenes to a worldwide audience that is anxious to listen and respond. They humanize the artists who appear ethereal, untouchable, and otherworldly onstage.

Mouthing off fans of dance television shows find listeners online, too. As much as the artist has a message to relay through movement, audiences have an equally strong, outspoken reaction they can share via message boards. Television Without Pity and other websites don’t necessarily cater to the dance world, but the connection is clear.

Besides giving the audience a leak into the dance world, the internet connects artists within. Social networking websites serve the way dancers naturally build friendships. We grow up meeting others at summer intensives, annual competitions, or group performances. We see new faces and relationships remain for life – those we admire, those we can’t stand, those we compete with, and those we love. As growing artists we draw on these human resources cultivated in the past, allowing for future familiar collaborations. With Facebook, maintaining and building these networks is easier, and the dance world has eaten up the opportunities. Not only can we “Friend” those we already know, but we can meet others through our acquaintances with the ease of a click, expanding our artistic circle in echoing ripples.

Global Sharing of Movement Through Online Video

If blogs have been the microphone to dancers, online video has become the megaphone to dance companies, projecting their work to an audience greater than one that can fit in any theater. Online videos serve the collaborative predisposition of the dance community, which harvests sharing amongst artists. What better way to archive work, spread buzz, and teach the art form, as so many dancers have done on YouTube.

Yet the quality of dance videos available today remains questionable. Elements of live performance can be lost when translated to the screen. “Especially in a visually artistic medium like dance, companies are crippled by the tools available right now,” says Marc Kirschner, General Manager of Tendu TV, a dance video website to be launched this summer.

“We’re different than the free-for-all ecosystem that already exists online,” referring to the abundance of user generated content showcasing any computer owner’s dancing skills, professional (like New York City Ballet’s season previews) or otherwise (“The Evolution of Dance” amateur viral wave). “We will have respectful presentations of content,” says Kirschner. “Right now the work of some great choreographers is online, but do they really want their work shown next to videos of monkeys having bowel movements?” Or should they be grateful their art is being seen widespread at all?

High definition is down the line, upping the quality of dance video to compare with the real thing. Distribution remains an unthread territory as well. Could there be a global Wiki database where choreographers host archival clips of their work? Exclusive opportunities to air dance online where viewers have a night at the screen like a night at the ballet? Streaming videos of live rehearsals for a true peek into the creative process?

With new media it is also difficult for companies to draw the line on intellectual property rights. Many companies barely have contract precedents in place for television appearances, let alone an internet presence. When does it stop being okay to reproduce dance art without monetization?

A Digital Future?

Even though dance is going digital, it is still a human art form, a three dimensional execution of movement as a performing art. Perhaps the live aspect has been removed through new media, but the life behind the keyboard remains the driving artistic factor. It is the personal connection the community extends online that complements the physical art in a way unique to the dance world. Digital dance won’t replace real performance, but it certainly is testing what’s in the spotlight.

Taylor Gordon

slballet.blogspot.com

A Big Chance, Hip Hop and Ballet Collide

Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky…OutKast. Yes, Big Boi Antwan Patton, one half of the six-time Grammy award winning hip-hop group, has joined the ranks of musicians whose beats turn tutus. April 2008, Atlanta Ballet shattered tradition when Artistic Director John McFall collided two worlds in creating the new ballet, “Big.”

“When we were in the sound studio listening to the musicians rehearsing it just really takes right off the ground. It’s something that’s so exhilarating you can feel the energy, the sense of being connected. They’d rehearse a few evenings a week and some nights the dancers would go. I brought my little girls, and that was a pretty significant experience.” - John McFall, Artistic Director, Atlanta Ballet

“The collaboration is all about expression, and what we’re doing is translating my music into the form of ballet,” explains Big Boi. “It’s fun. It’s freaky. It’s definitely something people will be blown away by.”

Despite his lack of ballet knowledge, Big Boi was game for the project when McFall approached him to be a part of his new project. “You wouldn’t think someone of that star status would be that open to other ideas about how to interpret the music,” says McFall, but it’s the meshing of the two styles that created an infectious heat.

“The open mindedness that comes with it is really cool,” says dancer Courtney Necessary. “Especially on Big Boi’s part, to take a big risk on such a different form of art.” With hip-hop finding an epicenter in Atlanta, Georgia, McFall says that the style has long been a voice for the area. Yet the rest of the season includes classics like “Romeo & Juliet” and “Cinderella.” Why stray so far from fantasy? “I look at hip-hop as being an American fairytale because it tells all kinds of stories that are relevant in our time and in our community,” McFall notes. Maybe the music, but not the movement typically associated. “It’s absolutely not hip-hop choreography; that’s the last thing in the world I would have considered doing.”

A fresh track from Big Boi’s solo album, to be released this summer, premiered as the ballet’s finale, choreographed by Lauri Stallings. Audiences for both ballet and the band united for the six performances at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. “Whether they come for the ballet or for the music,” says Necessary, “I think they will appreciate both equally after seeing them work together.”

Taylor Gordon

atlantaballet.com – myspace.com/bigboi

Five Questions To Big Boi

“It’s not going to be easy!” yells Tabitha D’Umo passionately on national television to over 200 hopefuls auditioning in Las Vegas. The crowd struggles through a sharp, athletic combination while she observes with Napoleon D’Umo, her husband and artistic teammate. “This is ‘So You Think You Can Dance!’” she reminds them, the popular show where the couple participates as choreographers and judges in season four.

Between muddling over competitors next to Nigel Lythgoe on Fox once a week, and creating movement for MTV’s Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew, the duo also appears on their own in the new TLC show, “Rock the Reception.” Here, engaged couples match with notable choreographers to plan that infamous “first dance” for their wedding, making the memorable moment on the dance floor a powerful one for both the lovebirds and their guests.

But these newlyweds are not part of the deep talent pool that the choreographers usually soak in. Though their list of past coworkers includes the likes of Beyonce, Missy Elliot, and Justin Timberlake, they are still open to the styles of everyday people.

“Generally we like to watch a person move freely on their own, and from that we see what kind of personality comes out,” explained Napoleon during the series premiere in June. “Then we cater to that.”

“That’s our job,” added Tabitha. “Make them look the best with what they can do.”

If working with three television shows isn’t enough to satisfy their spark for movement, they also are heavily involved in teaching and choreographing for Monsters of Hip Hop, a 6-year old dance convention that tours 12 cities and hosts a performance in Los Angeles that keeps on getting bigger and bigger every time around. Of the noteworthy faculty “both are often the most requested teachers,” according to Andy Funk, the heart and mind behind the most pro-active dance convention in the Hip Hop world. “They are two of the most down to earth, honest, and creative people in the business,” he says. “They have worked incredibly hard and have developed a spotless reputation that will help them maintain a very long and prosperous career in a difficult industry.”

Tabitha and Napoleon have been a working couple for the past ten years, and “the chemistry between them, combined with an almost dorky sense of humor, has the class laughing and wanting more,” notes Andy Funk about his faculty duet.

Choreographers Tabitha & Napoleon as featured in Movmnt Magazine - Summer 2008

Aside from choreographing for these workshops, NBA and NFL teams, commercials, award shows, and casino entertainment, Tab and Nap as a lot of dancers call them recently launched Nappytabs, a convenient name to remember for this new street wear they designed. They don’t miss an angle of their own marketing effort, offering t-shirts, hoodies, accessories, and more gears through their website but also via regional retailers, and conventions like Monsters of Hip Hop or The Pulse.

“We’ve started a trend for dancers around the world,” the pair writes on their MySpace, where they have over 1,800 friends admiring the styles.

Through their busy schedules, Tabitha and Napoleon together are a striking force in dance, gaining visibility in the commercial world and helping to bring the industry to a wider audience through popular culture. What’s next?

Taylor Gordon

nappytabs.com

Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Ray Mercer was always a big fish in a small pond – that is, until he joined the cast of Broadway’s The Lion King, leaving everything behind to tackle the jungle of Manhattan.

Not only is he performing 8 shows a week in Disney’s longstanding hit, but he is also pursuing choreographic opportunities with his own performing group. “Choreography for me is like being a painter or a songwriter,” he explains. “I’ve always had a story to tell. Whether it’s a lie, or the truth, or a personal experience. It has to come from a real place for me.”

Choreographer Ray Mercer

Mercer started dancing at age 17 after doing children’s gymnastics, which “just wasn’t creative enough for me; it was kind of stagnant.” He went on to study at the University of New Orleans before dancing with Chicago-based Deeply Rooted for two years. But it was his first step on the Broadway stage that ignited his ambitions. “You realize then that you are one of a small pool of people. I knew that I had been blessed with something really big and I had to take full advantage of it. I have been working hard ever since.”

In 2005 he earned the Gypsy of the Year Award from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and performed at the Dancers Responding to AIDS “Dance from the Heart” event last December. “I was so thankful because they let me close the show. It gave me so many other opportunities. Wow,” he exclaims, “that was one of the great moments of my choreographic career.”

Both him and his dancers describe his style as very physical, with influences from Ulysses Dove and his experience dancing on Broadway. He admits to sneaking in time to work on his own movement during his pre-performance warm up.

But that’s not all the show has given him. “The most fortunate thing, I think, that has dropped into my life is that I have brilliant dancers right here in ‘The Lion King.’ In a weird kind of way I have my own mini-company to work with.” Some days they rehearse 3 or 4 hours before heading to the theater for a performance. “He’s an amazing choreographer,” says Kristina Bethel, a fellow “Lion King” dancer. “He has a knack for making me feel like he’s really taking my personality into consideration.”

“He’s so excited about his work,” says another dancer, Lisa Lewis. “He’s incredible.”

Taylor Gordon

“Oh my god, I’m going to get fired!” was the first thought in Kenneth Easter’s mind. “I fell and I remember thinking on the way down, ‘I’m a dancer, I’ve got great legs. I’ll go through my plié. I’ll really absorb the shock.’ I hit the ground and the first thing I heard was this buzzing in my ear, which is a sign of going into shock. I thought ‘Ouch! Wow, that hurt a lot more than I thought.’ I looked down and there was a bone, and it was the size of a grapefruit. I remember thinking ‘I have to start work in a week.’”

The American Ballet Theatre corps de ballet dancer was home on vacation when he experienced his first major injury; a fall of 14 feet from the roof of his cabin. Just a day after, ABT principal Carlos Lopez broke the fifth metatarsal in his foot while taking class in his native Spain. However they happen, injuries are inevitable for a dancer. “Our body is our tool, and it’s very fragile and delicate,” says Easter, who is recovering from two shattered wrists and broken arms stemming from the fall.

Without a doubt such physical hindrances inhibit the body, but how much of an impact does an injury actually have on a dancer’s life?

“It’s hard. There’s a lot of ups and downs and you’re very fragile in that state,” says former New York City Ballet dancer Kristin Sloan, a sufferer of torn cartilage in her hip. “When you’re so engrossed in what you’re doing, your profession kind of identifies you.”

Being forced to take time off from a performing career raises a lot of insecurity. “It was horrifying,” says jazz teacher Suzi Taylor, recalling the news that both her hips had to be replaced three years ago. No stranger to injuries, she had previously dealt with a torn hamstring, six ankle sprains, two ankle operations, tendinitis in both knees, and a partially dislocated shoulder.

“One concern was obviously my livelihood. [Dancing is] what I’ve done my whole life. I don’t know how to do anything else, and I have a child to support,” she says. “It’s also something that’s kind of been my source of sanity my entire life.” Every recovery seemed optimistic except one; the torn hamstring. Onstage, battling exhaustion, a penché tore not only muscles and nerves, but also her heart’s passion. “It was a long road home,” she says. “I’ll admit I was in a severe depression over that one.”

The fear of not being able to return to dance was unthinkable. “Devastating is kind of a mild term. Of course every doctor was saying, ‘There’s no way you can dance anymore.’ But I’ve had so many injuries. It’s kind of comical. I’ve been dancing for 30 years so it’s expected,” says Taylor, amused in retrospect.

Even the brightest of stars, some just launching their careers, are darkened by the prospect of surgery. “I cried in the doctor’s office,” says Lacey Schwimmer, who tackled arthroscopic surgery on her torn meniscus while on tour with So You Think You Can Dance. “I don’t think anyone wants to hear they have to have surgery, and at this time in my life, being on tour, ‘surgery’ is not something you want to hear.” The first week she was hurt, she was only performing a few of the group numbers and her solo, but she still “begged and begged and begged to do more.” The big dances were some of her favorites.

Luckily the operation didn’t appear to be too severe, with only a three to six week recovery period. “The doctor said it’s a simple but scary surgery, and I’ll be back dancing better than before,” says Schwimmer. Many others on the tour struggle with injuries as well. “I didn’t realize how breakable our bodies are until this happened. Some people just sit in a straddle for five minutes and that’s it, but it’s so important to warm up.”

After the initial smack of reality, dancers have to find a way to cope with their limitations. When the cast for his metatarsal was removed after a month, Lopez didn’t waste time getting the rest of his body in shape. “To get back from an injury is like a full time job,” he says, listing off his intense routine of therapy, swimming, and Pilates.

For those that are further incapacitated there are other ways to pass the time not spent in the studio. “To have the art that you do taken away, when you can’t physically do it, is crazy,” says Sloan. She decided to take up drumming as a new creative outlet. “It was a mixture of loving music so much and also hitting things, which isn’t a bad thing when you’re kind of frustrated,” she laughs.

Her hip problems also bred a new career. She created the communal blog The Winger while recovering in 2005, and she founded THE (INTER)-MISSION, a private social network for dancers, in October 2007. Her efforts outside of the studio led to her retirement from dancing to accept the position of New Media Director at New York City Ballet last November. “I decided I could do more for the company in my new capacity than as a dancer with hip issues,” she says.

Such a widening of perspective is a positive byproduct of injuries. Some, like Easter, turn to teaching. Others find varied interests outside ballet. “One of the things that I learned when I was out for a long time was that you need to have friends outside of the ballet world,” says Lopez. Before her knee prevented it, Schwimmer was in almost every other number on the tour, but now, she says, “I get to see everyone perform and experience it in a different way. It’s sad to see everyone out there having a good time but I’m enjoying myself.”

Despite their temporary loss of ability for creative expression, the injured try to stay positive. “To get back from an injury is like getting ready for the next show,” says Lopez. “At the end of the day you’re investing in your body. That’s what you have. This career is not that long as a performer. I think if I can invest as much as I can right now, then I have time later to recover from the damage that we’re doing all these years.” Dancers face these inherent problems daily, but like life, the show must go on.

Taylor Gordon –

“Oh my god, I’m going to get fired!”

I was really shocked by the staff of ABT. They treat everyone differently, and I’ve never really had an issue with the company. I’ve always been there. I’ve always done my job. I’ve always been ready. They come to expect certain behaviors of people. And when this happened to me, because it’s a company of so many dancers, I kind of was expecting them to just brush me to the side.

The staff all called me personally and said, ‘This will not have an effect on you artistically. We want you back as soon as you can get back.’ They sent flowers and balloons and stuffed animals. That really got me emotional the first two or three weeks after the surgery because I never expected it. I was getting calls from people that I never would have thought would call me. I don’t know where they got my number but that was really awesome. It really helped, knowing that I really have a second family here and it wasn’t just about, ‘I hope my career is going to be fine and I hope I can continue my life.’ Sometimes you don’t know how much people really care until you’re in a tough situation and find out that the people I thought were just coworkers and acquaintances took time out of their busy New York schedules to go somewhere and find my number and call and say they’re thinking of me…that really moved me.

Kenny Easter, interviewed by Taylor Gordon* American Ballet Theatre - abt.org

Taylor Gordon trained at Boston Ballet School before moving away from home at age fourteen to attend the boarding academic program at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet on scholarship. After graduating high school at sixteen and discovering her love of writing, she moved to NYC to continue dancing at Ballet Academy East and to study Communication Arts at Marymount Manhattan College, where she was the features Editor of the school paper, The Monitor. She graduated magna cum laude at age nineteen in January 2008 with a head start in pursuing a Master’s Degree in Magazine Publishing at Pace University, on top of dancing professionally. She has performed as a student with Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and professionally with the Albano Ballet Company. Seizing every opportunity while juggling a dance career and college, she has interned at various magazines, most recently the New Yorker, and has written for a number of publications and websites. She enjoys giving a voice to an otherwise non-verbal art form through her writing. Taylor started writing as a regular contributor for movmnt magazine in Spring 08 with a crossed portraits of professional dancers going through injuries and life.