January 2025 Update

I’ve been here in Sydney, Australia for the month, in a sweet little central city neighborhood called Darlinghurst. My daily jogs include running through the Royal Botanical Garden, which brings me past the National Art Gallery of NSW (think the MET in NY) - and a gorgeous view of the opera house. I’ve been working hard with Nita Little, first in an Open CI Workshop, then in a CI into Ensemble Dancing, and then third with my “Global Coordinator” hat on for the ISSC in a Somatic Research training at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development. Lastly, at Sydney Dance Company with their Pre Professional students! What a beautiful city!

December 2024 Update

December marked “Month #2” working with Moving Rasa, an organization that helps people break free from limiting habits by exploring movement and connecting to their Rasa—their "essence" or the feeling they sense with their heart. The MR framework is built, in part, from skills developed in Contact Improv, so it has been an easeful shift to use some of my skills in support of them. December also comes with some rest and recharge, and the start of hibernation. Coming up at the end of the month I’ll travel to Switzerland, followed by San Francisco, CA and Sydney Australia.

November 2024 Update

November brought with it the premiere of a new work, I Had A Dream About Cyborgs, on T2 Dance Company as part of their Voices Concert. Conveniently for me, Nita Little was also in Boulder, Colorado giving a workshop, which gave me the distinct privilege of attending to collaborate with her, and learn through the workshop. I also had the joy of attending an almost-as-old-as-contact-is private jam called Tumblebones, with the most gorgeous group of dancers I’ve possibly ever danced CI with. The new work went on to be performed at the Color Wheel performance, also by T2, with a colorful backdrop of artwork by local students.

October 2024 Update

October was unseasonably warm this year on the East Coast. It meant that for the annual Village Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village, NYC, we were march in 70 degree air! We’re quite used to having to bundle up, but this year we arrived on 16th street practically soaking wet. This year I wrangled about 80 “cat ladies”, and I dressed appropriately like a black cat. Earlier in the month I dodged hurricanes in Tampa/St. Pete area for a performance with “Break the Mould” dance company, for their “Our Stories” showcase. I reset a piece from last year featuring these handheld lights in the hopes to catch a proper film capture of it - but due to the hurricane related re-schedules, I ended up having to perform, and therefore I still haven’t been able to film! We’ll try again soon, I’m sure!

September 2024 Update

September means summer official comes to a close. Summer, I’ve found, is always my favorite. I really REALLY recharge in the sunlight, and I love the maximalist show that nature puts on during the summer, at least here on the east coast. I performed a bunch, and worked on some new projects ahead - redirecting energy away from working with school-aged kids, and into working with college age and professionals. I’m bringing something exciting up with Nita Little, more on that soon, as well as a big trip out to Australia in the new year. Much to come in this new season!

August 2024 Update

August featured a number of performances, travel (back up to Montreal!) and most importantly of all, a bit of rest. Classes started for the inaugural cohort at Reinhardt University, for which I am adjunct professor, and once we’re rolling with a “year two” class, Research Advisor as well. It’s all digital, so I can work from wherever I am. As such, I observed this big sense of “restart” all around me - kids going back to school, friends going back to working at schools, but not “in” me, if that makes sense. I find I get to take a little longer, perhaps to the proper equinox, to let summer drip to its close.

July 2024 Update

July came with a delicious residency in the Catskills, a few other performances and projects, and a big decision not to return to the school setting this fall. That particular detail was wrought because I really appreciated the humans I was working with within the art department. However, I’ve been feeling like I need a break from working with that age group, specifically in that setting. I may have returned to independent school life prematurely (since leaving Millbrook in 2021). Working back in full-time freelance life takes a bit of time to churn back into gears, and brings along with it even more travel. I look forward to it all!

June 2024 Update

June is my birth month and gemini season and the start of summer. Frankly, it’s time for play, more often than not. I spent most of the month in Europe (Piemonte Region Italy, French Riviera, Monaco), and a bit of it with friends in New Orleans. I wouldn’t say it was all play and no work, but I definitely find myself being pickier on where I spend my time in this particular season.

May 2024 Update

May and June are recital season around here, and working with so many students across the country means so many babies are getting all dressed up and performing the culmination of their year of training! The only studio I teach at regularly (or as regularly as possible) is Duchess School of Performing Arts in Arlington (Poughkeepsie), NY. Their concert will feature some beautiful work in ballet, tap, contemporary and Irish dance! Lots of love to my kiddos near and far! Merde!

April 2024 Update

This April is the one-year anniversary of graduating with my MFA degree. I have felt incredibly stifled as an artist since entering that program in the first place. This month, though, I discovered a program I had been building with some friends (a Master of Fine Arts degree in Choreography - but - make it the program I wish I had gotten) received it’s accreditation and will run through Reinhardt University in Atlanta, GA. More on that as it launches in August, but I discovered, upon receiving that accreditation, a real sense of relief and release of my artist self. I feel inspired to make work again! It’s been too long! Let’s go!!!

March 2024 Update

Since I’m working again with a proper school, I have to corral most of my travel at the moment to the school schedule. With March comes Spring Break! And off I went to 5 cities in 2 weeks! I had the opportunity of working with Lauren Anderson and the whole team at DANCEFEST in Atlanta, GA, as well as help with a new work in development with physical theater company AuraCuriatlas in Richmond, VA. I naturally went down to my home away from home in New Orleans, LA, and stopped by Boca Raton, FL, too. Atlanta was a huge highlight because I got to work and play with some of my MFA cohort friends! yay!

October 2023 Update

October meant I could turn toward projects I deeply cared about, such as the Student Dance Summit, created by a group of volunteer powerhouse women, produced at Kaatsbaan in Tivoli, NY, and which brought together a group of school-aged kids to learn from new teachers, present their own choreography, and develop relationships with other dance peers (me, excitedly, pictured here).

I also engaged with the NYC Halloween Parade, choreographing the main float with Grand Marshal Laurie Anderson - wow!

Lastly, I rooted into home and friends (who are family), because my August and September were interpersonally especially challenging! Here’s to REST.

September 2023 Update

No sooner did Westchester Circus Arts tent “Lucy” come down from it’s post in Troy, NY with the Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center, than it went right back up in Sleepy Hollow, NY for the second year of The Legend Cirque. September was costuming, props, rehearsals and launching this 7 week performance run!

August 2023 Update

My brain was entirely in circus mode for this particular August. I wasn’t expecting to need to be quite so tunnel-visioned! As a gig-worker, I’m often juggling multiple projects and clients at a time - that’s just the norm - but this month it became abundantly clear that this little “Circus in the Park” project required all of my attention - physical, emotional, mental - you name it. Things went off without a hitch to the public-eye. It will surely take me long past a month just to recover!

July 2023 Update

For almost all of July, I was in Europe. I started the trip in Italy for both a bit of work and pleasure (work with Nita Little at Spazio Nu for a Contact Improv intensive) before dashing off to Amsterdam, Netherlands to catch a birthday celebration with a friend (who know those canals were quite so intricate!). Lastly, I found my way to Ireland to meet up with a variety of old and new friends, in old and new ways.

June 2023 Update

I became a high-fashion model by shooting for an editorial campaign for a brand that a friend of mine runs! I returned to my friends in New Orleans to teach for them at their summer intensive! I shot for ROGUEWAVE at their Dragon’s Egg Residency, I shot the New York Academy of Ballet annual residency performance - wow - I did alot! and I also gardened - I grew - and I rested before a full month of travel in July!

May 2023 Update

May brought with it alot of openings and closings. Everything from planting seeds in the garden to contracts closing. I finished the school year with Dutchess School of Performing Arts, I graduated from my MFA program, and I became open and available to some new adventures. Some things I can’t name yet, but get ready!

April 2023 Update

I produced a circus event in Troy, NY as well as a week long spring-break camp, but then I went off on a little personal journey. I followed the matriarchal lines on both of my family sides to homelands in Norway and Slovakia. I needed to be barefoot where my ancestors once were barefoot.

March 2023 Update

I performed this month with Fern Katz at the Simon’s Rock campus of Bard College, and did a whole lot of prep work for some upcoming projects this summer. I also produced a Circus event in Troy, NY, and did some “spring break” teaching! A whole lot of “drawing back before a leap” vibes.

February 2023 Update

I was working, I swear - but I was definitely reeling this month from the premiere of THE BODY SHAKES, a new work I premiered and filmed as part of my MFA thesis project.