Artistic Statement
I view dance as a visual art form, and it is this belief that informs my creative process. To me, the clarity and detail of the visual environment serves as an invitation for the audience, emphasizing the images and feelings that the dance evokes. I incorporate and often create myself costumes, projections and installations that provoke spectators to re-examine their perception of movement, its context, and its emotional qualities. I am fascinated by the concept of space and address it both in my choreography and design. I approach every piece as a site-specific work, even if it is performed in a conventional theater. New York Times dance critic Jennifer Dunning sited my work as having a “wonderfully imaginative use of the theater's odd layout.“
In the past few years, my work have been presented both locally, nationally and internationally at venues such as the Contemporary Dance Festival, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; MODAFE Festival, Seoul, South Korea; Dance Place (DC); Danspace Project (NYC); University of Michigan(MI), Etud Festival, Sofia Bulgaria; Andy Detroit (MI); La Minoterie, Nay, France; Utha Arts Festival, Salt Lake City (UT); ExtraSchicht Festival/Zollverein, Essen, Germany; Limón International Dance Festival, Mazatlàn, Mexico among others. In 2017 I was awarded the Maggie Allesee Choreography Award for excellence in choreography, innovation, and performance, given by the Michigan Dance Council. My work has been supported by the University of Michigan by a Block Grant (2017), SMTD Travel Grants (2017 and 2018), an MCubed award (2019), University of Michigan Office of Research Grant (2020), and SMTD Global Engagement Grant (2019). I was a featured soloist and panelist at the Women in Dance Leadership Conference 2018, New York City.
In 2016 two of my works, The Opposite of Killing and SUPER WE, were commissioned by one of the few repertory dance companies in the country: the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. I staged the works during a two-week residency in Salt Lake City, UT. The works have been performed over 20 times since, and, as the artistic director Daniel Charon put it, have turned into ‘fan favorites’. Kathy Adams from The Salt Lake Tribune wrote: “The Opposite of Killing’ is one of the most impactful pieces I have ever seen. And the dancers were fabulous – honest, clear, and ensemble with perfect alchemy”.
I am proud that my work, The Opposite of Killing, has been selected to be performed at the Ririe-Woodbury’s four-week tour to South Korea and Mongolia in May 2018 as part of DanceMotion USA. There are only three American dance companies selected to participate in the seventh season of DanceMotion USA, a dynamic cultural diplomacy program for international exchange initiative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, administered by The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
I deeply value collaboration, and have worked with:
composers/musicians Stéphane Garin, Nick Brooke,Stephane Garin, Martin Gendelman, Rama Gottfried, Sam Sowydra, Aleksei Stevens, Michael Wall, Steve Wanna ;
lighting designers Michael Giannitti, Paul Jackson, Michelle Mann, Tuce Yasak
visual artists Kristina Bilonick, Sylvestre Gobart, Milosz Koziej, Daniel Rebaudo;
theater director Karin Abromaitis, Daniel Cantor, Gillian Eaton, Priscilla Lindsay, Naoko Meashiba;
costume designer Laura Quatroccii;
choreographers Elena Demyanenko, Paul Matteson, Jennifer Nugent, Shua Group, Ani Collier, Galina Borisova, Thierry Escarmant
dramaturg Teresa Kovacs
engineer Elif Akcali