Decoding Cues & Restorative Conditioning
There are many unspoken assumptions in the dance world, one of which is that dancers don’t need to put in work outside of the studio. However, conditioning and engaging in other complementary activities can make a world of difference when it comes to dancing with resilience and avoiding injuries. Zoe Geiger, PT, DPT, CSCS chats about her dance experience, the importance of restorative conditioning, and her upcoming appearance at Tea & Tendus at DWC Renton on April 10, 2022.
Zoe Geiger, PT, DPT, CSCS On Her Experience with Dance and Physical Therapy
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Alexandrian Photography
There are many unspoken assumptions in the dance world, one of which is that dancers don’t need to put in work outside of the studio. However, conditioning and engaging in other complementary activities can make a world of difference when it comes to dancing with resilience and avoiding injuries. Zoe Geiger, PT, DPT, CSCS chats about her dance experience, the importance of restorative conditioning, and her upcoming appearance at Tea & Tendus at DWC Renton on April 10, 2022.
Zoe began dancing around three years old in a classic ballet/tap class in the Seattle area. She also experimented with other sports including gymnastics, ice skating, and soccer. While playing soccer, she found herself gravitating to the position of sweeper because she could practice leaps and cartwheels while the ball was on the other side of the field. It became clear to Zoe that her heart was largely in dance, and she found her place at a local studio.
Zoe continued dancing throughout high school and college. After somewhat of a hiatus during graduate school, Zoe has been taking classes more frequently and feels like she’s “rediscovering [her] place in the dance community.”
“Dance has always given me a place to just escape the world around me and submerge myself in the joy of movement,” Zoe says of what she loves about dancing. Dance helps her feel grounded and connected with her body. “I don’t have to have a studio, I don’t have to have shoes. I can just dance around my living room and feel better,” Zoe smiles.
Photo by Best Sister Photography MJR
When Zoe started visiting a physical therapist for a knee injury in middle school, she says it changed her relationship with her body and with dance. She quickly became fascinated and interested in pursuing a career in PT. At first, she was unsure whether she wanted to treat dancers because dance had always brought her joy as an escape. But as she started working with Henry Lu at Velocity Physiotherapy, the joy from the studio was alive in the clinic. Today, she’s been working with dancers and others as a physical therapist for about a year and a half, alongside in the Seattle Public Schools.
Zoe recognizes that she’s been privileged to have a supportive dance community for most of her life. However, something she felt was missing was access and emphasis on strength training and other injury prevention strategies. Growing up, Zoe didn’t think exercise outside dance was necessary. But as she has learned more and started strength training on her own, she found herself feeling more grounded when dancing, seeing the benefits of putting in work outside the studio. She is happy to see more educators advocate for strength training outside the studio today and hopes to see more of it in the future.
Zoe encourages dancers to ask people in the dance community for recommendations for conditioning and injury prevention resources. Velocity Physiotherapy is also working on creating restorative conditioning programs designed for dancers. Zoe also shares that personal training or even finding another sport to play alongside dancing, such as swimming or soccer, can help supplement a dancer’s training.
Moving forward, Zoe hopes to see dance become more accessible. “I would love to see more classes that offer experiences for kids with disabilities,” Zoe voices. In addition, making dance classes available to families of all incomes and those living in rural and urban areas alike is an extremely important part of increasing dance accessibility. Zoe shares that part of the solution could be offering dance in public schools, where children could experience dance in a setting they already frequent without financial burden. Even amending the dress codes that dance classes require could open up the door for more children and adults to feel comfortable and excited about dance.
Zoe is enjoying rediscovering dance in her personal life and is drawing from her own experiences to provide better treatment for others. She’s looking forward to dancing en pointe again, in part to help her many clients who dance in pointe shoes. She’s looking forward to diving more into continuing education and professional development this summer to learn more about dance accessibility and public school education.
Photo by JMWorks
Zoe is also thrilled to be a guest at Dancewear Center’s next Tea & Tendus on April 10, where she will be discussing “decoding cues and restorative conditioning.” Specifically, Zoe will be talking about how to make the “cues” dance instructors provide more helpful for more dancers. It’s important to find new ways to share the same information, as the same cue isn’t helpful to all dancers.
How Apolla Performance Helps Dancers Do What They Love For Longer
For many dancers, facing moderate to severe injuries has been an unfortunate part of their dance journeys. Having to sit out of classes, performances, and competitions, for weeks and months at a time is never what dancers are hoping to get out of their dance experiences. Fortunately, Brianne Zborowski and Kaycee Jones have created Apolla Performance, a company that creates revolutionary compression socks that can help dancers and other movers do what they love for longer. Read on to learn more about Co-Founder and CEO Bri Zborowski’s background and mission and tune in to Shark Tank on ABC on April 1, 2022, at 8/7 EST (or check local listings for times) to witness her and Kaycee pitch their business!
A Conversation With Co-Founder & CEO Bri Zborowski
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
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For many dancers, facing moderate to severe injuries has been an unfortunate part of their dance journeys. Having to sit out of classes, performances, and competitions, for weeks and months at a time is never what dancers are hoping to get out of their dance experiences. Fortunately, Brianne Zborowski and Kaycee Jones have created Apolla Performance, a company that creates revolutionary compression socks that can help dancers and other movers do what they love for longer. Read on to learn more about Co-Founder and CEO Bri Zborowski’s background and mission and tune in to Shark Tank on ABC on April 1, 2022, at 8/7 EST (or check local listings for times) to witness her and Kaycee pitch their business!
Bri began dancing around age five at a local studio in her hometown in Michigan. After some time, Bri fell in love with dance, declaring as early as age seven that she would one day own her own studio and dance for the rest of her life. “That’s all I wanted to do!” Bri laughs. Throughout high school, dance was Bri’s main focus, as she got more involved as a teaching assistant and attended conventions to further her education and development as a dancer.
In addition to the performance side of her life, Bri was also heavily involved with her family’s business, a first-generation produce company in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up, she became quickly exposed to the inner workings of a business and the sacrifices and skills required to run a company. On the weekends, Bri could be found hauling pallets and boxes and selling fruits and vegetables in the open market, eventually moving into the administrative side of things.
Bri attended college and earned her degree in business while teaching, choreographing, and assisting at her childhood studio. At the time, Bri had also built out a competition program in Michigan with her and her partner at the time. On one occasion, following a teacher’s class Bri took at a convention, the instructor came up to her and raved about how talented she was. He said that she should consider dancing professionally. At the time, Bri was working in corporate real estate, teaching dance, and working at her family business. She had imagined her teaching and directing at the studio she was at for the rest of her life, but meeting this instructor changed her direction.
Bri quit her corporate job and headed to Los Angeles, where she took dance classes, auditioned, taught, and booked small gigs here and there. She met back up with the instructor that inspired her to move there. The two ended up getting married about six years later. “It just changed my whole life,” Bri says of the move. “My whole world opened up.” After Bri and her husband got married, they relocated to Texas, where they helped run a big system of studios and a competition program called Movz.
Apolla Performance Co-Founder & COO Kaycee Jones and Bri had met in LA and instantly clicked. While they both moved to different regions of the U.S., Kaycee decided to pitch Bri the idea of Apolla, a line of dance socks that could drastically improve the dance industry.
Kaycee is a life-long dancer as well and has her M.S. in Kinesiology and experience as a certified strength and conditioning coach. Her mom was also a dance studio owner for 41 years and Bri has her degree in business and an extensive background working at her family’s company. It was clear the two would be ideal business partners for the endeavor with their combined, complementary experiences. While working in studio spaces, Bri witnessed many students suffer severe injuries at ages as young as 11, explaining there were times when some dancers had to sit out for an entire season. She could see the real need for this idea Kaycee was presenting. At a time when the two had stable incomes and were just starting their families, starting this enterprise was a risk. But they chose to take the jump and Apolla Performance was born.
“We set out to create really high-quality products that change people’s lives,” Bri says of Apolla Performance’s mission. The company was founded by dancers with the intention of helping dancers and other movers alike do what they love for longer. Apolla offers compression socks in six different styles that are “ultra-cozy and crazy effective at reducing pain and fatigue.” Offered in a range of colors, the socks provide patented 20-30mmHg targeted compression that supports joints and reduces swelling, as well as added padding in the heel and ball of the foot that’s been shown to reduce force. Significantly, each style of sock offered by Apolla Performance is certified by the American Podiatric Medical Association to promote good foot health and independent studies have shown that Apolla’s socks reduce ground force impact on the body. “We’ve invested in the scientific research and we still have more coming,” Bri says. “We’ve put the time, energy, and resources into making a product that will change your life.”
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In addition, all of the socks are anti-microbial and are made from moisture-wicking and sustainably certified fabric in the U.S., making them an eco-friendly option for consumers. Apolla is also proud to share that in 2021 it switched its packaging over to a more sustainable option and the socks can be recycled at your local Goodwill
Another unique aspect of Apolla’s compression socks is the fact that they come with a patented refreshable grip along the bottom. “There’s really nothing like it,” Bri points out. Determining the perfect level of traction was a challenging aspect of Apolla’s design process, but the seamless, refreshable grip and traction or non-traction options allow for dancers to choose the level of traction that works best for them.
“We also want to provide equally excellent customer service,” Bri says, sharing that customers are welcome to call, text, email, direct message on social media, and live chat the staff on Apolla's website. In addition to providing high-quality products and attentive customer service, Apolla strives to create a community of holistic health and wellness. On social media, Apolla shares free live content on topics pertaining to dance, yoga, and holistic wellness. On Fridays, at 11 AM PST, Apolla holds a livestream on Facebook & Instagram, in which experts discuss topics like racism in the dance industry, sex abuse & prevention, psychology, nutrition, dance medicine, and more. The company also has a blog called The Muse, where its team of writers covers topics relating to fostering a healthy body, mind, and soul.
Ultimately, Bri hopes to see more people in the dance industry question traditional myths that can harm dancers. For example, why must dancers wear a certain kind of footwear for a genre of dance if there are more supportive options out there? Starting to question the traditional ways dance is taught and practiced can be a helpful first step towards dismantling harmful habits.
Be sure to tune in to Shark Tank on ABC on April 1, 2022, at 8/7 CT to see Apolla Performance pitch its business!
A Conversation on Navigating Challenges in the Dance Realm
No two dancers’ journeys are completely the same or even linear for that matter. When physical, mental, and societal obstacles are thrown in their way, dancers often take paths that they don’t expect. This was certainly the case for DWC Ambassador Anna Nelson. Read on to hear about her choosing to pause professional dance to pursue a college education, come back from an injury, and learn how to cope with anxiety throughout her dance career.
DWC Ambassador Anna Nelson on Bouncing Back Physically and Mentally
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
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No two dancers’ journeys are completely the same or even linear for that matter. When physical, mental, and societal obstacles are thrown in their way, dancers often take paths that they don’t expect. This was certainly the case for DWC Ambassador Anna Nelson. Read on to hear about her choosing to pause professional dance to pursue a college education, come back from an injury, and learn how to cope with anxiety throughout her dance career.
Anna began dancing around age 13 at a small studio in her hometown of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, Washington. After training there for years, she decided to attend Cornish Preparatory Dance to up the intensity of her ballet training. She later attended Kirov Academy of Washington D.C., continuing to pursue rigorous ballet training. Following her graduation, Anna decided to take a break from professional dancing. She had a professional job lined up in California but ultimately decided to pass on it to follow another passion. “I decided I wanted to pursue education,” Anna shares. While attending a community college, Anna continued dancing recreationally to keep her passion alive. She later earned her BS in microbiology from the University of Washington, Seattle, with the intention of later attending PA school.
In 2020, Anna underwent a major hip surgery. “I couldn’t dance for six months,” she says, during recovery she had to learn how to walk and dance again. She took her first dance class following the surgery over Zoom at UW, sharing that it was nice to be able to get back to moving in her own space, free from the perceived judgment of others. Today, she’s dancing with Olympic Ballet Threatre in Edmonds, Washington.
Anna has performances on the horizon with Olympic Ballet Theatre for its 2021-2022 performance season. She danced in The Nutcracker in December 2021. In February 2022, Olympic Ballet showcased “Debuts,” a more contemporary-focused show, and plans to put on Don Quixote in May at Edmonds Center for the Arts.
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Anna has been a patron of Dancewear Center for about a decade. Following Samantha Weissbach taking over ownership of the store in 2018, Anna followed DWC on Instagram and realized that it was no longer “just a store,” but rather “a community.” This realization is what inspired her to become a DWC Ambassador. “I am really excited to get back into the dance world and just connect with all these local dancers and talented people,” she says. At age 26, having pivoted away from professional dance to pursue a college education and later came back following a major injury, Anna believes that her experiences will help her provide unique insights in her role as a DWC Ambassador.
“Growing up I only had Pointe magazine,” Anna laughs, reflecting on how few opportunities there were for community and connection outside the studio when she was younger. She points out how useful it is for dancers of all backgrounds to be able to share different perspectives on social media platforms today.
What’s kept Anna returning to dance is the physicality of the practice. She recalls studying for hours on end in college and longing to dance and move her body. “As long as my body can still do it, I still would like to dance,” Anna says about continuing the practice into the future.
Anna shares that the majority of the challenges she’s experienced in the sphere of dance have related to mental health. “I struggled with a lot of anxiety throughout my life, especially performance anxiety,” she says. “It’s been a lifelong journey trying to learn ways to cope with it.” Anna says that feeling grounded in her religious faith is part of what’s helped her persevere through moments of anxiety when she feels overwhelmed. Additionally, reminding herself that dance doesn’t comprise her entire identity is a helpful strategy when coping with dance challenges like performance anxiety. “I am where I should be,” she affirms.
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Anna shares that therapy has been extremely helpful for her with coping with anxiety and recommends dancers seek it out, if possible, to help them handle their own mental health challenges in dance. Speaking with a therapist has helped Anna identify the roots of her anxiety and learn specific coping mechanisms to challenge anxious thoughts.
Moving forward in the dance world, Anna hopes to see teachers and directors have more awareness and training on how to be more nurturing and understanding of students’ nuanced needs and challenges, particularly in terms of mental health. She reflects on what the dance industry was like when she was a young student, pointing out that many authority figures exacerbated problems related to mental health and body image. With a greater eye towards how to communicate to children and be supportive of obstacles they’re facing, teachers and directors can create an even more positive impact on the dancers in their lives.
Stay tuned for more from Anna Nelson in the coming weeks!
Insight on Creating an Inclusive Dance Community
Within a culture and industry that often promotes conformity, being the one to stand out can be an uncomfortable, and sometimes even traumatizing experience. DWC Ambassador Austin Sexton knows what it’s like to experience discomfort for straying from the norm. But through adopting inclusive teaching practices, community members like Austin are helping make our local dance community more welcoming one step at a time.
DWC Ambassador Austin Sexton on Promoting Body Positivity
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
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Within a culture and industry that often promotes conformity, being the one to stand out can be an uncomfortable, and sometimes even traumatizing experience. DWC Ambassador Austin Sexton knows what it’s like to experience discomfort for straying from the norm. But through adopting inclusive teaching practices, community members like Austin are helping make our local dance community more welcoming one step at a time.
Austin was born and raised in the Seattle area by parents who are dancers themselves. Her father is a dancer and her mother is one of the founding members of Spectrum Dance Theater. Austin jokes that dance, in a way, is “in her blood.” Growing up, she trained at Spectrum and later Dance Fremont throughout high school. At Dance Fremont, she was introduced to modern techniques that she fell in love with.
Following high school, Austin quit dance for a while, as having a body that doesn’t fit the “traditional” dancer mold was a source of trauma for her. She dedicated her time to pursuing vocal performance, as that was another passion of hers. During her break from dancing and training herself, she also took up teaching.
“I wanted to change the training,” Austin says of her desire to begin teaching. She desired to help change common rhetoric in the dance industry that promotes body image issues like body dysmorphia, as well as disordered eating. “I wanted to break that cycle,” Austin says.
In addition to teaching all around the Seattle area, Austin eventually co-founded a local dance company called Relay Dance Collective. The company performed seven seasons, collaborating with other local dance companies like Intrepidus Dance. After Austin got pregnant, Relay Dance Collective disbanded. Today, she works full-time at Momentum Dance Academy in Burien, Washington, where she wears various hats as a teacher, production manager, costume manager, rehearsal director, and more.
Austin has been drawn to dance time and time again because it’s a creative and emotional outlet like no other. Due to her traumatic experiences with dance early on, pursuing it as an adult and as a teacher feels as if she is “healing her inner child.” She enjoys being able to help the next generation of dancers not suffer from the same challenges she did. Austin hopes that the students she impacts through her teaching can carry on the lessons they learn throughout their life and to subsequent generations, creating waves of impact to improve the industry as a whole.
Austin's biggest challenge in dance has been comparing herself to other people. She explains that it was difficult navigating training as a dancer with a body that doesn't fit the "norm." "I had a dance teacher who refused to train me en pointe because she said I was too large," she shares. "At 12 years old, to hear something like that was super damaging."
Today, Austin makes it clear to her students that one's size does not determine one's worth or ability. "You can be a strong dancer at any size," Austin says. "You can be as strong and healthy and powerful as you want to be." There's no point comparing oneself to others when the way humans look is largely a pre-determined formula, engrained in their genetics.
"I loved seeing that there was a place for dancers that was promoting health and strength in every size because that is so foreign in the dance world," Austin says of Dancewear Center. She appreciates the efforts DWC makes to create an inclusive culture that bolsters body positivity and mental health awareness. She was inspired to become a DWC ambassador after having numerous conversations with Owner and Director of Operations Samantha Weissbach about what limited dancewear options there are for larger-bodied dancers. Feeling inspired by the work DWC was doing, Austin knew she wanted to be a part of it in some way.
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In addition to being a DWC ambassador, in the coming year, Austin is looking forward to channeling her "heart, time, and energy" into teaching students at Momentum Dance Academy. The various performing groups at Momentum are planning on performing at several festivals, including the Olympic Dance Festival, BOOSTmeUP, All 4 1 Dancepalooza, and Dance Festival Northwest. Momentum will also host its own festival this spring called Merge NW, featuring members of the Momentum Dance Ensemble Company and youth dance companies across the Pacific Northwest. The dance academy has also begun rehearsals for its production of Coppelia this spring.
Overall, what Austin hopes to see change in the larger dance industry is a greater celebration of body positivity and a dismantling of systems of oppression, with an eye towards promoting equity. She hopes to see more teachers and directors show students and dancers that size doesn’t determine health and strength. Austin also wishes to see more opportunities become available for dancers who don’t “necessarily fit the mold.” Her desire is for these principles of body inclusivity to ripple out to other identity facets, causing instructors to teach with a greater eye towards gender inclusivity as well. Austin points out that a big part of making this change will be instructors being more intentional about the language they use in class, including not making comments about dancers’ weights and utilizing gender-inclusive words and phrases. With individuals like Austin helping train the next generation of dancers, there is ample hope for change.
Uplifting a Community Through Inclusivity and Collaboration
People feel comfortable within their comfort zones. Here in the Seattle dance scene, it’s natural to flock to micro-communities of people who have similar interests as you. Nonetheless, such divisions can foster a competitive atmosphere in a world where dancers increasingly need the support of each other. Marlo Martin, artistic director of eXit SPACE, is interested in disrupting this dominant script, uplifting dancers, and fostering cross-community collaboration through her work at eXit SPACE.
A Conversation With eXit SPACE’s Marlo Martin
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Jospeh Lambert - Jazzy Photo
People feel comfortable within their comfort zones. Here in the Seattle dance scene, it’s natural to flock to micro-communities of people who have similar interests as you. Nonetheless, such divisions can foster a competitive atmosphere in a world where dancers increasingly need the support of each other. Marlo Martin, artistic director of eXit SPACE, is interested in disrupting this dominant script, uplifting dancers, and fostering cross-community collaboration through her work at eXit SPACE.
Marlo’s dance journey began around age five in a ballet/tap class at Diane’s School of Dance in her hometown of Fruitport, Michigan. She fell in love with dance, continuing training throughout elementary school and high school. Following high school, she attended a community college for two years before transferring to a university, which allowed her some wiggle room to figure out what career path she wanted to pursue. “I never thought about dance in college because I just didn’t think I had the talent to do it,” she admits. Coming from a smaller, recreational-focused studio, she thought that a dance major wasn’t aimed at a person like her. While it took some convincing, Marlo’s best friend Kim persuaded her to audition for some college dance programs with her.
“I auditioned for Western Michigan University,” Marlo shares, which had an incredibly robust dance and theater department. Unfortunately, after high school, Marlo got extremely sick and was hospitalized for a long period. After she recovered and became healthier, she attended Western Michigan University. “That’s really what changed everything for me,” Marlo says of her college experience influencing her career path. “It was such a strong program.”
She went through the process of applying for a BFA at Western Michigan, undergoing a rigorous series of interviews in addition to her studies. Marlo wasn’t accepted into the BFA program at first, being told that her technical skills were not advanced enough. So, she begrudgingly added more ballet classes to her repertoire to help supplement her technique. Marlo ended up getting accepted into the BFA program the following semester. “The program was amazing,” she says. “They set me up for success in a really fundamental way.” Within her department, emphasis was placed on cultivating community and raising peers up, rather than viewing them as competition, philosophies that Marlo carries into her work today. She’s honored to be receiving a Distinguished Alumni recognition at Western Michigan University this year.
“Marlo Martin, artistic director of eXit SPACE, is interested in disrupting this dominant script, uplifting dancers, and fostering cross-community collaboration through her work at eXit SPACE.”
Following college, Marlo quickly got engaged, married, and moved across the country to Seattle for her ex-husband’s job. She assumed that she would be able to find work in Seattle, as it’s a large city. However, as Marlo points out, “Seattle 18 years ago was not Seattle today.” “I got here and I freaked out a little bit,” she shares, as there were fewer dance opportunities than New York and Chicago, cities she had danced in before. She especially noticed a lack of jazz classes, a genre she had specialized in growing up. “Dance in Seattle and what defined it was limiting,” Marlo says.
Photo by Jospeh Lambert - Jazzy Photo
She managed to take some classes here and there, mainly at Spectrum Dance Theater and Velocity Dance Center. She also taught all over the Seattle area, eventually meeting Veronica Lee, a Cornish graduate, and talented choreographer. The two grew close, spending time together in and out of the studio. Eventually, Veronica proposed that she and Marlo open up a studio together. Six weeks later, after deliberating and reading the book Six Week Start-Up by Rhonda Abrams, eXit SPACE was born.
The dance school began with one room in Green Lake 17 years ago, with a dozen kids and 40 adults across its various programs. “I remember every time we’d sell a class card, I would celebrate,” Marlo recalls. “Over the years, we collected more teachers and our community started to grow.” She shares that eXit SPACE possessed “authentic momentum.”
“In a nutshell, eXit SPACE is a place or a space to discover or rediscover the art of dance for anybody of any background, at any moment,” Marlo says of eXit SPACE’s mission. “Everybody who enters the space is committed to being supportive…it’s a non-competitive environment, in the fact that we believe there can be inspiration found in one another.” The dance school’s faculty and student base are dedicated to lifting each other up, without holding others down. Marlo envisions a culture in which dance is open to anybody to try at any stage of their life, rather than a more exclusive institution.
In terms of programming, eXit SPACE has a young dancer program, featuring classes in modern, jazz, ballet, tap, and hip hop. “I love educating young dancers and helping them become artists or just [foster] an appreciation for their own body, whatever their pathway is,” Marlo says of the program. The dance school also features an adult dance program, including classes held in-studio and through Zoom for dancers with all levels of experience. eXit SPACE’s pre-professional program, otherwise known as thePROGRAM, is a specialized program for students between 8 and 18 years old committed to seriously focusing on their dance training and future.
Marlo enjoys being involved with multiple facets of dance, including teaching, choreographing, running festivals, producing work, and more. “I would get frustrated if I only did one facet of dance, so I really enjoy being able to change roles often,” she voices. NOD Theater, a performance space in Capitol Hill, is where eXit SPACE will be holding a full season of performances, workshops, festivals, and events. Marlo plans on producing eXit SPACE’s annual TakePause festivals in January and May 2022, as an open call for dancers of all levels and ages to perform. She’s also holding the annual Boost Dance Festival and BoostMeUp Youth Dance Festival in March 2022, as well as various artist-in-residence programs and student showcases. NOD Theater is also available for rent.
Photo by Jospeh Lambert - Jazzy Photo
“Whatever energy you give out will come back to you,” Marlo says. “If you create this intentional community, [the] people who align with [its] beliefs will come…and that’s what happened over and over.” Since its conception, eXit SPACE has expanded to three studios and created theNEST, which functions as a “home base of classes.”
Moving forward, Marlo hopes for dance creators to make more effort to collaborate across communities, to diversify their perspectives and offerings. “I would love to see more communities work together more often. I would love to see more businesses and directors work together more often,” Marlo says. “This culture hasn’t changed from my perspective in the 18 years I’ve lived here.” She longs for dancers from various micro-communities to put more effort towards integrating and sharing ideas, to diversify their offerings. “If you only involve yourself with the choreographers, teachers, and students in your own community, even if it’s a diverse pool, you’ve decided to limit that experience…I just think there’s so much to be gained by community outreach to one another,” she shares.
Behind the Scenes with Elizabeth Bonar
Putting together a dance production can be a stressful experience for a choreographer and director. When putting the final touches on choreography, managing dancers, and carrying out other tasks, lighting design and stage management can slip to the back of choreographers’ and directors’ brains. Nonetheless, lighting design, stage, and house management are important parts of a production to consider, as they can greatly benefit the experience of a production for audience members and dancers alike when considered in detail. Elizabeth Bonar wears many hats as a local dancer, choreographer, teacher, lighting designer, and stage manager. Tune into Tea & Tendus at DWC Renton on March 13 at 5:30 PM to hear more about Elizabeth’s expertise and ask questions about all things “behind the scenes.”
A Conversation with Local Lighting Director and Stage Manager
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Evan Bonar
Putting together a dance production can be a stressful experience for a choreographer and director. When putting the final touches on choreography, managing dancers, and carrying out other tasks, lighting design and stage management can slip to the back of choreographers’ and directors’ brains. Nonetheless, lighting design, stage, and house management are important parts of a production to consider, as they can greatly benefit the experience of a production for audience members and dancers alike when considered in detail. Elizabeth Bonar wears many hats as a local dancer, choreographer, teacher, lighting designer, and stage manager. Tune into Tea & Tendus at DWC Renton on March 13 at 5:30 PM to hear more about Elizabeth’s expertise and ask questions about all things “behind the scenes.”
Elizabeth started dancing at age four. Her parents put her in classes because she couldn’t stop dancing around the house, an experience many dancers are familiar with. She stuck with it throughout high school and college, ending up getting her Bachelor of Science degree in dance at the University of Idaho in 2017.
Growing up, Elizabeth was also frequently exposed to the stage management side of performing, as her mother worked as a stage manager at many of her shows. In high school, Elizabeth’s leadership class was putting on a talent show and needed someone to run the light board. She decided to volunteer. Over the next few years of high school, Elizabeth helped work behind the scenes of other productions here and there. In college, Elizabeth got much more involved with working the light board, taking it upon herself to pull out the manuel and educate herself more on the technicalities of it. She even dedicated her senior year project to lighting design in dance. Following graduation, Elizabeth’s professors asked her to come back to campus and stage manage their pre-professional faculty-choreographed show in the fall, which she has been doing ever since.
“I love helping the dance productions shine the best that they can,” Elizabeth says of lighting design and stage management. She believes that her background as a dancer and choreographer gives her some helpful insight when helping design the lighting of a show and help manage a production. She’s able to better put herself in the shoes of a dancer and choreographer than a manager who may not have experience with performing and choreographing.
The biggest challenge that Elizabeth has seen in her line of work is a lack of communication between dancers and stage managers. For example, a stage manager may not understand what it means when a choreographer points out the way the lighting changes when dancers do “pirouettes.” It can be easy for team members to lose sight of the fact that they’re all working towards the same goal, despite any communication barriers. She also points out that many choreographers and directors put off considering production elements like lighting design until the last minute, without considering how they can help or harm their show. Being able to communicate with stage managers early on about such elements can save choreographers and directors a lot of last-minute stress.
Elizabeth says that it’s helpful for directors and choreographers to find lighting designers and stage managers that they work well with. It’s important for both parties to be open to the suggestions that the other may have because they can offer a unique perspective that may not have been considered before. She also points out that when the choreographer trusts the stage manager to do their part without micro-management, it frees up much more time and energy for them to focus on their choreography and other tasks. Everyone benefits from mutual trust.
Overall, Elizabeth believes that the dance and stage management worlds will benefit from learning more about what the other side does. Dancers working tech on shows, no matter how small, and having an appreciation for what technical workers do and how hard they work is important. “Until you’ve done it, you don’t really understand what [the other side] is doing,” Elizabeth points out. Getting more stage managers with dance backgrounds involved will also benefit the industry, as they already have an understanding of what that other side does.
Elizabeth is stage managing the University of Idaho’s spring production of DancersDrummersDreamers, which runs March 24-26, 2022. She’s thrilled to be working on this production, as it’s the first time it will be on stage in two years. She’s also doing lighting design and technical direction for Ballet Workshop’s production of The Sleeping Beauty, which runs April 23-24, 2022 at the Port Angeles Performing Arts Center. She will also be doing lighting designs for some of Ballet Workshop’s video pieces for the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts.
Photo by Melanie Meenan
Elizabeth will also be a special guest at the March Tea & Tendus event at Dancewear Center Renton on March 13th at 5:30 PM. Elizabeth will guide attendees through the basics of lighting, stage, and house management, as well as the best ways for tech crew and choreographers, and directors to collaborate. You can register for the free event here, we hope to see you all there!
Bringing People Together at All-4-1 Dancepalooza
It’s no secret that the dance world today is riddled with competition. Whether it’s the stages of dance competitions or within the crowded studio of an audition, dancers are often encouraged to pull out their best skills to win over the hearts and minds of judges, casting directors, and audiences across the globe. Within a competitive world, it’s easy to lose sight of the supportive communities that dance can foster. Daniel Wilkins of DASSdance strives to promote an inclusive and celebratory environment at All-4-1 Dancepalooza, a dance festival showcasing over a hundred young artists in the greater Seattle dance community March 12-13, 2022.
A Conversation With Festival Producer Daniel Wilkins
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
It’s no secret that the dance world today is riddled with competition. Whether it’s the stages of dance competitions or within the crowded studio of an audition, dancers are often encouraged to pull out their best skills to win over the hearts and minds of judges, casting directors, and audiences across the globe. Within a competitive world, it’s easy to lose sight of the supportive communities that dance can foster. Daniel Wilkins of DASSdance strives to promote an inclusive and celebratory environment at All-4-1 Dancepalooza, a dance festival showcasing over a hundred young artists in the greater Seattle dance community March 12-13, 2022.
Daniel describes his upbringing as “atypical,” as his parents held roles as dance teachers, choreographers, and directors at various dance schools and companies. While Daniel found success with baseball as a child, his father encouraged him to give dance a try. In high school, Daniel dove into the arts, taking up acting and modeling. With the support of his family, he began training in dance as well, ending up earning a scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet and later attending the School of American Ballet after several tries of auditioning. At the School of American Ballet, Daniel was fortunate enough to train under the likes of iconic instructors like Richard Rapp and Stanley Williams.
“I would love to see more mechanisms in place that give opportunities to young artists and young companies”
After graduating, Daniel danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre under his first company contract. Upon his returns to New York and Seattle, Daniel drew inspiration from the emerging grunge music scenes at the time, asking himself how tradition-dense dance genres like ballet could be made more current. After leaving Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Daniel returned to New York and worked with companies like Daniel Byrd - The Group, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Suzanne Farrell Ballet, before moving on to choreographing himself. He later founded DASSdance in New York and Seattle “after seeing a need for daring and innovative movement in the dance community.”
Photo curtesy of dassdance.org
Daniel says he was inspired to create the All-4-1 Dancepalooza after moving to Seattle and witnessing a lack of diversity in the local dance scene. “I wanted to do something that brought communities together somehow,” Daniel shares, desiring to break apart silos of dancers and foster a greater sense of inclusivity and community. He also points out the significance of bringing dancers in conversation with one another to create nuanced styles and progress techniques. When dancers of different backgrounds are exposed to one another, opportunities for cross-cultural understanding and creativity can emerge.
Daniel says that one of the pivoting factors for All-4-1 Dancepalooza was meeting Tyrone Crosby of N the Kutt Dance Studio in the greater Seattle area. The two came in conversation with one another and thought of different dance companies and studios to invite to the festival. All-4-1 Dancepalooza was able to draw in dance makers from all across Washington State year after year.
All-4-1 Dancepalooza offers dance classes and performance opportunities aimed towards young dancers ages nine years old and older. Attendees are exposed to experienced master class teachers in an array of genres, including ballet, hip hop, contemporary, jazz, and acro partnering. In addition, professional dance companies are invited to perform, including the DASSdance professional company.
“I really enjoy seeing the kids enjoying themselves and having all these great master teachers excite them with their amazing abilities,” Daniel says of All-4-1 Dancepalooza. He thinks it’s important for dancers to be able to feel confident in the classes they take but also challenged.
Photo curtesy of dassdance.org
In Daniel’s eyes, what sets All-4-1 Dancepalooza apart as a festival is its initial mission to open dancers’ arms and eyes and have conversations with different performers across the region. Daniel feels strongly about All-4-1 Dancepalooza being a non-competitive environment, and rather a place for people to come together, showcase their work, and meet new friends. While participating in other sports growing up, Daniel felt a strong competitive drive, but not as much when dancing. “It’s an art form, that’s what it is first and foremost,” Daniel says of dance. “I don’t want that to be lost.”
Daniel doesn’t subscribe to the idea that a dancer must fit a certain mold to be talented, as trying to force dancers into a pre-determined form can be incredibly limiting, especially for young aspiring artists. “I would love to see more mechanisms in place that give opportunities to young artists and young companies,” he says.
All in all, Daniel appreciates the diversity of artists that are showcased at the festival, particularly amid the youth companies, which are the core of the festival. Ballet companies, hip hop companies, contemporary companies, tap groups, and more can be expected to grace the stages of Broadway Performance Hall on March 12 and 13, 2022. “We have a great group of amazing dancers, master teachers, and choreographers. It’s going to be an exciting lineup,” Daniel shares.
Breaking the Mold to Cement a Place for Oneself
Operating in an industry with rigidly defined expectations and boundaries can take a toll on a person, particularly during an impressionable period in one’s life like childhood. Local dancer and choreographer Robbi Moore opens up on defying the status quo in the dance industry and providing transparency to performers.
Robbi Moore on Defying the Status Quo
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Michael Stadler
Operating in an industry with rigidly defined expectations and boundaries can take a toll on a person, particularly during an impressionable period in one’s life, like childhood. Local dancer and choreographer Robbi Moore opens up on defying the status quo in the dance industry and providing transparency to performers.
Growing up in Hamden, Connecticut, Robbi recalls watching their older brother act onstage and feeling inspired to begin dance classes themself. After learning of Robbi’s desire to perform on stage, their mom enrolled them in classes at New England Ballet, where Robbi trained for two years and performed in The Nutcracker as a mouse. Robbi took classes in Ballet, Jazz, and Tap before moving to Dee Dee’s Dance Center in New Haven, Connecticut. The main reason for Robbi switching studios was because the New England Ballet was predominantly white. “My mom wanted me to be around people that looked like me so I could [experience] the other side of the dance world,” Robbi says, as Dee Dee’s is a predominantly Black dance studio.
At Dee Dee’s, Robbi continued taking classes in Ballet, Jazz, and Tap and was also introduced to West African Dance, Gymnastics, and Hip Hop. By the time they hit 11 or 12, Robbi was certain they wanted to be a professional dancer. Desiring to increase their Ballet training, Robbi returned to New England Ballet and later New Haven Ballet in addition to training at Dee Dee’s to up the caliber.
Around 12, Robbi began attending summer intensives, mainly at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts. Robbi witnessed many people they trained with go on to perform with prestigious companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Robbi attended EMIA’s summer intensive nearly every year, getting the opportunity to meet dancers training and choreographing in New York. A big perk of the intensive was Robbi getting the chance to perform on a weekly basis. “It was a very important experience for me to have,” they share.
Robbi graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in 2015 and spent a year freelancing in New York, dancing with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, The Steps Repertory Ensemble, and AATMA Performing Arts. A year after graduating, Robbi auditioned for Spectrum Dance Theater and moved to Seattle, WA to join the company as a paid apprentice.
Robbi shares that they learned so much from their fellow company members at Spectrum Dance Theater, as the dancers largely worked in collaboration with one another and Artistic Director Donald Byrd. Robbi became a full company member at Spectrum the following year and later left the company a year after that. They began freelancing in the Seattle area, working with Khambatta Dance Company, Coriolis Dance, Karin Stevens Dance, Whidbey Island Dance Theatre, Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, Kinesis Project Dance Theatre, and other part-time companies.
“Know who you are even if others do not understand you. Do not put anyone on a pedestal and always put your well-being first.”
Robbi dabbled in various artistic mediums growing up, including piano, flute, choir, and theatre, but nothing stuck with them in the way dance did. Robbi has found satisfaction in the gratification that comes from physically experiencing the practice of dance. “I just liked moving my body more than sitting down,” Robbi says, sharing that musicality and rhythm have come naturally to them after participating in a choir as a child. Whereas singing in front of an audience can feel a bit scary to Robbi, dancing is a happy medium that’s vulnerable and visual, while still being an internal and self-fulfilling endeavor.
Photo by Michael B. Maine
Robbi shares that growing up they experienced a lot of physical and social limitations in the sphere of dance. “It really ties into how people view your body and how your body gets viewed within the parameters of a certain genre of dance,” they say, as there are specific types of bodies and individuals that have been expected to be on display and excel within various genres. Being confronted with this type of challenge as a child, in particular, can greatly contribute to the formation of one’s identity.
“I went to a predominantly Black studio and that’s where I definitely learned about being Black,” Robbi says of identity and expectations. “That was very important, I’m very grateful for that, but it also came with a lot of baggage,” they say, sharing the challenge of having to conform to what a “masculine, Black man was supposed to dance like.”
Exploring self-image and gender identity within the sphere of dance has been a challenge for Robbi. “Gender norms are very binary, especially in dance. And it comes out in physicality as well,” they say, pointing to the expectations that are set for children of all genders regarding how to present themselves on stage. “If you’re a child and you’re discovering your identity and you are confronted with that, it can be very alienating,” Robbi says. Being alienated by an art form that you love can cause a lot of internal turmoil. “This thing that you love is being weaponized against you,” they voice.
Robbi says that dancing is not about becoming exactly like the people they look up to. “They look like them, and I look like me,” they say. “What makes people happy when they talk about their careers is that they can look back and say that they did what they wanted to do,” Robbi says, even if it means breaking the status quo without getting rewarded for it at the time. It’s satisfying to look back on one’s career and think nobody else could have done what I did or have the path that I had.
Robbi is excited to see more and more dancers openly identifying as genderqueer, non-binary, and trans, as a decade ago, that certainly wasn’t the case. “Ten years ago, you understood what your identity was, [but] had to understand the game you had to play in order to make it,” they say. “There’s change coming. There’s somebody that looks like you somewhere.” Robbi also believes that gender roles in dance should be more fluid for everyone and that needing to identify with any of the labels mentioned above should not be a requirement.
In the coming year, Robbi is preparing to perform with Khambatta Dance Company at the Seattle International Dance Festival Mini-Fest on March 4-5 and 11-12, 2022. The company is performing a piece choreographed by Artistic Director Cyrus Khambatta, another piece by Boston Dance Theater, and a piece by Mumbai-based choreographer Sumeet Nagdev. Robbi is also working with Kinesis Project, planning to have a gala in May 2022.
In addition, Robbi is teaching many dance classes and choreographing for Kaleidoscope Dance Company for their June recital and Noir Black Noir at the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, an event featuring all Black composers and choreographers. Robbi has also signed up to take part in takePAUSE 2022, an adult performance opportunity at eXit SPACE. Robbi also got the opportunity to choreograph and film a piece called “Dryad” with Devin Muñoz for Men in Dance. In general, Robbi has enjoyed being able to stretch themself as a choreographer, particularly when it comes to choreographing for students.
Photo by Marcia Davis
Robbi believes that it’s important right now for dance organizations to have a clear intention behind what they’re offering to employees, dancers, and students and what their larger goals are. They share that it’s important for directors to be held accountable, particularly when it comes to providing dancers with contracts and allotting enough time for them to look them over and amend them if necessary. Considering that dancers are eager to get back to moving amid the pandemic, Robbi sees now as an opportunity for the Seattle dance scene to make expectations and processes more transparent and better for the community. During a time when many dancers are risking their health to do what they love and make a living, being able to give them peace of mind, in whatever capacity possible, is extremely significant.
For those interested, Robbi is teaching a Horton-based contemporary dance class on Saturdays at 10 AM at the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, and a ballet class immediately after at 11:30 AM. “I would love to see you!” Robbi says.
In closing, Robbi’s biggest piece of advice for dancers is: “know who you are even if others do not understand you. Do not put anyone on a pedestal and always put your well-being first.”
Just Graduated High School… Now What?
First of all, congratulations! Graduating high school is no easy feat and I’m proud of you for coming this far. The doors of opportunity have swung wide open, and taking the leap might feel daunting, but you are not alone! I’m here to offer some guidance, describe what may lie behind each door, and let you know that you’ve already done so much that has prepared you for this moment.
So many doors, so many unknowns!
Kristina’s Guide to Dance Careers
By Kristina Koumaeva, DWC Ambassador
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First of all, congratulations! Graduating high school is no easy feat and I’m proud of you for coming this far. The doors of opportunity have swung wide open, and taking the leap might feel daunting, but you are not alone! I’m here to offer some guidance, describe what may lie behind each door, and let you know that you’ve already done so much that has prepared you for this moment.
So many doors, so many unknowns!
Introducing our imaginary dance-options-post-high-school tree. Did you know that you planted it the very first day you fell in love with dance? With each new class, your roots grew stronger; with each new skill learned, a branch of opportunity sprouted. The best part of this tree is that it is three-dimensional. Just as your roots intersect and overlap, so do the branches of dance opportunities. You may follow as few or as many as your heart desires, and recognize that this tree is evolving and growing with you.
For the sake of this blog post, I’ve identified five tree arms: Commercial Dance, Concert Dance, Continuing Education, Teaching/Choreography, and Freelancing. Keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list nor are the options mutually exclusive, it’s actually more likely that throughout your dance career, you’ll climb many of these branches and new ones will sprout as your experience grows.
We’ll begin with commercial dance. This industry exists throughout the world, with capitals in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and a handful of cities abroad. This realm consists of commercials, music videos, movies, and tv shows often booked by your agent(s). I’ve linked a few of my recent favorites! Camera work is crucial and auditions/castings will be a regular, weekly, if not daily part of your life.
Concert dance focuses on movement performed in front of audiences, whether with ballet/modern companies or performing musical theater shows on Broadway. The line between concert and commercial dance has blurred over the years, with street styles on the Broadway stages and musical theater in tv shows; dancers find themselves swinging between the two realms often. Concert dance can incorporate a range of styles and isn’t limited to a specific city. Dancers perform on stages worldwide--it’s up to you to choose your stage!
If you are someone who loves learning and creating relationships, teaching/choreography may be a part of your dance journey. Building curriculums, choreographing phrase work, and connecting with students are all challenging but rewarding parts of the process which can be at your local studios, or on a bigger scale such as at dance conventions/competitions, or even online. One of my favorite virtual escapes during the pandemic was online Dance Church. My biggest piece of advice if you’re pursuing teaching is to be humble, stay hungry, and have integrity.
The fourth branch on our tree is continuing education. This one may be obvious because most high schools encourage their students to apply to college. To be a dancer is to be a student forever, whether you decide to “officially” continue your education or not. Dancers can go to a university or conservatory and pursue a dance degree, they can complete training programs/internships facilitated by professionals/veterans or studios in the industry, or they can move to a different state or country and dive into the classes and culture that belong to that unique place.
Finally, we arrive at the freelancing branch--this one is as unique as it gets! A build-you-own-adventure type of path. In a way, it encompasses a lot of the other branches, but it’s unique in that you must build out your path and understand the financial responsibility of freelance work. Examples include creating marketing dance campaigns on social media, modeling for a dance brand (careful or you’ll end up on @modelsdoingballet -- one of my favorite Instagram accounts for a good giggle!), acting/dancing for an entertainment company at live events, etc. This is the “gig” life, always exciting but requires a great amount of patience.
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When it comes time to branch out and pursue the dance work you find most fulfilling or interesting, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’ve found so much comfort in knowing that every dance journey is different yet we all face similar tough decisions. We all feel anxious at times, and the path isn’t always obvious. Even the most successful dancers will tell you that their paths weren’t clear cut. Look to your mentors for inspiration, find podcasts that can guide your thoughts or help with decision making, and read blogs (like this one!) to get the perspective of other professionals in our industry.
Dancers are unique individuals; YOU are a unique individual, and the bottom line is, if you truly love dance and want it to be your career or at least a part of your career, it CAN be--there is room for everyone! Give yourself grace and trust the process, then watch your tree blossom.
If you have any questions about my journey so far or want to chat about your dance tree, please get in touch on Instagram. Cheers!
Building the Community You Wish to See
After relocating from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Bellingham, Washington, Brooke Evans noticed that her newfound home was lacking something near and dear to her: high-quality dance. Through copious research and collaboration with local parents and dancers, Brooke and her fellow community members were able to build Opus Performing Arts: a robust dance school composed of experienced faculty and tasked with the mission of “fostering a lifelong love of dance.”
Brooke Evans on the Formation of Opus Performing Arts
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by: Michelle Smith Lewis
After relocating from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Bellingham, Washington, Brooke Evans noticed that her newfound home was lacking something near and dear to her: high-quality dance. Through copious research and collaboration with local parents and dancers, Brooke and her fellow community members were able to build Opus Performing Arts: a robust dance school composed of experienced faculty and tasked with the mission of “fostering a lifelong love of dance.”
Like many youngsters, Brooke got involved with dance because her older sibling did it. She began her training at age three in her hometown of Santa Fe at the Santa Fe Dance Foundation, now known as the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. At age 23, Brooke got pregnant which required her to shift her life focus. She ended up moving to Bellingham, Washington, where she has been ever since.
“When I got up to Bellingham, I didn’t really know much about the dance community and had just had a baby and I didn’t go the traditional college route,” Brooke shares. “So I just started exploring the dance community a little bit and I found that there wasn’t as much dance here...I was expecting more and I was expecting a higher quality of dance.” Brooke realized that if she wanted to see a more expanded, potent dance community in Bellingham, she needed to be a part of building it.
Photo by:Juliette Machado
Brooke became a co-founder of Bellingham Repertory Dance, a professional contemporary dance collective full of local dancers who are eager to challenge themselves and work in the industry. Brooke was a part of the founding member team, along with other local dancers who were looking for a professional level experience. Through Bellingham Repertory Dance, dancers have gotten the opportunity to work with renowned regional, national, and international choreographers like Mary Shelton Scott, Eva Stone, and Joshua Beamish. Bellingham Repertory Dance is currently going on its sixteenth season. Brooke left the dance collective after eleven seasons, but is gratified to see “this new generation really carrying it forward.”
Eventually, one of her sons expressed interest in beginning dance classes himself. She started looking in town for classes she saw fit for him, and wasn’t coming up with much. There were other parents in the Bellingham community who were feeling similarly, namely Opus owners Allan and Marie Redsone, who struggled to find a local dance school offering high-quality instruction for their own daughter. Allan and Marie networked out into the community, found a space and conducted research to bring their vision of Opus to fruition, finding Brooke in the process. After her first year of teaching at Opus, Brooke became the school’s artistic director to help sculpt and shape the school’s direction, again having the opportunity to build a stronger dance community in Bellingham.
Opus Performing Arts offers tap, contemporary, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pointe, and ballet classes for both kids and adults. “I have just an incredible team of teachers,” Brooke gushes. Throughout the past year, Opus was also offering seminars on topics relating to mental health and self-compassion with ballet teacher and licensed mental health professional Rachel Coats as a way to provide more holistic services. Rachel will continue her self-compassion work with students this fall as Opus’ wellness consultant.
Photo by: Juliette Machado
“We really put an emphasis on instruction at Opus and making sure that dancers are being really safe,” Brooke says. For instance, the school administers “pointe readiness” evaluations that students must pass before earning their pointe shoes. “It’s not something that you get, it’s something that you earn over time. It’s a step in your progress.”
Opus is excited to be returning to in-person classes in the fall, after nearly 14 months of online learning. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Brooke and the rest of the staff at Opus worked hard to communicate to students the importance of making dance feel like home regardless of where they are. She shares that the lack of community engagement, specifically due to canceling live performances, was a challenge for the Opus dancers. “I think the students are just so hungry to be not only getting in-person instruction again but also just to be with their friends and be in their community,” Brooke says. “There’s something so energizing about being with each other that we can’t feel over a computer screen.”
Another exciting update at Opus is that the school is moving to a bigger location with more studio space in 2022. “The space we’re looking at has the potential for five studios, three big ones and two small ones,” Brooke says. “It’s going to be really exciting when we get to move and then we get to offer more classes and provide more for the community as well.”
Ultimately, through her work with Opus Performing Arts and throughout the dance world, Brooke hopes to see dance professionals draw greater attention towards the self-compassion and mental health aspects of dance. “That’s something that I think is a missing part of the dancer’s health puzzle that we’re not quite up to par on,” she says. “‘Perfect’ doesn’t exist and it’s important to be able to have that positive self-talk, acknowledge your growth, and realize your wins.”
If it weren’t for the community building efforts of Brooke Evans and many others, Bellingham wouldn’t have the energetic dance scene that it has today. Since its founding, it’s clear that providing access to safe, high-quality dance instruction that can benefit a dancer for a lifetime will continue to be a top priority at Opus. “We want to instill a love of dance that [students] can carry forward through their lives,” Brooke says.
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