A week or two before I found out I'd be getting surgery I got an email from an independent choreographer. He would be doing a residency at The Kitchen this fall and wanted to choreograph a new solo work on me. How exciting! I was looking forward to the prospect of working in a different style and having a solo opportunity in the city.
And then...the foot.
I emailed him apologizing up and down, emphasizing how grateful I was that he thought of me and that I hoped perhaps we could work together once I've recovered. We decided to meet for one rehearsal pre-surgery anyway, since he had already booked studio space.
And how nice it was! We chatted for a good 45 minutes before we did any moving - discussing the dance community in general, my background, his approach to choreography, gossip about dance critics, and so on. He explained that he saw something "real" in my article and that's why he wanted to work with me - I was honored.
I couldn't do much because the foot's been bad, but we spent a while going through a simple movement sequence with lots of walking and dynamic arm movements. It was nothing like I'd done before...no ballet here! But it was fascinating to work on something so pedestrian and make it art. He changed the timing of steps, the quality, the phrasing, the spacing...simple steps can be vastly different.
It's a shame I'll only have that one rehearsal with him for now and obviously won't be able to perform this work as hoped. It was tough to grasp what this was all about and to really make it mean something in just one hour - but he mentioned another possible residency in the spring, so hopefully I can try to be a part of that when I've recovered.
I was grateful at least to meet him and test the waters. Every minute in the studio is a chance to learn.
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