Dance

As a dancer, I have always been extremely passionate and fascinated with movement – the articulation of different parts of the body, the expression of emotion through our bodies as a medium, and physical storytelling. As a choreographer and dancer, my inspiration comes from many different people and artists. Listening to a piece of music, seeing a provocative painting in a gallery, or listening to a stranger’s story are just some examples of what fuels my work as an artist. 

One such artist who I draw a lot of inspiration from is Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite. Seeing her work in Betroffenheit at Citadel Theatre which was co-created by Electric Company Theatre and Kidd Pivot opened my eyes to a different form of performance which combined both theatre and dance- my two biggest artistic loves. 


Another influential person who has helped me develop the tools and practice in this area is my friend and mentor, Natasha Martina. Natasha was my movement professor in university when I was studying theatre and has played a crucial role in my understanding of movement from an anatomical and physiological level which has helped inform my own habitual movements and patterns as a mover/dancer/actor. Through individual and group movement projects in her class, I have discovered a process that works for me as an actor and creator.

The following movement theorists and artists whom I have studied in Natasha’s class have largely shaped my process as a storyteller: Mary Overlie & Anne Bogart in their movement-based pedagogy and practice with Viewpoints; Rudolph Laban & Irmgard Bartenieff in their Laban Movement Analysis (LMA); and Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen in her research and somatic approach to Body-Mind centering. 

Recently, I have been exploring improvisations with different styles of dance. My current process involves selecting a piece of music, listening to it a few times, and then doing a free-form improvisation which I record. After recording, I will watch the video and use a critical lens to discern habitual movement patterns that I have. Then, in the next improvisation, I will give myself some restrictions with the hope of moving away from habit to unlock new ways of moving. I will also sometimes give myself prompt words at the start of an improvisation to explore and experiment how that word affects my impulses when moving. Another area I have been exploring and experimenting with in my dance improvisations are the use of architecture, space, and objects.