This week, we are lucky to have San Francisco Bay Area dancer Julie Crothers writing for the blog, sharing about her experience at New Dialect's Winter Intensive in Nashville, TN. 

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Photo: Kim Walker

A word or phrase to sum up the experience: 

Refreshing! This week’s intensive has been very different from the cycles, standards, and comforts of my dance life in the Bay Area. I have gained a lot of perspective, been deeply challenged in floor work, exercised my voice, and reflected a lot on performance quality, something that is often overlooked in dance education and company life. It’s been refreshing to connect my current dancing body and spirit back to Nashville, my hometown. The very first time I ever danced without a prosthetic arm was at Vanderbilt dance intensive in Nashville when I was in high school. I had a major rash which made it very uncomfortable to wear it, and I hated the experience. I was so insecure, and awkward, and self conscious about it. To be dancing again in Nashville, in the same place, with some of the same people, and in the same body, but also a very different body, and with a very different relationship to it is REFRESHING. Everything really is connected. 

Highlight of the week:

A feeling of accomplishment that comes from being challenged, just doing it, and then moving forward. Focusing not on flawless execution, but effort, honesty, drive, and physics. So I guess the highlight isn’t one thing we did, but the general feeling I’ve had every day after the workshop and the satisfaction that has come from diving into something new.

Come see Julie perform in the Bay Area on Saturday, January 13th at 6pm and 8pm at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. Purchase tickets here.

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Related posts:

Artist Profile: Banning Bouldin, Artistic Director of New Dialect

My Dance Week: Banning Bouldin

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