This past week we began our second and final residency with an outside choreographer for Season 9! We welcomed David Dorfman and his assistant, Dorchel Haqq, to the studio on Monday, March 9 and have had the privilege of working with them all of this week and continuing into next week to complete a 10-person piece.

Every time we begin a new residency, it is difficult to know how it is going to go. Each choreographer possesses a different style of not only movement, but of how they work, collaborate, and bring energy to the room. For one, David is so personable. He remembered all of our names so quickly, brings appreciative energy to the space, and is extremely thoughtful and wants to know how we are feeling in the work.

David and Dorchel are very open to suggestions, ideas, collaboration, and are just lovely to work with. We, as an ensemble, have been experimenting with a few phrases of movement to many different types of music. We’ve also been exploring text in our own “jingles” and songs as well as reciting parts of poems. David’s process feels like an exploration more than a final destination with clear parameters. Nothing is “wrong” and he welcomes “happy accidents”. It’s inviting knowing that the space is safe and I feel comfortable to make mistakes and try new things.

I’m excited to see what David continues to make over the next 6 days that we have left with him. It’s been a pleasure thus far and a wonderful last residency prior to our Harris Theater show!