Finding Stretch Dance Company (Part 3)

Then, along came a life-changing suggestion from one of my closest friends.

“Read Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit,” my friend Judy suggested.  Although Twyla Tharp is one of the most celebrated, present choreographers, this book chronicles how to be at your best for working creatively in any occupation.  I highly recommend it! One element Ms. Tharp explained was in order to be productive, one must remove distractions from one’s workspace.  Inspired, I cleaned house. 

In organizing my things and moving them from my husband and my communal bookcase to my “dance/theatre only” bookcase, I came upon one of the most important pieces of literature to me that had nothing to do with dance.  As I held it in my hands, a performance began to unfold.  The dancers in my head filled the stage to create what I knew audiences had to see.  As the dancers were dancing, the company began to form in my mind.

I immediately put that treasured piece of literature on my “dance/theatre only” bookcase (on the top shelf)  and started to create the company.  I combined all of my training and experiences I had in order to form the company I knew had to be created.  I wanted a place where professional artists feel safe, cultivated, appreciated, and proud of the art they are creating.  I also wanted to create performances that audiences are not only entertained by, but are enlightened or moved in a way to promote a humanitarian cause.  Finally, I wanted to incorporate more theatre into dance performances by having characters, set pieces, costumes, plot, and specifically, composed music.  It is through this theatrical concept that I would be able to utilize all styles of dance as they will change per character and/or time period.  Thus, the mission statement was created:

“… to create a safe working environment for professional artists and to educate and entertain the community about art, humanity, culture, and history through presenting theatrical dance productions based on an emotional and realistic portrayal of the human experience.”

What to call such a company?  I looked at the statement again and saw this:

“… to create a Safe working environment for professional artists and to Educate and Entertain the Community about art, humanity, culture, and history through presenting Theatrical dance productions based on an Emotional and Realistic portrayal of the Human experience.”

I played around with the letters of important words found in the mission statement and came to the word STRETCH. 

Logo design by the brilliant Jessa Orr

I love the word STRETCH. 

It implies so much.  The artists and the audiences will be pulled and tested in new ways to attain high goals and understanding. 

I presented all of this to Christopher (my husband) who, with love, told me to follow my dreams, something I am eternally grateful for.  Ever since this epiphany in April 2010, I have been working to ensure the company’s success by creating a realistic business and production plan.  Hopefully soon we will be able to announce our first production, job openings, auditions, etc.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for company updates and other, hopefully interesting, musings on the world of Stretch Dance Company. 

What was the brilliant piece of literature you ask?  I will save that for another time…

“Like” Stretch Dance Company’s Facebook Page to stay informed!

Finding Stretch Dance Company (Part 2)

It was during my first year of college that I began to choreograph and teach dance professionally.  I was hired to choreograph The Wiz and I also began the dance training program S.T.R. Dance®.  

S.T.R. Dance® was created to provide those with an interest in taking dance a private/semi-private learning experience where they could truly focus on their individual goals.  There was no limit on age of dancer, but my main clients became high school and college-aged performers looking for a career in performance, either theatre or dance.  Today, many of them are in performance programs in college or have gone on to the professional entertainment industry.  I am always so proud!!

Both of those experiences I owe to the brilliant suggestion of my mother and encouragement from my father.  I am extremely blessed to have parents who wanted me to dream. 

The Wiz was such a wonderful, intimidating experience.  To choreograph a full-length musical was an absolute dream.  On top of choreographing, because of my background, I was able to assist with auditions, vocals, and technical aspects of the performances.  I learned many lessons from that first musical.

Since then, I have had the pleasure of choreographing numerous musicals including: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Scrooge, Anything Goes, Sweet Charity, Footloose, Little Shop of Horrors, and Once Upon a Mattress.  There are so many wonderful stories to tell…for another time.

While at UCI, I was fortunate enough to meet my husband, Christopher.  Although, on paper, we are opposite sides of the brain, him an engineer and I an artist, we fit together like the perfect puzzle.  He added to my life in a way I never dreamed and I am truly grateful.  Christopher and I married a month after we both graduated from UCI.  It was a busy senior year! 

I truly enjoyed teaching at S.T.R. Dance® and it seemed that teaching was where I was headed. So, after I graduated with a bachelor degree in drama with an emphasis in dance and a minor in psychology, I enrolled in UCI’s teaching credential, graduate program and attained my credentials in English, drama, psychology, and dance.  Yes, English, which as you read in "Part 1", was not on my list of favorite subjects in school.   

Teaching English was such a wonderful, eye-opening experience and deserves its own blog entry...later.

I love teaching.  I truly do.  To be able to cultivate someone and help him or her to reach his/her goals is a feeling unlike any other.  Although I enjoyed teaching high school English and dance at S.T.R. Dance® I did not feel that I was quite in the right place. 

I knew that dance, theatre, and teaching were my true passions and I decided to explore the more professional realm of dance to see what was out there.  It was during this time that I was able to study at wonderful institutions such as Edge Performing Arts Center, Millenium Dance Complex, The Ailey School, Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet School, Steps on Broadway, numerous dance conventions, among others.  I auditioned for on and off Broadway, but still did not feel that I was in the right place.  The teaching element for me was not there and it was here I was able to see how professional performers are often over-worked, under-paid, and under-appreciated.

What to do?!  

Finding Stretch Dance Company (Part 1)

Stretch Dance Company has always been there, I just had to find it. 

Its legitimate development began April 2010, but now that I look back on my life, I realize that everything up until this point has been a part of its development.

My interests and activities have always been the same: performing arts, fine art, and teaching.  Some of my earliest memories are dancing with the frizzed out hair, too much blush, and sequins (especially for a four-year-old), theatre performances (including a very memorable appearance as a lamb in our preschool rendition of the birth of Jesus, and “playing school,” which, unfortunately for my parents, meant doing all of the stuffed animals’ homework I assigned to them, while I supervised and drank my “coffee,” which of course was milk...I still try to avoid coffee. 

Fast-forward a few years to my first memory of choreographing at the age of 8.  I had created a few dances and asked my parents to watch.  There were forms for them to fill out to judge and critique my work.  Two of which I distinctly remember were to Queen’s “We Are the Champions” (Click to hear this song) and Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).”  (Click to hear this song)  Some of the choreography still remains in my head, but only a select few will ever see it…)  From there, I took off.

In high school, I started dancing privately with a woman named Melissa Barnett.  I owe so much to her and to my generous and encouraging parents who not only had to fund these excursions, but transport me to and from rehearsals and classes.  Melissa not only was able to teach me dance in a way that allowed me to be successful and accomplish my goals, but her method of teaching was refreshing and inspiring.  Her encouragement, high-expectations, preparation, fun choreography, and positive attitude are what shaped me into the teacher I am today.  She put me on my first pair of pointe shoes, which, like any dancer, I still have.

Throughout high school I continued with my study of theatre (performance and technical), singing, fine art, piano, and video production.  There were of course other subjects, I was particularly fond of math and history, but art was my life.      

When it came time for college, it was so difficult to choose what to do.  I loved (and still love) everything!!  I did not want to be limited in my studies.  I did the theatrical auditions for performance schools (in hotels in Los Angeles along with thousands of other hopefuls).  I also visited some of these schools.  For some reason, none of them appealed to me.  Finally, I visited the University of California, Irvine and loved it!  I knew that there I would be able to study everything I had an interest in while in a positive, productive environment.

Those four years passed by very quickly, but in those four years I started to solidify who I was to become...