♫ ♫ ♫ [contemporary music]
--ANDREA MILLER: I actually really found my joy in dance through choreography.
If I had made it I could embody it, and I could find something in dance that was my own or
even just born from the experience of discovery.
--TARYN KASCHOCK RUSSELL: We have beautiful, thoughtful
guidance in our program, as far as when the dancers come in, how we offer that as
a possibility to them. You know, how do you generate movement? What does that
mean for an audience member? What kinds of situations do you want to present work in.
--MADISON HICKS: Every year, I've had great opportunities. I mean, freshman year we
start with Comp One, which is basically just composition class all year.
--RUSSELL: And then there's a clear trajectory. OK, we're giving you initial tools.
We're then further delving into the work. Then we're putting you in difficult situations
you know, working with a composer.
--MADDIE HANSON: ChoreoComp is a project where
six junior dance majors are selected to choreograph, and they collaborate with
six composition majors to create a new piece.
--HICKS: The goal is that the choreographer and the composer create the piece
simultaneously, so we didn't get a score and then get to make movement to it
which is usually how it works.
--MOSCELYNE PARKEHARRISON: So I'm choreographing a trio, and I'm working
with Jack Frerer. He's from Australia.
Because it's such a collaboration, I almost feel like Jack is a part of the
choreography, and I feel like I'm a part of his music, because really we're trying
to make the perfect pieces of the puzzle to fit together.
--HICKS: And now I'm about to create for senior production, so that's
another amazing opportunity we get.
--PARKEHARRISON: We do do a lot of technique here, but we're always treated as an individual
within that, and I think just the idea that we're all unique only cultivates
our need to express ourselves.
--HANSON: Part of being at Juilliard is you're surrounded
by other divisions of amazing talent, and so when you're walking around the halls
or seeing a show that usually really ignites
something, and then I want to get into space right away.
--HICKS: I feel that I have changed a lot as a choreographer
and an artist and grown a lot.
--PARKEHARRISON: Trying to communicate what you want your own movement
philosophy to someone else really helps you figure out what that is.
--HANSON: It really helps you move into the professional world, knowing yourself as a person, as an artist.
--RUSSELL: We've had such amazing, successful female creative voices coming out of this program.
--MILLER: Over the 13 years that I've been coming back to the school for
different projects--working with dancers, creating for the school--it was a
home base for me and definitely supported and nurtured my early years as a choreographer.
--PARKEHARRISON: Now a lot of times, a choreographer comes into the room and
they want to see what you can bring to the process and they want you to make a
phrase. And I think that these projects and these different opportunities to
sort of showcase the different sides of yourself make me much more comfortable
when I walk into a room with a brand-new choreographer and they don't know me and
I have to show them who I am.
--HICKS: I love dance more than anything and it's who I am but inside it's not always
enough for me. I want to always be exploring.
--PARKEHARRISON: After many years of just doing ballet and modern
and having people tell me what to do, I started to figure out that oh, I really
do want to have a voice in what I'm doing on stage.
--MILLER: A conversation that I'm always aware of is where's dance going?
Where are the creators going? What are the changes that are happening that you
need...that need to be integrated into a young artists preparation?
I love to see how the school is committed to the future and also to excellence.