Jennifer Dallas and Michael Caldwell
in Thirst by Tedd Robinson | Photo by Omer Yukseker
I have been working with Andrea Roberts for a number of years now. She is a gifted artistic advisor and rehearsal director. I have asked her to share some thoughts on her experience.
-- Jennifer Dallas, Artistic Director
Andrea Roberts on Time Now:
I’ve been
spending a great deal of time in the kitchen lately. It’s a lot like being in
the studio. I’ve been thinking about process, and direction/directing ... about
intention, finding balance, and end results. Recipes are like choreography.
They give us a base from which to start, but the choices we make about how to
interpret the instructions are what defines us as performers (or chefs/bakers,
as the case may be). There’s a line between dramatic and indulgent, between the
perfect tasty blend and the tragically over-spiced. Sometimes the tiniest amount
can make a huge difference to the end result.
Technical rehearsal for Stages | setting up the Winchester Street Theatre
I’ve also
been thinking about travelling. More specifically, I’ve been making travel
plans with other people. This too is a lot like being in the studio. Recipes
are just maps written in words and measurements. It’s all choreography, so this
travel metaphor is useful going the other way, to think about our work as
dancers as a kind of group journey. For me as a director it’s about finding a
common language, a way to talk about where we have been, where we want to end
up, and how we’re going to get there. How do you make sure you take care of
your own needs and desires, while taking into account the interests of those
who have committed to take the ride with you? What happens when only one of you
wants to stop in that small town for lunch, or when only one person wants to
dance the last section really slowly? Negotiating these kinds of problems is
what fascinates me.
Technical rehearsal for Stages | preparing at the Winchester Street Theatre
Finally, I’ve been thinking about connections – about making them, missing them, and knowing when we’re supposed to have them! In rehearsal we take things apart so that we can put them back together again, hopefully somehow more whole and more meaningful. It’s not always easy or clear which way to go. Stages ... there’s a double meaning for me in the title of this production. It’s about points on a path, and also (literally) the place where we perform. It’s about growth, about checking in to see where you’re at, while standing and being right where you are. This show for me is about all of these things – about finding common ground with both my mentors and my former students, about shifting relationships in art and in life. It’s about learning how to be an open and generous storyteller. In the end, if we’re successful, this show is an excellent adventure and a satisfying meal. Enjoy!
About Andrea Roberts
Andrea
Roberts has worked as both an administrator and rehearsal director at The School
of Toronto Dance Theatre since her graduation from the Professional Training
Program some years ago. She has spent the majority of her professional career
exploring her artistic voice through improvisation and theatre training, and
has performed in works by Peggy Baker, Sonya Biernath, Murray Darroch, Terrill
Maguire, Sharon Moore, and Julia Sasso. As a rehearsal director/assistant,
Roberts has been involved in the creative process for both new works and
remounts by more than twenty choreographers. She has acted as Rehearsal
Director and Artistic Advisor for Jennifer Dallas / Kemi Contemporary Dance
Projects since the company’s inception. Roberts holds a master’s degree in
dance studies from York University, and she maintains an active interest in the
conversations around performance archives. She has presented several papers
throughout North America that investigate various aspects of creation,
preservation, and (re)interpretation.
STAGES
September 18-21, 2013 | 8pm nightly
The Winchester Street Theatre, 80 Winchester Street, Toronto
Tickets $15/$20 | Gala performance September 18th, tickets $40
