Extreme Collaboration

The one thing that amazes me most about this project is just how many people are contributing their talent to its success. There are so many people involved, and all of them are crucial! Take, for example:
Jacques Heim and Garret Wolf of Diavolo, leading the dance rehearsals
AnneMarie, UST Engineering professor who helped her students design their set pieces
All the engineering students who created and edited set designs
Tom Flake, the student who designed the winning set
The builders who turned the chosen design into reality
Wynn Fricke, who coordinated the Macalester Dance Department’s involvement with the project
Sarah White, Amanda Leaveck, and myself, who led extra rehearsals and coordinated logistics for the dancers
Twenty Macalester and UST dancers who created the piece
And….
Amy Miller of the Ordway Center, who put this whole project together through the Ordway’s Campus Connections program!

Wow!

Directing rehearsals between visits

Directing rehearsals between visits from Diavolo has been a very interesting process. Usually when Amanda, Sarah, or I choreograph our own pieces, we have our own vision of what we want the piece to look like and can make decisions accordingly. With Diavolo, we’re working with a very different style, and constantly trying to see the piece through Jacques’ eyes. It can be challenging to make artistic decisions, since we’re not sure how they will fit into Jacques’ vision for the piece. So we forge ahead, using our best judgment, knowing everything might be overhauled—and that’s okay, because this is just as much about the process as the product!