Q: When and why did you start dancing?

A: I started off as a b-boy when I was ten years told. When that got played out, I pretty much stopped dancing.

I was always the kid at parties who was dancing. First it was b-boy, then house and raves. Then I went to college on a baseball scholarship. I took a few dance classes in the beginning because I was interested in theater. Next thing I knew, during my junior year in college I dropped my baseball scholarship and took a dance scholarship instead.

Q: When and why did you form Instruments of Movement?

A: Instruments of Movement was founded in January 2001 as a conduit for me and a diverse group of dancers to explore our individual voices. Having worked in the Chicago dance community for four years following graduation from Northeastern Illinois University, I was beginning to feel the need to express my own vision.

Coming from an urban background, I yearned to see the classical vocabulary prevalent in concert dance integrated into the hip-hop culture with which I was surrounded. Instruments of Movement because a fusion of classical, contemporary and urban dance styles.

Q: What was the hardest thing about forming the company?

A: Finding the money and paying your dancers what they are worth

Q: What’s been the most rewarding thing about having a company?

A: Watching the evolution of the company.

Q: Tell us about the Instruments of Movement’s upcoming performance.

A: The Lakeshore Chapter of the Sacred Dance Guild, dedicated to dance as a spiritual expression, became particularly interested in examining the inspiration of “Lifted”, one of the pieces to be performed at this weekend’s dance concert “No Surrender, No Retreat”. “Lifted”, choreographed by artistic director James Morrow and assistant director Raphaelle Ziemba, parallels the story of Jesus Christ Superstar. “Inspiration for this piece came from many different places. The Gospel, Jesus Christ Superstar, and even The Last Temptation of Christ.”, says Mr. Morrow. “Some less obvious inspirations come from the spoken text IOM uses from Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet”. Lakeshore Sacred Dance Guild approached James and Raphaelle about having a benefit in the form of a post performance discussion entitled, “Can Concert Dance Be Sacred?” Mr. Morrow and Ms. Ziemba along with members of the company discussion of “Lifted” will be moderated by Maggie Kast, member of the LakeShore Chapter of the Sacred Dance Guild as well as a
recipient of the Chicago Dance Coalition’s Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Dance Community. Maggie, a leading influence in sacred dance, will also offer a workshop at Ruth Page Dance Center on Saturday September 24th from 4:00pm – 6:00pm entitled: “Dancing Not Just for Sunday: Making Dances that Do What They Say.” This workshop explores how dance can help us connect the words and actions of liturgy with the daily action of our bodies in the world.

Q: What is your favorite book or movie:

A: For both, “Clockwork Orange” and “Naked Lunch”

Q: What is your favorite pizza topping?

A: Cheese

Q: How many piercings do you have?

A: Varies anywhere between 24 and 6

Q: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

A: I want them all to come to this show!

Be sure to check out Instruments of Movement’s No Retreat, No Surrender!