Logan McGill and Nathan Balser, Contemporary Dance Department
During my time as a dance major at BYU I devoted countless hours to refining my technique, artistry, and performance quality in order to be the best dancer I could be. “Culminating Project” took those skills that I have spent so long refining and put them to the test in a five minute solo performance choreographed by the world renowned choreographer Stacey Tookey. This piece was meant to push me to my limits as a dancer, which is exactly what it did.
Like other successful choreographers, Stacey has a way of coming up with fresh and innovative movement that is both interesting and beautiful to watch. The thing that sets Stacey apart from other choreographers is her ability to coach her dancers. This ability allows for her vision to become a reality not only for herself, but for her dancers and the audience viewing her work as well.
When learning choreography, it is common for dancers to focus on the steps and trying to make them look as impressive as possible. Many dancers focus on the height of their legs, or how many turns they can do. Stacey however was not interested in that. Her philosophy was that if a dancer has smooth transitions between each movement, they will look far more in control of their body which will be much more impressive to watch in the end. If you can get your legs high while having smooth transitions between each movement, then that is a plus. This philosophy has completely changed the way I dance. There is a sense of ease and flow throughout my movement that has been refined and has added a sense of professionalism to my dancing.
Stacey coaches her dancers largely from a story point of view. Each movement in the dance should be done for a reason. Stacey explained to me that she believes if each movement in the dance doesn’t have a purpose or isn’t trying to communicate in some way, then there is no point in doing it. This is one of the most important aspects of Stacey’s work., if not the most important. The story and meaning behind the movement comes before anything else. This is something that I have tried my hardest to incorporate into every performance I am a part of. It has added a sense of honesty to my performances and has allowed me to connect to myself, movement, and audiences on a new level. It has allowed me to be a human during a performance, rather than a mechanical dancer executing steps that have been rehearsed.
Stacey is a very passionate individual, especially when it comes to her own choreography. She demands excellence from her dancers. From the execution of the choreography down to the emotional connection to the story of the piece, she makes sure that it is all up to her standards while using the strengths the dancer has, creating a cohesive piece of work. She changes the lives of not only the dancers she works with, but the audiences that witness her work as well.