Q: What have been some challenges in your pre-professional or professional dance career?

I would say injuries. Being a professional athlete and performing artist, you run into speed bumps. I like to call my craft an emotional rollercoaster because sometimes you have down days; when your mind is ready to go and your body just isn’t. And sometimes you’re on this high where you just want to always explore more. In my pre-professional career, I had to learn when to listen to my body. I couldn't always push.

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Q: Using the idea of worldmaking, how do you imagine the performing arts world after the pandemic?

More funding for the arts, more cross collaborations with companies - even those that are new. I know Detroit has a lot of young blood that is thriving and experiencing the dance world. They are showing who they are. My hope would be to see more giving, in general, to our public so they know we are out there. Whatever audience you’re trying to reach, I hope that they can relate to what we are making. And I hope they show up to keep us going and to keep the arts alive. Yes, we do the arts for ourselves but we really do it for the world.