Q: How did you become an associate choreographer?

There is a huge difference between theater and concert dance, but then there also isn't. I was always the rehearsal director in a dance company setting. The rehearsal director goes in and maintains the choreography that has been given. If you have a repertory company many choreographers come in and so the rehearsal director has to maintain that repertory. There is always that instrumental position of the rehearsal director as well. To also coach the dancer and actors to be able to bring the best essence to the work. As the associate choreographer you do a similar thing. In the creative process of the work you are working directly with the choreographer and creating. Sometimes there are choreographers who kind of depend on you for your artistic feedback, and some that know what they want and they give you the movement. Then they want you to give that to the dancers.

Camille knows exactly what she wants and she does it so well. She confides in you what you think and you give suggestions because you know her language. I met her in 2009 and worked with her constantly for 4 years and there is such an evolution to her language. She creates work and picks it up so that she can see it. Camille works fast, efficient, and has brilliant minds to get the movement and put our nuance in it. Camille embodies social movement black dance. Black social dance embodies what we naturally do as culture coded in her narrative and storytelling. As the associate with Camille she creates it, I capture it, she sees what it is and we put it on their bodies. I am the intermediary tool so Camille doesn't slow down. I can give the instructions to the artist to understand it. That is the work in the creative space.  When it's up and moving a lot of times the choreographer in the theater world as the associate.  It's my job to maintain the integrity of the work. Camille won't be coming to re-mount the work that's my job. She comes in to make sure everything is ok and tweaked but for the most part it's my job to maintain the integrity of the work whether it is in another theater or revisit in broadway.