Faculty Spotlight

Which courses do you teach?

Ballet Levels 1 through 4
Men's Technique
Ballet Partnering
(In the past - Ballet for Non-majors, Jazz for Non-majors and Musical Theatre in the Theatre Department)
I also Produce and Choreograph for Cornish Dance Theatre.

Why do you teach?

I think that a teacher is who I am. Even when I'm not giving a class, I'm teaching. I like to help better things and people. I'm an editor; I simplify and streamline and I show people how they can do so for themselves and maybe one day, for others. On a loftier level I want a hand in the continuance and preservation and evolvement of this art form.

What brought you to Cornish?

I first came to Cornish as a Professional Student. After years working in the Dance and Theatre profession, I needed a break and someone told me about Cornish's Professional Dance Program. It was a good fit. After graduation I returned to Canada to teach at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet and on to the University of Alberta's Drama Department where I taught Acting and Movement for Actors for four years. Then when Kitty Daniels who knew I was interested in returning to Seattle called to say there was dance faculty search, I applied. I've been here since 2000.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I am inspired by so many things: a piece of art, a piece of music, a good film, an act of kindness, great effort shown by a student, and the greatest piece of all art, nature. Oh, and of course, life with its many highs and lows.

What drew you to your field?

I grew up watching Jerry Lewis films. I wanted to be Jerry Lewis. I wanted to entertain people and make them laugh. I was never a big talker, I expressed myself physically. In my late teens I saw a visiting modern dance company from France at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. I said: I want to do that. And, I did.

Tell us about your creative process:

Sometimes I wonder where things come from; it just happens. It amazes me. And then at other times, I wonder why I'm dealing with a block. I have found that limitations, be it in a difficult space, a complex piece of music, a limited subject to choreograph on, make me be more creative. The process is different every time I create something new. I've sat alone with a glass of wine, soft lighting and a stack of CDs and a notepad and written down images that the music delivered. I've brought in a group of dancers in a studio, given them some direction and asked them to improvise. At times I need to just get in a studio and move by myself.

What projects are you currently working on?

I'm currently producing Cornish Dance Theatre for Fall 2006. Our auditions will take place during fall registration week. I'm also co-producing and choreographing for The Men In Dance Festival, which will perform at Velocity MainSpace Theatre the two middle weekends in October. And, I'm getting ready to go on a recruitment tour to Southern California for my sixth year for the Cornish Dance Department sometime between the Men In Dance Concert and Cornish Dance Theatre Concert.

What do you do for fun?

Everything I do is fun. OK, not really. Last winter I got back on the boards; I played Gus The Theatre Cat in the Village Theatre's production of CATS for eight shows a week. It almost killed me because I was also teaching an overload at the same time but it was a hell of a lot of fun. Fun is having a few friends over for a glass of wine and maybe a bit of whine and just relaxing and catching up. I'm addicted to one TV show; 24 Hours.

What do you like most about Cornish?

Seattle.

Anything else you would like to share?

I've just returned from The Northwest Professional Dance Project in Portland, Oregon where I was Ballet Master. The month before that I was in Banff, Alberta where I was Associate Director and Movement Coach for the Opera As Theatre Program's production of The Magic Flute. Talk about inspiration.