Behind the Scenes: Darren Henault

Darren Henault, Photo by Carolyn Jones

Being part of a new ballet company from the ground up, it quickly becomes apparent how much goes into making new work possible. It's more than choreographing, composing, dancing, and writing; it's a combination of all that work plus behind the scenes activities to help raise the continuing support to make it happen. BalletCollective has a wonderful group of supporters, and I thought it would be interesting to get to know one of our board members. Darren is a fun, loving father of beautiful twin girls, a ballet lover,  an interior designer, and a dear friend. Darren was one of the first people Troy told about his idea for starting BalletCollective. Here is my interview with him:

Me: What does BalletCollective mean to you?
Pure and simple it means that I get to participate in some small way in supporting a new and exciting talent. I believe in Troy and look forward to seeing where he'll go and take us.

What prompted you to get involved?
I like watching young dancers progress over the course of a few seasons. I've been aware of Troys dancing for the New York City Ballet for a few years now. When he told me his concept for a new dance company I was immediately interested. 

Being on the "inside" you get to attend rehearsals and develop a greater understanding of the work. Meeting the dancers gives one a direct connection and makes the performances more personal, more intimate.  It's like having your favorite players on a sports team. You experience the "highs", and less often the "lows", with more passion. In a slightly parasitic fashion it gives me a creative outlet. 

What do you love about dance?
What's not to love about dance? Honestly when someone tells me they don't like the ballet I think, "Lord, what a dolt!" Clearly they've only seen one or two very similar pieces, or maybe nothing but long story ballets. There's an enormous range in ballet and dance. If you don't like the ballet then ask a dancer to choose four things for you to see in a season.  You'll change your mind.

When you watch a beautiful piece being performed by an excellent dancer you're watching an instrument in motion. You're watching a body move that has been trained for years and years to express itself in ways that no ordinary person could possibly mimic.  I'm not being melodramatic when I say that it's transcendent. The simplest movement can make me weep, as much as the bold tour de force makes me feel like jumping out of my seat.

What are you reading?
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
We Are Not Ourselves, Matthew Thomas
Astonish Me, Maggie Shipstead (yes this one is about dance)

What's your favorite ballet? Why? 
I can't do just one...

Troy Schumacher's Epistasis... I haven't seen it enough times to adequately put into words what I like about it. 

Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain... Because with just two people on stage he expresses all of the ennui, regret and hope that the world has ever known.
 
Jerome Robbin's Glass Pieces... It's modern and energizing and crisp and dynamic.
 
Balanchine's Symphony in C... It's what everyone thinks of when they think of ballet. It's classically based, fantastically athletic and the sheer number of people on stage is impressive.
 
Troy Schumacher's All That We See... I've been lucky enough to see a few rehearsals. I can't wait to see the final piece.

Have you ever danced before?
Never. I wish.

You’re a decorator, which in many ways is similar to choreography. How does interior design compare with dance?
When we first started coming to the ballet we would sit in the orchestra so that we could see the individual dancers. It was Troy actually who suggested we sit in the first row of the first tier. That way we got to see what I call the architecture of the ballet; the full sweep of the movement in it's entirety. What I think the choreographer really wants you to see at first, only focusing on the individual movements or dancers as he reveals them to you. It's what I hope to achieve in my work. I'd rather you get the sense of the entire environment and only notice individual things after you've spent more time in the rooms.