Meet the Artist Monday: Troy Schumacher

Photo: Henry Leutwyler

As a prominent dance critic characterized Troy Schumacher’s work, “Everything is alive, everything breathes, everything is now.” Inspired by historic ballet, music and art collaborative efforts, Schumacher has created BalletCollective as a twenty-first century model. Its mission is to present ballet-based work in an intimate setting with live music that represents contributions from the choreographer, dancers, musicians and artists who engage in an ongoing give and take process. Schumacher’s vision originated with BalletCollective’s predecessor in 2010, Satellite Ballet, and resulted in the production of three ballets, including “Epistasis” and “Warehouse under the Hudson.” In addition to founding and directing BalletCollaborative and Satellite Ballet, Schumacher has created original works for the Atlanta Ballet’s trainee program, the 92nd Street Y Fridays at Noon series and an interdisciplinary duet for a New York City Ballet principal and a Metropolitan Opera countertenor. The New York Choreographic Institute offered Schumacher a residency for its Fall 2012 workshop, during which he created a ballet to William Walton, as did the School of American Ballet, during which he created a ballet to Poulenc.

Here is my Q and A with Troy:

Me: What does BalletCollective mean to you?

Troy: BalletCollective is a venue for artists to collaborate as equals.  It’s an opportunity for me, as a developing choreographer, to work with other artists across genres to be influenced and influence others.  On the other hand, it’s an amazing opportunity for me to learn how to run a non-profit organization from the ground up. It’s a fascinating learning experience that puts me in touch with the amazing people that make ballet possible.

What do you enjoy about working with your collaborators?

Every time I participate in this process, it’s life changing and makes me think differently about both ballet and the other art forms that go into making our ballets possible.  This season had an even greater effect on me.  Working with Ellis Ludwig-Leone, Cynthia Zarin and Brandon Baker over the past nine months has been an amazing experience and I’m honored that they’ve devoted an amount of energy above and beyond what I expected. 

What inspires you to choreograph?

So many things! But, above all, you can’t have a ballet without dancers. I’m so fortunate to be working with such an amazing group of dancers.  Each of them is individual and strong, both as people and dancers.  I’m very inspired by them and I owe so much to the hard work and hours they put into making BalletCollective possible! I strive to make them all look more like themselves and to give them each movements that make us all understand them more. 

After a hard day of choreographing, what is your favorite meal?

I love to cook.  It’s an amazing way to unwind-- chopping vegetables.  But I can’t always commit to a full meal after six hours in the studio, so lately I’ve been settling for just salad dressing and Seamless Web.  

Your most memorable onstage moment?

I would say, bowing after our first [BalletCollective] performances as Satellite Ballet in NYC.  It was such a huge accomplishment to start a non-profit and present a performance in New York that, when the show ended, I was overcome with emotion, which was something I hadn’t experienced at that level before.

What's your favorite way to pass time?

There’s something very meditative about sitting down at the piano.  It’s just me and this amazing instrument, and it takes a lot of focus, which clears my mind.

What are you reading?

I wish I had the time right now. A book that I recently read and loved was Stephen Greenblatt’s The Swerve.

What's the most recent song/album you've downloaded?

The past few months, I’ve been in real focus mode, listening mostly to the music I’ve been choreographing to. But, last week I indulged with a little Robin Thicke, Daft Punk, and Hunter Hayes.

If you could die and come back as an animal, what would you be?

I would love to be a hawk. These are creatures that instantly mesmerize me: to be able to fly so effortlessly. If that wasn’t an option, I’d opt for shark, mainly so I wouldn’t be so scared in the ocean!

Your greatest influence?

Ah! So many. But, I really can’t ignore Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, for inspiring me to continue dancing.  

Anything else you'd like people to know about you...

I love to paint. 

Troy has been working on BalletCollective's 2013 New York season for the past nine plus months. While dancing at New York City Ballet he often is wearing multiple hats: director, choreographer, collaborator, dancer, fundraiser, secretary, etc. to make this non-profit ballet company thrive. I don't know how he does it!

Troy is so excited to see his hard work and dedication unfold onto the Joyce stage next Wednesday (and Thursday)! As a dancer in his company, and also his fiancée, the butterflies are building as we are only 2 days away until the big day! I hope we make him proud!

The Collaborative Collaborates

Now that BalletCollective's first rehearsal period has concluded, the next step in the collaboration process is to have a meeting with all the collaborators to watch and discuss the ballet, The Impulse Wants Company. The idea is for each collaborator —Cynthia (poet), Ellis (composer), Brandon (lighten designer), Troy (choreographer) — to exchange feedback, thoughts, and criticism with each other, working toward the common goal of tweaking and improving the piece to become a finished product for its August world premiere.

In preparation for this meeting, tentatively scheduled for this week, I have been wondering what has happened with the Collaboration page I altered on Wikipedia a month ago. Today I visited the Wikipedia "collaboration" page and found that my "Ballet" addition has remained in its original form, unedited. It is encouraging that ballet has been accepted and recognized as an art form where collaboration takes place.

Photo: Erin Baiano

Stay tuned for a full recap of the collaborators meeting!

BalletCollective's Website Launch

Leslie and Troy meet to discuss the finishing touches.

Just last week BalletCollective's official website was launched! 

The website launch was a long time coming. It all started back in 2011 when Troy's company, named Satellite Ballet at the time, was performing at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center. After the performance, wonderful ballet aficionado and dear friend of mine, Leslie Curtis, talked at length with Troy about how she liked his work, their shared love for music and dance. Leslie went home that night to look up Troy's company and discovered that the Satellite Ballet's website was dysfunctional. Her thoughts exactly, "it was a terrible site, impossible to navigate and he badly needed a new one." She and her husband, Richard Curtis, both ballet fans from the Balanchine era and generous and loyal patrons of many young choreographers, offered to help him with a new website. 

By March 2013, with two annual New York seasons under Troy's belt and a new company name, he began talks with Leslie and Richard about the creation of the official BalletCollective website. The first step was to assemble the content. Next was to write and edit the textual material and the planning of what the site would provide. Then, the creative work... Troy and Leslie met with the creative and technical team, Anthony Damasco, the technical director of Richard's e-book company and Tony Peralta, Anthony's creative partner in building websites.

Looking back, Leslie recounts the happenings of the new website: "After a couple of months, the design for the site emerged in May, home page first to be approved, then a layout for all the pages which we worked on to edit and tweak, all this coming from Tony and finally when we gave it our approval, Anthony loaded all the content and we had a working site in June that went live after we got all the bugs out." 

Check it out! 

BalletCollective's site is clean, clear and beautiful. The use of images creates a captivating experience. The user friendly layout helps to locate people immediately where they'd like to visit. The site includes an "About" section along with "Press", "Works", "Support", "The Collective", "Dancers", "Performances" (where tickets to our Joyce performances can be purchased), "Media", "Contact", "Newsletter", and a link to my blog. The website is a one stop shop for all you need and want to know about BalletCollective.

Troy and I are so grateful to Leslie and Richard (and their team) for making this possible. We are so happy with the finished project and are excited for the future of BalletCollective!

22/9

Thursday marked a new record for BalletCollective: the completion of a 22 minute ballet in just 9 days! 

In preparation for our August premiere at the Joyce Theater, 

we moved into the Ailey Theater (just for two hours) for an informal workshop performance. Troy and Brandon arrived at the theater early in the morning to "tech" through  (a technical rehearsal to run through the lighting cues) the ballet's lights. Ellis, the musicians, and the dancers arrived at noon to "walk" through (a quick rehearsal to acclimate in the new dimensions) the ballet in the Ailey space. 

For BalletCollective,

this was the start of many "firsts." "Firsts" is a word my finance and I use for the first time we experience something new together. With Brandon manning the lighting board, Ellis conducting the music, and Troy running the rehearsal, we dancers danced the ballet, The Impulse Wants Company, section by section. This was the first time that all elements of this collaboration were together performing our individual parts live. Previously the dancers were rehearsing to an electronic track of the composition. 

Shortly after the rehearsal began, 

BalletCollective's patrons, friends and family, trickled in for the workshop showing. As they arrived, Cynthia Zarin (the poet who wrote the libretto for The Impulse Wants Company) gave them some information about the work including an excerpt of the poem. The audience got a sneak peak of the rehearsal process as we finished working out the kinks. 

Once all parts were in sync,

 Troy welcomed the audience, introduced his collaborative team, musicians, and dancers. The lights went dark and we were off. A second first for BalletCollective: a complete run-through of the ballet without stopping. We all remembered our steps, for the most part! It was a great chance for Troy to see the overall picture of the finished ballet, a rough glimpse of what it will look like in August at the Joyce. 

Photo: Archival film screen shot

After the ballet ended, 

the collaborative team, dancers and musicians had a chance mingle with our guests and see their reactions to the new work. It was an amazing feeling to see BalletCollective's vision realized. From here, we can take it further...

Meet the Artist Monday: Brandon Baker

Photo: Kendra Samson

Brandon Baker is BalletCollective's resident lighting designer. Baker's lighting for dance has been commissioned by NYCB, Limón Dance Company, Havana Ballet (Cuba), Guggenheim Bilbao (Spain), Edinburgh Festival (Scotland), The Joyce Theater, New York Choreographic Institute and the Los Angeles Music Center.  

Here is my Q and A with Brandon:

Me: What does Balletcollective mean to you?

Brandon: The collective is an extremely creative and intimate opportunity to collaborate with incredible dancers, choreographers, composers and visual artists.

What do you enjoy about working with Troy?

I love that the work we create continues to be developed over time. Especially with our upcoming season at the Joyce. It’s exciting to work with someone that’s not afraid of change and equally inspired to try something new with an existing work.

How do you go about designing the lighting for a ballet?

Lighting Design for me always begins with the music. The music helps me understand the tone and energy of a ballet. After listening, I join the rehearsal process and speak with the choreographer about the overall structure and concept of a ballet. During the rehearsal process I begin looking for visual clues on how a stage space is being used (Is the choreography symmetrical? Is this a piece about individuals or ensemble? Where are the dancers coming from and is there a strong connection to music?) These are a few details that help me find a “visual voice” for a ballet and I begin taking notes on color, shape, intensity, direction, rhythm and musical timing. The shape of the design continues on paper as I begin to sketch out my ideas, create a light plot, pick color and eventually create lighting cues in the performance space. 

What inspires you?  

I am truly inspired by artists that want to make a difference in the work we create together. I like to surround myself and collaborate with honest, positive people that continue to surprise me. 

What's your favorite way to pass time?

I spend a lot of time at the cinema and museums all over the city. I really love having a “neighborhood escape” from time to time.  

What are you reading?

“Flappers & Philosophers” by F.Scott Fitzgerald. I’ve always been fascinated by the 1920’s jazz era. Also reading “Catching Fire” (guilty pleasure). 

What's the most recent song/album you've downloaded?

The new album by Har Mar Superstar “Bye Bye 17” is pretty wonderful.

If you could die and come back as an animal, what would you be?

Sea turtle…?

Your greatest influence?

I am always inspired by so many artists and individuals. I’ve been very fortunate to find many mentors in life post-college that continue to inspire me everyday. My family, friendships, collaborators and opportunities to travel all over the world. 

Anything else you'd like people to know about you...

Before I began my career as a “lighting designer” I spent eight years recording music and playing bass guitar in bands all over Los Angeles. It all feels like another past life, but my love and passion for music continues to be a major part of the work I create today. 

This year's new work will be Brandon's fourth ballet with BalletCollective. He is so creative with his design and always takes into consideration how the lights will affect the dancers. If the lights are too bright and are angled on level with our eyes, it makes dancing very difficult. Brandon tries to avoid this blinding effect and will make adjustments when necessary.  It has been great working with Brandon!

11 Things Troy has in his Choreography Bag

Everyone knows that dancers carry bags filled with sweaty lambs wool and toe pads, Dr. Scholls toe condoms, bruised bananas and Salonpas for sore muscles. But did you know that a choreographer would also carry a bag? Here's what I found in Troy's choreography bag:

Photo by: Ashley Laracey

1. Dr. Dre Beats. He always wants to be able to plug in his headphones to listen to the music (whether on the train, walking on the street, or in the back of the studio). The creative ideas come at all times of the day.
2. iPod/iPad. He stores all of the music tracks for The Impulse Wants Company on the iPod. 
3. Jambox. The Jambox allows Troy to project his music from his iPod in smaller spaces. It is the most amazing invention, a mini speaker that functions just like those good old boomboxes!
4. Altoids. For always fresh breath.
5. Sketch pad and pen. Troy carries his sketch pad everywhere, his choreography book. Everything gets written in the sketch pad. He has a new sketch pad for each new work.
6. i5 Chocolate Protein Shake. Just in case he gets hungry. 
7. Aleve... Just in case.
8. ThinkSmart pills from Whole Foods (ha! To keep his mind functioning throughout the rehearsal hours).
9. Tennis Ball. To get limber before choreographing.
10. Zico Coconut Water. To hydrate and prevent muscle cramping. Did you know that coconut water has more potassium than a banana?
11. The Score to whatever ballet he’s working on.

After reviewing the contents of his choreography bag, I was surprised to find that he brings the score of the ballet to all his rehearsals. Troy is very musically inclined and likes to see the musical notes/counts on paper.  I have never worked with another choreographer who does this.

Day 1: Dany Studios

Monday was BalletCollective's first day of rehearsals for The Impulse Wants Company (tentative title, to be premiered this August at the Joyce Theater). At the start of rehearsals in DANY studios, Troy, poet Cynthia Zarin, composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone, and lighting designer Brandon Baker gathered the dancers together and introduced themselves, discussing their roles in the creation of the piece, their inspirations and ideas behind the new work. 

There are seven characters. I use the term 'characters' loosely, as they are all based on those of us in the cast as people (to a certain extent) and we won't be 'acting'. Characters include: 

• a peaceful, nostalgic woman
• vibrant boy
• three chatty girls
• a married couple

I am one of the three girls.

Photo: Ellis Ludwig-Leone

Troy outlined the ballet's premise, "Our ballet focuses on you as a group as you arrive and spend a day in a place of heightened interaction. Here everything is magnified and you all are more exposed to one another."  

He then said that we would start with the second movement. And it went like this:

Troy began the rehearsal by working with Kaitlyn and David (peaceful woman and vibrant boy).  Not before long he called on the three sassy girls (Lauren, Meagan, and me). We enter with a jumping passage, very reminiscent of dolphins frolicking in the ocean. Soon we were all sliding like Shamu! It was a good time! Moments later the couple (Taylor and Harrison) enter and we as a group learn a complicated, but exciting combination of steps. I am excited to see, dance and learn more as the collective's concept turns into movement.  

Meet the Artist Monday: Lauren King

Photo: Troy Schumacher

Lauren King is an original member of BalletCollective. Her sparkling presence transforms her movement into an exemplar of purity and strength. 

Here is my Q & A with Lauren:

Me: What does BalletCollective mean to you?

Lauren: BalletCollective is unique in its process of bringing together talented artists from all different art forms and forming cohesive works which incorporate the perspective of each. 

What do you enjoy about working with Troy?

I am inspired by Troy's musicality and thoughtfulness in his choreography. Our similar background style from NYCB makes it easier for me to understand his thought process and work ethic. I also am motivated by the collaborative atmosphere while working on new pieces or reworking old ones. 

After a hard day of dancing, what is your favorite meal?

I enjoy eating almost everything, so it really depends on what I am craving that day. However, I typically prefer to eat dinner before I perform at night and after the show I will have a snack or a big bowl of ice cream. 

What's your favorite way to pass time?

I love making things and starting new creative projects with any free time I have. Sometimes I only have time to cook, or bake up something new and sometimes I take on a larger project such as painting my shower curtain or making a large tree on my wall of cork and glass.

What are you reading?

I am currently reading The Black Count by Tom Reiss. It is all about the real life inspiration for the stories from The Count of Monte Cristo (favorite book!) and The Three Musketeers. 

If you could die and come back as an animal, what would you be?

Lion

Your greatest influence?

All the teachers I have had have impacted me in some way. I try to get something from every and any source: teachers, peers, other artists, my students, books, everything. 

Do you have any pets?

I have a bunny named Mishu and a red and orange corn snake named Naga.

Lauren and I have known each other for a long time. We studied at The School of American Ballet together and were just promoted to Soloist together. I love dancing with Lauren in our pas de deux from Troy's Epistasis!

Dancing Older Ballets vs. New Creations

As a dancer, there are two main things we dream about: placing our own, personal stamp on ballet’s masterworks and having new ballets created on us. The processes of each are so different. Some days I find myself preferring to have my own artistic process with a role that was created 10, 20, 50 years ago, but others I feel and remember the unique sensation that comes from dancing something made only for me.

Dancing older ballets such as George Balanchine’s Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Square Dance, Allegro Brilliante or Jerome Robbins’ The Cage, or Glass Pieces brings me so much joy. The ballets are tough and physically demanding yet so fulfilling. Tthough the steps were created on past generations, they fit my body and style as no others could. Balanchine and Robbins’ ballets just feel good to my body. They feel right. 

Having a work choreographed specifically for you, made on your body, is a challenging and exciting process. If the choreographer doesn’t know you as a dancer it can be harder to feel the same as when dancing Balanchine. Yet, I can only imagine how Wendy Whelan must feel dancing one of her iconic roles like the pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain. It seems that Wendy, Chris and Jock Soto jelled at the perfect time. After the Rain is a captivating piece of art that showcases both Wendy and Jock’s strengths, beauty, uniqueness, and their love for each other. I haven’t had this experience yet at NYCB, but am hopeful for a choreographer to take a chance on me and create something special. 

Through BalletCollective I have found this feeling in both Troy’s Gutter pas de deux and the pas de deux from Warehouse under the Hudson. My first experience was with Gutter. While on vacation, and in the first year of BalletCollective, Troy choreographed the Gutter on the two of us alone in a studio, even though it would be performed by other dancers. Troy choreographed it on us in an effort to save time when he had the group of dancers together. This was an amazing experience for me. I think it worked so well because Troy knows me inside and out, he understands me as a dancer and we have chemistry together on and off the stage. Gutter begins slow and filled with curiosity, then soon picks up as young lovers grow and laugh together. As luck would have it, Troy and I had the opportunity to dance Gutter at the Young Choreographers Showcase. Dancing Gutter with Troy was an incredible experience. 

Warehouse under the Hudson was created for Taylor Stanley and me. He and I have built a wonderful partnership throughout the years of BalletCollective. Warehouse under the Hudson allowed me to be emotionally free and at times angry and dramatic. The steps to this pas de deux feel like me. Troy’s choreographic ability to create steps that just work with my body has given me the feeling that I desire when watching Wendy dance After the Rain. 

Dancing Gutter and Warehouse under the Hudson have given me the unique feeling that only comes from a new ballet. However, at this point, I have had more experiences dancing older roles than new. Most recently I danced Peter Martin’s The Infernal Machine, a pas de deux originally created on Janie Taylor and Amar Ramasar. Just a few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to perform my debut in this ballet. It is definitely a stand out in my career. Having the chance to work so closely with Peter was incredible. He was engaging and excited every time we rehearsed. He was also interested in tailoring the piece to me and my dancing abilities. This highly energetic ballet was just a thrill to perform. The night I debuted in The Infernal Machine, I felt like a different dancer. I morphed into this creature. It was a one of a kind feeling. Once we hit the floor in our last pose, the audience went crazy. It was the first time I had experienced such an incredible response from the audience. I loved making The Infernal Machine my own. 

The Infernal Machine, Gutter and Warehouse under the Hudson have changed my life, not only as a dancer but as a person. Whether an old ballet or new creation, both bring experiences that we as dancers treasure. I am grateful for the opportunity to dance such great works with the hopes of reinventing the old and making the new my own!   

Product Spotlight: ElectroMIX

As dancers, we sweat. A lot. We’re constantly trying to replenish our bodies with the water and electrolytes we need to keep us healthy.  There’s not one product that solves all dancer’s pains — i.e., muscle spasms, soreness, dehydration, but I’m always on the prowl and trying new products. When Troy brought home a box of ElectroMIX, we gave it a try.  As per the label, “ElectroMIX is a water mineralizer and dietary supplement that contains nutritionally balanced essential electrolytes: Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Manganese, plus Chromium.” Like Emergen-c, which is made by the same company, you just dissolve it in water.  Basically, it’s loaded with good stuff AND it’s sugar free!  

Most products that are super healthy taste like cardboard, but ElectroMIX is different.  After dissolving in a liter of water, you get a subtle lemon-lime taste that’s neither offensive nor overbearing, like many sports drinks.  

I think the key mineral is magnesium. Dancers’ bodies need tons of it, but we can’t always take an epsom bath after a show. Our special trick was discovered by accident: ElectroMIX as recoveryMIX. One night after a triple bill at NYCB (meaning I had all three ballets on the program), I knew I needed to drink an ElectroMix but didn’t want a liter of water right before bed. So, we wondered what would happen if I drank it as a shot. The results were amazing. Side effects: recovered muscles and a good night’s sleep! We always keep an extra box in the cupboard. 

Meet the Artist Mondays: Beginning Next Week!

"Meet the Artist Mondays", an intimate look into the lives of BalletCollective's artists, will begin next week! Stay tuned to meet dancer, David Prottas!

Photo: Erin Baiano