The Inside Scoop -- Subluxation -- Part 3

MEETING COURTNEY WAGNER
by Nicole Harris

I first met Courtney at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center's Boomtown Festival this past summer.  At her first Monkeyhouse rehearsal she was shouted at by inmates but did she flee?  No!  She and her giant cup hat continued dancing and has since joined us for performances at Dance in the Fells, Movement at the Mills and First Night.  Courtney was an incredibly supportive voice in convincing me to apply to the Green Street Studios Emerging Artists Program and I am THRILLED to have her dancing in Subluxation!

NH:  What was your first professional performance?

CW:  My first professional performance was "A Holiday for Hope," performed at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford CT.  The performance was a Christmas benefit show for the "We Are The Children Foundation", a local charity which sought to provide Christmas presents and cheer for under-privledged Hartford area kids and their families.  My dance studio was chosen to perform as the ensemble which meant we got to both sing and dance.  The first year (2002) I wasn't actually old enough to perform, but I acted as assistant to the choreographer, and I was a paid dancer my junior year (2003).  It was a very unique experience to get to work with professional Equity actors and choreographers from New York as well as perform in front of a large audience in a well known venue.  While we were there, we also got to meet the cast members of "STOMP!" who were performing on the mainstage. 

NH:  What is your favorite performance experience?

CW:  It's hard to pick a favorite performing experience!  Each one and every group I've performed with has its own memories.  My favorite Monkeyhouse performance experience is First Night Boston thus far.  I also have fond memories from my annual dance shows at home, especially as I got older.  The year that stands out the most is my junior year, the show was "Hook." I was Smee, and my good friend, Josh Feder, played Hook.  We always had so much fun at rehearsals during that year and I loved the dances and the script and improvising we did for that show.

NH:  How do you think your dancing helps/changes/adds to your medical profession?
CW:  Blending dance with medicine and science has always seemed natural to me, and combining the two has helped me grow and become better in both.  In school, I could apply or reinforce things I learned in the classroom (anatomy, kinesiology, physics) to my dancing, or vice versa.  Cardiology may not be as applicable to dancing, but I think having something else I am so engaged in helps me interact better with my patients.  One of the doctors once told me I was unique for being actively involved in something so opposite of medicine (strict/logical left sided brain vs. creative right side) and better off for it.  I think it keeps me well rounded.

NH:  Who are some of your favorite choreographers?

CW:  Some of my favorites include (in no particular order) Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Melissa Jean Feder, DeAnna Pellecchia and Bob Fosse.

** This post was re-posted from http://GSSEmergingArtists.blogspot.com **