I am fascinated by aerial dance so I was thrilled to interview Ninette Paloma of La Petite Chouette aerial dance company. They are coming to the CoolNY 2014 Dance Festival from Santa Barbara for performances on Friday, February 7th at 7:00pm & Saturday, February 8th at 9:00pm. All performances are held at the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theatre, 25 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY and are FREE! -Nicole
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| photo by Onno Sweep |
N: As a tap dancer I find myself constantly facing
the challenge of venues who do not want us to use their floors with tap
shoes on. I can only imagine finding venues open to aerial dance is
infinitely harder. How do you work around those issues in applying to
festivals and creating your season?
NP: Ah yes, working in the genre of aerial dance means the first
thing you will always do when walking into a room is look up. We’re
constantly suffering from height and structural beam envy. Having a
solid working knowledge of your rigging needs and an extensive back of
house vocabulary is key when taking your work outside of your studio
walls. There’s nothing a Tech Director loves more than to work with an
artist who knows her way around a grid and stage battens, rolling up her
tights to secure span sets when other artists might be powdering their
noses. As a director, I make it a point to visit every stage before
signing a contract and establish a very quick relationship with all of
the stage hands. Back of house techies have a special place in my heart,
they geek out as much as we do. |
| photo by Onno Sweep |
N: The mainstream popularity of any art form can both help and
hinder the growth of that art form. How do you think the world of
aerial dance has changed with the popularity of circus shows like Cirque
du Soleil in recent years?NP: I believe Cirque du Soleil played a fundamental role in ensuring that
the tradition of circus arts lived on for a new generation to
experience. Although their focus on musicality and physical theatre may
have echoed the work already being created by
smaller companies throughout the world, their popularity
encouraged artists to explore even broader ways of re-defining this
ancient art form. Our aerial dance company focuses specifically on the
relationship between floor and aerial movement, whereas another company
might blend commedia dell’ arte with acrobatics. Like Ballet is to
Modern Dance, so too are our fundamental roots firmly recognized. Our
roots just happen to be steeped in red noses and pachyderm poop. This is
not necessarily a bad thing.
N: It sounds like the circus arts have been in your life since you were a teenager. What got you started? What do you recommend for people interested in the circus arts but who aren't lucky enough to live near a school like yours in Santa Barbara?
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| photo by Onno Sweep |
NP: Come now, who
wouldn’t want to learn the intoxicating art of aerial dance in 75 degree
weather against a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez
mountains? We’re hosting the 2014 Santa Barbara Contemporary Floor to
Air Festival next month, where eight international aerial dance
companies will join us for a week of workshops and performances. The
disproportionate number of snowbirds heading to our Santa Barbara
shores is both charming and telling, and I don’t blame them one bit,
it’s freezing everywhere else!
As for how I got
started, picture a whisper of a girl, barely eighteen, disenchanted with
competitive gymnastics, and bored as rocks. I walked into an open
audition for a local Midwestern circus and everything shifted for me in
that moment. Fast forward to 2014 and- what’s the opposite of bored as
rocks- because that’s what I am today. Everything about this art form
speaks to my well-being, even the painful, trying, tedious moments.
That’s when you know you’re leaning into the right thing.
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| photo by Onno Sweep |
N: People in the arts often develop strong mentor/mentee
relationships. Did/do you have a mentor throughout your career? Do you
have a person or people that you have taken the mentorship role for now
that you're a more established artist? How do you feel those
relationships change your work?
NP: I’ve
been turning this subject over in my head for the past few months as I
prepare one of my longest standing students for a major audition. Eight
years ago, she walked into my studio without a dance, gymnastics,
or athletic background, only a fierce determination that today, seems
to burn brighter than ever before. If I step back to take in the role
I’ve played in her development, observing her evolution from a shy and
careful girl to the bold and confident performer that she is today, I am
filled with more joy than I could possibly ever contain within the span
of a sentence. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working
with innovative pioneers of the aerial dance movement, and though my
time with them was invaluable, it was also short-lived because during
those days, aerial studios and companies were spread out thinly
all over the world. To be able to work one on one with a student,
observe their strengths and challenges, and tailor your approach to
their evolving needs is both hard work and wholly rewarding. In a sense
it’s a consistent reclamation of passion, as I am reminded every day how
invaluable this developmental process is.
