The Inside Scoop -- Subluxation -- Part 2

GETTING TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT 

CAITLIN MEEHAN

by Nicole Harris

Caitlin and I have been dancing together for just over two years now yet every time I have the chance to watch her perform I am stunned by her elegance and grace.  And those LIMBS!  The woman has arms and legs that go on for days.  I am honored to have Caitlin as my friend and THRILLED that she will be performing in Subluxation for Between Two Things.  I'm pretty sure she would categorize herself as a "serious" dancer but I have a little secret:  Caitlin Meehan is a comedian.  Her timing and ability to tell a story with even the simplest of gestures makes her simply irresistible!

I know you're anxious to see Caitlin dance but in the meantime, here is a brief interview to tide you over.

NH:  Tell me about your first professional performance.
CM: My first professional performance experience was in Northampton, MA, in a piece called Search Party: Reports From the Field. The concert was produced by the Architects, and the piece had been created at Muhlenberg College by Jennifer Kayle (a member of the company and professor of mine). She invited 5 of the 12 original dancers to re-work the piece for this concert. It was one of those pieces that just sticks with you, and one of my all-time favorites. I still think about it often.

NH:  What is your favorite performance experience?

CM:   To choose a favorite performance experience is tough! I probably have one from each stage of my dancing life- from the Youth Dance Company I worked with as a kid, college, and my professional career thus far. One that stands out is actually a musical; I was a member of the dancing chorus in On The Town at Muhlenberg College and it was fantastic! Karen Dearborn's choreography included a lot of improvisation assignments and partnering- and costuming included vintage '40s dresses and tropical bird costumes with feathers. A 2-week run and a fabulous experience!

NH:  Who are some of your favorite choreographers?

CM:  My favorite choreographers include Jennifer Kayle, Karen Krolak :), Ellen Grinder, Gus Giordano and Mia Michaels... to name a few!

NH:  Why do you think programs like the Green Street Studios Emerging Artist Program are important?

CM:  Programs like Emerging Artists are vital because they allow choreographers to both find and fine-tune their voices. The showing and feedback components allow the artists to share ideas and observations with other choreographers, which in turn helps them to learn about their own work and process. Having the other artists and their dancers as audience members at the showings is also beneficial for the development of their work.

To read another short interview with Caitlin, click here!

To read Caitlin's bio, click here!

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

Getting to Know Caitlin Meehan!

This year's First Night show might be over, but we still have some dancers we want you to meet! As we were preparing for the show Nicole Harris took some time to interview another one of the new performers, Caitlin Meehan.

NH: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
CM: At 5, a paleontologist, at 6 or so, a figure skater... at about 10 I came to my senses and realized I wanted to be a dancer.

NH: What was your first Monkeyhouse experience?
CM: Avec Nous, concert at Green Street Studios, Fall 2007

NH: When did you begin dancing? What is your dance/education background?
CM: I began dancing at age 4. I have a strong background in ballet, jazz, tap and modern- though today I am working mostly in modern.

NH: Who have you been performing with recently?
CM: Danny Swain Dance Company, Dunkel and Friends

NH: Where did you go to college?
CM: I went to Muhlenberg College and double majored in Dance and French.

NH: A lot of young dancers question whether they should study dance in college. Do you think you greatly benefited from choosing that path?
CM: I got a whole lot from my study of dance- from learning to improvise and developing my own style, to re-working my technique with a dance physical therapist, to choreographing my own pieces. I also got to study and perform a variety of styles with some excellent professors and choreographers. My college dance education made me a more well-rounded performer and choreographer by exposing me not just to new techniques, but to new ways of thinking and talking about dance.

NH: Who would you say has had the greatest influence on your dancing?
CM: An early influence was Donna Miceli, one of my very first teachers, Nailah Bellinger, also Karen Dearborn, Jennifer Kayle, and Charles Anderson from studies at Muhlenberg.

NH: What made you know that you wanted to dance professionally?
CM: I can't pinpoint the time when I first knew, but my moment of affirmation was when I found myself in a classical ballet studio in France, at the mercy of a ruthless former ballerina. I realized that if I'd gotten myself there on purpose, I just had to do this.