Chasing Sunsets: How Ballet Dancer Remi Okamoto Connects with Nature, Travels to Find Inspiration and Creates Movement from Emotion

1
00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:19,680
I'm very excited to introduce
you to Remy Okamoto, who is a

2
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,480
dancer originally from Kyoto,
Japan, if I have that correct,

3
00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,960
yes.
And now, funny enough, we are

4
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,440
both in Charlotte, but in
opposite parts of town.

5
00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,600
I didn't even know that, but I'm
so excited to have you be part

6
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,200
of the show.
Thank you for joining me.

7
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,480
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm so excited to talk with you.

8
00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,240
So you've been travelling and
working?

9
00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:44,760
Yeah.
Like where have you been this

10
00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,880
summer?
So this summer I went back home

11
00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,960
in Japan.
Yeah, I had to renew my visa.

12
00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:59,840
And you know, all this
paperworks is always takes time

13
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,560
and especially now with the all
immigration things, I kind of

14
00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:10,960
had to take this time to yeah,
like go home and dancer job has

15
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:16,280
like summer off quite long time,
especially in the US we have

16
00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:24,080
close to two months of vacation.
So I had enough time to back

17
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:29,400
home and it was after two years,
I didn't go back last year.

18
00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,720
So yeah, there was a lot of
people to catch up, family,

19
00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,920
friends.
And I traveled in Japan also,

20
00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:42,520
which I normally don't have a
time or I'm not so interesting.

21
00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:46,400
Like I love travelling, but I've
been always looking outside of

22
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,560
Japan and I go different
countries.

23
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,800
And this time I took some time
to traveled in my country, which

24
00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,120
was really, really good.
Like I what did you go?

25
00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,960
See.
I went to a little bit north of

26
00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:05,120
Japan.
I don't know if everyone knows

27
00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:11,880
the Japanese Geo like the map,
but in the northern island is

28
00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:16,800
called Hokkaido.
And I didn't go that far, but it

29
00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:23,160
just below there is a region
called Tohoku and there's a

30
00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:24,760
couple of like prefectures
there.

31
00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:30,680
And I just went like 2 weeks to
go each prefectures like train,

32
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,880
used train and bus and went
different island different like

33
00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,560
mountain nature, small village,
like stay in guest house.

34
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,280
Like I just I love like
travelling solo and discover.

35
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:51,160
So yeah, I went to, I went to
like Yamagata, Miyagi.

36
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,840
You want the Almodi like all
those like prefectures there.

37
00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,200
Does it like recharge you like
help you recharge physically?

38
00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:08,160
Yes, I think this is something
also keep me up to dancing.

39
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:14,960
I think like I love being nature
and that's also like part of my,

40
00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:23,080
I think artistic part, kind of
how I can say like broom, like I

41
00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:29,480
feel more free, more myself when
I'm in the nature.

42
00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,880
I don't have to be alone, but
when I'm alone and I connect to

43
00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:39,920
the, I don't know, nature like
ours, like a sun wind, like I

44
00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,680
think those it's kind of
difficult to keep it up.

45
00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,120
Those things when I'm walking or
when I'm having some project

46
00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,280
just in front of me.
But when we are in the vacation,

47
00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:57,680
I try to take time to reconnect
those outside of like work or

48
00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,840
outside of like people.
And that's, I think refresh my

49
00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,000
artistic part, I think, so I can
like.

50
00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,560
I do the same.
Like, when you're in nature, do

51
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,760
you like, feel like I call?
Like I reach out into it and

52
00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,880
bring it in me, right?
Do you do the same thing?

53
00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,120
Like, yeah.
I do.

54
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:26,160
I do really feel like this way.
I I think it's not, I'm not that

55
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,280
when I'm with people, when I'm
walking, but I think when I'm

56
00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:36,160
just like, I feel I'm just me.
Like I'm just like, it's not,

57
00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,320
I'm not that dancer.
I'm not like I don't have any

58
00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:44,400
level on myself.
I just there and all those

59
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,880
sounds or can be animals,
insects, plants, like every

60
00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:55,200
energy that I can kind of take,
absorb and yeah like I feel like

61
00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,240
I have more, I don't know,
different like feelings I.

62
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:00,640
Get it?
I get it.

63
00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,280
I'm the same.
I think as a like as a dancer,

64
00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,840
even though you're professional
and I am recreational, there is

65
00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:10,240
something about it that we feel
in our body, right?

66
00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,440
Like we feel music and sound and
energy in our body.

67
00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,720
And then when we could take it,
we can then like share it,

68
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:18,400
right?
Like we can then express it

69
00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:23,960
especially for you in a studio,
day in, day out or performing,

70
00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,680
right?
You're in a box, you're so

71
00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:31,840
disconnected from all of that.
And then you have to pull from

72
00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:36,440
inside to then perform, right.
Yeah.

73
00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,640
OK.
That that excites me that you do

74
00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:39,880
that.
You're like, I like that.

75
00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,320
So.
But I want to start a little bit

76
00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,800
at your beginning because you've
studied since you were quite

77
00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:51,000
young as what made you choose
ballet or or did your mother or

78
00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:56,560
family just go go to class?
So yeah, it's, it's like even

79
00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,920
now, and I think it's kind of
funny, but I was five years old,

80
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,200
I was in the kindergarten and in
Japan, like we, I mean maybe

81
00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,560
everywhere in the other country
also, but we have like 1 like

82
00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,000
eerie performance kind of
things.

83
00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:16,040
And I had to do with my
classmates, like some Japanese

84
00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,040
booyo, like it's called like
Nihon Bouyo.

85
00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:24,280
It's a Japanese dance with like,
kind of kimono and with the fan.

86
00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,200
And I was like, it was, yeah, it
was fine.

87
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:33,320
But one year older than us, they
were performing a ballet because

88
00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,800
some of the girl was learning a
ballet already.

89
00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,160
Then I had the opportunity to
see the performance and I just

90
00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,960
like felt like I want to do
this.

91
00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:50,600
So I apparently told my mom to,
to start to, I want to do this.

92
00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,520
And then she kind of figured out
where she can take me to learn

93
00:06:55,520 --> 00:07:00,440
Barrett because it was not her.
It, it, it was not the culture

94
00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:05,320
for my family.
Like my my mom was always in the

95
00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,440
art.
Like she paints, she design, she

96
00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:13,000
likes to do that, but never for
dancing or ballet or like those

97
00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,160
words.
So like I think for her was

98
00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,160
like, OK, like she said she
wanted to do so like Hawaii

99
00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,880
notes.
So yeah, that was the third.

100
00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:25,240
Like I start going to ballet
school like, but in Japan it's

101
00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,600
very small.
It's not like like when I went

102
00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:34,080
to Europe it I was like, wow,
like European Barrett culture is

103
00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,920
a little bit more strong.
And I think in here also a

104
00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:42,440
little bit more that you can go
like quite big Barrett school

105
00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:46,680
and there is a many big Barrett
school and maybe very small,

106
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,440
like you have Barrett very close
to you.

107
00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:54,240
But when I was in Japan, it was
like I was going normal

108
00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,240
elementary school.
Like you'd study from morning to

109
00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:03,080
the afternoon and then you have
some sports program and then you

110
00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:07,320
go back class.
So it was just like hour or two

111
00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:12,320
hours like once or twice a week.
That was the beginning.

112
00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:19,720
And then I just liked it.
I think I just enjoyed it and I

113
00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:25,960
was like very active kids, like
I wanted to try anything and my

114
00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:31,040
mom let me do it.
So I did many sports.

115
00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,720
I was running like I was doing
basketball, like I was doing a

116
00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,720
lot of things, but but I was
always there at least once or

117
00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,400
twice a week that keep me like I
don't know, like I just I just

118
00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,960
like it.
I think to having this dancing

119
00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,440
part in my life.
Yeah, I get it.

120
00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,760
I get it.
I was when I was, I get it when

121
00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,280
I was young, like even younger
than you.

122
00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,520
When I started, I started.
My mom put me in ballet because

123
00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,800
I was very pigeon toed.
That means like my feet turn in.

124
00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:06,640
So the doctor said put her in
ballet, but your feet turn in

125
00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,280
from your hips.
So even though I learned to

126
00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,840
twist my feet, my knees would
always, you know, because

127
00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,960
physically I couldn't.
I got yelled at all the time.

128
00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,480
I was like, it's like my body.
I can't change it.

129
00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,240
But I had my first ballet
teacher was a Russian.

130
00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,960
She's being she had a stick.
She's like boom, boom.

131
00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,440
But I did volleyball.
I did like others tennis.

132
00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,960
I did other sports too.
I think there, I think there's

133
00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:35,160
just a need for for bodies to
move.

134
00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:41,440
I think when I was young, the
the idea of what a ballerina

135
00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,840
looked like, like did you have
those pink leotards there too?

136
00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:49,200
Was it the?
Yeah, yeah, and, and pink tights

137
00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:55,560
and yeah, like ribbons and yeah.
Which isn't my personality at

138
00:09:55,560 --> 00:09:57,720
all.
I think that's probably why.

139
00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,760
No, my, I think my ballet
teacher yelled at me to tuck my

140
00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,800
bottom in right, tuck that in.
I was like, it's not going

141
00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:09,920
anywhere.
Like that's as tucked as I so I

142
00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,360
never felt like I looked like a
ballerina.

143
00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:18,360
And then my teacher, like when I
was young, my parents sent me to

144
00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,000
summer camp.
So that means that I would go to

145
00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,120
I went up to Maine and it I
would just be outside with girls

146
00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,320
doing sports and activities.
And even though I was dancing

147
00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:33,360
even then three to five days a
week, my a ballet teacher

148
00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,240
punished me and wouldn't let me
go on point because I left for

149
00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,040
the summer.
So I think I told this story

150
00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:44,080
before, but a few years ago I
was like, I am old enough to buy

151
00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,760
my own damp point shoes and I
went to a store and I bought

152
00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,640
some and you know what this
woman can still do?

153
00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,080
And I never took a class.
I just went right up.

154
00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,720
I was like, I could have
totally, I could have totally

155
00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:57,800
done it.
I don't know why she would have

156
00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:03,160
told someone who wanted it.
No, it's like such a crazy

157
00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,880
thing.
But are were there standards

158
00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,440
like in like in Japan, like
where you started and then when

159
00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,000
you went to Europe to study as
well, right?

160
00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:18,320
Like were the standards of dance
and technique different or were

161
00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:23,320
they similar?
I think the I was learning much

162
00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:28,480
more technical things when I was
younger in Japan and when I went

163
00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:34,160
to Germany, that was my ballet
school was and the my same age

164
00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,520
girls were still doing more
basic things, which was

165
00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:43,720
interesting like, but I
understand because the country

166
00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:48,000
or like the country, they really
teach basic.

167
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,160
I think it's because the
ballet's culture in their life,

168
00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:56,600
like it's something very close
to kind of everyone else.

169
00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,640
Like ballet in Japan is
something came from Europe or

170
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,720
United States or outside.
So we were like, try to copy,

171
00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,200
try to teach kids.
And you know, in general,

172
00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:13,360
Japanese kids are quite like
strict.

173
00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,080
They, they go practice.
They do.

174
00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,440
So some of them are very
technical.

175
00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:21,760
They get pirouette, they get
high legs easy.

176
00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:25,120
They can jump.
So the teachers teach a lot of

177
00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:30,520
technical things when they are
younger and when I went to

178
00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:35,600
Germany and some of the kids
don't know how to some technical

179
00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:40,760
things and like but the same
time I didn't feel I was better

180
00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:45,440
than them because they had such
a good base in their body.

181
00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:51,280
Like all turn out all the how to
use the feet, how to place your

182
00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,560
hip or the shoulder, like all
those things.

183
00:12:54,560 --> 00:13:00,600
And my teacher was from Russia
also and from Guanganoa and in

184
00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,680
Japan of it's interesting that
my teacher was teaching more

185
00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:08,200
French methods like from France
way.

186
00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:15,240
So the the way I had to move my
body was different, like really

187
00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:21,160
strong turn out like you need to
really like I needed to force

188
00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:25,560
myself to turn out.
And your hip should be square

189
00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:29,840
when you bring like to the back
like in the arabesque, like I

190
00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,160
was cheating when I was in
Japan.

191
00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,360
Like I can bring like you know
you when your body.

192
00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,200
I do.
I know exactly what you're

193
00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:38,800
saying.
That is going to be part of my

194
00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:44,160
next questions is like how your
foot moves Because as someone

195
00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:48,000
who loves dance, when I watch
performance, I am looking at all

196
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,480
of that and I and I'm not in a
mean way, not in a mean way,

197
00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,600
because there are some people
who perform that you can't take

198
00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,880
your eyes off of, right?
There's that's the dance is

199
00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,720
coming from the inside out and
they might not have the best

200
00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,640
arch foot, right, like or good
feet or whatever, but you don't

201
00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,600
care.
You can't stop.

202
00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,920
But then there are some people
that I can see counting like

203
00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:16,040
they're nervous.
I can see in their mind they're

204
00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:20,760
like and, and, and and like I
can, I'm like, turn your brain

205
00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:22,040
off.
Just get into it.

206
00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,280
And then I can also tell the
difference in like when you were

207
00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,520
describing it, like I could see,
imagine the foot brushing up

208
00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,920
against the floor, right?
And then the toe, the arch, the

209
00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,080
heel, like just like how that
was drilled into me in my

210
00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,840
Russian hard old ballet
slippers, right?

211
00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,040
Like they're like, no, I was
like, I don't, I'm like 7.

212
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:44,920
What like I'm trying really
hard.

213
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:49,760
But like, I think you could see
that in different in different

214
00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,080
performances in different people
when they're doing that.

215
00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,600
But the square hip, please.
I get that one too.

216
00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,240
It's it's just like I was like
how?

217
00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:03,920
And she was like, don't let me
make high leg, like don't don't

218
00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,880
do like just put in the square.
Like she come and she fix and

219
00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:13,880
it's just like like, wow, like I
was already like 17.

220
00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,360
So like, you know, like maybe
how I build the base was not the

221
00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:23,240
best, but I already had some
base and from there I needed to

222
00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:28,520
really change or like, and I
think it's a lot way of thinking

223
00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:33,080
also and how teacher, I think my
Japanese teacher was saying the

224
00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,440
same things actually.
Like it's not like she was

225
00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:39,880
saying something very different,
but how she delivered or how she

226
00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:44,200
was committed in one one
correction was a little bit

227
00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,320
different.
And I think yeah, the that

228
00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,320
teacher was very strict, but she
was really beautiful.

229
00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:55,400
The answer like she, she was
older, but her legs and how she

230
00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,800
showed I was just like, I need
to learn the coral, coral

231
00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,840
combinations.
I was just looking at her like

232
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:05,720
how her feet, how her knee
walks.

233
00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:10,800
I was just like she.
She's like, so beautiful.

234
00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,560
I love it like when when I
figured out like when they were

235
00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,920
like use your core more, use
your core more.

236
00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,680
I was like, Oh my.
But it really is when you pull

237
00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,680
up from inside, then your leg is
going better.

238
00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,120
But still my extension was not
exciting.

239
00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:30,520
So when I can see ballerinas
like just go and always, of

240
00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,840
course, making it look
effortless, which is insane

241
00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:37,120
because it's so much work.
I think that's spectacular.

242
00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:41,600
So like what what about the look
of a dancer nowadays?

243
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:48,400
Like I think dancers have a
wider range of like body types.

244
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:54,760
Even when I was younger,
ballerinas were so thin, right?

245
00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:56,640
They were like a lot of them
smoked.

246
00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,160
I don't know if they still do,
but they to not eat right

247
00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,760
between they would smoke a lot.
I was like, I don't know how you

248
00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,800
cardio and dance for that long
and then you're outside chain

249
00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,040
smoking so you don't eat.
Does that still exist or is

250
00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,280
there more space for like
thighs?

251
00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,240
Because I think you like Maude.
How do you say her last name?

252
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:23,400
So Sorbin the dancer, Maude
Sorbin.

253
00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:24,440
Is that how you say her?
Name.

254
00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:28,040
Yeah, I think yes, it's a French
pronouncing, so I don't know.

255
00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:35,560
Yes, yeah, but.
Her body is muscular, she is not

256
00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:41,240
super what I would consider
feminine on stage, but you can't

257
00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:45,400
take your eyes off of her.
So is there more space now for

258
00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,600
different kinds of female like
dancers and ballerinas do you

259
00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:54,240
think?
I think so and I think that's a

260
00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:58,840
good, good direction that we are
going.

261
00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:05,640
When I was younger, I, I also I
wasn't thin like I did all the

262
00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,800
sports.
I loved exercise, like going

263
00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:13,080
like I, I was like practicing
with the boys and so like I

264
00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,520
never I like thin, thin, but my
body teacher was always like,

265
00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,200
you need to get skinnier.
You need to get like that was

266
00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:24,600
always there and but you know,
when you were young, you just

267
00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,480
like hear that and you don't
really think.

268
00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:33,560
But once I decided to choose
continue dancing more than other

269
00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,280
sports, I was like, OK, like
this is something that I need to

270
00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:41,360
maybe face on it.
So I kind of changed my diet,

271
00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:46,600
what I eat, and I actually got
really skinny that moment, which

272
00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,960
I never smoked in my life.
I never stopped eating.

273
00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:55,720
But the food you eat or like
exercise you do changed my body.

274
00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,040
And I was very skinny when I was
in Germany.

275
00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:04,000
But then in Germany they told me
that you are too skinny to put

276
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,600
on you on stage.
Like you don't look like

277
00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:11,840
healthy.
And I when in Japan, I was the

278
00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:16,960
beautiful body shape and when I
went there because I think their

279
00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:21,720
way of thinking is already
forward that like the even

280
00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:26,560
dancers have to look normal,
like look not like skinny,

281
00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,160
skinny.
So there was a moment that like

282
00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:34,480
I also had like, OK, so like how
what I have to look like, right?

283
00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,960
And then, but after like going
through like different country,

284
00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,680
different company, I met many
different type of dancers.

285
00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,840
And also depends on like if you
were doing classical ballet, if

286
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,000
you are doing a little bit more
contemporary work now, classical

287
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:55,880
work, I think what you need, how
much strain you need to all

288
00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,520
those dance a little bit
different, trainings are a

289
00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:04,320
little bit different also.
And like, I'm now toured to more

290
00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,720
contemporary work.
Like I perform a little bit more

291
00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,960
contemporary dance that.
You need certain strain for

292
00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:16,440
muscles and even partnering is
not just like women is like

293
00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,640
lifting up.
You actually have to maybe lift

294
00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:25,480
boys or need to grab something.
So and then like I met many

295
00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,680
stronger dancers too.
Like it's it's not like if you

296
00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,200
are skinny, you cannot dance.
No, I think these are a lot of

297
00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:38,160
beautiful dancers that they are
such a like so skinny, but like

298
00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,360
it's not mean that they don't
have any muscle.

299
00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:46,440
They have a like minimum of
muscles, but they use 100% those

300
00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,240
muscles to move and has a
stamina.

301
00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:55,160
This is always my like objective
goal.

302
00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:59,120
Like I always what's the best
shape for me.

303
00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:06,400
And I think this time everyone
is thinking if you're fit enough

304
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:12,120
to move your body 100%, you feel
good, you are not weak, you feel

305
00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:19,280
energetic, you feel like good,
then that's the body you should

306
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,760
be as a dancer, even as a
dancer.

307
00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:28,160
And I think most of professional
dancer that I know, of course

308
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,760
depends on the company and some
of the like a bigger company

309
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,680
doing classical things all the
time, probably they have a

310
00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:38,280
little bit more competitions
between and there's a little bit

311
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:44,920
more things like that.
But I haven't been that type of

312
00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,200
company.
And wherever I I've been in,

313
00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:52,200
especially here, I think
everyone tried to feel that

314
00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,600
good.
And if you know, like, I think I

315
00:21:55,600 --> 00:22:00,880
have a day that's like maybe I
eat a little bit more next day.

316
00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,440
I feel it in my body, like I
feel I I don't feel the best.

317
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:09,720
And this is something that also
like if you continue dancing

318
00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:15,360
longer time, you find find in
yourself that it's not about you

319
00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:18,800
have to be skinny or you have to
be dad like you, you have to

320
00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:21,680
look like that.
But you need to feel good to

321
00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,040
jump.
You need to feel good to move

322
00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:29,920
fast, right.
So I think that's the nowadays

323
00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:36,840
they care more than you look
like or you should look like

324
00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:41,960
with everyone the same.
I think nowadays it's day care a

325
00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,960
little bit more that side I
think and I like.

326
00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:49,280
In a ballet company, like a
traditional ballet company, like

327
00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:56,800
when I like more modern pieces
or one of my I saw Dracula years

328
00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:00,000
ago done by a ballet company and
I loved it so much.

329
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,480
I saw multiple performances.
So I got to see the cast like

330
00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:09,840
change roles, right?
And like for me, there was just

331
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:15,640
this one pose when even the male
lead was average height.

332
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:21,040
He wasn't very tall, but how he
leaned like in, I just just like

333
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:25,040
how he I'm in a chair and I
can't do it and all I want to do

334
00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:29,800
is like this, how he like like
basically enveloped this other

335
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:33,520
dancer who when she was on point
was taller than him.

336
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,400
I loved it.
I loved it even more because

337
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:44,040
they made me erase all of the
bullshit, right?

338
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,880
Like like because when I was
growing up, you had to be you

339
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:51,560
had to be that skinny.
And I know sometimes even when I

340
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,240
watch if someone is in a
classical ballet, if they're one

341
00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,360
person stands out, they stand
out because of weight.

342
00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:00,920
I don't like that.
I was like, there needs to be

343
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,840
like a range that makes sense
when you're looking at it

344
00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,200
visually, right?
Because you're a company.

345
00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:08,920
People don't come at me for the
saying I'm saying horrible

346
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:09,560
things.
I'm not.

347
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,440
I'm just saying when you're
looking, if you go to Swan Lake

348
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,240
or you go to even like The
Nutcracker and everyone is like,

349
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,280
I'm doing the hands, right?
I'm like everyone's lined up and

350
00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:22,320
one person look, yeah, see like,
you know, we all know it, right.

351
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:28,520
So if if one person is so not in
the thing, it also takes away

352
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,960
for the performance.
So there is a part of the art

353
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,160
that is you're it you're using
your body.

354
00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:35,320
So your body has to be a
specific way.

355
00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:40,920
I just love that when I do see
other shows, there is more.

356
00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,960
There's just more there to see.
So I feel like if I was younger,

357
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,160
I might have or I could have, or
I could have kept going.

358
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,720
Do you know?
Like it's just living the dream

359
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,480
inside.
I'm curious like what is the

360
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,640
biggest company that you have
danced with that you're

361
00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:05,560
comfortable talking about?
Like I danced with.

362
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:10,960
Or that you studied.
I mean, I I've been like

363
00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:16,800
different place and anywhere is
not the big big company.

364
00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:22,760
Like anywhere was like Charlotte
Barrett, like here that I'm

365
00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:27,640
working with.
It's I think middle size company

366
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,400
in the United States.
It's not the biggest, of course

367
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,400
not.
But we have some dancers that

368
00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:39,320
like, I would say like very
talented dancers are here, which

369
00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:44,520
like the size of the company is
maybe not the big, but I'm

370
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:50,040
getting everyday like so
inspired from them, which like

371
00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,520
for me, it's like those that's
companies something that for me

372
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:57,880
is a big, big things.
But maybe that's size wise.

373
00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:03,760
I was in Poland, Brotsworth,
it's a city close to Germany.

374
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:08,560
It's West side of Poland.
That was my first contract and

375
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,360
that company was bigger and we
were doing more crasker things

376
00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:16,040
like we had the people to do
crasker things like Swan Lake,

377
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:23,360
don't don't shoot Nutcracker.
Like all all those like Rome and

378
00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:26,600
Juliet, like all big cold barred
stuff.

379
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:33,320
We were doing it.
You danced in Bulgaria too, I

380
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:38,240
saw.
Yeah, I love that.

381
00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:42,640
Yeah.
It's just yeah, like my journey

382
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:46,800
was really random.
I would just say like, I didn't

383
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,400
plan this in my life.
I want to know how you jump

384
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,800
like, like, was it someone's
like come here or were you like,

385
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,200
I want to go there or like, what
was the thought?

386
00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,320
So when I was in Germany, of
course like to getting my first

387
00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:06,000
contract, I was yeah.
So I quit my high school.

388
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:11,320
So when I left Japan, I took a
break from high school and it

389
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,080
was 2 year.
That was a limit.

390
00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:16,960
I had like 2 year.
I can have a break, but if you

391
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:21,400
don't like, if you don't come
back, then you're you quit the

392
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,200
high school or if you don't find
anything, you will back to study

393
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,840
again.
So when I was in second year in

394
00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:32,200
Germany, I was like, I need to
find a job to continue to be in

395
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,840
Europe, to not back to study,
you know.

396
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:42,840
So I did a lot of audition, like
I send the CV everywhere and I

397
00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:47,000
went to some auditions, but only
one contract that I got was

398
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,960
important.
So that's why I went and I was

399
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:55,520
there three years and the third
year they were already giving me

400
00:27:55,520 --> 00:28:00,080
like a life contract.
It's like, yeah, like it was

401
00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,520
very interesting, but it's like
a lifetime contract.

402
00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:07,760
And of course there is a good
benefit today's things that you

403
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,520
can do better, but the same time
it's going to get difficult to

404
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,720
quit or difficult to change.
And as this was my first

405
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:20,280
company, I felt I wanted to
change a little bit more.

406
00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:24,440
I want to see a little bit more
different place, wanted to work

407
00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:28,120
with different choreographers,
director, dancers.

408
00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:34,000
So that year I did auditions and
only one contract that I got was

409
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:39,000
in Bulgaria, which which is like
I always kind of this way to

410
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,120
moving and Bulgaria like, you
know, in Japan there is a one

411
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:49,280
yogurt called Bulgaria yogurt.
And I just know only this about

412
00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,480
Bulgaria.
There was nothing that I know

413
00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:56,000
about Bulgaria, the country like
I, I feel I'm shame for this,

414
00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:00,200
but but I was like, I don't.
Think many Americans know about

415
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,920
Bulgaria.
You just have landed in places,

416
00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:04,920
right?
So, you know, I like also love

417
00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:06,840
Korea.
So my friend is Bulgarian and my

418
00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:11,120
other friend is Poland, Polish
in Warsaw, like we met in Korea.

419
00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,680
So I think it's funny that you
have danced in all these cities

420
00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,080
that I met people while I was
travelling.

421
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:21,000
So I just I think that's like a
beautiful like ribbon of

422
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,760
connection that we never knew,
right?

423
00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:25,800
I think that's cool.
Yeah, that's true.

424
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:30,440
And the Bulgaria was that year
specific day or in the European

425
00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,920
capital culture, the city is
called profitive.

426
00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,080
It's a not Sofia, but it's a
profitive.

427
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:43,600
And so the that year there was a
lot of artists coming to that

428
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,200
city.
That was also big experience for

429
00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:48,480
me.
Like it was not just a dance,

430
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:53,000
but there was a lot of musician,
a lot of art artworks was in the

431
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,880
city.
So the yes, the Bulgaria, I

432
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,360
didn't know, but it was really
like art for like it was there,

433
00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:04,040
a lot of art was there and I met
so many international dancer

434
00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:07,120
because of that.
Like in Bulgaria, like I think

435
00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:10,880
that company was only Bulgarians
and there was not so many shows

436
00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,800
happening before.
But because of this European

437
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:19,800
capital culture, they hired a
lot of international dancer from

438
00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:24,320
really everywhere, like from
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and

439
00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:29,120
then some of the Japanese, some
of Europeans, but also like

440
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,920
different countries.
So I got to meet very like

441
00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:40,280
diversity of dancers and like we
danced performed in like ancient

442
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:45,480
theater.
Like it's like outside, like

443
00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:49,240
ancient.
So like there was a lot of like

444
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:54,800
unique experience that I could
gain in that time and what?

445
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,240
Language.
Does the choreographer speak if

446
00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,480
everyone is from all over the
world?

447
00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,880
Or do you just watch and then
learn by that and not by

448
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:04,960
language?
Yeah.

449
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:13,240
So the yeah, I think in
Bulgaria, they were, some of

450
00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:18,440
them are really trying hard to
speak English, very like, you

451
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,920
know, like difficult for them,
but they were like trying to

452
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,840
speak English.
Some of the things were

453
00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:29,280
Bulgarian, but because I was in
Poland, I learned Polish a

454
00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:33,240
little bit and Bulgarian Polish,
there is like a little

455
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:38,040
similarity that I could kind of
guess or like communicate with

456
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,600
and yeah.
And dancing in the words I love

457
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:45,360
dancing is a part of this is
like even I've been different

458
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:50,120
country that Barre word is
French, right?

459
00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:52,480
Like all the positions are in
French.

460
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:56,640
Yeah, yeah.
So even in Japan I was using

461
00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:00,360
French, like French.
It was very Japanese, French,

462
00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:03,680
you know, and.
It's still better than my

463
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:09,400
French, I'm sure, I'm sure.
Wherever you go, like you, you

464
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:13,480
kind of know the class or like
the position wise you kind of

465
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,640
get and only thing the
correction, you know like

466
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:20,360
straight to your knee or like
shoulder down or look there.

467
00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,000
Like of course those things are
in the beginning like what's

468
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,880
they are saying, but then they
will repeat the corrections.

469
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,880
You kind of understand.
So like being in the studio is

470
00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,720
actually is not that big
problem.

471
00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:38,640
You kind of catch the oh, like
even you don't know the

472
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:43,000
grammatically or you don't know
the word exactly, but you can

473
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:48,680
understand how they tell you and
how much they repeat you.

474
00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,120
Yeah.
So in the end, like after some

475
00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:56,960
time you kind of like understand
the things, most of the things.

476
00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,800
Yeah, I think that like I was.
I travelled to Brazil once and

477
00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:05,960
drummers came and it wasn't
carnival but the dramas.

478
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:07,680
And I've also studied African
dance.

479
00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:13,160
So like I knew rhythm similar.
So when they started doing some

480
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,640
moves, even though I knew them
different, right?

481
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:20,120
Because I learned W African
style from at that point,

482
00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:24,240
Cameroon and then later on from
Guinea, but it was similar.

483
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,320
So I was on a yoga retreat.
So everyone is very peaceful.

484
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,960
And then these drums come out
and then I'm going literally

485
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,240
wild cuz I'm just like, I just
can't, right?

486
00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:36,320
They're like, we did not know.
And I danced to my feet cuz I

487
00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,520
was barefoot.
Obviously the blisters,

488
00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,040
everyone's like you're out of
control.

489
00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:44,440
I was like, I don't know how to
explain to people you do not

490
00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:46,960
feel the pain while you dance,
right?

491
00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,400
You don't feel the do you feel
your pain And then the minute

492
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,520
you're off stage or done, I
can't move.

493
00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:55,600
I cannot move.
I'm like Advil blisters,

494
00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:56,520
bleeding.
I don't.

495
00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,600
Do you experience that too?
Like, does that happen?

496
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:01,840
Do you have pretty feet or do
you have ballet feet?

497
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:08,480
It's a look terrible.
That's a problem like, and it's

498
00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,719
not just a feat.
It's like my niece Bruce

499
00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:14,199
everywhere.
Yeah, don't tell anyone.

500
00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:15,520
Don't tell anyone.
They'll never do it.

501
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:20,159
But it's cuz I was also wanted
to ask you because as a young

502
00:34:20,159 --> 00:34:23,040
girl, Ray, I danced too.
You danced as a young girl.

503
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,440
But in ballet classes, there's
usually not many.

504
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,600
Where I was not many men, there
were no men.

505
00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:33,239
There was 1 little boy, he was a
boy when I was like an older

506
00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:36,600
girl, like when I was like 17,
he maybe was 8, right?

507
00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:42,040
I'm not, that's just weird.
So I never knew what it was like

508
00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:46,280
to dance with a man.
So when I go and watch,

509
00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:50,880
especially classical ballet, how
is the transition from dancing

510
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:54,440
with all girls to like learning
to partner?

511
00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:59,640
Because that that takes a whole
other skill.

512
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:05,080
It is, yeah.
I also like in Japan we have

513
00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:09,880
maybe only one boy also.
And when you have like a big

514
00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:16,360
performance, they hire some
guest dancer and you can so you

515
00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:19,400
can be like junior high school
student.

516
00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:26,120
But school we we school was
hiring the some professional,

517
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:32,000
professional dancers, which they
already know how to support you,

518
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,520
how to help you.
Not they are, they are not boys,

519
00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,960
they are not kids.
They are already there adult

520
00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:41,080
dancers.
So I had already like 1

521
00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:46,920
experience doing like Swan Lake
Padu with the male dancer that

522
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,400
he already was dancing a long
time.

523
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,440
So that's that's definitely
helped.

524
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:56,480
Even I didn't have any skill for
like doing partnering.

525
00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:01,080
And then when I was in Germany,
there was also not so many boys,

526
00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,040
but there was a couple boys.
We are like rotating and we had

527
00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,880
this paddle do class that the
male teacher teaching.

528
00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:12,760
So it was not like I had zero to
getting in the professional to

529
00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,560
like partner with the men.
But yeah, differently.

530
00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:20,440
And each partner, each person is
different.

531
00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:24,680
And especially, of course, when
you do classical things like

532
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:30,440
girls have to be also very
strong to keep your body up so

533
00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:34,720
they can support you.
Not like you are not leaning all

534
00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:37,840
the time, right?
Like you, you need to hold, hold

535
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:40,280
you up.
And that was like another skill

536
00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:43,840
I needed to really like even
lifting like you cannot be just

537
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:47,560
not doing nothing, like you need
to kind of pull yourself up.

538
00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:51,600
And those feeling was difficult
for me to really like

539
00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:55,840
understand.
And now doing contemporary like

540
00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:59,560
partnering work, sometimes you
need to ruin it.

541
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:03,160
Like you cannot hold yourself.
Sometimes you have to give the

542
00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:08,840
weight to the that's makes move
smoother or that like all like

543
00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:15,640
energy, like weight balance is a
really completely different and

544
00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:22,320
also each partner has a
different way to like way to

545
00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:26,360
give that feeling.
So I'm still learning.

546
00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:29,720
It's not something that I
learned and like I'm perfect.

547
00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:32,200
Like I'm every day.
It's a learning process.

548
00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:36,400
And every time when I have a new
partner, I'm like, try to

549
00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:41,880
understand, OK, Oh, how how we
can match our body, how we can

550
00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:47,440
like connect smoothly.
It's it's never like I felt from

551
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:49,520
beginning like OK, like oh I
it's easy.

552
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,440
No like it's always like
learning process.

553
00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:57,040
Yeah, in your piece the The
Walking mad, right, it's you.

554
00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:01,960
First of all, this, the setting
and stage is basically 2 walls.

555
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:07,520
And there's also a quite a lot
of no music, right?

556
00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:12,040
Like, yeah, silent except for
you, everyone, we'll put a link

557
00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,920
like in the comments so you can
watch it too, but it's on

558
00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,000
YouTube.
But like I think for me in

559
00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:22,040
watching that all I think is
like it's you are carrying it.

560
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,920
It's like a right.
It's your solo for a lot of it.

561
00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:29,800
And then you have all of these
men coming in and that partner

562
00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:32,600
work.
It really depicts the leaning in

563
00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:38,640
and that is a level of trust.
I like I, I don't know what that

564
00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:41,040
is.
I don't honestly, I was watching

565
00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:44,960
and I was like, no, he's like,
like, and they shake the wall on

566
00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,120
purpose too.
And right, like when they're,

567
00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:51,080
I'm like, no, no, like, like I
would, I would be like your

568
00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:53,920
mother in the audience be like,
if they hurt her, I'm going to

569
00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:57,240
be so upset.
And then you also like climb and

570
00:38:57,240 --> 00:39:00,360
jump up on the wall And I'm, I'm
thinking, how many blisters does

571
00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:02,920
she have on her hand from that?
Like, did you?

572
00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:06,360
What was that like?
Like how, how was learning that

573
00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:08,160
piece piece like?
I would love to know what that

574
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:11,040
was like for you.
So The Walking mutt was

575
00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:17,280
something I really, yeah, it was
a big, big piece in my life.

576
00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:21,640
I think like this is this is
that was my part.

577
00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:25,480
Only this in the video.
But if you search in YouTube

578
00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:29,400
walking mutt is very famous
piece like a lot of companies

579
00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:32,120
performing.
So you can get to see a little

580
00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:34,040
bit different different part of
it.

581
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:39,760
But that's we call this section
like a brief section and the in

582
00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:45,520
the beginning, like the person
we had a two stage here, like

583
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:49,560
the person that's make give us
choreography because it was

584
00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:54,560
already the made long time ago.
So we just learned the IT was

585
00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:58,160
not a creation, right?
And we got first person.

586
00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:04,680
The he was he teaches.
So I would say like Gentry, like

587
00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:11,360
he teach every like steps very
like this is this, this is this.

588
00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:17,120
And to learn how to connect, how
to move, how to.

589
00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:24,000
But it was very like clean.
When the first person came and

590
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:27,880
then after there was another
things we were rehearsing and we

591
00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:36,880
got another person from France
that he teach us that you should

592
00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:46,440
use your more like gravity, your
body weight, you take your risk

593
00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:52,600
and also like dance from your
heart, not the movement from the

594
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:58,640
outside of movement like so this
person really taught us and he

595
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:04,640
gave us class also and the each
class was not the movement and

596
00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:10,360
not the exercise.
It was more about how to how to

597
00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:17,120
feel your inner body and what
makes you move, not the

598
00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:23,960
choreography moves you.
So that process helped us to get

599
00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:25,360
there.
Definitely.

600
00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:29,520
And I think the first part that
when it's silence, he was like,

601
00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:32,720
of course there's a like, like
you cannot take forever time.

602
00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:38,400
Of course it's like it's boring,
you know, but like you should be

603
00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,160
real there.
Like you should have your own

604
00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:47,680
story and the peace doesn't have
a big story, but there is a

605
00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:53,200
message and there is a each each
person, like each person has

606
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:56,080
some journey through the dance,
right?

607
00:41:56,080 --> 00:42:00,280
And I think he was he didn't
really tell me you should think

608
00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:05,200
this way, but you have you are
in this situation and you need

609
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:09,840
to be true with yourself.
Like you are you sad?

610
00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:13,960
Are you angry?
Are you frustrating?

611
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:18,080
Are you strong?
Like all those things that I had

612
00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:23,880
to really build and but build, I
cannot build just from outside

613
00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:28,000
to perform like I needed to
really feel it in the moment.

614
00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:33,520
So but that's definitely like it
was very challenging piece and

615
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:36,720
it was very physical.
So like the stamina and also

616
00:42:36,720 --> 00:42:41,000
like, you know, all the like
it's literally very strong.

617
00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:45,520
Like the sound is because of the
wall, like wall give quite a

618
00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:49,440
sound.
But they are really of course

619
00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:53,160
it's not like pushing so
strongly, but they are using all

620
00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:56,680
this like energy or like
momentum to do it.

621
00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:00,760
So it's pretty much real.
Like it's not they are not doing

622
00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:04,600
anything softer because
otherwise you don't see the

623
00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:08,560
real.
So yeah, sometimes I bump to the

624
00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:15,160
person, sometimes I couldn't
like go up or yeah, there was a

625
00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:19,880
lot of risk there.
But of course we practiced a

626
00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:22,640
lot.
We learn a lot of times we

627
00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:29,680
understand it step by step, like
how I want to give you the

628
00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:35,040
energy so that momentum, how
much he can use it.

629
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:38,760
Not like I'm I'm there and he
needs to move.

630
00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:42,800
It's like, it's like a lot of
movement comes from me to him,

631
00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:43,720
right?
Yeah.

632
00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:47,560
So I think if someone's not a
dancer and just listening and

633
00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,640
they can't see us weighing
moving our body or you haven't

634
00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:54,120
watched their face, I think it's
like fascinating to think about.

635
00:43:55,520 --> 00:43:58,920
You start on stage and you're
basically wedged between you're

636
00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,280
in a corner, right?
That's a good way to put it.

637
00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:06,160
And you're hunched over and
it's, it's very introverted,

638
00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,160
almost dark isn't really the
right word, but you can tell

639
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:13,880
there's a, there's a feeling.
So whatever you are feeling or

640
00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:17,880
experiencing that day as the
audience, whatever, maybe grief

641
00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:23,160
or pain or whatever, it's easy
to identify with you right on

642
00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:26,800
stage in that moment.
And maybe you can get emotional

643
00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:31,160
honestly, because you are
expressing something that I'm

644
00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:34,120
keeping in the dark, right?
Like I love that about it.

645
00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:38,120
And then like you're trying, I
wouldn't say trying to escape

646
00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:40,840
because you're going up these
walls, but you're letting it out

647
00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:42,440
in different ways.
And then we'll call it you

648
00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:46,320
encounter other people, other
men come out and one of my

649
00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:50,480
favorite lifts was like you're
kind of passed between the the

650
00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,080
taller man to the shorter guy on
your.

651
00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:56,600
That was like whoever worked
with that was a good night of

652
00:44:56,600 --> 00:45:00,200
that.
And I was like, that was so well

653
00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:02,520
done because it was seamless and
smooth.

654
00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:06,520
And like them, the motion never
stopped, dude.

655
00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:08,520
Right.
Like you were like, so I know

656
00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:11,360
sometimes in a dance, like you
stop and you're doing it on

657
00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:13,240
purpose.
Like you had a lot of like, I'm

658
00:45:13,240 --> 00:45:14,360
jerking.
You can't see that on.

659
00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:17,000
But if you're not right, you're
like, you have a lot of moments

660
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,560
where you're contracting.
Oh, I really studied it.

661
00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:21,160
You're like, oh, she really
watched it a lot.

662
00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:25,560
I was like, yeah, because when I
watch a good dance, I want to, I

663
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,600
want to move with you.
I think that's what I love about

664
00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:32,760
watching a performance is like
in my seat when I bring my

665
00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:34,560
teenager.
She hates it because I'm like,

666
00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:37,880
I'm moving right when I saw
Hamilton and we're like, I'm

667
00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:39,880
like, I am learning the
choreographer because it's the

668
00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:42,240
same move a bunch of times.
And my brain is like, oh, turn

669
00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:44,760
right, left knee up, down.
Like I'm like, let me do it.

670
00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:46,880
Let me get up there and like
try.

671
00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:52,160
I don't think I'm as good.
But there is that other level of

672
00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:56,200
connection with dance because
it's music and sound and

673
00:45:56,200 --> 00:46:01,560
movement and you can identify
with the person on stage or wish

674
00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:05,560
you could be that person on
stage and they can do those

675
00:46:05,560 --> 00:46:07,720
things that so many people
can't.

676
00:46:07,720 --> 00:46:13,280
I just think that kind of
storytelling is it's like

677
00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:16,840
obviously one-of-a-kind.
I think also I would love to

678
00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:22,400
know for you what it's like to
have a big set because I know

679
00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:25,000
you've danced Nutcracker.
It's like something like The

680
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:28,040
Nutcracker where it's a big
production and a big set versus

681
00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:30,080
that other one where it's two
walls.

682
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,720
Like does it affect like how you
show up on stage?

683
00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:41,520
Yeah, I think it like Nutcracker
or like old classical things are

684
00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:47,960
like just like quite in the
outside you need to I think you

685
00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:51,160
need to own the space.
I mean in the both way also.

686
00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:55,960
But like you have like this
amount of space that you kind of

687
00:46:55,960 --> 00:47:01,200
need to feel it or you you are
on the space like very you need

688
00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:04,440
to be specific.
Like if you are dancing in the

689
00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:08,640
big space in the corner, then
why you are dancing in the

690
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:11,560
corner?
But when you have like sunset

691
00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:17,120
that's close to you or then and
the most of the time those times

692
00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:23,800
you are using the the wall or
door or whatever is part of your

693
00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:25,960
scene.
Of course, when it's a bigger

694
00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:30,840
one, yes, it's a picture wise
yes, but the movement is not

695
00:47:31,200 --> 00:47:34,280
technically connecting to the
scenography.

696
00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:37,720
But when you have something very
close or like chair or

697
00:47:37,720 --> 00:47:43,920
something, you definitely need
to use and like see kind of like

698
00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:49,520
outside, like how does it look
with like my dance and with this

699
00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:53,040
object?
And I think definitely I'm I'm

700
00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:57,360
not like calculating in that
moment, no, but definitely it

701
00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:01,240
should have some good effect for
the piece.

702
00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:05,920
And that's another learning
process that we we also really

703
00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:07,640
take.
And most of the time it's with

704
00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:10,560
the lights and like with the
distance, with other things.

705
00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:15,040
So yeah, I think when we have
like smaller things, we have a

706
00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:21,800
lot of practice to use them as a
part of the dancing and you feel

707
00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:23,120
like.
So when you say a lot of

708
00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:26,480
practice, how many weeks do you
actually get before a

709
00:48:26,480 --> 00:48:28,480
performance when you're learning
something?

710
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:34,760
It's really depends.
But for example, now we our show

711
00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:38,960
will be end of October and we
started season like end of

712
00:48:39,080 --> 00:48:42,640
August and we technically have
like 2 months and we are

713
00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:49,400
preparing 3 different pieces.
So yeah, it's maybe some of them

714
00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:54,400
have a month to maybe a little
bit even more more than month.

715
00:48:54,680 --> 00:48:57,720
But then we were like doing
three different things doing at

716
00:48:57,720 --> 00:49:02,200
the same time.
So in that Nutcracker, of

717
00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:06,040
course, it's a new every year.
Maybe we have a new dancer, a

718
00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:09,800
new role, yes, but the base is
kind of same.

719
00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:12,960
We just run the choreography and
like, you know, like Kraska, but

720
00:49:13,520 --> 00:49:17,240
like what I like contemporary.
It's maybe connecting to this

721
00:49:17,240 --> 00:49:23,120
topic, but the Kraska, but is
there like the how it it should

722
00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:28,560
look like is there already right
like you're you do Arabic

723
00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:30,480
standard.
It has to look like this,

724
00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:32,000
everyone.
Has to look like yeah, yeah,

725
00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:33,200
yeah.
That's how I.

726
00:49:33,240 --> 00:49:35,680
Feel when I watch it, I was
like, I should like it more, but

727
00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:38,960
I'm like they're so restricted.
I know some people love that and

728
00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:43,440
it's beautiful, but I like when
they it's a little, I don't

729
00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:47,320
know, different.
Yeah, like I think I love.

730
00:49:47,320 --> 00:49:52,520
Watching Kraskeberry and I still
so much respect on who is

731
00:49:52,520 --> 00:49:57,800
keeping in the top like a
principal dancer for long time,

732
00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:03,040
even their their late 30s or
like 40s like because the

733
00:50:03,040 --> 00:50:09,800
Kraskeberry to be that
perfection for me, it's I'm

734
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:15,760
still chasing it, but it's like
a long way and I still enjoy

735
00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:20,520
dancing them.
But I see more potential

736
00:50:20,920 --> 00:50:25,720
possibility in contemporary
dance because you can be a

737
00:50:25,720 --> 00:50:29,000
little bit different.
You can be a individual, you can

738
00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:33,000
maybe you're doing same
movement, but everyone look

739
00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:38,320
different and which also good,
you know, and that's another

740
00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:42,440
thing that I like about
contemporary that I could be

741
00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:49,120
more myself.
I could be like like me dancing

742
00:50:49,120 --> 00:50:55,120
notes, even I have a role.
I feel like I have more artistic

743
00:50:55,160 --> 00:50:59,160
choices that I can make than in
Kresker.

744
00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:03,360
But of course, the best dancers
or like some of my favorite

745
00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:07,880
dancers, they are doing those
things in the in the books, like

746
00:51:08,120 --> 00:51:13,280
they need to be in this position
in in this pornography.

747
00:51:13,280 --> 00:51:17,160
But they have their artistic
part that shines and I love

748
00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:21,360
watching them.
But to do both in classical body

749
00:51:21,360 --> 00:51:25,920
is I find really hard because
I'm still struggling to just do

750
00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:30,400
all the steps and all the turns.
You know the one thing that was

751
00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:32,480
so weird?
That for me, when I first

752
00:51:32,480 --> 00:51:36,720
started watching more, not
classical ballets, was that that

753
00:51:36,720 --> 00:51:40,600
when women's hair came down, I
know that sounds very strange,

754
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:43,880
but when I grew up, you had to
have your hair in the bun,

755
00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:45,280
right?
Like no ponytail.

756
00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:47,440
It had to be tight and pulled
back.

757
00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:51,040
And when women got the freedom
to have their hair down, I was

758
00:51:51,040 --> 00:51:54,280
like, like, what is that?
Isn't that in the way?

759
00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:59,160
Is that right?
Like it was such a strange thing

760
00:51:59,160 --> 00:52:01,320
that I was conditioned.
That that is ballet.

761
00:52:01,320 --> 00:52:05,440
Just like the pink and the this
and the that, but it was one of

762
00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:08,360
the hair.
So part of what I like about the

763
00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:13,120
movement of more contemporary is
like that extension and you have

764
00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:15,320
no control over what your hair
is doing.

765
00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:17,920
I don't know.
It's like this wild element of

766
00:52:17,960 --> 00:52:20,360
unknown, but the classical there
it is true.

767
00:52:20,360 --> 00:52:23,480
Like again, like when I grew up,
it was very much Mikhail.

768
00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:28,960
It was Burgiticoff, right?
His turns and he was like the

769
00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,640
standard of what a man should
be.

770
00:52:32,200 --> 00:52:36,440
I mean, he was remarkable and
his effortlessness.

771
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:40,760
And I think like, I grew up
hearing like, how quiet he was

772
00:52:40,760 --> 00:52:44,600
when he landed, right?
Like, people don't talk about

773
00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:46,280
like, they don't understand.
It's like sometimes they go to a

774
00:52:46,280 --> 00:52:49,920
ballet and if I hear toes, if I
hear too many toes on the

775
00:52:49,920 --> 00:52:53,800
ground, I'm like, they're so
loud because I got screamed at

776
00:52:54,200 --> 00:52:58,800
for like, you know, having to be
quiet while dancing, which is I

777
00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:01,600
don't know that people who
aren't dancers don't know that

778
00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:05,240
when you do a leap first, like
especially in toe shoes, it's

779
00:53:05,400 --> 00:53:08,280
it's wood.
Like you're on a box on your

780
00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:11,640
toes with a silicone thing
nowadays around your right.

781
00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:13,440
That's it.
That's all that's cushioning

782
00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:16,040
you, right.
And when you're rehearsing,

783
00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:20,320
you're meant to be silent.
You're not meant to like really

784
00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:23,280
be heard.
And having power and learning

785
00:53:23,280 --> 00:53:26,600
how to like, I don't know how
you say control that power when

786
00:53:26,600 --> 00:53:30,440
you land so it's light and like,
not your body weight and all

787
00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:34,440
that momentum and all that.
Physics is like a physicality

788
00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:37,520
that I don't know that many
people who don't know dance

789
00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:41,720
understand the power and
strength that goes into that.

790
00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:46,520
Like, I would love to see
another athlete try it, right.

791
00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:48,640
I think that would be
fascinating.

792
00:53:49,560 --> 00:53:50,840
That's true.
Yeah.

793
00:53:51,320 --> 00:53:54,000
Yeah.
It's like I think we are in the

794
00:53:54,800 --> 00:53:59,960
artistic artist world, like art
world, but pretty much what we

795
00:53:59,960 --> 00:54:04,760
do is like athletes, like how
much we train or how much we

796
00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:11,160
need to control or like and
especially like be in the moment

797
00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:16,400
to succeed the movement,
especially classical because

798
00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:20,480
contemporary dance you can you
have a lot of techniques.

799
00:54:20,480 --> 00:54:24,640
Some of the techniques are
difficult, but it's more about

800
00:54:24,640 --> 00:54:29,720
how to maybe yeah, like your.
Body to.

801
00:54:31,680 --> 00:54:37,080
Soften or maybe let it go but
classical.

802
00:54:37,080 --> 00:54:41,200
But most of the things either
like hold up a control or we

803
00:54:41,280 --> 00:54:45,880
both just went.
Yeah, that's that's something.

804
00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:51,640
That yeah, it's still still like
there's a lot to I have to a lot

805
00:54:51,640 --> 00:54:57,160
to learn, I feel and it's a
everyday it's a it's a everyday,

806
00:54:57,160 --> 00:54:59,520
everyday.
Like we are like practicing for

807
00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:04,240
that like to one second of
success or beauty.

808
00:55:06,520 --> 00:55:08,520
So do you have a?
Contract at the Charlotte

809
00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:11,200
Ballet.
Yes, yes I do.

810
00:55:11,280 --> 00:55:15,080
It's.
I'm here is, I think in the

811
00:55:15,080 --> 00:55:20,000
United States in general, it's a
yearly contract, like year, year

812
00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:23,800
by year.
So this is my third season with

813
00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:27,320
Charlotte Barre and that's kind
of crazy.

814
00:55:27,320 --> 00:55:29,800
I'm so excited.
I'm so excited, yeah.

815
00:55:29,800 --> 00:55:33,400
I used to dance like weekly at
the VAPA Center, like right

816
00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:36,760
across the street.
Yeah, yeah.

817
00:55:36,800 --> 00:55:37,560
Because my.
African.

818
00:55:37,560 --> 00:55:39,360
Dance clause used to be up
there.

819
00:55:39,600 --> 00:55:41,440
So I was like, oh, I'd be the
bad.

820
00:55:41,520 --> 00:55:44,880
I'm like, I really it's been I I
should confess, it's been years

821
00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:47,520
since like I went.
I don't know why.

822
00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:49,600
I guess I blame everything on
COVID, right?

823
00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:53,920
You just get lazy.
But I think I'm very excited to

824
00:55:53,960 --> 00:55:58,160
like watch you live.
Is there is there any like dance

825
00:55:58,240 --> 00:56:02,120
that in your mind that you dream
of like any choreographer,

826
00:56:02,560 --> 00:56:06,880
choreographer or choreography
you dream of being able to do?

827
00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:11,960
Like is there something that
like that's it, so.

828
00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:15,640
You know, I think I.
Had that more when I was a

829
00:56:15,640 --> 00:56:17,880
little bit younger, like, oh, I
wish.

830
00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:21,600
I want to work with this person.
I want to be part of this

831
00:56:21,600 --> 00:56:25,400
company.
But you know, I think those

832
00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:30,160
things is because I'm watching
YouTube, I'm watching some video

833
00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:37,400
clip, that's all this is crazy.
Wow, this is but these days like

834
00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:44,920
I'm close to 30 years old and I
think I start maybe varying more

835
00:56:44,920 --> 00:56:52,320
the process not about what I'm
want to do and I think the

836
00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:54,000
company.
Members that's.

837
00:56:54,360 --> 00:57:01,640
How much we I can collaborate
with how the atmosphere, how the

838
00:57:01,640 --> 00:57:04,520
choreographer like it's of
course there is a big names

839
00:57:04,520 --> 00:57:08,400
that's yeah, like one day, why
not like some opportunity.

840
00:57:08,400 --> 00:57:10,960
I will take any opportunity to
do anything.

841
00:57:11,320 --> 00:57:17,120
But I also don't excite like I
don't like if I hear like oh,

842
00:57:17,120 --> 00:57:19,720
this person is coming are you
excited?

843
00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:24,000
Yes, of course I I'm excited.
But it's not like because I want

844
00:57:24,000 --> 00:57:28,080
to be casted because I want to
dance this and it's a check that

845
00:57:28,080 --> 00:57:29,760
I did.
It's not like that.

846
00:57:29,760 --> 00:57:34,640
I feel like every single
choreographer and sometimes I

847
00:57:34,640 --> 00:57:37,640
choreograph also.
Like in Charlotte Valley, there

848
00:57:37,640 --> 00:57:42,720
is a opportunity that dancers
can clog graph to other dancers

849
00:57:42,720 --> 00:57:50,080
and I done two years 2 times
already and that's also very

850
00:57:50,080 --> 00:57:51,600
interesting.
Some of the dancer.

851
00:57:51,600 --> 00:57:57,200
Has such a creativity which they
are not famous, they are not

852
00:57:57,520 --> 00:58:02,960
known in the world, but their
creativity could be so amazing.

853
00:58:03,320 --> 00:58:08,440
So like I don't have a specific
person or like company that's

854
00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:12,080
all I need to get into there or
like I want to work with.

855
00:58:12,400 --> 00:58:17,360
But I really care whoever
Cummings and whoever brings to

856
00:58:17,520 --> 00:58:23,920
brings to ask to me.
The can be technical, can be

857
00:58:24,440 --> 00:58:30,720
emotional, can be type of
movement that I can learn with.

858
00:58:30,760 --> 00:58:38,640
I'm always open to take it and I
think that keep me going also as

859
00:58:38,640 --> 00:58:44,760
a dancer, because maybe my dream
was becoming a professional

860
00:58:44,760 --> 00:58:50,280
dancer and I became that.
And So what is your dream right

861
00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:54,920
now that I've been kind of
thinking about this long time?

862
00:58:55,360 --> 00:59:00,280
And I never had this drive of
like becoming a principal dancer

863
00:59:00,280 --> 00:59:03,040
or prima ballerina.
I never had this like, I don't

864
00:59:03,040 --> 00:59:05,960
know.
I I like being on stage, but I'm

865
00:59:06,320 --> 00:59:10,480
don't like to be, how to say
like middle of the circle.

866
00:59:10,480 --> 00:59:12,320
Like I, I don't like the
country.

867
00:59:12,320 --> 00:59:14,680
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like I'm not.

868
00:59:14,880 --> 00:59:17,920
Type of I want to be in the.
Behind I want to be wow with

869
00:59:17,920 --> 00:59:23,120
them, but I don't need to be
like people look at me and on

870
00:59:23,120 --> 00:59:26,920
stage of course I love being
doing some solo or like some

871
00:59:26,920 --> 00:59:31,280
part that you know I'm only
maybe alone on stage, but I it

872
00:59:31,280 --> 00:59:34,080
was never been like, oh, I need
to get there.

873
00:59:34,520 --> 00:59:40,840
It was not like that, but every
single every single piece, every

874
00:59:40,840 --> 00:59:48,560
single performance teach me how
to use my body or how to express

875
00:59:48,560 --> 00:59:53,160
my feelings or emotions of
active who I am through the

876
00:59:53,160 --> 01:00:00,880
movement is so fascinating and I
think every like whoever comes

877
01:00:00,880 --> 01:00:05,480
to the studio and teachers, they
have their own creativity and

878
01:00:05,480 --> 01:00:09,800
I'm so.
Appreciate to got to meet them

879
01:00:10,480 --> 01:00:15,600
even they are maybe not that
famous even they're coming in

880
01:00:15,600 --> 01:00:17,360
completely different.
Country than.

881
01:00:17,440 --> 01:00:19,120
I am.
We have such a different

882
01:00:19,120 --> 01:00:22,680
culture, like how we can
collaborate or how we can

883
01:00:22,680 --> 01:00:26,120
exchange a share at the moment.
I think that's something that I

884
01:00:26,120 --> 01:00:29,720
love right now in my life at
this moment.

885
01:00:29,720 --> 01:00:31,760
And how.
Yeah.

886
01:00:32,040 --> 01:00:33,480
And that's.
Something still.

887
01:00:33,480 --> 01:00:38,680
Keep going because you know, the
dancing and doing professional

888
01:00:38,680 --> 01:00:43,880
career is maybe not that long.
A lot of my friends already

889
01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:47,720
retired back to Japan and I've
seen and I have talked to them

890
01:00:47,720 --> 01:00:51,240
and I still don't feel enough.
I did.

891
01:00:51,680 --> 01:00:56,880
But it's because I don't have
any specific goal or like,

892
01:00:58,080 --> 01:01:03,640
check, check things now.
Like I think I I'm gaining so

893
01:01:03,640 --> 01:01:09,480
much daily, every day, and I
just keep keep doing it.

894
01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:11,920
Yeah.
I think that's the beauty of a

895
01:01:11,920 --> 01:01:17,120
creative life though.
Right, like we I I'm talking to

896
01:01:17,120 --> 01:01:18,600
all.
Sorts of people famous and.

897
01:01:18,600 --> 01:01:22,320
Not as famous but we have the
same dream because plenty of

898
01:01:22,320 --> 01:01:28,880
people make a living and live a
life that is not what you.

899
01:01:28,880 --> 01:01:30,720
Might be brought up to.
Be like, oh, this is what you

900
01:01:30,720 --> 01:01:35,000
you do when you grow up.
But the world without art,

901
01:01:35,280 --> 01:01:38,440
without music, without dance,
like, what is that like?

902
01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:42,520
Like I couldn't, I just couldn't
survive.

903
01:01:43,600 --> 01:01:48,040
And I'm like, later on I'll be
interviewing a woman who's older

904
01:01:48,040 --> 01:01:53,000
than me, who's still dancing
ballet and still teaches and

905
01:01:53,000 --> 01:01:55,360
she's in Amsterdam.
I don't want to, I don't know

906
01:01:55,360 --> 01:01:57,000
when she's going to record.
So I don't want to say her name

907
01:01:57,000 --> 01:02:00,520
yet.
But so I think the longevity of

908
01:02:00,520 --> 01:02:04,160
it can be a mindset.
It can also, you know, like,

909
01:02:04,720 --> 01:02:06,800
like we were talking about a
little bit about injuries.

910
01:02:06,800 --> 01:02:08,760
I didn't really want to go there
because I don't want to scare

911
01:02:08,760 --> 01:02:11,000
anyone.
But it's like, you know, your

912
01:02:11,000 --> 01:02:17,040
body takes a beating right as a
dancer especially, and so wear

913
01:02:17,040 --> 01:02:21,920
and tear and all of the things.
I think I remember one time I

914
01:02:21,920 --> 01:02:24,240
got in a, I was in a car
accident and I had to get an

915
01:02:24,240 --> 01:02:26,440
X-ray.
And that's when I learned I had

916
01:02:26,600 --> 01:02:29,840
two vertebrates that I was born
that were fused in my neck.

917
01:02:30,240 --> 01:02:32,320
And everyone's like, how do you
move your head like that?

918
01:02:32,320 --> 01:02:34,160
I'm like, I didn't know I had
the limitation.

919
01:02:34,160 --> 01:02:38,880
Do you know, like you just, you
just do it because it's a

920
01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:42,760
challenge and it's a challenge
and it's freeing.

921
01:02:42,760 --> 01:02:47,800
I don't know how to explain how
like a dance inhabits me, but

922
01:02:47,800 --> 01:02:51,760
it's hard, you know, Like I
don't I.

923
01:02:51,760 --> 01:02:53,760
When I was younger.
I could pick up much quicker,

924
01:02:53,760 --> 01:02:55,440
right?
It was like, OK, OK, OK, I got

925
01:02:55,440 --> 01:02:56,120
it.
Now what?

926
01:02:56,120 --> 01:02:58,800
I have to repeat it a lot more.
My body doesn't always go the

927
01:02:58,800 --> 01:03:01,160
way I want it to, but I don't
know.

928
01:03:01,160 --> 01:03:04,840
That's part of the joy.
The struggle to learn and

929
01:03:04,840 --> 01:03:08,960
perfect and connect is part of
the joy of it.

930
01:03:08,960 --> 01:03:11,920
So I hope you don't stop.
And now I know I'm going to see

931
01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:14,280
you a couple times.
I will have to like wait by the

932
01:03:14,280 --> 01:03:17,960
backstage door and get you to
sign things and take really

933
01:03:18,080 --> 01:03:20,080
pictures.
But I'm so there.

934
01:03:20,200 --> 01:03:25,680
You have no idea.
I'm so there, but I want I want

935
01:03:25,680 --> 01:03:27,880
to say thank you for joining me.
I want to like respect your

936
01:03:27,880 --> 01:03:29,320
time.
I know you have other things to

937
01:03:29,320 --> 01:03:32,240
do, but I love to end every
interview with the same

938
01:03:32,240 --> 01:03:37,120
question, which is if you came
with a warning label, Remy, what

939
01:03:37,120 --> 01:03:40,240
would it be?
So I was thinking.

940
01:03:40,240 --> 01:03:48,360
And we didn't touch that side of
me today, but maybe I.

941
01:03:48,360 --> 01:03:52,440
May.
Disappear to chase sunset.

942
01:03:53,800 --> 01:03:59,880
Oh, I.
Like that I as much as I love.

943
01:03:59,880 --> 01:04:04,680
Dancing, I think these past
couple of years I've been

944
01:04:04,680 --> 01:04:12,080
travelling to Central America,
South America, Europe, a lot of

945
01:04:12,080 --> 01:04:14,760
countries in Europe.
Like it's not just auditioning

946
01:04:15,160 --> 01:04:17,320
like they were in the beginning,
you know, like how I was

947
01:04:17,320 --> 01:04:20,560
travelling was for auditions,
but now for fun.

948
01:04:20,560 --> 01:04:24,240
And I love travelling and I love
nature.

949
01:04:24,240 --> 01:04:27,560
I love mountains, I love sea,
ocean waves.

950
01:04:27,920 --> 01:04:31,880
Like I love diving, I love
surfing, like all the kind of

951
01:04:32,000 --> 01:04:39,080
things that maybe ballerina or
dancer don't do so much.

952
01:04:39,320 --> 01:04:44,200
I'm there like I always love.
And the sunset is I love

953
01:04:44,200 --> 01:04:46,160
sunlight too.
Like sunlight is something

954
01:04:46,160 --> 01:04:49,040
that's starting the day and I,
I'm a morning person.

955
01:04:49,040 --> 01:04:52,640
So most of the time when I leave
home, it's still dark.

956
01:04:53,160 --> 01:04:58,680
I, I go, but the sunset is
something that I, I, I'm

957
01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:01,480
obsessed and like seeing
sunsets.

958
01:05:01,480 --> 01:05:09,160
It's such a reward for my life.
And if I can see this with some

959
01:05:09,160 --> 01:05:12,520
important people in my life,
friends, my family, it's

960
01:05:12,520 --> 01:05:16,880
something that I feel like like
came so.

961
01:05:16,880 --> 01:05:19,840
Far and.
I can appreciate the company.

962
01:05:19,960 --> 01:05:21,920
I appreciate the people around
me.

963
01:05:22,280 --> 01:05:26,800
When I'm looking at alone, I
think there is a reason there

964
01:05:26,800 --> 01:05:29,800
and I can really deflect myself
there.

965
01:05:31,560 --> 01:05:35,440
Yeah, like it's just like
appreciates for the life and how

966
01:05:35,440 --> 01:05:40,840
far I could come with so many,
so many reasons, so many

967
01:05:40,840 --> 01:05:43,640
sources, so many.
Yeah.

968
01:05:43,640 --> 01:05:47,680
Like people supported me to be
here right now.

969
01:05:47,680 --> 01:05:51,480
And I think when I'm looking at
sunset, I can always remember

970
01:05:51,480 --> 01:05:55,160
those people, those things that
happened to me.

971
01:05:55,160 --> 01:05:59,880
And it's not always easy.
It's not always always was

972
01:05:59,880 --> 01:06:04,480
right.
But like, you lived here until

973
01:06:04,480 --> 01:06:07,440
now.
And I think the sunsets is

974
01:06:07,440 --> 01:06:12,680
always reminds me that and I can
be like back to like kind of

975
01:06:12,680 --> 01:06:17,840
like not the beginning, but
yeah, like through my I love

976
01:06:17,840 --> 01:06:19,080
that.
I think when I miss my.

977
01:06:19,080 --> 01:06:22,520
Friends from all over the world,
I look at the moon and I think

978
01:06:22,520 --> 01:06:25,800
they see the same thing.
And so we're still connected.

979
01:06:26,120 --> 01:06:29,600
So I love that you are curious
and creative.

980
01:06:29,600 --> 01:06:32,520
That is honestly what the Holly
Hughes podcast is about,

981
01:06:32,520 --> 01:06:37,440
exploring those two things
because I think when we do

982
01:06:37,440 --> 01:06:44,240
travel and we turn off like
social media and we remember and

983
01:06:44,240 --> 01:06:48,000
meet people and see places, it's
such a very different

984
01:06:48,000 --> 01:06:51,880
experience.
And I think more times than not,

985
01:06:51,880 --> 01:06:55,080
it's pretty amazing.
And you never know what to

986
01:06:55,080 --> 01:06:58,000
expect.
And if you go within like an

987
01:06:58,000 --> 01:07:01,280
open minded curiosity, I hope
that you are met out in the

988
01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:04,440
world that way.
So thank you so much for joining

989
01:07:04,440 --> 01:07:07,200
me, helping me.
It was really fun to talk to

990
01:07:07,280 --> 01:07:10,440
you.
I will see you soon.

991
01:07:10,960 --> 01:07:13,160
Yes, I hope so.
Like, yeah.

992
01:07:13,160 --> 01:07:15,760
And anytime like coffee, lunch,
dinner.

993
01:07:16,080 --> 01:07:18,280
We are living in the same same
city.

994
01:07:18,280 --> 01:07:22,600
So yeah, let's let's meet before
the show.

995
01:07:22,840 --> 01:07:25,640
Yeah, that would be fun.
So thank you for listening to

996
01:07:25,640 --> 01:07:26,720
the Holly.
Hughes podcast.

997
01:07:26,840 --> 01:07:27,760
We'll see you next week.