Things I’m thinking about this week:
Making Dances is hard
Producing a show is harder
Thinking about what to share with you, the audience, is probably the hardest. So, we start here in my notebook.
My goal is to let you in. Let you know what I’m thinking. Right now, I’m thinking about you. I’m thinking about those of you that are asking:
“What the hell is this about?”
“What is the story?”
“Who are THESE people?”
All great questions. And honestly? They're questions I've been wrestling with for years. I've reached a point where I'm less interested in defending contemporary dance and more interested in inviting people into it. I think there's a better way.
So today, we talk about stories.
Let’s set the scene:
It’s 2014. A much younger Robert receives a call: its an acceptance. A fellowship program for emerging choreographers. The budget:
$1,000
to rehearse, costume and produce a dance up to 20 minutes.
He will do anything to make that happen, including calling up 2 of his closest friends, asking them to rehearse at 8am (half off space: happy hour for dance makers) for almost no money (emphasis on ALMOST). Costumes, he’ll barter performing in a Nutcracker (I promise, he should not be dancing in a Nutcracker). And long before the dancers even get on stage:
the $1,000 is gone.
What happens next?
It’s a story that young choreographers know all too well. Forced to spend their savings, possibly go into debt and all for people to say: “I don’t get it.”
Dagger to the heart.
This is a tale as old as time and, often, the point where too many young creatives stop.
Those first few years were filled with awards, grants and commissions that focused on product without supporting the process. I am very lucky to have even gotten that support and they helped to plant the seeds for the work I do now. Navigating those early years is where I began designing the work I do with RMD and laid the foundation for the laughs, friendships and meaningful work we do in the studio.
Over 10 years later, some of those friends are still in the room. We’ve been laughing a lot lately about how wild those first few years were. Sarah recently told a story about how there was one Monday morning she got off a redeye and came right to rehearsal at 8am- the commitment to the craft is unmatched. Every time, another story pops up I’m reminded of why Robert Mark Dance exists:
to cultivate creative spaces where artists thrive, bold contemporary dance is created,
and audiences discover meaningful shared experiences.
This is out ARTIST FIRST | ARTIST FORWARD mission, our guiding light every time we walk in the studio.
Over the next twelve weeks, I'd love to bring you a little closer to the work. I'll share stories from the rehearsal room, conversations with the artists, creative questions that keep me up at night, and an honest look at what it takes to build a contemporary dance season from the ground up.
Whether you've been following RMD for years or this is your first introduction, thank you for being here. Your curiosity, encouragement and support make this work possible, and I'm excited to let you in on the journey.
If you'd like to take the next step, you can follow along on Instagram and Facebook or explore our campaign through Fractured Atlas.
See you next week,
Robert