Meridith Rainey

What was exciting?

It was exciting to learn contemporary ballet. I felt like I've had the opportunity to learn this style with other artists and doing this audition made me like Meredith's style even more. It was another successful Zoom audition that was fun to be a part of.

What was challenging?

It was challenging to pick up through Zoom but over it felt calm and enjoyable to do. His combination was one of my favorites this season. Of course, ballet is always a challenge for me but Meridtih made it fun to do.

How would being in this project help me grow?

During the audition, I took Rainey's advice not to worry so much about the combination but to just have fun and do it. It also helped me keep my mind sane throughout these past two days of dancing.

Le' Andre Douglas

What was exciting?

Everything about this process was exciting. I thought his sense of teaching was so raw and easy to follow. He made it seem so seamless to learn. This process was just one of the exciting ones you want more of.

What was challenging?

Staying in the pocket of music and figuring out what he wanted from us as dancers and individuals. Once he kept repeating about being yourself and showing your true self made a huge difference in my ability to add my flavor.

How would being in this project help me grow?

Being in this process would help me grow by being uncomfortable with another style that I'm not familiar with but that I want to keep learning about. I've always appreciated hip-hop fusion but I never really stuck with it just because I know that I'm not the best at it. I think it'll help me grow by trying a new style.

Megan

*What was exciting?

It was exciting to learn from Megan this audition just because I've never seen her contemporary work but I've seen her dance and have danced with her before. it was cool to learn how she adds a groove to her contemporary work. This audition process was one of my favorites so far.

*What was challenging?

Learning from a student choreographer is always challenging, especially in learning their dance style and incorporating it into our bodies. She did incorporate hard floor work that I sort of feel like it was fun to do. Yet it was challenging to get off the floor to then continue staying on the beat for the next part.

*How would being in this project help me grow?

Being in this project would allow me to work with yet again another student choreographer who knows what they want in their process. Megan has this way of teaching that is enjoyable to work with and being in this project can help me grow to continue learning from a colleague like her.

Love

*What was exciting?

I've always loved taking classes from love. Her qualities as a teacher and choreographer always allowed me as a dancer to be as free as possible. Her combo was exciting to learn so I'm excited to see where her process is headed.

*What was challenging?

Lots of movement that was happening but the challenge was manageable. Every time Love teaches a class I know its going to be a challenge just by the way she incorporates floor movement to coming off the floor and running. I think just being athletic in her work is challenging which helps me get to where I want to be as a dancer.

*How would being in this project help me grow?

Learning from UT alumni has always been the best way to help me learn from them. Being in Venese's piece who was also a UT alumni just made the experience better. I've always liked having past MFA students come in to teach. It excites me as an artist to take what they teach and bring it into my dancing and teaching. So learning from Love will help me grow as an artistic dancer by learning her style of contemporary.

This whole process this semester felt so comfortable and fast. The lineup of artists this semester is so exciting because they each bring in their artistic style to then eventually create cyhpers at the end of the semester. I'm beyond excited just for this next PDPR year.

What was challenging?

I think each of the combinations we learned this week was challenging just because they all had different dynamics with what they wanted for their outcomes.

How would being in this project help me grow?

Being in this Fall project would be a thrill to be in again, hopefully now performing in the round for the first time at UT so I'm excited to grow through the process of seeing how the process then changes at the end and how I can adjust direction changes when performing.

Over the past two month I’ve experienced waves of exhaustion. Wether it was physically or mentally , i felt so out of being present when i needed to during some rehearsals. Overtime i got over it by telling myself i can do it and it’ll all workout but i eventually just started to stress myself out. I think this semester i never had a “break” to take a step back when things were getting overwhelmed. I eventually had to take a day off to regain myself to be okay for the show. I feel like now I’m a lot less anxious than i was a few weeks ago.

Think the best thing that is making this process exciting as well is getting to create new friendships with other people in different cohorts. Making these friendships have been the highlight of my semester. I felt like I’ve branched out and really got to know people individually rather than a whole group combined. These are moments i look for to talk about in the future. The people I’ve met through this process are ones i can also call my close friends. This has been a big delight in this semester process of PDPR