New function, similar values: A chat with Tiffany Rea-Fisher

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It’s pretty widespread for dance artists to serve in a number of roles: performer, choreographer, instructing artist, administrator, et cetera. Tiffany Rea-Fisher epitomizes such a multifaceted dance artist, in her personal putting manner. The Creative Director of EMERGE125, her dances have graced quite a lot of phases. Entities starting from the Dallas Black Dance Theatre to the NYC Division of Transportation to the Nationwide Gallery of Artwork (Washington, D.C.) have commissioned her work. Her impression doesn’t finish there, nonetheless; she’s additionally a curator, educator and – via roles such because the Director of the Adirondack Variety Initiative – an advocate.

She’ll be including one other function to that checklist this yr – specifically, the 2024 Helen Stambler Neuberger Artist-in-Residence with Nationwide Dance Institute (NDI). Dance Informa had the chance to talk with Rea-Fisher about moving into that new function, the values that undergird her work, what new ventures within the dance sector she’d prefer to undertake and extra. A tireless dedication to fairness, lifting up the subsequent era, and the ability of chance inside artmaking proven via all that she stated and she or he shared. With out additional ado, we’ll hear from her. 

Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Photo by Lisa Keegan.
Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Picture by Lisa Keegan.

You put on many hats, together with inventive director, choreographer, dancer, curator, range advocate and educator. What lets you discover stability, to know the place to speculate your vitality, when? 

“I purpose to do essentially the most good in as many locations as doable. I really feel that the humanities is usually a automobile for good – however they will also be dangerous. I vowed that if I have been ever within the entrance of the room, I’d be a very good reminiscence. In the event you actually care about your craft, you must care about the subsequent era that can carry the torch. 

Moreover, once I began choreographing, I discovered that you must dig down into the nicely of your individual expertise. The humanities are an effective way to broach difficult subjects, grounded in that non-public expertise. I’ll do all of it so long as I can, however I additionally know that we are able to’t do that work endlessly.” 

Amongst your current works was choreographing for a manufacturing of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (produced via The Public Theater’s Public Works initiative, staged on the Delacorte Theater in Central Park). How we are able to preserve such basic works actually related and important into the trendy day and past?

“Serving as a resident choreographer for The Classical Theatre of Harlem was a very good basis for engaged on The Tempest. It’s typically stated that you might put Shakespeare anyplace, in entrance of anybody, and it will nonetheless ring true – the themes are that common. That was true with this program. I liked that it was an intergenerational public works venture, with a forged of 80 performers. 

On the similar time, after the summer season of 2020 [and the Black Lives Matter movement], what can we do with these works on this planet as it’s now? We are able to’t work ahistorically. We now have to think about context and the ‘why.’ We now have to ask what serves us now, and what doesn’t, as we transfer ahead.” 

You could have been chosen as Nationwide Dance Institute’s 2024 Helen Stambler Neuberger Artist-in-Residence. What are you trying ahead to within the function?

Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Photo by Lisa Keegan.
Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Picture by Lisa Keegan.

“My firm, EMERGE125, is Harlem-based – 90 p.c of our dancers stay in Harlem. Throughout COVID, we have been kind of guinea pigs for the Nationwide Dance Institute (with studios shut by) – to check protocols earlier than they introduced younger college students again in. From that, we used their house to rehearse. So, that related me with the group, and issues moved ahead from there. I’ve wished to show extra, in addition to spend money on the area people. If I’m going to be there making work, I wish to know the neighborhood that I’m in.”   

What challenges do you anticipate within the function?

“I’ll be working with sixth via eighth graders, and I hope that they resonate with the fabric. The connection with the choreographer might be symbiotic, and belief is established early. It’ll be a enjoyable problem! 

Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Photo by Lisa Keegan.
Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Picture by Lisa Keegan.

I additionally hope that there’s hometown pleasure, the popularity that you just don’t should go far for excellent dance training and nice dance artwork. And it additionally might be you, too; you might be on the entrance of the room subsequent! It’s about you being you! After I stroll right into a room, I by no means know who I may encourage. I would like us to faucet into marvel, confidence and chance.” 

What subsequent – are there different hats that you just want to put on in your profession, different visions to appreciate? 

“I hope to maintain nurturing the subsequent era and offering alternative. I imagine that in the event you’re going to be a gatekeeper, preserve your ear to the bottom and be sure that it’s all not simply the identical, similar, similar. I’ve executed theater choreography, which I’ve seen as a ‘summer season gig’ – however I’ve been informed, ‘No, you’re doing that and it’s you, you need to use that title!’ It’s humorous to appreciate what is already, which we could not all the time understand. 

Apart from that, I’ve thought that my ‘third act’ will probably be dance writing, and I’ve executed a few of that. lt lives on in such a distinct manner than efficiency and choreography. Down the road, as issues change, you’re accountable to ‘sure, I wrote that!’ That’s an fascinating problem.” 

“And I hope that the overtone right here is one in every of gratitude. I really feel grateful and fortunate that my onerous work has paid off. I’ve tried to remain open and in a spot of sure. I believe that individuals see that, and it makes a distinction.” 

Go right here to study extra about Nationwide Dance Institute, and right here to find out about EMERGE125. Comply with Tiffany Rea-Fisher at @treafisher on Instagram, and EMERGE125 at @emerge125

By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.









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