Thursday, August 9, 2012

Interview with Nathan Trice of nathantrice / RITUALS

Nathan Trice is filling our studios in the afternoon this week. He and his company nathantrice / RITUALS are here giving all that they have got and hoping that workshop participants do the same. Following rehearsal this Wednesday, Trice spoke with me about his thoughts about his identity as a human being, his company's performance this weekend, and a possible 'made for TV' show.



Peridance Capezio Center How's your workshop going?
Nathan Trice It's good. Class was great. The students seem hungry, so I'm happy about that.

P.C.C. What are you focusing on for this workshop?
N.T. I just want them to feel good and breathe. I want them to find a deeper alignment between matter and breath, and of course have a good time with it, to just relax. My job is to break (the tension) down.

P.C.C. Describe your signature move
N.T. Undulating and rippling arms


P.C.C. Who do you admire as a dance artist in New York?
N.T. Ryoji Sasamoto. He's one of my dancers. 

P.C.C. Why?
N.T. He is a bit surreal. His relationship with space is surreal.

P.C.C. What does that look like?
N.T. He looks like his is constantly dissolving and forming in space.

P.C.C. When do we get to see him (and the rest of your company) next?
N.T. We have a performance this Friday, August 10th, at this space called FreeCandy.  
This is going to be our third episode at this space. The episodes are part of a project called Strange Love, which is about courtship, intimacy and love, and how four couples deal with those things.

P.C.C. Can you explain more about the project?
N.T. I've been working on Strange Love about 4 years now. We created an episodic performance series which we perform once a month at FreeCandy. I wanted to do something different, rather than just have a performance one weekend and then just be done with it.

P.C.C. What is the thing you define yourself as first.
N.T. I am an organism in constant process, In constant expiration. I'm always exploring the process of how things are happening. 

P.C.C. What was your first job in new york?
N.T. I was working for these two Italians who rented out an apartment building and ran a delivery service out of it. I thought it was quite entertaining. 

P.C.C. And how did you transition to becoming a dancer?
N.T. Well first, the restaurant moved into kiosks in Bryant Park. And then I auditioned for (the dance company) Momix.


P.C.C. What was your worst audition experience? 
N.T. It wasn't really 'the worst,' but it was a scholarship audition for the (Alvin) Ailey program. My intention at that time wasn't to go to Ailey. I auditioned as moral support for a friend. I was standing next to Matthew Rushing, a principal dancer at Ailey, and he had had 10 years training, and I had just been training for a year and a half, so it was embarrassing, But I didn't care. I just got up and did it for the heck of it. And I ended up getting the scholarship.

P.C.C. Any other notable audition experiences?
N.T. I didn't audition a lot. I waited until I was confident in myself. I knew that auditions would make me really insecure, so I said 'let me wait until I feel really in my body.' 

P.C.C. And at what age was that?
N.T. Oh, we’re getting into ages now.

P.C.C. Sorry... 
N.T. No, it's not a problem. I started dancing at age 24. I was in the Navy at the time and when I started (dancing) I had two more years in the military.

P.C.C. That sounds like a 'made for TV movie'
N.T. You know, Debbie Allen wanted to make a television series about it. But, no.....

P.C.C. Have you ever said there was something you would never do as a choreographer?
N.T. There's not much I wouldn't do, except make something that was empty of substance. 

P.C.C. If you make a piece and you're satisfied with it, is that enough?
N.T. No. If I make it public, and I'm satisfied with it and that's it, that's self-absorbed. There's no consideration for other humans. We have to spend time on audience cultivation. It is (the choreographer's) responsibility to touch your audience with what you have to say. 

Find out more about nathantrice / RITUALS' upcoming performance here
and Peridance Capezio Center has MORE amazing workshops throughout the year. Learn about them on our website!

2 comments:

sofia strempek said...

you can read more of this interview at
informalfloor.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I loved the interview and want to know more about N. Trice, now.