In my first article, I challenged all of you to get out and participate in something artistic around Nashville. I'm beginning a series of interviews with professionals in Nashville that have had a career in the arts to give you, the reader, more of a grasp on how prevalent and possible this is. The first interview is with a Lipscomb Professor of Dance, and a good one at that, Maggie Pelton. She's a rockstar and has kicked many a butt in her classes, but we're all the better for it.
What drew you to dance at a young age?
"My parents just put me in dance at the YMCA for exercise along with gymnastics, ice skating, piano, lessons, etc. Like any kid, however, every year I had to drop something that conflicted with my schedule and I continued to choose ballet. Eventually I was recognized as having potential and the seriousness of my training became quite intense at a young age."
What steps did you have take to achieving your dream of becoming a professional dancer?
"I grew up in New Jersey and studied at the New Jersey Ballet since I was 4, danced in the Nutcracker for 11 years straight and was an apprentice to the company while still in high school. My parents insisted I go to college first before pursuing my dream however I soon realized that was all part of the dream. I had the great fortune to graduate from the Juilliard school with a BFA in dance and study with and perform works by some of the most prestigious names in dance, such as George Balanchine, Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch, Kenneth MacMillan, Denis Nahat, and the list goes on!"
Can you describe your experiences and some favorite memories of your professional career?
"I auditioned for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and earned a scholarship for their summer program. From there, I was invited to join Ailey II, a junior company that tours the U.S. and the Caribbean. I thought my dreams of dancing professionally had all come true and wasn't sure what was next, I never in a million years thought I would have gotten as far as I did and the idea of the main company was pure fantasy, however with the encouragement of the faculty at the Ailey organization I auditioned for Alvin Ailey himself. Out of more than 300 other girls auditioning, I got the job. Being the last female he chose before he passed away has been the greatest fortune of my life. I had some of my most memorable dance experiences at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, dancing under the stars in Verona Italy. Being a part of several festivals and celebrations such as the Singapore Festival Of The Arts at the Kallang Theater, Singapore, the Taipei International Dance Festival at the National Memorial Hall, Taipei and the French Revolution 100th Anniversary Celebration at The Grand Palais, in Paris, France."
What do you love about teaching dance?
"My training in ballet, modern, jazz, musical theater and Dunham techniques all came into play during my career with the Alvin Ailey company. I like to bring this wide background of styles to students of all ages and stages of development. Whether someone wants to become a professional dancer or just learn how to be more graceful or flexible, I love to teach and see growth not only in talent, but as people stand up straighter, have a spring in their step, and express joy and a love to move!"
What is the dance community like in Nashville?
"The dance community here in Nashville is really quite rich, varied and forever growing. I moved here in 1996 and felt like a big fish in a small pond however 20 years later I am one of many big fish in a large body of water filled with beautiful color and talent! I started working with the Nashville Ballet and its resident modern dance company Epiphany and it was difficult to fill the audience. Now the Nashville Ballet has grown leaps and bounds built new studios started a second company and sells out at the box office! Epiphany is now joined by several modern dance companies like New Dialect, Blue Moves and the Global Education Center for the Arts and OZ give space for professional and amateur dancers to work on great productions and classes in a variety of styles of dance including African, Indian, ballet, modern, tap and jazz, and I am sure the list goes on!"
Is it possible for the dance community to grow in Nashville and how do you think it can grow?
"We have several great universities in town that offer dance and many dance studios including our metro parks and recreation programs that offer classes for students of all ages. Vanderbilt and MTSU have had great dance programs and some classes are open to the public. Belmont is in its 12th year as having a Dance Minor, and Lipscomb is just getting started with dance as a part of its theater department and still has lots of room to grow! I think Nashville is doing all the right things with its participating in TAD Tennessee Association of Dance workshops and conventions, sharing choreography with an incredible amount of new and upcoming theater production companies. I feel there could be more opportunities for older adult classes and that the smaller studios in town should focus less on competition on more on technique."
Most people would view dance as simply a form of entertainment to watch, but is there something deeper to find as an audience member when watching dance?
"Many past and contemporary choreographers have looked to ancient Greece for inspiration. They considered questions concerning the role dance should play in the education of a good citizen and the value of all the arts as entertainment, spectacle and therapy. They concluded that seeing dance can be cathartic or therapeutic to its audience (The Dance Experience by Nadel and Strauss)."
What would you say to the younger generations about the importance of art and participating in local arts?
"Like the above mentioned beliefs of the early Greeks, I feel the value of dance, along with the other arts, serve a dual function-to provide a cleansing, cathartic release and to educate good citizens. I have always felt extremely grateful to have a career in a field that is fulfilling on so many levels. It teaches discipline, perseverance, physical fitness, community support and etiquette."
Could you recommend any groups/performers/companies in Nashville that you love that specifically focus on dance?
"Mentioned many above: New Dialect, Nashville Ballet, Blue Moves, Epiphany, Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville, Belmont, Lipscomb, Vanderbilt, MTSU, Global Education Center"
Any final comments/inspirations/quotes that you would like to share.
"You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed or sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive."
-Merce Cunningham
