By the time Annie Morgan auditioned for GroundWorks, she had logged more than 30 hours auditioning for various modern dance companies up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Though she had many different audition experiences, she knew right away that she wanted to dance for GroundWorks.
“A former teacher, Sarah Cullen Fuller, told me about the company and it immediately struck me to be an exciting and innovative group of artists,” she says. “I saw a video of David [Shimotakahara] speaking and I was really drawn to the company. Throughout the audition, everyone was so warm and welcoming, and I loved the movement that we were doing.”
Annie grew up in Birmingham, Alabama where she studied at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She continued her training as a conservatory student at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. There, she performed works by Septime Webre, Anthony Tudor, Matthew Powell, Daniel Karasik, Jennifer Archibald and Adam Hougland. At Point Park, she received the Loti Falk Scholarship and was featured as one of eight local standout performances by the Pittsburgh City Post. She has also done work with the Berkshire Choreography Group where she performed Louisa Chapman Mejeur’s “Elements” at Jacobs Pillow.
You will make your debut on the GroundWorks stage for the first time this summer. What are you most looking forward to?
I’ve always enjoyed performing in more unconventional venues. I’m excited to be dancing outdoors and the additional factor of performing with live music makes this series that much more thrilling. You have all these different moving parts that I’m not necessarily used to having while performing. I know it’s going to be an amazing feeling!
Why did you audition for GroundWorks?
I just graduated a month ago. During my second semester of this past year, I was looking for work. I was doing extensive research on companies all over the world, looking for a new company and city to call home. I had a lot of past and present teachers that really guided me during this time by sharing knowledge and their own experiences with different companies. It was a lot of work. Every weekend over several weeks, I would mega-bus it to New York and audition. I wanted as many experiences with as many auditions as possible.
I didn’t know a lot about GroundWorks. A former teacher, Sarah Cullen Fuller, sent me a link to the company’s website and told me I should “check out this awesome company!” I saw a video of David speaking and was immediately drawn to the company. He spoke of the collaborative nature of the company and their interest in finding new ways to move and think as dancers. So, when the time came, I drove up from Pittsburgh with two of my best friends to audition. I shared brief conversations with company members Gemma [Freitas Bender] and Tyler [Ring] before the audition even started, but knew right away I was going to like this atmosphere. The whole audition was a 6-hour process. Everyone was so welcoming and I loved the movement that we were doing. Up to that point, I’d had so many different audition experiences, but I knew within the first hour that I wanted to dance for GroundWorks.
What makes you unique? What kind of contributions do you want to make to the company?
I can laugh at myself. I’m a little bit goofy. Of course, I can stay serious in the studio if need be, but when you’re with five people in the studio for hours and hours, you need to break the ice a little. When we’re all hunkered down trying to figure out choreography and timing I think it is healthy to laugh or joke with each other if not purely for a little mental break. I try to be light hearted, which I think is super important, because as dancers, we can get really serious which can sometimes get in the way of what we are trying to accomplish. Taking a step back can be so helpful! Dancing is mentally and physically exhausting, so it’s important to stay open hearted.
How would you describe your artistry? The way you move?
I grew up in a very strict ballet background. In college, I had expanded my vocabulary to assorted styles like modern, contemporary and partnering. College was a time to experiment with improvisational movement. It was a time for me to break out from the classical ballet mold. My movement, especially when improvising, can be kind of quirky mixed with more fluid movements.
But I’m definitely still pinpointing my style. With Banning [Bouldin’s world premiere work this summer], the movement is so different from what I’m used to but I absolutely love exploring how to navigate her material. I’m still discovering what I have to say as an artist. But I’m 22. I’ve got some time. David [Shimotakahara] is amazing. He gives us the time to explore our own movement styles and what we want to express in our own way. I feel so fortunate because even as one of the younger company members, David gives me that room and opportunity.
So far, how has your GroundWorks experience been different from other artistic experiences?
There are lot of factors, for one, the number of people in the room has been very different for me. At my school, it was 30 of us in a room at a time. With five people, you become very close very quickly. We’re all dancing together, we’re all partnering together. That’s definitely played a big factor. It’s so different from anything that I’ve ever experienced before, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. There is something so special about working in a small group like this every day.
Also, I had 10 days after college before I started with the company, so it was a really quick jump from being a student to being a professional. The learning never really ends though, so I still feel like I take away new ideas and concepts every day. It’s also a wonderful opportunity, especially right after school, to have opportunities to choreograph right off the bat. If I had joined a larger company, I think I would have felt that my input would have been put on the back burner because I am younger. But being one of five has allowed me to stay strong with my opinions and share what I’m thinking.
It pushes me to be present in the room. I had never really been in a creative process that involves the dancers this much when cultivating new material. David calls it the Discovery Process. He gives us a prompt that we respond to with movement. We become a big part in the building process of the work. He wants to know how it feels on our bodies, and he wants us to enjoy and be a part of what we are creating. I had never really experienced anything like it.
Tell us about your dance background. How did you find dance?
Well, the story goes, from my mom, that as a child she begged her mother to be put in dance classes. My grandma, having six kids to take care of, didn’t think it was very practical use of time or money. So, as a result, my mom decided that if she ever had a little girl, she would put her in as many dance classes as she wanted. I went to dance class at age three and fell in love! I’ve never stopped and now my grandma is one of my biggest supporters.
How does dancing make you feel?
Very vulnerable. I think the most appealing part to me is when I am being pushed to my physical limits. The most satisfying thing is when I’m so physically exhausted on stage but the adrenaline and years of training keep me pushing for more. It’s the most bizarre but exhilarating feeling.
Tell us about where you grew up.
I’m from Birmingham, Alabama. I went to The Alabama School of Fine Arts located in downtown Birmingham. The downtown scene was kind of non-existent when I was growing up. But as soon as I left for college, it kind of hit its renaissance with super hip shops, cool parks and fantastic restaurants. As I understand it, Cleveland is going through this same kind of renaissance. The city is coming into its own and is becoming this interesting place with a great deal of events and shows happening. It’s an awesome time to be here.
What are you looking forward to exploring here in Cleveland?
I was in Cleveland for the first time during my audition. Being from Alabama, I always look for the hiking and cool outdoor spots. I’ve heard a lot about the Towpath. I can’t wait to explore that. I’ve also found little pockets of cool restaurants and bakeries here. I’m a big food and brewery gal! Gemma introduced me to On the Rise on the East side which rocks. We just checked out Il Rione – that place has really great pizza! Tyler has shown me my new favorite Brewery called Nano Brew which has great craft beer. I’ve also been to Edgewater Park about a million times now.