Photo by Tatiana Wills

 “Art is risk made visible” - Arno Minkkinen

   As a choreographer, I persistently push myself to take risks, while striving to create an environment where dancers feel encouraged and supported. While my work often begins with the music, it is the dancers in front of me that ultimately shape the direction and intention of the piece. The exploration of uninhibited movement within the confines of the classical ballet vocabulary is one that has always intrigued me and is a relationship that I explore more with each work I create. I am fascinated by the connections dancers make on stage and my work often wrestles with the dichotomy between the individual and the group. Emphasizing musicality, vulnerability, and authenticity, I strive to connect audiences to the collaborative power music and dancers can create together. Dance has the ability to connect us to the deepest parts of our humanity by helping to tap us into the passionate and uninhibited aspects of being alive. My goal as a choreographer is to create meaningful and gratifying pieces for dancers and audience members alike, and I am not afraid to celebrate the beauty and excitement of dance for the sake of dance. I aspire to continually push myself to explore new realms of my creativity while remaining true to myself and who I am as an artist.

- Nicole Haskins