Black= Question
Green= Arianne MacBean's response
A few Moments with Arianne MacBean
When did you first start dancing and who introduced to the dancing world? My Dad took me to my first dance performance when I was about 3 years old. Supposedly I danced through the hallways at intermission. At one point I fell to the floor but then got up gracefully. The people around me applauded and I think I was hooked!
Did you always know that you wanted to pursue dancing as a career? Yes. Dancing has always been a part of who I am and how I communicate and make meaning out of my life.
Were you ever inspired by a person to begin dancing? There are two experiences I have had in my life that have changed how I think about dance. The first was when I was about 16 years old and I took a summer workshop at Harvard University with David Dorfman. He taught my choreography class. On the first day he asked us to create a solo. I began to put together a series of turns and arabesques, using the steps I had learned in dance class. David came up to me very sweetly and said quietly, "Arianne, why don't you try using movements you have never seen before." It was what they call an, "Aha!" moment. I looked around the room and noticed, for what seemed the the first, time, that everyone was creating dances with their own signature style. I thought for a moment about what my style was... "I can do whatever I want!!!" I thought. And then I completely abandoned my previous movement material - started fresh - and began my real journey as a dance-maker.
The second experience was years later, when I was probably 22. I went to see Bill T. Jones' performance at UCLA of "Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin." It was like nothing I had ever seen before. It held so much humanity in it - it was full of life - the sad and sorrowful and the joyful grace of life. I sat in my seat after the show was over and didn't want to leave the theater. From then on, I knew I wanted to make dances that communicated about our world - our exepriences as humans.
Did you ever have those times where you just wanted to give up dancing? If so, why? When I had my first child I wondered if I would be able to keep creating dances on top of my full time teaching job and family obligations. I knew I wanted to keep choreographing but I didn't know how to integrate everything. So, my first show after having Lily Grace was all about that issue. In fact, I ended up doing a show that included my dance company, my students, colleagues from Oakwood and even moms from my Moms Support Group performed! It was probably one of the most meaningful shows I have ever done. To see all the people in my life on stage together was a surreal and poignant moment for me. I feel very lucky to have been supported by everyone during that time in my life.
If you hadn't become a dancer, what else would you have liked to do as a career? Maybe a designer, or a decorator, or a writer????
Do you feel accomplished about having your own dance company? YES!
How does it feel to have your own company instead of just dancing in one? I much prefer to make dances than to be in dances. I have learned a lot from being in other peoples' dance companies. Things like: team work, knowing when to be quiet and when to express ideas, how to listen to my body. But, I think my greater skill lies in conceptualizing dances.
Would you like your daugthers to follow in your footsteps? If so, why? So far, Lily Grce has shown a natural love of movement but who knows if this will maintain throughout her years. I will support her in whatever she decides to do, and of course, be thrilled if she chooses to dance. As fro the one still inside my belly - she sure loves to kick!
Have you ever had any disadvantages/set backs(injuries,etc.) that didn't allow you to dance? I have had small injuries throughout my carreer that have set me back for short periods of time but I have never had any chronic physical issues. I've been very lucky that way!
If you could change one thing about your dancing life, what would it? Why? This is a great question. I guess I would like to have more time (and patience) to spend on the details of understanding movement, physically. I would like to be able to slow down enough to regularly pay attention to the fine motor skills of my body and to know my body more intimately.
If you could tell one thing to any aspiring dancers out there, what would it be? WORK WORK WORK
Lastly, why did you decide to pursue the life of a dancer, and if anything, what convinced you that this was the life for you? It was never really a choice I made. Dancing is a part of my DNA, my make-up. Every day I feel more and more connected to dancing and to my creative self. I love learning along with my students and watching them discover new parts of themselves through movement. I feel very lucky to be present at times of creative inspiration and collaboration. Every dance class is a gift and that keeps me coming back to the dance studio day after day, year after year.
Image Courtesy of: http://www.dancemovingforward.com/html/tbs_bean.html