With the start of the Teens at LINES fall semester just weeks away, we asked Katie Roy about her experience teaching Choreo-LAB, a weekly movement laboratory for Teens 2 and 3 students interested in exploring the choreographic process. A former graduate of LINES Ballet’s Training Program, Katie applies the lessons that she learned in those two years to her teaching. Read on to hear how she transforms a studio into a laboratory, where inspiration is easily drawn and vulnerability is encouraged. Or scroll down to watch our Choreo-LAB students in action, performing and processing over Zoom.
What do you do on the first day of Choreo-LAB?
We typically use the first day to start to get to know one another – first as humans and then as movers/choreographers! Usually, in a typical session, we start off with a writing or drawing prompt and then transition into movement and choreographic exercises (with plenty of time for discussion).
How do you prompt students to create?
This is the fun part 🙂 We draw inspiration from a huge variety of sources! We create from words and language, patterns, images, music and sound, somatic feeling, emotions, memories, chance procedures, improvisation, ideas, and even something as seemingly mundane as what we ate for breakfast that morning.
Are there composition methods that you learned in the Training Program that you pass down to your students?
Absolutely! Many of the methods we use in this class are variations on/extensions of exercises that I experienced during my time in the Training Program, notably in composition classes with Christian Burns and creative processes with other esteemed faculty and guest artists.
Do the students compose many short works or do they create one piece?
Both! We will play with certain choreographic prompts for one or two classes before moving on to a different idea. Our more long-term pieces have included dance-for-film video projects and works generated for performance opportunities across the Bay Area.
What is your role as their teacher?
My role as a teacher is to provide small seeds of feedback, observations, and guidance, and to provide space in between all of that for the dancers to discover what/how/why they like to make. There is also a lot of vulnerability in sharing something you have made, so it’s also my job to make sure that the dancers are in a space where they feel supported and are able to observe their own experiences and others’ creations without judgement.
Are there any insights that you wish you would have learned at their age that you try to impart?
As valuable as technique and foundational principles are, it can be challenging to feel like you have a voice within the earlier years of conventional training. This class is largely an exercise in making choices, finding inspiration in surprising places, and discovering what it is you want to say and how you want to say it. My hope is that the several months we spend together expand students’ sense of self and agency in a creative space; what makes you you is what makes your work irreplaceable, even in, say, the middle of a tendu combination.
Do you notice a change in students’ confidence throughout the semester?
Yes! It usually takes some time and some practice for dancers to break out of their habits and try new things, and it is a joy to watch as their confidence grows in that process and their creative abilities over the course of the semester.
Do you have a favorite memory from Choreo-LAB?
Many, but this one comes to mind now that we are in the process of returning to the studio… In March of 2020, we stopped holding classes in-person because of the pandemic. Teens did not have an official virtual program at that point, but a handful of the dancers in Choreo-LAB reached out to ask if we could continue to meet anyway. I started holding open classes, and we had the wonderful opportunity to stay connected and keep choreographing in our own homes through weekly FaceTime meetings. It was really inspiring to see this group’s sense of community and desire to continue dancing together, and it also kept me accountable for thinking creatively during an extremely challenging time.
What are you looking forward to most about working with students again in-person?
I am so excited to share space with the dancers again! Having the opportunity to work in small groups without separating into Zoom breakout rooms, to talk one-on-one, and to feel the energy in the room has been very much missed.
What lesson do you hope that your students will remember for years to come?
Restrictions, boundaries, and obstacles are an opportunity for creativity. Conversely, (creative) rules are made to be broken. If you let it, failure precedes and is necessary for growth. The process of making something that you end up disliking, or not feeling connected to at all, is equally as valuable as the process of making something that you are proud of. It’s all practice!
Interview by Erin McKay | Photography by Steve Disenhof
Teens at LINES
Based in ballet and contemporary, Teens at LINES challenges young artists ages 11-17 to embrace their individuality while learning in a supportive environment. No experience necessary! In-person and online options are available for the fall semester which starts September 11, 2021. Students enrolled in TEENS 2 or 3 (in-person) are eligible to register for Choreo-LAB with Katie Roy. To learn more, visit: linesballet.org/teens-lines
Photography: Stephen Texeira
Kids Online Classes
Online ballet and hip hop classes for kids start in September! Little movers ages 5-12 can leap into fall with dance experiences that enhance learning, inspire creativity, and contribute to a sense of wellness. All of our kids’ classes are taught by experienced teaching artists dedicated to culturally-responsive instruction and to creating equitable, inspiring movement learning for all. To learn more, visit: bit.ly/AKLBkids
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