LINES Ballet company artist, Adji Cissoko, was named Artist-in-Residence for this year’s Vail Dance Festival, July 28 through August 7. She has performed in the festival with LINES Ballet since 2018 and originated a role in Alonzo King’s The Personal Element—a work commissioned by Vail Artistic Director, Damain Wetzel. The piece featured dancers from New York City Ballet and LINES Ballet performing to an original composition by MacArthur Fellow composer, and long-time LINES collaborator, Jason Moran.
As Artist-in-Residence, Adji will be featured in a number of works at the festival, including an original piece that she choreographed herself, in addition to teaching masterclasses. To celebrate her appointment, we asked Adji some questions about her creative process, leadership style, and past experiences performing at Vail. Read on before she takes the stage!
Interview by Erin McKay
How would you describe your leadership style?
I lead by example, constantly working on myself, reaching for more, and getting curious about the work and life in general. I like to think that living and practicing that way can be the inspiration people need to make changes and grow themselves. I love sharing my knowledge and experiences. It fills my heart if it’s helpful to others, and I love seeing change and growth within them!
Alonzo King, Adji Cissoko, and Shuaib Elhassan rehearsing The Personal Element for Vail Dance Festival
Who influenced you or taught you valuable lessons about leadership?
Alonzo King has probably taught me the most about leadership. He shows me how to lead a company on a daily basis. He knows how to motivate and inspire his dancers, constantly reach for more, and establish a relationship of trust …trust in his belief that more is possible!
Alonzo King and Adji Cissoko rehearsing The Personal Element for Vail Dance Festival
My parents have also hugely inspired me; they lived out a wonderful example of leadership. Both are so different, and yet, in the end, their approaches were all about allowing me to find my own leader within. They never failed to shower me with patience and to explain the reasons behind their actions and decision-making! Life itself has inspired me as well.
What have you learned from your past experiences performing at Vail Dance Festival with LINES Ballet?
I have learned that breathing shouldn’t be taken for granted! Performing in Vail at such a high altitude in Avon, Colorado is really challenging. It taught me to be more conscious of my breath and how I use it in dance. It is also beyond inspiring to be at Vail and share the stage with such wonderful artists.
Adji Cissoko and Jeffrey Van Sciver partnering in Alonzo King’s work at Vail Dance Festival
What was your first experience choreographing?
My first experience choreographing was over Zoom! I was teaching a friend of mine regularly in ballet. Once I discovered that she wrote poetry, I got excited to see what could be done in terms of movement. How could I build something that expressed her inspiring written words through dance?
Of course, we all choreograph on a daily basis at LINES Ballet. Building phrases [sections of choreography] is a part of our work. But choreographing on my friend felt different and stirred my interest and excitement to choreograph more!
Can you take us through your choreographic process?
It’s very important to me to know what I want to express and say with the choreography…so that it’s not just movement but rather a way of storytelling—which is why poetry is so inspiring to me. Music plays an important factor too. If the music speaks to me, I can put movement to it!
How has your experience as a company member with LINES Ballet influenced your work as a choreographer for this project and beyond?
Being at LINES as a dancer means you become a choreographer as well. It always seems like I’m adding some of myself to the work—whether that’s through the choreography I build during the process or simply with the choices I get to make while dancing it!
Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan rehearsing Alonzo King’s The Personal Element for Vail Dance Festival
My journey with LINES has also helped me find my own voice in general. Feeling confident in my opinions and choices helped me to trust myself and feel free while creating my own work.
Adji Cissoko
What inspired the piece you created for the Vail Dance Festival?
My piece is inspired by my griot history. Griot is the West African term for storyteller, which my Senegalese family “the Cissokos” are known for! I will be storytelling with the help of the kora, a West African string instrument that has been in my family for 72 generations! Back in the day, my ancestors played and sang for the kings, which was the only way that those stories, our culture, and our traditions were passed on!
Adji Cissoko’s cousin Youba Cissokho with the family kora; Adji Cissoko’s father Seni Cissoko with the family kora
I’m collaborating with my cousin Youba Cissokho for this project. He will be playing the kora live during the festival. We first worked together last year during the Toulmin Fellowship in New York! That was my first opportunity to create work and be paid for it in-person! Before that, I created work for my friends and for BalletX, but mostly over zoom. It was also a new experience to build something in collaboration with a musician (my cousin). Hearing the sound of his 21 strings inspires me to move and tell my stories! It is really special to me to have become a storyteller through my movement.
Adji Cissoko and her cousin Youba Cissokho partnering in Senegal
What have the dancers at Vail taught you?
Past Vail dancers taught me to take risks and find pleasure in dance! I remember watching Tiler Peck one year as she did the most complicated and rapid movement. She was smiling and enjoying herself, while taking risks and being in her element. She seemed fearless and at home on stage. That’s inspiring!!
Adji Cissoko, Tiler Peck, and Roman Mejia; Adji Cissoko and Roman Mejia at Vail Dance Festival
What do you hope to learn from stepping into the role of artist-in-residence? Is there an area that you want to challenge yourself in?
I hope to tackle the challenge of versatility! Humans are so complex, so ideally that can be reflected in the different pieces that I’ll perform—going from being a swan en pointe one night to connecting with my African roots the next, and being partnered in Alonzo’s choreography just to transform into one of the dancers in Kyle Abraham’ s piece afterwards. All the roles will be different, and yet, it’s still me and my voice on stage speaking through movement!
How do you define success as a choreographer?
Success should be a personal thing rather than being measured by outside voices and opinions! Success to me also doesn’t mean it’s perfection, since there will always be room for improvement and growth in every single thing. So if I had to define it, I would say that success is a momentary feeling of completion for the given task or one’s personal goals for the choreography. If the piece aligns with that goal, it’s a success!
Banner Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Adji Cissoko | © RJ Muna
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