Trey Is So (serious)

Jun 03, 2009
Dance

During my first year in ABT I was lucky enough to be plucked out of the corps for a featured part in a World Premiere ballet: Trey McIntyre’s Pretty Good Year. Over six grueling weeks of rehearsal I not only had the chance to get to know a completely different vocabulary–one where legs and arms jutted out on unexpected counts and men lifted each other as much as they lifted the women–but I also had the chance to work with a choreographer I’d looked up to for quite some time. As a fellow graduate of NCSA, Trey McIntyre was always someone I admired. His patience and dedication to bringing out the best in the cast’s young dancers–whom all had very little experience– made my respect grow.

Over the years I’ve encountered Trey on various occasions and I’ve had the chance to watch several of his pieces performed by companies all over the country. One thing I hadn’t done was photographed his work. That all changed yesterday when I shot (serious), a piece on the program this week at the Joyce Theater, where the Trey McIntyre Project is making its New York debut.

I was extremely impressed with the athleticism of the nine dancers that make up this fledgling company. Fortunately, they all get a chance to shine, none more so than Jason Hartley (another NCSA grad), who devours the stage. Watching the show last night, after photographing during the day, I was surprised at some key moments I missed in the piece…and others I wouldn’t have expected to capture, yet somehow did. ‘Tis the reality when shooting choreography you’ve never seen before, I guess. Do yourself a favor and don’t let the week pass by without seeing the work for yourself. Just head to Chelsea and grab a ticket!