Cooper

Hear how Texas dancer Cooper finds balance in her day to day NYC life, the importance of winter gear, and why she finds working with beginner dancers incredibly valuable... 

Working as a dancer is extremely demanding.  How do you fuel your busy days in NYC? 

I normally start my day off with a protein shake or a smoothie of some sort. It's light and filling and easy for being on the run. Most mornings I'm heading out to an audition and it's nice to just have something to take with you and drink during your commute. Throughout the day you can normally find me snacking on various fruits and veggies and way too many m&m's haha!  Apples and peanut butter are my go to power snack. I try to eat a salad a day and throw as many different colors into it as I can. I also chug so. much. water. It's just so important to stay super hydrated especially if your running from audition to class to a rehearsal etc. I also just recently started this program called Advocare which has made a huge difference in my energy levels throughout long dance days and just getting through my busy days in general. I'm also a HUGE fan of cross training. It helps prevent injury but also can help you recover from injury faster. I dance so much which is great but I think it's super important to strengthen your muscles in other ways than just through dancing. Pilates and Yoga are my favorite ways to help strengthen your muscles but will help keep them long and lean. Swimming does the same thing and works your stamina and I do that on occasion. 

From a mental standpoint, I think that it's super important to have something you're involved in outside of the dance industry. It adds a sense of balance into your life that you don't get otherwise. Reading has always been a way for me to one get some quiet time for myself, but also is something that I find super relaxing.  I'm also super involved in my church and have found that it's given me a different perspective on various things both in the dance industry as well as out of it which again adds some much needed balance into my life. 

One of the things I love about NYC is the shear amount of people you come across in a day.  Have you crossed paths with anyone in the last month who has influenced, or changed you in some way? 

I can't say that I have one specific person in mind however over the past couple months I've had the chance to assist a mentor and dear friend of mine in teaching a few of the Absolute Beginner Workshops at Broadway Dance Center. The people who are involved in this workshop series have either danced before and never kept up with it for whatever reason, just dabbled once or twice in a class, or have never once stepped foot in a dance studio. I honestly think that they are some of the most inspiring people. I learned and was inspired in so many different ways while I was working with them. They were so committed to the craft and were genuinely coming to class because they wanted to better themselves both as a dancer and as a person. They weren't coming to prove that they could execute the choreography perfectly, or to video it 50 million times to put on the internet. They came because they loved what they were doing and wanted to challenge themselves to try something new. This was just such a huge reminder to me to just push myself and take classes in styles that I'm not super comfortable in, and to be honest that can be a scary thing to do, but you will only benefit from it in the long run. 

What was the most surprising thing to you when you first came to NYC that you wish you had known ahead of time? 

The first thing that came to my mind when reading this question was winter gear. LOL!  I grew up in Texas and then after I graduated I moved to LA where I never had to worry about snow or winter for that matter. So, when I moved to NY I just bought a random winter coat and was like oh this will perfect.... ummm no. You need different coats/layers for different days of winter. I also was convinced that I could manage trekking my way through blizzards in just my sneakers. I was so wrong in that department as well. You definitely need both rain and snow boots. It seems so silly now but it was a very real life struggle my first year here. I'm happy to report year two went significantly better. 

Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your life in NYC - we look forward to seeing much more of you Cooper! You rock lady!! Be sure to catch her at Broadway Dance Center where she loves to assist some fabulous choreographers including Lisa Stevens, Lizz Picini, and Mark Goodman. 

Makeup + Hair by Ashley Hughes

www.DAGphotog.com

Fresh Faces: Ashley

Meet Ashley - She is currently working on the Tony Award winning show The King and I, as part of the wardrobe team.  Get to know a bit about her life, the show, and how Mark Fisher Fitness helps her stay sane...

What is the hardest part about your job, working at a Broadway show?

This feels like such a silly answer, but I think for me the hardest part is missing out on getting to see other shows and performances due to the fact that you’re also putting on a show. I’ve always been a big concert and theatre goer, so adjusting to the fact that, no sorry, you actually CAN’T go see Hanson play two nights in a row at the Gramercy because you’ve got to do shows of your own, that’s been the hardest part. Especially in years like this year where there is SO much incredible new theatre happening and I haven’t seen….any of it. My roommate will come home raving about the new play she just saw and I’m like, "cool cool cool," tell me everything because I’ll never see it. And I have various friends in shows happening and I want to get out and support them and see them being the incredibly talented people that they are, but I can’t. That being said, I also feel very fortune that the reason I’m not able to see every band I want to see when they come to town, or I had to miss out on seeing Jen Kirkman’s book tour, or I’m not getting to see all the new shows coming out is because I get to put on a show eight times a week myself. It’s a bummer to miss out on these really wonderful pieces of art, and to not always get to go and support my friends like I want to, but I’m also a part of a really great piece of art, so I can’t be THAT upset about it. And honestly, if that’s the hardest part about working on a Broadway show that I can think of in this moment, that’s really freaking awesome. 

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do with the show?

Getting to be a small part of helping create something really beautiful and magical, something that’s bigger than me, is so insanely rewarding. Theatre is such a cool experience because we’re asking people to come into this space, turn off your phones, ignore the outside world for the next three hours, and just exist in the reality that we’re creating for you. We get to transport people into another world - be that another era, another reality, whatever - and they get to physically be there with you. The characters are right there, the sights, the smells, the sounds, it’s all real right in front of you, which I think is what makes the world of theater so much more of an experience than say, going to a movie. We have the ability to truly transport people to another place, which is wild and beautiful in so many ways. So getting to be a cog in the machine that makes that happen is insanely rewarding to me. Theatre has changed my life in so many ways, and I can only hope that this little skit that I get to be a part of is also impacting people in some way, small or large, and knowing that makes long days or crazy moments incredibly worth it, and makes my job as a whole completely and insanely rewarding. 

How do you stay sane and level headed with such an incredibly busy schedule?

One of the most important things I’ve learned in this life is that you have to have time for yourself, whether that’s 20 minutes or an hour, it has to be time just for you, to do whatever it is you need to do to keep your sanity and your happiness. It’s something that Mark Fisher really pressed the importance of when I first started training with him, and he refers to it as “non-negotiable me time”; the time that you set aside that is 100% for you, to do whatever it is you need or want to do, and it’s not for other people and it can’t be canceled or rescheduled, it’s for YOU. For me, that’s often the time I set aside to hit the gym or work on writing projects (or some days, I’ll be honest, to just sit on my couch and watch a little TV), but it’s time that I literally schedule into my day that I don’t allow to be canceled or moved around or changed. It does mean sometimes having to sacrifice getting to hang out with someone or missing out on some fun things, but without that time that’s absolutely for me, the time that I use to center myself and reflect and do something that’s absolutely for me, I’d definitely lose my mind. I think that’s utterly essential, especially with a busy schedule that has you bouncing around the city doing all sorts of things. 
Also, the daily phone conversations I have with my best friend - she lives in Nebraska so we hardly get to see each other, but we talk on the phone at LEAST once a day (sometimes several times). And our conversations are all over the map, we get deep and introspective, and then we’ll get really ridiculous and silly, we talk about our lives, we make up stories and jokes…I’m sure anyone that hears me talking to her thinks I’m utterly out of my mind. But regardless of what we’re talking about, I really rely on those conversations to keep my head on and to assure me that I’m not totally losing it. She’s been my ally in this world for almost a decade and it’s her companion ship, in conjunction with the time for myself and my OCD like ability to keep a planner organized and color coded, that makes a busy schedule not seems so wild and out of control. 

Thanks for sharing a bit about your life in the NY theater scene Ashley! Want to see more? Check out her lifestyle shoot in Brooklyn. 

www.DAGphotog.com

Fresh Faces: Karissa

Get to know a bit about Karissa - making her Broadway debut in Shuffle Along this Spring!

What is the coolest thing about being a part of a Broadway show from the ground up? 

     It's incredible to witness the creative process and to see an idea evolve into a full-blown production. I love that I've had the opportunity to watch all of the layers come together through George and Savion's collaboration (referencing George Wolfe - director/author + Savion Glover - choreographer and legendary hoofer).  They're both wonderful storytellers in their crafts.  After over a year of working on this, it's amazing to finally see the show on a stage in a theatre with all the works. 

Any life lessons you have learned from someone in your cast? 

      Everyone in this cast is so incredibly talented and wise so it's difficult to pick just one thing they've taught me. But based simply off of what I've observed in the room, I'm seeing how important it is to always reach for more and be fearless about taking risks. Seeing artists of this caliber constantly challenging themselves and exploring new possibilities in the work has given me an understanding of how you get from good to great. 

How do you stay healthy with the crazy rehearsal schedule and long tech hours?

   I make sure to find a quiet corner and rest for a few moments. Taking time for myself to breathe and clear my mind has been a great way to rejuvenate myself throughout the day. 

We are so excited for Karissa and her debut this Spring! Be sure to check her out - Shuffle Along is currently in Previews and Opens April 28, 2016

www.DAGphotog.com

Fresh Faces: Adrienne

Working with incredible, fresh talent is one of my favorite things about photography.  I get to collaborate and really get to know these one of a kind actors, dancers and singers; find out what makes them tick, capture their many sides, find their inner spark.  It truly is an honor for me, which is why I thought it would be fun to turn the tables a bit and let them share a word in edge wise!

Meet Adrienne - stepping up in Shuffle Along on Broadway!

What do you do to keep sane while working in this industry? 

Yoga! I love taking the time to do some restorative poses at home after a busy day rehearsing or performing. I also take time to meditate for about 15 minutes a day. 

Is there anything you have learned in the past year that you wish you had known earlier as a performer?

Practice self improvement. What will you have to say once you're onstage? In order to be an artist, you need to take the time to get to know and honor your honest, true self in your everyday life. Acknowledge what comes easily to you, but spend more time with the painful, uncomfortable, not fully formed parts of yourself, too. There's always more to learn about yourself, and that will show in your work. Know your story and share it. 

Favorite super food that keeps you happy + feeling great:

Baby kale salad every. single. day! I don't have time to cook as often as I'd like, but I make sure to stock up on the greens to eat with whatever I buy for dinner each night. 

Check her out in the new upcoming Broadway Show Shuffle Along! I am so proud of this incredible lady who has worked her tail off this past year bringing this show to the Broadway stage.  Watch out world, Adrienne is a beautiful spirit, ready to tackle anything that comes her way! 

Want to see more photos of Adrienne? - check out our dance shoot together

www.DAGphotog.com