As a kid, turning 10 is huge, double digits, a big deal. You re-do your room because you are a big kid now. No little kid stuff. You are super smart now and you are going to save the world!
When I was 10, I was pumped about saving the ocean. How dare you throw out that plastic 6-pack can holder without cutting it up?! Don’t you know that will hurt the animals! I was passionate and eager to share it.
SIDEWAYS is pretty similar. We turned 10 and it’s time to “re-do our room”. What passion are we eager to share? What are we giving the Atlanta community that is special?
While reflecting on my favorite pieces from our history, I realized something important (and obvious) – I love stories! I love reading, history, movies about specific time periods or people, really anything that gives me a good story. And more importantly, I love creating stories through dance. Eureka! This is why SIDEWAYS is special!
The dances that have a strong narrative are my favorites. I want to feel something when I watch dance, especially from my own dancers. I love them because they totally commit. Whether they are playing a husband, wife, victim, attacker, or addict, they are there, inside the character. They express emotions of love, loss, hate, and indifference as best they can. Being storytellers is what we do, have done since 2006, and it’s what we will continue to do. It’s why we exist.
With our newly-defined passion for stories, we are going to take it up a notch for the next 10 years:
We need your stories! We are seeking out new stories from our community through organizations and individuals. We want to tell your story and give light to those memories in the dark.
We need storytellers! We are looking for dancers who are also storytellers and are looking to approach their dance performance with honesty and vulnerability. We need our audience to feel the story, not just think about it.
We need listeners! There is no conversation without listening. We are building a community who wants to hear our stories and wants to find inspiration and encouragement.
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” ― Philip Pullman
We are saving the world, one story at a time.