Creating Dynamic Resilience In the Professional Dancer: A Virtual Roundtable

On June 5th at 5pm PST, Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center presents “Creating Dynamic Resilience In The Professional Dancer: A Virtual Roundtable.” The Roundtable will feature TWDCC’s Founder and Executive Director Cat Willis as moderator, and three former principal dancers with world-renowned Garth Fagan Dance: TWDCC Artistic Director and Virtual Theater Soloist, Micha Scott, Bessie-Award winner Sharon Skepple-Mayfield, and Evidence Dance’s Annique Roberts.

The Premiere of Virtual Theater was a huge success for TWDCC, reaching over 2,000 viewers between its initial, live showing and its continued digital presence. TWDCC’s second installment of Virtual Theater will tackle the vital question of how we, as dancers, can diversify our resiliency tactics.

“Resilience will be dynamic because human individuals and their contexts are always changing. A dynamic view of resilience is important because it creates possibilities.” Recognizing that multiple systems in each person’s life “interact to influence resilience means there can be many, diverse approaches to developing resilience.” (Ann Masten, 2015)

We will explore what it means to develop “dynamic resilience” as a professional dancer. TWDCC’s Founder will explore how the panelists, through years of dancing at an elite level of performance and artistic demand, have developed techniques to maintain and nourish their resiliency. What are the tools the panelists use to get through tough periods while continuing to perfect their work and performance?

Questions will be submitted from selected students pursuing professional careers in dance.