May 2011

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Pop Culture Accessibility, High Art Aspirations

Interview with Dancer/Choreographer, Billy Bell
By Mosa McNeilly

If you haven’t caught wind of Billy Bell yet, it is just a matter of time. He is storming the dance scene in the United States and is too busy for words. Launched into fame by So You Think You Can Dance, Billy Bell is not missing a single opportunity that this success has granted him. As a dancer, his technique is fine-tuned to a science, and his emotionality is palpable. As a choreographer, he conveys pop culture ideas that make his work accessible to a broad audience. In this interview, we get a glimpse of an artist at the inception of his career, beginning to define himself artistically, to decide what moves him, and to discover what his creative process is.

MM: You are celebrated as a dancer with exceptional skill, but you are also a choreographer. Do you feel more identified with one than the other? Do the two expressions work hand in hand for you, or do you feel pulled in two directions?

BB: I don't feel one role overpowers the other. I feel they are two separate minds. When I'm dancing I am expressing a part of myself that is so internal, not even I really know how to communicate with it yet - it comes from the soul; whereas when I choreograph it comes from the mind. It's about structure and challenge, for my dancers and myself.

MM: What are some current movement themes that interest you in particular?

BB: I've been exploring the idea of finding form, destroying form, and rediscovering form. I love to take classical ideas and move as far away as possible, and then go further. I like to see how that destroyed form is similar to another very classical idea.

MM: When you create a piece, how does your artistic process unfold?

BB: I try to challenge myself to choreograph with a completely new creative process each time - sometimes it is plot driven, sometimes emotionally driven, sometimes logically driven, or even guided by lighting and media.

MM: Is there a particular focus to what you want to say with your work?

BB: I want to create something that is still high art, but is relatable for the masses so that we, as choreographers, can start to show them that creating opinions in a constructive way is okay, and very much welcome.

MM: How did the concept and choreography for “Dokus”, the piece your company will perform at the festival, evolve?

BB: This piece is a physicalization of a sudoku puzzle. I assigned each dancer a number and that number has a phrase. We go through the boxes of a sudoku puzzle from left to right, and top to bottom, and then go back to any box that gets a number filled in, until the puzzle is solved. I know... I probably lost you even in the explanation. It’s my most logically complex piece. It's all about focus. Sudokus were originally designed as a form of meditation and practice of focus. My goal is to create that awareness in the audience.

MM: How set is the choreography? Is there any improvisation in performance?

BB: The choreography is 100% set, but the staging of the piece is improvised. I let the dancers figure it out as they go. The audience sees the dancers thinking, and you are thinking along with them. It's great to watch the puzzle unfold.

MM: Being an emerging artist, what are your primary influences?

BB: I think pop culture is a very big influence. My goal is to create company-worthy choreography that is also commercial. I use the phrase "marketable art" a lot.

MM: What do you think are some key factors that affect dance today?

BB: The technical side of things is becoming a science. Dancers are trained by the greats of other generations, which helps them excel technically even quicker. Technology has made dance more popular and also more accessible than ever, which opens it up to a much larger audience.

MM: In your opinion, which contemporary choreographers/dancers/companies are shaping the dance landscape today?

BB: There are so many! Where to begin? I think Crystal Pite (Kid Pivot) is stunning, Andrea Miller (Gallim Dance) shows a great sense of lovable awkwardness, Sidra Bell (Sidra Bell Dance New York) has incredible processes and very logic-filled work; companies like Rubberband Dance, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and LaLaLa Human Steps have done a lot for dance on film, and for creating multi-media dance. I feel like it’s just a matter of being open to being inspired.

MM: Looking forward, what is on the horizon for you? As a dancer? A choreographer? As a teacher?

BB: As a dancer, I continue to audition for any and everything. Whether it is a music video, commercial, or a ballet company. Whether I hate it or love it, I learn something. As a choreographer, I will continue with my company, Lunge Dance Collective, and I hope to gain a larger audience. As a teacher, I have a lot to learn still. I think I have a lot to offer dancers who are training, but I don't feel comfortable training dancers just yet. Maybe sometime soon…

Billy Bell’s zeal and openness are clearly part of his recipe for success. He is riding the crest of a collossal wave and building incredible momentum. At the same time, he seems to be keeping this fast-paced, budding career in balance with a measure of humility about where he’s at in his development, and grounded in a vision of dance as an art form that speaks to us all. Keep an eye on this rising star. These are just the early days.

Billy Bell’s company, Lunge Dance, will present his groundbreaking piece, Dokus, as part of our On The Stage B performance, June 4th, 2011 at 8PM.
 

All photos of Lunge Dance Collective by Kagen Wittbold

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