Food for Thought: Starting Process

ELSCO Dance Company has officially started! Beginning a company by yourself is definitely a tough task to take, but when you know it's the right time then you just got to take it and run with it! My company has one task, uniting the worlds of concert dance and commercial dance. As a classically trained dancer and having a commercial dance career I feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions. You have a pick a side. But why? Can't you have both? ELSCO was made to give dancers and audiences both things, the technique of an amazing concert piece but the storytelling of commercial work. My mother, Michelle Burkhart, has truly been a blessing in guiding me the right way to create this company. She has been an Executive Director for multiple organizations and companies so I'm so happy she will be working with my as my E.D. for future projects. 

It has always been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to create my own work. From teaching hip hop starting at the age of 11 at my school in Capitola, CA to choreographing my own solos for small shows around Santa Cruz and San Jose. Coming to NYC and doing small things here and there kept my interest in choreography. I'm inspired by books, stories, music and life. I just have a drive to make work that people can relate to. Pieces where the audience will watch it and say, "That's me up there. That is how I feel/act/think." I want to inspire the dance artists that work with me to come out of themselves and becoming better performers. I will write a separate post about how I had a literal turning point in my career recently when I was setting a evening length piece in Norway. But that is where I said, 

"This is what I want to do. I want to choreograph."

ELSCO has been amazing so far. Multiple rehearsals, photo shoots, filming days. The hard part isn't the creation, it's the backstage process: sending emails, contacting funders, editing videos and music, applying to festivals and fiscal sponsors. Everything in the moment is difficult, but in the end it is always worth it. I will be using ELSCO Dance Lounge as a place to showcase my dancers, my work, but Food for Thought will be my one-on-one time with my readers. Letting them know how my process of starting a dance company from scratch is going and being real with them. I know it's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it.  

Photography by Mike Petrie Jr., www.mikepetriejr.smugmug.com