A Behind-The-Scenes Look Into LVDT Rehearsals

Hello! I’m Maeve Connor, one of the dancers in LVDT’s upcoming spring show in Grand Center. Most audience members don’t see any of the work we do until opening night, so I wanted to give you a sneak peek from my perspective. I’m in three of the pieces, each by a different choreographer. All three bring a different balance of collaboration, experimentation and direction — a personal style that defines their creative process. 

Keli Hermes always begins with clear directives. We learn phrases of movement, then she makes decisions according to how they work on us. But she’s also experimental and collaborative, especially when it comes to partnering. We play around to see what lifts, leans and lunges are possible, then Keli fits the pieces together like a puzzle. 

Erin Lane rehearsing Keli’s piece at Grand Center Arts Academy. 

In addition to her own movement, Hannah Fischer gives us mini-assignments to create our own phrases. Then she pulls on them like salt water taffy, until they’re cohesive for the group. Hannah also experiments with music and orientation — how the tone affects us dancers, and how the viewpoint changes the audience’s experience. 

One of Hannah's rehearsals at the Centene.
The color coordination was coincidental.

Audrey Simes evenly balances specific direction with collaboration from her dancers, using these two techniques hand-in-hand. She often gives us clear steps, gestures or criteria to work with, then asks us to rearrange, respond to, or recreate them as our own. Audrey also uses props and boundaries to shape her choreography, pushing us to find unseen opportunities in the limitations they present. 

Audrey’s rehearsal at Grand Center Arts Academy. 

The dancers must dance within the blue stripes on the floor. 

That wraps it up for this sneak peek, but stay tuned… I’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks as we continue to work on the show!