dancer - Nino G. Photography

On Pointe: Q&A with Dancer Tucker Ames

Posted August 21, 2023September 25, 2023 ninogphotographyLeave a commentPosted in Dance Photography, On Pointe Q&A

“Use the people around you as inspiration and you and your community will thrive.”

When did you first fall in love with dance?

I fell in love with dance at 16. I started dancing later in life, after trying many hobbies. I started dance once I got over my fear of being the only boy in the room and fell head over heels in love with the art form. The entire process enthralled me, the rehearsals, constant training, teaching, and even preforming. I fell so hard that I decided I had to major in it during college!

How was the shift from musical theater to concert dance?

They are both very similar! At the core of each is storytelling, and I believe at heart I am a storyteller. The biggest difference is the technical aspect. I love concert dance because I feel like it pushes me physically. I approach it similar to musical theatre, with storytelling in mind, but the story in concert dance feels more abstract, compared to written storyline in musical theatre. I look more inward during concert dance and more outward during musical theater dance.

Having 5 siblings, was it a challenge to express yourself?

At first it was difficult. I felt that I had to be a model of perfection for my siblings, and that made me go with the grain of society. I found myself more after I left for college. With less pressure of being a role model for my siblings, I finally allowed myself to create and thrive in my own lane. Coming back home has allowed me to show my siblings that they can create their own lane in whatever they do. I actively strive to be authentic so I might create space for my siblings to do the same.

Who are your influences in dance world?

SO. MANY. PEOPLE. I love watching dancers in LA and in New York. I love watching choreographers come up with new ways to manipulate the human body, and most of all, the people around me. Recognizing the talent that is around me (dancers, choreographers, photographers, etc.) is one of my biggest inspirations. I pride myself in my friends and all the talent they possess, and I am always rooting for them. Viewing the people around you as competitors is a very easy mindset to fall into. Once I got out of that mindset, I started dancing better. Use the people around you as inspiration and you and your community will thrive.

Please share the challenges you faced at the dance school when you first started?

Viewing my peers as competitors. We’re all going for the same roles, the same jobs, and the same levels in class. It’s too easy to keep on thinking like this, but once again, once you start using the people around you as inspiration and you and your community will thrive.

What style of dance you love the most?

I love contemporary and Jazz. I love weird and funky movements that make the audience think ‘how?’ and I love the feelings that contemporary makes me search for. Jazz is usually a fierce way to let my technique fly. I recognize that I have worked extremely hard to improve my technique and I love to continue work on it in jazz.

What’s your ritual before any performance?

Warm-up and stretching obviously. Beyond that, I like to listen to my own music and meditate. It gets my mind centered with my body which creates opportunities for magic. After that, I love to just hang out with my friends. When there is a real bond between performers on stage, it translates beautifully into incredible stories.

What advice would you give to young and upcoming students who are going to dance school?

Work hard and fall in love with your work. It is very difficult, and burnout is real so take care of your mind, body, AND soul. AND REST IS IMPORTANT! Let yourself rest. You do not have to work all the time.

What are your goals for the next 3 years?

I want to perform! I want to dance on cruise ships and travel. I want to dance in the ensemble at Radio City. I want to do a lot of things but, as long as I am dancing, I’ll be fulfilled.

What’s that one song that always gets you pumped up?

Currently, Beyoncé’s Break My Soul the Queens Remix. It is INCREDIBLE and it totally pumps me up!

IG: t_r_ames

dancer, Tucker Ames in a studio photoshoot.

On Pointe: Q&A with Dancer Maisy Gustaveson

Posted November 28, 2022September 25, 2023 ninogphotography1 CommentPosted in Dance Photography, On Pointe Q&A, Women Artists

“I want to help the audience feel something when they watch me dance, and the skills I learn from theater help me do that.”

At what age did you start dancing?

I started dancing when I was about 4 years old.

When did you realize you wanted to pursue dance?

I didn’t get serious about dance until my 8th grade year when I had the opportunity to play Clara in the Nutcracker. I fell in love with the feeling of performing and sharing this beautiful art with others.

Who are your influences in general and in dance world?

My greatest influences are actually the girls I dance with. Each individual dancer on my company is so incredibly talented in different ways and I learn so much from training with them.

Please share your favorite moment with your dance instructor.

I remember my first private lesson with the lovely Miss Dayna. I was so nervous. However, this wonderful woman treated me with so much kindness and positivity that I felt more confident in my dance than I had ever before.

What is your favorite theater piece?

I believe that musicals with hardcore dance are just so powerful. One of my favorite shows to watch is Newsies. The use of choreography is marvelous and done so flawlessly. It always makes my heart happy.

Do you get nervous before performances? If so, how do you overcome it?

I actually get VERY nervous before performances, even if it doesn’t seem like it. I’m a hardcore perfectionist, so the idea of messing up is scary. However, before I step onstage, I always close my eyes and think about the people in the audience supporting me. I know that they love me no matter what, and the best I can do is go onstage and perform for them.

What was the most challenging role you played in The Nutcracker?

For 4 years I had the privilege of being in the Arabian Coffee dance, and every year I got to partner. Partnering was very different than anything I had ever done before, and took a LOT of getting used to the first year.

Does your interest in theatre influence the way you approach dance performances?

I always try to blend my two worlds of theater and dance. I believe that they can’t exist without each other. When you go to see a ballet or dance performance, a dancer’s expression is what moves you. I want to help the audience feel something when they watch me dance, and the skills I learn from theater help me do that.

What are your plans after graduating high school?

After high school I plan on attending Brigham Young University and majoring in Dance Education and Choreography. I want to teach and mentor little dancers and help them to grow into their love of dance. I’ve had two incredible dance teachers who have done the same for me, and the least I can do is pass it on.

Lisa Temple painting Maisy Gustaveson on the McKinney Cotton Mill grounds. November 5, 2022.

ON POINTE: Q&A with Dancer Sadie Puckett

Posted June 2, 2022September 25, 2023 ninogphotographyLeave a commentPosted in Dance Photography, On Pointe Q&A, Women Artists

What did you want to be when you were little?

When I was little, I wanted to go into the medical field. I was always fascinated by genetics, nature, biology, etc. My favorite “toy” when I was younger was a microscope! As I grew older, I picked up piano, drawing/painting, and eventually ballet. It was then that I realized that my heart belonged in the world of art.

What made you realize you want to pursue ballet professionally?

I didn’t truly know that I wanted to go professional until recently! I started ballet 4-5 years ago, and I was obsessed from the start. I went once a week for a couple of years before switching to ballet company and training at Allen Dance Studio. Once I joined the company and was training around 25 hours a week, my love for ballet grew even deeper than I ever thought it could. The joy I get out of performing, and even daily class led me to decide that I wanted to take ballet further and make it my career.

Who are your idols?

I love Marianela Nunez, Natalia Osipova, Maria Khoreva, and many other professional ballerinas. I aspire to dance with such beauty and assiduousness like these ballerinas do. On a more local scale, I aspire to be like my ballet teacher, Miss Dayna! She is so incredibly loving and a very talented instructor, and she has many special qualities that I hope to develop when I teach in the future!

*Ms. Dayna Meixell | Ballet Director from Allen Dance Studio*

We know you love playing piano. How has that influenced your dance?

Playing piano and knowing music theory has helped my dancing drastically! I think every dancer should at least know basic music theory and history because it really makes a difference in the way you can interpret and dance along to music. Musicality really adds an extra element to your performance! I have also loved having my piano background because it allows me to understand and appreciate ballet’s history in a much deeper way.

What was your favorite role from the Nutcracker 2022 and why?

It’s hard to choose a favorite! However, I did really enjoy the opportunity to dance as Snow Queen in the Nutcracker, and to perform with my amazing partner who is a professional dancer. I had never partnered before receiving the Snow Queen role, so it was a challenge- but so rewarding to learn the art of partnering while also learning the role. It was such a magical and enjoyable scene to dance, and so different than any other role that I’ve performed!

Describe the most challenging role you performed in a production.

Each role comes with their own challenges, but Chinese Tea from the Nutcracker is one of the most challenging roles I’ve performed! Although it’s short, you need a lot of stamina and strength to properly execute the steps with energy and liveliness. The role was almost entirely jumps and hops en pointe, so it could get tiring very quickly! The silk fans were also an added aspect of challenge, especially while turning. The first year I did Chinese Tea, I ended the production with two badly bruised toenails from all the hopping en pointe! Despite the challenges, it remains one of my favorite roles I’ve gotten to perform!

Describe your practice regimen.

Aside from dancing in the afternoons and evenings at the studio, I do a few things at home to supplement my training. After my night of dance, I always come home and either take a hot shower or epsom salt bath, with an occasional 20 minute ice bath if my muscles are extra sore. I then roll out my muscles and stretch for 30-45 minutes. I am naturally pretty inflexible and tend to get tight very easily, so it’s important for me to lengthen out my muscles and take care of myself after a long day of training!

What are your goals for the next five years?

In the next five years, I hope to be dancing with a major ballet company! I will be accepting a trainee position with a professional company this year, and I hope to continue my training and receive a contract with a major company in the future. I also want to continue playing music, and I hope to be teaching piano, dance, (or both!) within the next five years.