“If there’s anything painful in the movements let me know and I’ll look at it,” Scott reassures them.
It’s art imitating life, the movements which reflect the often painful journey through life, are also uncomfortable for the dancers. Pivoting on the floor and weaving through each other’s arms, they are depicting the difficulties of relationships.
“It’s a reflection of society, but I do think there is a kinship,” Scott says. “In my life there has always been a strong female figure, It’s about survival, because being alone can be a difficult journey.”
The piece is her second for the AB. The first time she visited AB for Wabi Sabi, Scott choreographed a duet with women. She says the piece was so successful they wanted to continue to explore that seed of thought. According to John Welker, creator of Wabi Sabi and AB dancer, guests choreographers involved in Wabi Sabi, enjoy a freedom unique to summers at AB.
“I came up with Wabi Sabi three years ago and it means the beauty of imperfection. It’s an aesthetic when it comes to dance,” Welker explains. “It evolved and stemmed from wanting to create summer work. We wanted to set it apart from the company and bring in young dancers and choreographers that need an audience.”
The result is contemporary pieces void of ballet shoes or point shoes where choreographers like Scott can exercise their creative muscle. This summer Scott is focusing on dance that speaks to characteristics of the feminine experience. She says anyone can relate to it, but the female energy is dominant.
“It’s not uniquely feminine. There’s a different emotional quality because it is two women,” Scott explains. “There’s a strength and quiet fire that is feminine. Men can relate, but the undertones of emotion are directly linked to the feminine.”
The journey they dancers portray is full of friendship, love and the inevitable pain that comes with life. The talented choreographer uses fluidity and sometime aggressive movement to translate the complexities of female relationships.
“There’s a moment of struggle and a moment of rescue. It’s up to the dancer to know when she’s being rescued or when she is the rescuer,” Scott explains. “I feel instinctively about any relationship that there is a moment when the ego says I want to survive and we needed dancers strong enough to follow the vision.”
Choreographing for Wabi Sabi allows Scott to embrace her creativity without boundaries. She's influenced by all the elements in the in the Atlanta Botanical Garden and loves the unlimited inspiration the atmosphere brings to dance.
“I like John’s vision of bringing art to a new realm. Brining it outside and drawing from the natural elements,” Scott says. “I knew the setting was going to be outdoors, so there is a shift from winter to spring and from industrial society to harmonic. It goes from soundscape to classical.”
As a child Scott became accustomed to shifting soundscapes and landscapes. Born in Montpellier, a city in southern France, to a French mother and an American jazz musician, Scott moved to New York City which she says made it easy to be an individual. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was her first introduction to dance, which prompted her to take up studies at the Conservatory of LaGuardia, from there she graduated from Julliard and is now a dancer at Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. She says the variation of dance styles in her background is an asset at Cedar Lake where the possibilities for growth are limitless.
“As a little girl I was a strong believer that you could do anything. I was definitely curious and didn’t know there were limitations,” Scott says. “I found there are different paths that lead to the same goal or a goal that is more favorable. Even if there are limitations there is always a way around it.”