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January 2008: Greg Catellier

Emory Dance Program Faculty Prepares for Upcoming Concert

Gregory Catellier , now in his fifth year as a member of the Emory Dance Program faculty, presents his third collaborative concert with colleague George Staib, In and Through, on January 24-26 at 8 p.m. in Emory’s Performing Arts Studio (1804 N. Decatur Rd.). This performance features new, repertory, and multi-media work performed by professional dancers from the Atlanta area. In this concert Catellier and Staib endeavor to move beyond their comfort areas, delving more deeply into contemplative themes such as interdependence, love, and disintegration. Independently, the two choreographers create work with the intention of uniting the emotional with the physical, and the intellectual with the guttural. Tickets ($12 public; $6 Discount Category) for this performance are available through the Arts at Emory box office: 404-727-5050, www.arts.emory.edu.

Before becoming a dancer, Catellier was a trained actor with experience in juggling, circus skills, Tai Chi, and mime. While living in New York, he even danced for a puppet company. Catellier first started actively studying dance during his two years at Webster Universities' Conservatory of Theatre. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Arizona State University. Upon graduation, he danced for various choreographers and companies in Phoenix and New York. He received his Masters of Fine Arts degree from The Ohio State University where he concentrated on dance lighting design and production. Catellier is active in the Atlanta dance scene as both a dancer and lighting designer. His choreography has been selected for the American College Dance Festival gala concert, the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, and the Handful Series in Athens, Georgia. At Emory, Catellier is the resident dance lighting designer and teaches all four levels of modern dance technique, fitness for dancers, movement improvisation, and principles of design.

Despite his upcoming concert, Catellier was able to take some time from designing lights, building set pieces, choreographing, and rehearsing to give some insight into In and Through and some other projects he’s currently pursuing.

Q: For In and Through you choreographed five of the nine pieces on the program. Talk about the ideas and themes behind your works for this concert.

A: I created a suite of solo dances for a show last year that we are remounting for In and Through. These three solos are choreographed to pop music, which is a real departure from my other work. Each of the solos conveys the emotional content of the song rather than the literal meaning. Using pop music can be tricky; the audience is most likely familiar with the song and comes to it with expectations that are impossible to fulfill. So it is best to subvert their expectations so they focus on the dancing rather than, “that old song.”
I also am premiering two new pieces: a dance film and a trio. The film Disrepair is a collaboration with Jeffery Curtis, a dance film maker, and composer Kendall Simpson, the music operations coordinator for the dance program at Emory. The bulk of the video was shot at the Candler mansion on Emory’s Briarcliff Campus [a national historic site approximately one and a half miles from campus, now home to various university programs]. From my perspective the video is about how something broken or worn out can be simultaneous exasperating and beautiful. The process of making this piece has been quite frightening. I am generally a very controlling artist. I choose the theme, select the music, create the movement, design the lighting… so relying on Jeff and Kendall to create so much of the work is antithetical to my normal process. That said, both of my collaborators are fantastic artists so I’m confident the work will be great. The trio deals with the youthful experience of desire, rejection, and the mystery of attraction. The movement is at times pedestrian and at others “dancerly,” perhaps even virtuosic.

Q: How did you find the inspiration for these pieces? How do they differ from the work presented in your concert last fall?

A: Clearly my endeavor into dance for camera is the most significant departure from my usual process or product. However people familiar with my work will recognize my idiosyncrasies, which I prefer to think of as my style. I think that my reliance on lighting as an integral part of the choreography has taken a back seat with these pieces. What has not changed is my approach to the work, which continues to explore personal and interpersonal themes. Even when the subject matter is weighty or worldly I tend to bring it to a personal place. For example the solo Bark, which I presented in the last performance, dealt with the national political climate but specifically with my feeling of the futility in the democratic process. Also, the duet Gender Specific from the previous concert dealt with gender issues through the comical relationship between the two men onstage.

Q: Why so many collaborations with George? Is it unique to have two male choreographers on the same program?

A: George and I continue to collaborate because we are friends and the collaboration works. George brings skills to the collaboration I lack and vice versa. Furthermore, because our choreographic styles are divergent putting them in the same show makes for a richer experience for the audience. While it is somewhat unique to have two choreographers on the same program, the male choreographer part is not unique. There has been much discussion of the issue of men dominating the choreographic field. It is inexplicable that in dance, a female dominated field, the best known and perhaps most successful individuals are men.

Q: Who or what has influenced your dance and lighting styles?

A: When living in New York I trained with David Dorfman and Lisa Race consistently. Their full-bodied, momentum based, quadra-pedal movement style has influenced me deeply. I do not think of myself as being influenced by one particular choreographer. In fact, my choreography lacks a clear connection to any dance tradition, but instead pulls from many performance modalities including theater and performance art. My lighting design has been influenced most by my mentor David Covey who teaches at Ohio State University.

Q: Do you work on any projects outside of Emory?

A: I have been active in Atlanta as a dancer, choreographer, and mostly as a lighting designer. Because I have a deep understanding of dance, its culture, and its vocabulary, dancers and choreographers feel comfortable working with me as a designer. I increasingly find that I want to work on my own projects here at Emory.

Q: How would you characterize the dance community in Atlanta?

A: The Atlanta contemporary dance community has lots of ambition and some great talent. The lack of infrastructure and support makes a thriving dance community impossible. Cities of similar size like Minneapolis, Seattle, and Houston have strong contemporary dance scenes so it is possible. The comment I hear again and again from local dancers is, “I feel like there is no dance community.” Dancers and choreographers need space and time to create good work. Space and time are luxuries that most Atlanta dance artists simply do not have, so the quality of dance in Atlanta is hit or miss.

Q: Just For Fun: Talk about getting your Vespa...what's it like riding a scooter in Atlanta? How did you first get the idea?

A: I’ve owned my 1959 Vespa since May of 2006. The previous owner found it on a farm in Italy. My brother and I first bought a Vespa in 1986 and I ended up selling it when I was in college and desperately broke. I started seriously thinking of buying another when I moved to Atlanta to teach at Emory. Then in 2006 I got a job at the American Dance Festival in Durham for the summer. My wife, Camille needed the car here in Atlanta. I saw my opportunity and jumped at it. Owning any vehicle that is almost 50 years old can be a challenge but I really enjoy driving it. It is hard to explain just how awesome Vespa’s are. Those of us who catch the fever tend to be a bit obsessive about them. I have definitely bored my colleagues with my Vespa talk. Generally people want to know how fast it goes and what kind of gas mileage it gets. My scooter will do 65MPH and about gets about 40 miles to the gallon. The newer models go faster and get better gas mileage.

Edited by Jessica Moore
Communications Coordinator
Arts at Emory

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