Four Questions
with Strange & Elegant's
Holly Rothschild
Accompanied by photography of Holly's dancers at the 1025 N. McCadden Place Opening.
01
As a choreographer, is there any background influence behind your dance routines from the context of your childhood?
If there’s one thing I can say, I was always drawn towards German Expressionism. A big part of that is how imagery propels the content. There can be elemental absurdism in some of it, but I like to add my part of a minimalist approach. So for the show we did in LA with the new Pucci space- I wanted some motion to be super spare. Originally I came into the studio with SO much choreography- but found I kept having to strip away movement.
02
Did the dancers bring anything special to the routine as individuals?
The dancers really love this kind of work- and I’m so blessed to be working with them. I feel like there’s a real honesty with how they exist in the space. I think those dancers have a level of maturity to exist in the space without being pretentious. I told them, ‘this is not about you, it’s about the objects in the space.’ I stress that they are meant to compliment the environment. They have their own kind of sphere where the audience can look and be drawn to them, but not in an evasive way.
03
Who is the creator and/or designer behind all the costumes?
I make all the costumes- unless there’s something very complex that I don’t feel comfortable sewing; I have someone else make those pieces. But the clothing is such a huge part of the whole thing- they’re really vital to the whole installation.
04
Is there a main idea or takeaway you wanted viewers to have?
Something I hold onto when I do a lot of specific choreography: I always like to think that movement somehow leaves behind a little bit of a footprint, or ghost energy. So if people re-visit the space there’s always going to be a bit of that resonance left behind that they’re going to feel or remember (even if they weren’t necessarily there).
Interview, Christy Rappold.
Photography, Luke Rothschild