Season 11 - Blog #1

The date is July 20th, 2024 – the ConteXture annual concert is t minus four weeks away. Let the chaos ensue (kidding… mostly). 

Stepping into the studio on day one of this season felt different than past seasons – I would like to believe this was a collective feeling, but I could be wrong. There was a mix of old and new energy in the space; you had the groundedness of returning company members balanced with the eagerness and excitement of new company members. 

As we sat in the opening circle at the first rehearsal, Director Tracy Halloran took us through her “beginning of the season” speech, discussing ConteXture’s values, the community she wants to continue to build in Detroit, and her passion for the work that the company does. The company sat listening intently, anticipating what the season would hold. The expectations had been set from the beginning — this was a season of hard work, mindfulness, and community. However, we all snapped back to reality once she ended her speech with, “by the way, at the end of every rehearsal we’ll be doing a HIIT workout”. Wide eyes and a collective, “WHAT?!” rang through the circle. She’s surely lost it, we thought. Tracy explained that this concert would be the most strenuous it’s been, and in an effort to prevent injuries and keep all of us dancers safe, we would start rehearsal with a 30 minute warm-up, and finish rehearsal with a HIIT to sustain our energy for the show. The shoulders of dancers started to soften and the open jaws began to close once the logic was understood. “Circle over, let’s learn the warm-up”. 

Since that first day, we have hit the ground running and truly haven’t stopped. As Tracy says, “the season is a sprint and a marathon”, and I think we all feel it. In the last 10 weeks we’ve learned 8 company pieces, including three choreographic residencies, started our pre-professional program, launched our fundraising campaign, and there’s so much more to go. 

We hope you’ll stick around for this longer form content (we hear it’s making a comeback), to learn more about the behind the scenes of what ConteXture is doing, and maybe even come to our show? Maybe even support our fundraising campaign? Dance with us at our summer intensive? In whatever way you choose to support us, we’re just happy you’re here.

Stay tuned for more. 

ConteXture Company Dancer