In general, as a choreographer and director, I am very intentional about my leadership strategies. I value this above the “quality” of the work because, in my opinion, any piece made in toxic working conditions is not a piece worth making. Art that is driven by ego instead of care has no place in my repertoire.

For This is Ballet I stepped my approach up to the next level by formulating a code of ethics for all collaborators to follow. It was a bulleted list of promises we made to each other, constructed by everyone who agreed to be part of this process. The list included items such as mutual respect for time, not making comments about anyone’s body be it positive, negative, or neutral, and accommodating different learning styles. It only seemed right that if I was going to tackle ballet’s structural issues through choreography, this had to be woven into the creative process as well. Eliminating dictatorial leadership and the hierarchical nature of choreographer and dancers, specifically in the ballet setting, was essential.

In the live work, there were several pauses for about 1-3 minutes. This was ethically necessary in adherence to my promises to the dancers to value their humanity over the spectacle. These pauses were for costume changes, a drink of water, and a moment to breathe in a non-air conditioned theater. Consideration for the audience is important, but not at the expense of the dancers.

Leadership style massively impacts the type of collaborators you attract. It was my experience that the dancers were more diverse, open minded, and willing to give everything they had to offer as artists when engaged in a more democratized creative process. I truly believe our art can only benefit when we value people’s humanity. As a choreographer, I’ve never felt so wholly supported by my collaborators. Every moment of personal self-doubt was met with unending encouragement and absolute certainty from the dancers. Our mutual respect and faith in one another carried this work to the very end.