MEET THE DANCERS OF INTERNAL RHYTHMS – ALLISON

Allison was born and raised on Vancouver Island, where she began dancing at the age of three. During her youth, she spent several years training with Dancestreams Youth Dance Company, which provided her opportunities to work with acclaimed choreographers and tour both locally and internationally. Additionally, she has trained with Art’s Umbrella’s dance company, at The National Ballet School of Canada, and with École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec. Currently, she works in the Greater Victoria School District, where she specializes in teaching Dance, Drama, and English. This is her first year dancing with Broken Rhythms, where she has the pleasure of working in the position of Company Development.

Allison in rehearsal for Internal Rhythms (photo by Dyana Sonik-Henderson)

What inspires you to dance?

Despite being a talkative person, there are times when I can’t express myself with words alone. The English language is excellent for conveying those more fully-realized thoughts and emotions. However, there is an entire bracket of perception that slips through the grips of spoken language, requiring another avenue of expression altogether. Even those ideas that can be expressed concretely can be further examined through movement. Because of this, I find dance exhilarating and satisfying unlike anything else.

Allison at Raino Dance (photo by Dyana Sonik-Henderson)

What has been the most interesting part of the creation process?

I find it remarkable how quickly the initial fragments of the four pieces have blossomed into something whole. Just two months ago we were in the studio playing around with the concept, and now here we are with an entire show to run! I love looking back on some of the early rehearsal videos and thinking about how those fledgling movement phrases have evolved. In particular, when we were first introduced to the music for the last section of the show, we were taught a couple of steps that only hinted at what was to come. While that section has remained true to this early memory, it has grown into something really exciting.

Allison during showing for Internal Rhythms (photo by Dyana Sonik-Henderson)

If you were a musical instrument, which instrument would you be, and why?

Based on my admittedly limited understanding of musical instruments, I suspect that I am most like a violin. From what I have read, violins have no set timbre, meaning that the sound characteristics of the instrument vary according to the desires of the musician. I likewise embody a range of qualities, and can be reserved in one instance and gregarious the next. There is not one form that is truer than the other, but rather I fluctuate according to context.