Jessica Fogel

When did you start dancing and what inspired you?

I began ballet, at age 9, across the street in my friend's mother basement once a week. Then I quit at age 13, right at the time most young ballet dancers get their toe shoes. But, when I was 15 a modern dance teacher came to my hometown from New York, and I began working with her. This teacher was inspirational for me, and told me that I had a real chance dancing professionally if I wanted to. That was all the encouragement I needed.

What did you do with dance before becoming a choreographer?

I took dance lessons as a child and as a teenager I choreographed high school theatre performances, and also choreographed for dance recitals. I also, played violin and performed major roles in high school theatre productions. I was also in a children's theatre workshop throughout junior high. So, I had a lot of training in the arts - music dance and theatre - and I was taken to see a lot in my home town of Ithaca, NY. I also started taking modern dance classes at Cornell University throughout high school, and performed in all of their concerts.

What kind of skills do you need to be a good choreographer?

You have to have your eyes wide open, and have the ability to read bodies almost like a psychologist. It's important to have the ability to work with a lot of personalities. You also need to be grounded strongly in the craft, with knowledge about how to move dancers through space, and in time, with a variety of dynamics. You have to be curious, and reading movements all of the time - in the gesture of a person, in a bird's flight, from a telephone wire - wherever, whenever. As Doris Humphrey says, "A choreographer is never bored." And you have to have a need to make sense of the world through dance making.

What are some other artistic parts of your job?

I teach classes where I coach students in their own dance choreography, helping them to find a vision. All of the work is about being creative. Another part of my job is to know how to articulate what you are doing, and why. Another course I teach has in part to do with how to market yourself once you graduate, finding strategies for making the transition from college to the professional field.

What degree do you have?

I have a masters degree in dance education from teachers college, Columbia University, and a bachelors degree in dance from Barnard College.

How difficult was if for you to get a job as a dancer?

As a college student in New York it wasn't hard to connect with the professional dance world because our school exposed us to many of the people in the NYC dance scene. We worked with many guest artists and I was able to get jobs with them. I just auditioned for parts and got them in a sense, it was just luck I guess. So, the difficult part was not finding dance work. The harder thing for me was to figure out how to make enough money to survive - because the modern dance jobs paid peanuts or less.

How difficult do you find it coming up with fresh new ideas for choreography?

Every new piece is a little daunting and it's always a new task, new excitement, and new love. The longer I have done this I have grown to trust uncertainty and I like not knowing how something will turn out next. I find it important to second guess yourself when trying to come up with something new because it's easy to get into a rut with your own dance vocabulary.

How do you balance a personal life?

Not all work is in the studio. Administration, writing, critiquing dances, and advising all come with the job so it is a full time position. However making time for my husband and daughter is also important to me. So although dancing can consume you I find a way to balance it. Sometimes that means doing emails and correspondence into the wee hours, after my daughter is asleep. Another strategy has been to include my daughter in some of my choreography, which has been very gratifying for the both of us.

What do you feel are the necessary traits needed for someone to become a good dancer or choreographer?

Commitment, dedication, vitality, practicality, passion, discipline, and the desire to do physical work. You don't have to be the most talented person physically, it's the necessity and commitment that matters in the end.

How would you suggest that others get involved with dance and/or choreography if they have an interest to do so?

I would recommend taking a lot of dance classes, and if you want to be a choreographer, to see as much dance as possible. Also, get a good well rounded education.

Are you interested in other art forms?

I still play the violin especially now since my daughter plays. I also go to museums, poetry readings, and to theater, music, and spoken word performances. I'm interested in all of it!