THE REASON
2015. I had a vision for a new way to have a dance company. After professionally dancing for 8 years primarily in the DMV area, I moved to Chicago to continue that career. Arriving in the city, I felt that there was something missing in the dance arena. Although my love for ballet(the full length productions, the effortless dancing and breathtaking partnering) will always be with me, the ballet world was, and is still full of toxicity. With the lack of allowance for any type of diversity in body or uniqueness, I got tired of seeing beautiful dancing finished with melodramatic acting. Dance companies with dancers that no one could tell apart, and with ensemble dancers that don’t truly get a chance to dance. I wanted to challenge that.
I discovered my love for contemporary dance within the idea that there can be no rules for movement or style. I could combine classical and modern elements into any of my choreography. The contemporary dance world is truly amazing, but often I found choreographers asking dancers to improvise within their pieces, in place of setting choreography. While at times this can be a beautiful experience, often times as an audience member it can leave one feeling confused as to the direction, clarity, or focus of the piece itself. I founded Ardent because I wanted to combine my love for acting and story telling with strong dance technique. I wanted a company where the dancers are unique, have individual on-stage personalities and different bodies, backgrounds and styles. I wanted to produce shows where the dancers are allowed to form and build characters whilst dancing challenging choreography that makes them feel fulfilled. A space for dancers to be given real characters to build.
Ardent is about real representation and uniqueness. Shows that are made for non traditional audience members; for anyone to watch our shows and be able to follow along. Music that matches the movement; at any point you can close your eyes and still understand the story. Relatable feelings; showing anyone that they could love dance in their own way.
I created Ardent to be unique, to stand out, and to be a place for dancers who never felt they fit in. It’s a place to be able to share our art uniquely, together.