CHICAGO — This post is part of a series of conversations with other trans/genderqueer dancers to give you a broader idea of where we come from, what we’re up to, and how we navigate the dance community. That said, meet Ashaand Simone! Ashaand grew up training with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle. After graduating high school,…

CHICAGO — When I started writing for Art Intercepts, I knew I wanted to expand my portion of this platform to include other trans voices. I can talk all day about my experience, but mine is such a narrow window of an already underrepresented community. This winter I’m taking some time to talk to other trans dancers to give you…

In the spirit of full disclosure, this is not a post about dance. Recently, some of my friends, coworkers, and family members have asked me questions regarding my gender identity. With my content on Art Intercepts, I hope to spread awareness about the experiences trans dancers go through in concert dance. But to impact any actual change, I need to…

CHICAGO — In April, my partner and I attended the Joffrey Ballet’s performance of Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. We loved it. Neither of us have seen Joffrey take on something so weird. Case in point: there were three larger than life fish props and a genius incorporation of dancer-like stuffed mannequins that was downright unsettling. But the thing that…

At age thirteen, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul told me being 5’2 and 115 pounds was overweight (who let them publish this?). My diet highlight reel includes: “Rogue Weight Watchers” aka binge eating carrots, dabbling with bulimia, and calorie counting. My period stopped for a bit, I was tired all the time, I didn’t get hungry or full anymore,…

Editor’s Note: The following is an adapted synopsis to Giselle, based on Kaitlyn’s first experience with the ballet when it was performed by the Joffrey Ballet last month. Their version is “lovingly ripped and heavily edited” directly from Joffrey’s program notes, and imagines what might have happened if the 1841 ballet were written today. It’s called, “Giselle, 2.0.” Act I…

A few months ago, something cool happened in ballet class. TEACHER: “After the pirouette, ladies: tombé, pas de bourree, glissade, jeté. Men: tombé pas de bourre, [crazy jump looks like a pas de chat caught in the spin cycle of a washing machine]. Got it?” Teacher looks around room, scrunches up face, inhales “Well…actually, if you want, ladies, you could-uh-do…

Editor‘s Note: I’m so delighted to introduce Kaitlyn Dessoffy as a contributor to Art Intercepts, writing a new column called “Pas de Queer”. Kaitlyn will be sharing their personal experiences as a musical theater major turned dancer/choreographer in Chicago, in addition to delving into topics surrounding gender and sexuality in concert dance. Enjoy!  The “type” question first came up as my…