Playwriting

In Spring of 2022, I had the opportunity to present my first original full-length play as a part of the Samford University Catalyst Festival. As well as writing and choreographing, I had the honor of portraying the role of the dancer Anna Pavlova in my play, "Swan Song."

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Anna Pavlova was an ambassador of ballet who achieved a worldwide fame that has yet to be equaled by any other dancer. She traveled to forty-four countries over the course of her career, performing in the greatest and most humble of theatres, before audiences of tens, and audiences of thousands. She spent, and ultimately sacrificed her life to share ballet with as much of the world as she could reach, because she believed that every soul could be touched by the beauty of the dance, regardless of cultural or linguistic barriers.

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In a world that was still reeling from the effects of COVID-19, I felt that Pavlova's story carried more weight than ever when it was first staged in 2022. Artists were (and continue to be) affected by the pandemic in a unique way, and it was incredibly painful for us all to be barred for so long from partaking in the work to which we have devoted ourselves. Pavlova's life is a beautiful testament to the vital necessity of the arts. She reminds us that art can survive in daunting and unprecedented conditions, if we only have the courage and ingenuity to find a way to share it. Her legacy also reminds us what a deep and lasting influence our work can have on others. Even as art is ephemeral in the moment, it has the potential for immortality when it touches the hearts of those who receive it.

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