We recently connected with Mark Caserta and have shared our conversation below.

Mark, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I have worked on many projects that are extremely meaningful so it’s hard to pick one, but I can speak on one that happened very recently that was significantly meaningful. I had the opportunity to spend 10 days at Jacob’s Pillow, a historic dance haven/festival in the Berkshires, solely for the purpose of creative play and choreographic research. I was able to bring 2 collaborators along with me, so naturally I chose 2 of my best friends (and collaborators) Chip Alexandria and Miles Yeung. They are both artists in my company, BigKid Dance, so it was like an isolated creative residency for us as a company. The reason why this was so meaningful or memorable, was because of the strong bond we formed along the way. The three of us were already close, but being in nature together, dancing and conversing everyday and all that comes with that, it really made for such an insightful and fruitful time together. This is always the most important thing for me in any project I’m doing, the connection made by the people involved.

Mark, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a queer, Italian/Brazilian American artist, with a focus in choreography for live performance and film. I grew up in Southwest Philly, and my interest in dance and creativity started at a young age. I was introduced to dance by my grandmother who had a love for musicals and films involving theater, singing and dancing, and we bonded through this. So when my sister joined dancing school, I followed right behind her. Then dancing in the street during hot summers in Philly inspired me to start putting on shows and making up little dances with my friends. This all has stuck with me ever since, I’ve been dancing and creating all through my life up until now. I went to a performing arts high school and university and my goal was to become a professional dancer, which I saw through! I danced for my dream company job right out of school, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, then moved to Montreal to dance with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal (BJM), then back to the states to dance for Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Throughout my time touring with these companies, I was also teaching a lot around the world and starting to hone my choreographic voice more and more. it was around this time, when I took a deeper plunge into my choreographic focus. Though I was still dancing in my own work, I wasn’t interested in being a dancer in a company anymore. I wanted to create a platform for myself, where I could seek out and see through my ideas and bring my imagination to life, while at the same time providing a platform for my friends (collaborators) to dance, to shine and be themselves in. So that’s where I am at now, leading a queer dance community (company) in Philly called BigKid Dance. We focus on making evening length works, mainly one each year (or season) so we can really focus on the process and all that comes with that. We also provide an educational platform artists to collaborate with some super influential artists from all over. BigKid Dance has become a home for myself and so many, mainly queer artists, a place to feel safe and supported while being encouraged to push boundaries as dancers and artists. It has also been a huge part in all of our growth as people in our society, paying close attention to what we are putting out into the world, how we are doing it and always doing it with love. I am super excited to see where we go together. Alongside building BigKid Dance, I have had some amazing opportunities as a choreographer, including commissions by companies like Whim W’Him Contemporary Dance Seattle, Gibney Company, and American Ballet Theater (ABT Incubator), was named a 2023 Princess Grace Award Recipient in Choreography, a 2023 Choreography Fellow at Jacob’s Pillow and collaborated with several universities, programs and organizations with choreographic works. I am also currently an Artist in Residence at University of the Arts (School of Dance) and adjunct professor, faculty at Gibney Dance NY and working on new projects with BigKid Dance.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My life has been filled with “no’s” and “unfortunately’s” in person and through email, I’d say now more than ever, as I’m sure many artists can relate to. I spend several hours of several days throughout my week researching creative opportunities, researching ways of contact to get in touch with presenters, directors, curators, and sending out my work and my heart to festivals, companies and residency/commission applications. 9 times out of 10 I either never hear a response or the response is a recycled message with a big “no” in it. This starts to eat away at you when you have made a lifestyle out of your art. I start to feel depleted, and start to second guess everything. But somehow, I always keep going. I keep my head down and I continue to create, continue to do my own things, what feels right and good to me. At times, the pressure of everyone around you sharing their success stories, their opportunities and accolades, gets to me and I feel the urge to make something similar so people will like my work, like me. But my heart usually takes over and continues to lead me I the direction that is my own. I am usually broke, or have just enough money to get by and take care of what I need to until the next check, so this also adds strain to my emotional state, especially while trying to still live creatively. I think the resilience is in the “unknowing of the keep going”, the subconscious buzz inside me that will not let me stop because of how much I love doing what I do, even when it get’s hardest and darkest. When I have no money but I have to pay my collaborators, I will find a way to work more hours at one of my jobs to make it happen. Or when I’ve been denied an opportunity, I will go ahead and make another one of my own. Being resourceful is so important. I just love making stuff and moving and being artistic in anyway so much that my heart and soul will always support me in my efforts no matter what. And it always ends up lifting me back up.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I believe that society needs artists and art, even exists because of it. So I feel that artists should be uplifted and supported. I think that society takes from art and artists constantly and we are constantly giving out ourselves through our work. Even down to the structures that we walk and drive on, and exist in and around on a daily basis that we take fro granted has design, has vision, has creativity, was made. I believe that art is also important for knowledge and understanding, a bridge to connect people and cultures and ideals, to find out and evolve. Art is vital, Artists are vital. I believe we need more financial support to create, to work, to pay our collaborators. I feel priorities are all over the place as far as city and state funding. I would hope for more creative spaces just to play and exist in, around cities that are free or affordable. More artistic places, organizations, schools, museums and theaters that can add to a more robust culture, and potentially a more compassionate society. There should be generally a greater focus on the importance of art and art making.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.markcaserta.com www.bigkiddance.com
• Instagram: @future.doodles @_bigkids

Image Credits
Mikey Morado and Matthew Caserta