We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patsy Collins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Patsy, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Movement has been a part of my identity from a young age, but I don’t think I knew how much it would consume my life until I discovered movement research during my undergraduate studies. I grew up sporadically training in traditional Irish dancing and competitive jazz, and wasn’t exposed to modern and contemporary movement forms until I was a student at Emory University. There, I experienced the creative freedom provided by the vessel that is contemporary movement and have been enamored by it ever since.

One moment in particular that was defining in my pursuit of a choreographic career was creating my first solo work. I was asked to utilize the resources of Emory’s Rose Library as source material, and I connected deeply to a series of literary works from the Beat Generation hyper-sexualizing the female body. It sparked an immediate connection to a personal experience from my past. Pulling from personal anecdote and literary research I choreographed “Disinterested Cruelty”, a solo that gave me the opportunity to come to terms with trauma from my past, and allow viewers the opportunity to do the same by embodying jarring images and striking phrase material emphasizing physical touch.

This solo helped me to realize how healing choreography can be for the self, and the power it has to incite empathy in audiences. I had the opportunity to perform this solo at an informal concert hosted by the American College Dance Association, and distinctly recall coming off of the stage feeling washed, healed.. awakened.

Patsy, 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 an Atlanta-based choreographer, dancer and marketing professional. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, I first came to Atlanta as a student at Emory University, and fell in love with the city so much that I decided to stay and make it home. This past year as a choreographer I have had works shown with the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Dance Canvas’ CCDI Program at the Georgia Tech Ferst Center, and Uprising Dance Company’s Showcase at The Windmill Arts Center. Previously I have received grants to create new works from the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the Old Fourth Ward Neighbors Association. Most recently, I was invited by ArtsATL to present work at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in September 2022, and was selected as one of three finalists for Dance Gallery Festival’s Ardsley Choreographic Residency. I am currently creating a new solo work premiering at the Fall for Fall Dance Festival on October 28th at Underground Atlanta, and will present a new group work, “sciath”, in February 2023.

As a choreographer I am dedicated to creating innovative work that sparks insightful questioning and dialogue through a rigorously physical movement vocabulary. I often explore the physical manifestation of concepts that are uncomfortable or challenging to address via traditionally used methods of communication, such as spoken or written word. My creation process is collaborative and utilizes tools like journaling and improvisation as points of entry for movers to bring personal intention to the work. I hope to evoke an emotional response in viewers by imploring them to question their relationship to what they see, and challenging the vocabulary of contemporary dance.

As a dancer, I perform with staibdance, ALA Dance and Komansé Dance Theater in addition to freelance projects. In September 2022 I will perform in a new work by Julio Medina at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, and throughout the coming months will be in process for staibdance’s newest work, ARARAT.

As a marketing professional and arts administrator, I am the Communications Manager at Core Dance, Marketing Coordinator for DanceATL and Administrative Coordinator for staibdance. I received my BBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School, where I also recently completed an Arts Leadership Program. I have a deep love for art, and thus find great satisfaction from the arts and non-profit marketing sector. So much work goes on behind the scenes to support artists, and some of my favorite examples of this from my role with DanceATL include our digital publication Promenade which features community-nominated artists, our A.M. Collaborative program which matches two artists of different disciplines in an artistic incubator for several months providing free space and performance opportunities, and our weekly Monday Moves social media posts and emails which share upcoming performances, classes, auditions and job opportunities.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of all of my work in the arts whether it be choreographing, dancing or marketing is experiencing the impact felt by those who engage with us.

I’ll never forget a moment after a show where I presented my first-ever group work, when an audience member came up to me in the lobby after the performance in tears. It was so clear that the work had caused her to have a visceral reaction, perhaps calling upon a memory or an emotion from her past, and giving her the opportunity to see it portrayed on stage. Those tears are what make the work feel worth it… providing someone an opportunity to heal, learn, question, change…

As a mover I find so much joy in supporting local voices that I believe in, who have important things to share. Comparing my body to a megaphone feels like an apt simile, being a vessel through which voices can share their message. Most recently, being a dancer for Julio Medina in his premiere of “desahogo//undrown”, a work that utilizes boxing and martial arts as a mechanism for healing from struggles rooted in post-colonial trauma, has been very rewarding.

The same applies for my work in marketing and arts administration – DanceATL has only been a 501(c)(3) for a few years, and we have had the fortune of recently receiving several grants in support of our work, and our A.M. Collaborative program just welcomed 19 participants, more than we’ve ever had before! These things affirm the need for our work.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There are so many things we all can do to support artists and build a thriving ecosystem here in Atlanta. I think it all comes down to capacity and willingness – what are we capable of offering at this point in time?

Our first instinct when thinking about this question is often financial support, but there are so many other things that artists and our community need that require no financial commitment. Things like: asking artists questions about their art; verbal support on social media; offering in-kind resources like knowledge, space or resources; expanding an artist’s network by facilitating a new connection; reading about a new art form or style you’re curious about; taking a free class; offering to usher at performances for a free ticket… the list is truly endless. It’s a matter of acknowledging what capacity you have to share, learn and grow, and then assigning action to that capacity in a way that feels self-fulfilling and supports the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: patsycollins.com
• Instagram: @patsy_collins
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patsy-collins-17536514b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HQcWBeHOlU&t=16s

Image Credits
Photo Credit by Image Description (image descriptions are just for reference): Grassy field with 3 Individuals laughing – Photo Credit: Michelle Kim for DanceATL Headshot in black top – Photo Credit: Cody Jacques Stage with dancers in red shorts – Photo Credit: SWARM choreographed by Patsy Collins; Photo by Richard Calmes; Courtesy of Dance Canvas, Inc. Stage with two dancers crouched facing one another – Photo Credit: behind the glass choreographed by Patsy Collins; Photo by Richard Calmes; Courtesy of Dance Canvas, Inc. Dance shot in beige pants and green top – Christina Massad for ALA Dance