We recently connected with Sydney Sorenson and have shared our conversation below.

Sydney, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Spending time alone in a dance studio is one of the most exciting and healing experiences for me; it’s where I get to explore movement in a way that feels authentic to me. I have a regular practice of recording myself through improvisation so that I can get ideas for choreography when I work with other people. In a rehearsal process, I build movement on the dancers as I get to know them as individual movers. It’s interesting for me to witness how everyone explores space differently, similar to how we all move throughout our everyday lives.

When I was enrolled as a Modern Dance Major at the University of Utah, I was afraid of improvisation; I didn’t understand how to explore movement on my own without a given set of steps. One evening, a dear friend of mine invited me to join an improvisation session with a group of dancers I admired. Although I had previously performed in front of thousands of people, that experience made me so nervous! The regular practice of exploring movement through improvisation by listening to the music and how I innately want to move, became a foundation for how I generate material for choreography. I realized, I can always come back to myself to explore new material.

Growing up I studied all styles of dance, although classical ballet was a main focus. It wasn’t until I worked with Alonzo King at the LINES Summer Intensive in San Francisco that I realized I could actually relax, and feel confident about the movement I was exploring. I remember being in the studio for hours without worrying about the time or where I needed to be next. When our class ended I was in tears because I was so happy. That experience changed my trajectory in dance. Before that point I wanted to quit, and I will never forget how I felt that summer.

If I were to do something different, it would be related to studying the mechanics of the body, or looking at the psychology of the brain. I’m interested in understanding how people operate in their physical bodies and how this can be a powerful tool for the mind. My choreographic work is often inspired by my own experience and what I continue to learn and unlearn over time.

Sydney, 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’ve been dancing since I could walk. My parents took me to the Utah Arts Festival as a kid and they soon found me dancing on stage with a reggae band bouncing up and down. I have always had a lot of energy and I just needed a place to put it. Thankfully, I was able to pursue dance despite the financial obstacles that we faced.

It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles after college that I realized I had a great foundation and training for dance. Although I had many exciting experiences in LA – working with LACDC, going on tour with Helene Fischer in Europe, performing with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Germany, and improvising during the opening act for Grimes at The Meadows Music & Arts Festival – I craved working in the studio. It’s my safe place.

My experience as a Modern Dance Major at the University of Utah was one of the best experiences of my life! My professors were so nurturing and helpful to me and they are the reason I decided to pursue a career as an Associate Professor of Dance. It wasn’t until I finished my first year at NYU Tisch School of the Arts that I realized I was excited about choreography. Being in an environment where the arts are accessible all in one place opened up a whole new perspective for me. From that time forward, all I’ve wanted to do is collaborate with other artists to make work that is multidisciplinary.

Right now, I am consistently collaborating with students and colleagues at a community college in California. I have directed a virtual performance, a site-specific performance on campus, and a multidisciplinary performance at the winery. I’ve also consistently collaborated with the Art and Music Program. The purpose of each of these projects was to build community across campus, during and after the pandemic.

My goal is to take my work outside of the college setting, where I can continue to explore work that is collaborative. I enjoy working in a natural environment that challenges me to think outside of a proscenium stage setting. I’m eager to collaborate with designers, composers, musicians, multimedia and visual artists, and culinary artists. I am most excited about collaborating to bring diverse art disciplines together in a celebration of the arts.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There is an innate physicality to dance, although it doesn’t have to be so focused on the body.

I wasted a lot of time looking at myself in the mirror and judging myself for how I looked. I’m not sure how I survived all the years of ridicule for being “quirky” and “bulky” in the ballet world and being weighed monthly as a naturally athletically built person while working for the NBA. Years of judging myself and my body sent me into a spiral that I didn’t think I would come back from. It was very stressful, to say the least.

The lesson I am consistently unlearning is that dance isn’t for a specific type of person or group of people. Dance is a universal language that has existed throughout civilization, in each culture, for hundreds of years. I believe it is one way for people to feel connected to each other, and it is the best way for me to feel connected to myself. For me, it’s about creating choreography that speaks from my subconscious, rather than focusing so intensely on the physical aspects of the body. Although movement is at the center of what I do, it’s so much more to me than just the steps.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

After grad school I found myself teaching part-time at Texas Tech University. I was lucky enough to reconnect with my mentor, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, who was Head of Dance at the time. I was teaching multiple courses at TTU and Ballet Lubbock; collaborating with composers, the local symphony, and freelance musicians; and choreographing/performing in a site-specific show as a part of the First Friday Art Trail.

Although I wanted to stay working in that environment, I had to leave. Divorce and financial constraints forced me to apply for a full-time position that sent me back to California. (For context, I’ve lived in five different states over the course of my life due to education and occupational change in the performing arts). Even though it was difficult for me to start over, I’ve never felt more like myself than I do right now. What I’ve learned is that if you trust yourself enough to pursue your passion and you decide that there is no other way, you can succeed. The key is to stop getting in your own way, and just go out and do it. Oh and by the way, I’m still working on that one too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sydneysorenson.com/
• Instagram: @sydneymoves

Image Credits
Michelle Coppini Brittany Heiland Whitney Otte Nick Roush