Dancing Across Continents, Finding Your Body, and Discovering the Ilan Lev Method with Annie Rigney

Who you are as an artist is undoubtedly influenced by the teachers you encounter along the way. Similarly, being exposed to different artistic practices can have a significant impact on your development. Today’s guest, Annie Rigney, started dancing at the tender age of three and hasn’t looked back since. In our conversation, Annie recounts how she was first introduced to new techniques (like Graham and Gaga), the teachers that took the time to work with her one on one, and how these experiences gave her the tools to begin to move beyond the limitations of ballet. We hear about her time in Israel, her discovery of the Ilan Lev method, and why becoming an Ilan Lev practitioner was one of the best decisions she ever made. Annie's love for dance is evident throughout this conversation, and the knowledge she has accumulated is nuanced, profound, and thought-provoking. Be sure to tune in to hear all this along with her wonderful insights on a range of fascinating topics, from healing through dance to the art of repetition!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guest, Annie Rigney, and how she first fell in love with dance.
• The rigor, discipline, pain, and emotional abuse that characterized Annie’s early dance training.
• The Gaga dance course that Annie took with Bobbi Jene Smith and how it altered her trajectory.
• Annie’s move to Israel and the time she spent training in Tel Aviv.
• An overview of the Ilan Lev method and how it transformed Annie’s mobility and movement and how Annie became an Ilan Lev practitioner.
• Annie’s experience playing Lady Macbeth for three years in Sleep No More
• How the COVID-19 pandemic gave her the freedom to experiment with choreography.

“This whole journey with my body, from very young has been one of stripping away what's not needed. So I learned so many things in that short time, which were keys for me to unlock new physical possibilities.” – Annie Rigney, MSP 147

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More info links from this episode: Annie Rigney on Movers & Shapers 

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Performers are always looking for fulfilling artistic endeavors and creative communities. In this episode, we hear from three incredible people, Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow, Mara Driscoll, and César Abreu, who have come together to form an exciting new project with a shared vision for performance. Art Bath is an immersive performance salon series that fosters community, exploration, and exchange within the community. Our guests share how they met while dancing at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and why they decided to join forces to create Art Bath. We start by learning about each of their journeys to becoming the performers they are today, what they enjoy most about dance, and the unique way in which they have come together.  Learn about the power of the Art Bath platform, how art can help people connect and understand one another, and how they found the formula that works. We also find out how the various ways they support the salon, the challenges of building a solid support base, the ultimate goal of Art Bath, and what the future holds for this exciting creative production. Tune in to hear more about the power of art and community with today's inspirational guests, Art Bath founders Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow and Mara Driscoll, and Associate Producer César Abreu!

“My life is surrounded with dance, movement, and beauty.” — Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow

Key Points From This Episode:

• How each of our guests first became interested in dance.
• The experience of performing on stage at the Met.
• The sense of community amongst the dancers at the Met.
• How our guests first met and decided to start Art Bath.
• The concept and vision behind Art Bath.
• What to expect from Art Bath and our guests in the future.

Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow is a former company member with Ballet Hispanico, Mara Driscoll grew up dancing at the Boulder Ballet and is currently the Program and Advancement Lead at ISPA (International Society for Performing Artists), and Puerto Rican dancer/producer Cesar Abreu began his career with the Grammy-nominated Latin group Menudo.  The three met while dancing with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. As an antidote to the pandemic’s months of social and creative isolation, they joined forces to create Art Bath, a new recurring artist salon series for some of today’s leading performers.

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More on this episode: themovingarchitects.org/podcast

Make your tax-deductable donation to Movers & Shapers! Donate HERE today!