Courtney Baron

Interview with Courtney

Name: Courtney Baron
Hometown: Hewlett, NY

What in your dance background has shaped you into the dancer that you are today?
I have four years of extensive West African dance training which has helped cultivate my
sense of freedom and individuality as a performer.

How do you feel when performing?
My favorite thing would have to be getting butterflies right before going on stage. It
brings me back to the present where I can feel my breath and close my eyes, and sense
that unique emotional moment just before going on stage. Performing has always brought me excitement and pure joy.

What is your warm-up ritual? I like to roll out my muscles on a lacrosse ball, a well as some light yoga to create heat in my body.

What’s in your dance bag? A lacrosse ball, socks, bobby pins.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a dancer? Being able to give back.

What is a normal day-in-the-life for you? No day feels normal when you’ve chosen the path of dancing! A more ordinary day for me would be: train a Pilates client, go to dance class, go to rehearsal, train a couple more Pilates clients, and hopefully make it home for dinner!

What keeps you going? Sleep is without a doubt the most important for me. If I get less than seven hours of sleep, I feel sluggish and weak the next day.

As an artist, what led you to the Company? What attracts me to Daniel’s work is his relentless commitment to precision and specificity, while also celebrating abandonment and freedom. His choreography blends these two sides of the spectrum in a way looks beautifully natural when watching it.

Describe working on The Oracle? The process of working on The Oracle has been somewhat working in fragments, we’ll focus on large and small sections during each rehearsal. Each dancer has their fingers in many different cookie jars, so it’s important to stay on your toes and be ready to switch gears when it’s time to switch sections.

What has been most challenging about the process and the work? In the rehearsal process we perform many challenging counter-balance and weight-sharing movements, which some of them really push the range of possibilities!

Have you made any new discoveries during the rehearsal process? When pushing your physical and mental boundaries, I’ve discovered that patience is surely a virtue!

Why do you think someone should come to see The Oracle at BAM at the end of May? Everyone should come see The Oracle at BAM if they want to be completely blown away by the amount of heart, beauty and passion exuded by each individual in the cast. Not only that, but a dance performance that is a result of love, dedication and hard-work. It will surely be an event!

Courtney began dancing with DGDC in the winter of 2012.  In the past she has danced with Sean Curran Company, Neta Dance Company, Korhan Basaran and others. She also currently dances with Danielle Russo Dance Company and apprentices with Zvidance.  She most recently performed in The Legend of Yauna at BAM! choreographed and directed by Maija Garcia (Fela!) and Chris Berry.