BWW Interviews: Tiffany Rea Fisher

Tiffany Rea Fisher is the Associate Artistic Director of the Elisa Monte Dance. She received her BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College SUNY, where she co-founded ForArts, the school's first interdisciplinary presenting organization, which provided opportunities for students from different conservatories to create collaborative works.

Ms. Rea-Fisher joined Elisa Monte Dance in 2004 where she was principal dancer until 2010, performing lead roles in such classic works as Treading, Pigs and Fishes, Shattered and Volkmann Suite. She was named Dance Magazine's "On the Rise" person for their 2007 August issue, based on her performance during the company's 2006 season at The Joyce Theater.

Ms. Rea-Fisher began her administrative work for the Company as the Director of Education, where she worked to expand the company's educational initiatives. In 2009 she was promoted to the role of Associate Artistic Director for the Company.

Ms. Rea-Fisher has had the privilege of having her last four pieces become part of the Company's repertory. Teaching is a big part of Ms. Rea-Fisher's new position, and she has since taught at the Ailey School, City Center, Dancewave, Steffi Nossen, Peridance, Steps on Broadway, Dance New Amsterdam, Tisch, SUNY Purchase, and George Mason University.

Broadwayworld Dance recently conducted an interview with Ms. Rea-Fischer to discuss her choreography and the commission of new music.

Q. What are the benefits of commissioning a score versus using an already existent composition?

A. Whencommissioning a score I don't feel constrained by already existing tempos, instrumentation, duration, etc. It is also very exciting to be part of the creation process outside of dance.

Q. Are there any particular present day composers you enjoy working with?

A.Most recently, Kyle Olsen and Matthew Heath. I'm always looking for composers with whom to collaborate. I love creating with others; it takes me places I could never find on my own. And I feel the outcome is better for it.

Q. What about composers who are no longer living; do you have any particular favorites?

A. Antonio Vivaldi is, hands down, my favorite.

Q. When you commission music, do you already have an idea in mind for the dance?

A. For this piece, I had no idea what I wanted. For the solo in "Identity," my 2013 premiere, I would move around and listen to the music. After each movement, I would put a phrase together depending on my mood to see how it affected the movement. Then I brought others into the process to see which piece of music they thought fit the best. For the group section of the piece, I used the music to inspire the dance.

Q. When you are working with a commissioned composer, how do you work together?

A. I video everything. The second I have something I like, I e-mail the video clip to the composer and ask what he sees in the movement. Once we decide the mood, I invite him into the studio to watch a rehearsal, and then he usually e-mails me a short improvisational composition in response to the rehearsal. After we decide on feel and instrumentation, I try not to impede on the composition process and let him create what he feels is right for the piece. Collaboration is all about trust.

Q. What if the commissioned composer can't fulfill the needs of the dance you are choreographing: procrastination, not listening to what you saying, etc.?

A. I try to keep the lines of communication open and truly respect the creative process, so luckily I haven't run into that yet.

Q. Commissioning a score is expensive. Where do you get the funding for this?

A. I write grants for each new piece, and, amazingly enough, I have had my last two pieces of music commissioned by a board member.

Q. Once the music composition is finished and you have choreographed a dance, do you still own the rights to the music? Can the composer give his score to another choreographer or make a suite for an orchestral piece?

A. No the rights stay with composer, but I keep the rights to perform the piece to the music.

Q. When you are choreographing to a new musical score, do you have the composer in the studio playing the piano or any other instrument?

A. I haven't worked like that since college. I really like working that way, but it is time consuming, and you really have to know each other for it to really work, in my opinion.

Q. Once you have received the score, do you envision certain dancers in roles?

A. Absolutely. Each dancer brings something different to the table, so you really have to consider your casting, because it can make or break your piece.

Q. How long would you expect to keep a dance with new choreography in the repertoire?

A. It depends. There are some pieces that have a sense of timelessness and stay relevant for a substantial amount of time. Other pieces are just a onetime thing.

Q. Weigh the pros and cons of working with a living composer as compared with a deceased composer's works?

A. I love working with living composers. They provide fresh avenues for exploration. You have the ability to really work as a team. With a deceased composer it's like working in limbo. You only work with yourself. There's no give and take.

For more information, please go to the Elisa Monte web site:

www.elisamontedance.org

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Opening Night - Thursday, April 11 - 8:00 p.m.

Gala Performance - Friday, April 12 - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday Matinee - April 13 - 3:00 p.m.

Saturday evening - April 13 - 8:00 p.m.

VENUE INFORMATION

The Ailey Citigroup Theater's Joan Weill Center for Dance is conveniently located four blocks from Columbus Circle at 405 West 55th Street, on the corner of 9thAvenue. The venue is accessible by the 1/A/B/C/D subway lines to Columbus Circle.

photography: Roy Volkmann