CSU Dance Faculty, Madeline and Matthew Harvey, will be performing their piece “Temptation” at our Second Annual Ballet & Beer production on Thursday, October 11.  We are so honored to partner with them, read on to learn more about their dance experiences, life in Fort Collins, and fun tidbits about how they prepare for a show!

You are both new to Fort Collins, in your 2nd year teaching and dancing in Fort Collins at CSU.  Where did you move from and how has the transition been?  How are you enjoying your new dance lives here in NoCo?

We moved to Fort Collins after spending the last nine years in South Carolina. We love the culture here – everyone seems so friendly and sincere. While I (Matthew) appreciate a winter more similar to those of my childhood in Pennsylvania, Madeline is still adjusting to the colder weather. We feel lucky to have found a place where we can teach, choreograph and perform. We have so much respect for local dance companies and are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with other artists in the NoCo community!

How long have you both been choreographing together?  Can you tell us something about your process?

Despite having choreographed more than one hundred works combined, and having performed in each other’s choreography, we have only co-created a handful of  pieces. So far, our collaborative processes have been seamless. In fact, it is often difficult to distinguish who is responsible for specific movement vocabulary or ideas. I think having partnered together for over twelve years helped to build this intuitive understanding of one another in the studio.

What’s your favorite thing about working together?

The dedicated time to connect on such deep mental, physical, and emotional levels. The camaraderie is great too! If only we had an outtakes reel… some of the most memorable studio moments are when something totally unpredictable happens that sends us from intense concentration into hysterical laughter.

Aside from one another, who would you most like to have the opportunity to dance with?

Madeline – I would secretly love the opportunity to share the stage with Judy Bejarano, Artistic Director of IMPACT. It is inspiring to watch her create and demonstrate her choreography – I think it would be great fun to perform a duet with her one day. Matthew – I can’t say there is any specific person I would like to perform with, just some repertoire and styles that I would enjoy workshopping.

How do you prepare the day of a performance?

Madeline – Most of my performance days are spent trying to remember to breathe. I find comfort in a set order of events – I like to do my hair first, then make-up, then warm up. For some reason I like to eat a breakfast sandwich on show days, and I can usually be found wearing my sock monkey onesie backstage. Matthew – Whether it’s songs that energize or relax me, I have to listen to music on show days. I don’t get outwardly nervous, but I prefer to stay more meditative while preparing before a performance. I eat, brush my teeth, do my make up, wash my hands, then put on my costume. I come to the theatre packed for the week and then slowly move out over the course of the run.

What’s your favorite restaurant in Fort Collins?

There are so many excellent restaurants in Fort Collins, but Lucille’s (especially for their beignets) is at the top of my (Madeline’s) list. Matthew loves Snooze!