Septime Webre, Artistic Director of the Washington Ballet describes his favorite experience as an artist.

Fabian Barnes, Aristic Director of the Dance Institute of Washington shares his favorite experience as an artist.

Interview with dance critic George Jackson, April 15, 2006

What has been really beautiful with this project is that there are so many similarities between the stories that I hear – nationally and internationally.

"I think all of my favorite experiences in dance have to do with the way they make me realize how much I don’t know about the world. I know that’s why I keep going to dance."

Dancer and Choreographer Jason Hartley describes his favorite experience as an artist.

I didn’t feel any pressure to be good. I didn’t feel any pressure for the music to be good. I really didn’t care. Unfortunately maybe it’s cause the pendulum had swung back from this incredibly stressful experience.

"But one of my most extraordinary experiences as an artist, and I carry it with me still, was on Igbo Landing in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, where I went to do research on Gullah culture. And I went to meditate, but I went to this particular site, which is off Dunbar Creek, and it’s a place where, the place where a great group of Igbo people had jumped off a slave ship, to avoid being made slaves."

"What is porn?"

"The dancer identity has many layers. Some are positive (graceful, strong, beautiful), some negative (poor, insecure, dumb.)"