Getting to Know Shannon Alvis in the Studio

Writing about Shannon Alvis was my first story on DancerMusic.com. I specifically remember DancerMusic co-editor Johnny Nevin asking me in one of our initial conversations who I would want to write about first? There was no doubt in my mind, that this was Shannon Alvis. I was very excited not only to chat to Shannon about her experiences as a choreographer but wanted to get a better understanding as her life as a dancer.

When I met Shannon back in 2016, there was something about her presence that struck me — not to mention how incredible of a dancer and choreographer she is. My first experience working with Shannon was on her piece Sunrise while I was dancing with Thodos Dance Chicago. This piece originally premiered a year earlier, and we were re-staging it for the company’s repertory. Since this was my first season with Thodos Dance Chicago, I was the only cast member who didn’t know the full piece. This put immense amount of pressure on me. Not only was I working with a new choreographer for the first time, I also was the only one who was unfamiliar with the movement. At this point, I was so grateful that Shannon was the one at the front of the room. She had such a calm energy to her and was patient with me the entire process. She made me feel so comfortable and to this day, she has been one of the most incredible people I have ever worked with.

About a year later, I got the opportunity to work with Shannon again as part of Hubbard Street’s Professional Program (HS Pro) in the remounting of Gwana by Nacho Duato. Though a completely different process, I again had such an incredible experience with Shannon. She is the type of person who generates such a positive environment. Even though this piece was very demanding both mentally and physically, she taught the movement to us with such grace and pleasure.

Shannon continues to be a daily inspiration and I hope to work with her again in the near future.