We caught up with company dancer Eliza Weekley (she/her) to hear some of her thoughts about her work at CRB, recovering from a global pandemic and so much more!
CRB: Tell us a little bit about your journey with the company Eliza?
Eliza: “This will be my fourth season with the company! I think it was a combination of things that drew me to CRB. I first met Wade back when I was studying at The Joffrey Academy of Dance, they were my modern teacher. I always really enjoyed their style of movement and the energy they brought to the studio. One day they were talking about their ballet company and how they were going to be putting on their world premiere of Macbeth. So I decided to go see the performance and I was hooked! I could definitely see myself dancing with CRB at some point. After that year Wade and I lost contact for a bit, either I couldn't make it to auditions for CRB or had other projects I was committed too. Eventually, however, the stars aligned and I was able to reconnect with Wade and join CRB as an apprentice in 2018.”
CRB: What are some of your thoughts about this season’s repertoire?
Eliza: “I am unbelievably excited for this season's rep and the upcoming performances! 2020 was definitely quite the rollercoaster of a year and by the end of the year after we had to push back the dates of our performances again and again, I had come to terms with the fact that I was probably never going to get to perform this rep. I was just going to have to enjoy the fact that I had such incredible experiences working with all the choreographers and dancers in the rehearsal process. Now that we are in fact getting to perform this rep I am loving every minute of getting to revisit these pieces and dive even deeper into them after having so much time to reflect.”
CRB: Will you are a little bit about your experience of navigating dance in the midst of a pandemic and your recovery process?
Eliza: “It was interesting to say the least. I feel as if I managed to get in and out of shape at least four times throughout the pandemic. As hard as it was sometimes, in some ways having that time and space away from the studio and the arduous day to day-ness of it all actually helped me through some burn out I wasn't even aware that I was having. When the pandemic really hit the whole dance community came together and there were suddenly so many options to take class online. So even though dancing in my kitchen was really not ideal, it suddenly opened up this whole opportunity for dance to be just for me again. It was no longer a "you must go to class and dance all the time to achieve these set goals" mentality because I was suddenly under no such obligation. Of course those thoughts still lingered in the back of my mind, but the focus had shifted to a much more personal level. I was dancing again because it brought me joy not because it was something I felt obligated to do. So when we started being able to go back into the studios there was definitely a greater level of appreciation for all the space I was allowed to move around in again and the people I was allowed to move around with.”
CRB: A lot of dancers have a cross-training regimen for when they’re not in the studio. Do you have one?
Eliza: “Over the years I've been through a lot of physical therapy for various injuries so I've cultivated my own routine based on exercises I've been given through that while also incorporating some yoga and pilates that I've learned as well.”
CRB: Name 5 things in your dance bag that you can not live without.
Eliza: “Water bottle, tennis ball, theraband, a small towel, and ballet shoes”
CRB: Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve danced over the years?
Eliza: “My favorite CRB piece to dance has probably been Tenley Dickey's "All the things you are". It was one of the first pieces I got to perform as a part of CRB and her style and musicality was just so unique. Her piece was so challenging to dance but when it came time to perform it, it was so rewarding. It was some of the most fun I've had getting to dance on stage.”