On stage at The Metropolitan Opera. Photo by K. Edwards.
Where did you grow up?
The cozy forests of Nevada City, CA and the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains.
Being involved in so many mediums of art, which pathway did you begin?
Early life was focused entirely and obsessively on dancing. My strength as a dancer was an ability to emotionally connect to music, but I didn’t know how to play instruments… Then I took a music theory class at university that unlocked some concepts… Composing became the new obsession. Never learned how to play anyone else’s songs, just started writing my own.
Tell us about your choreography and performative arts career.
Interests always shift and evolve, but for now my choreography and performance is informed by my deep relationship with neo-classical ballet, but I subvert technique in exploration of raw athleticism and primordial sensuality. As a choreographer or creative director I search for scores and structures which illuminate the authority of each individual body’s authentic story. It’s a collaborative process inspired by, and co-created with, the dancers I’m working with. I’m rarely interested in trying to coax anyone to move like me. Rather I think the choreography is most successful if it allows some essence of a dancer’s spirit to be fully expressed, and known more deeply by the hearts of viewers. And conversely when I dance in other people’s works, it’s beautiful to discover what other choreographers bring out of me.
Photo by Andrew T Foster
How do you balance those arts with music?
There is no balance. Music and dance both require a lot. It’s only possible because of my pathological love for them.
Tell us about the Motion Picture Soundtrack of Twisted and how you got involved with that project.
Twisted was shot in my hometown, Nevada City, and features several local actors. Leading lady and longtime friend Karen Leigh Sharp recommended my music to the director, Vibeke Muasya, who felt my style encapsulated the essence of her characters and story. There’s a mystery to that haunted landscape and the people there, which is inherently infused in my music, so maybe that made it an easy fit. Vibeke and I hit it off and it went from there…
Photo by Esteban Haga
Which artists or genres have influenced your sound the most?
This question is hard, as I’m inspired by so many genres… This is reflected in the eclectic, exploratory nature of my body of work. But it’s easy to identify the singers who’ve influenced me the most: Beth Gibbons (Portishead) and Chan Marshall (Cat Power).
Talk about the development of “The Valley” (Instrumentation, Recording process, personnel, studio).
I dance at The Metropolitan Opera and on breaks I mess around on the pianos in the basement rehearsal studios. It’s sort of a joke that I am the Phantom of the Opera haunting The Met with my moody vibes. One morning I was feeling overwhelmed by the ugly cruelty of the world, and Maxfield Haynes (fellow Met Opera dancer) caught my eye at ballet barre and looked at me knowingly: “Mountains and Valleys…” they said. That night I sat at a piano submerged deep in the basement maze of the opera house, and started writing this song. It felt like planting a fragile seed and hoping it could survive until the world thawed into something a little kinder… Around the same time I connected with songwriter and producer Stephen Masucci and we were hanging out playing demos and sketches of stuff to each other. He took a particular interest in this piece and we collaborated to develop the final song structure and arrangement, with Stephen playing synths and guitars. It was recorded with, and mixed by, legendary engineer Larry Alexander (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Diana Ross).
Has your creative process changed from “Lost at Sea” to your most recent project? Or do you have rituals that are still used today?
The rituals are always changing… sometimes I work entirely alone; playing and engineering everything. Sometimes I collaborate and co-write. Sometimes it happens fast, sometimes slow…sometimes in NYC, sometimes in an isolated cabin… every piece is its own little universe with its own origin story, timeline and internal logic…
On stage at The Metropolitan Opera. Photo by K. Edwards.
Being a choreographer, Do you incorporate a lot of dancing into your live performance?
Yes, whenever possible. Combined musical, choreographic and visual elements are the full expression of what I love to create.
What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had on stage?
I sort of can’t remember what happens when I’m onstage… If I’m doing it right, I get lost… it’s just about chasing sensation… all the processing power is used in the moment, there’s none left for memory…
Do you have a favorite venue or city to perform in? Why?
I love to tour anywhere really. I love seeing new places and experiencing new cultures through creative exchange. I hope music will take me around the world. My favorite city or venue is the one I haven’t been to yet…
Basement of The Metropolitan Opera where I wrote “The Valley”. Photo by K. Edwards
Tell us about any projects in the works.
There’s many, but it feels like bad luck to speak about them, so you’ll just have to wait and see…
How can people find your content?
My email list. I send messages maybe 1-3 times per year when I have something I’m really proud to share. I like this direct communication with people, rather than relying on the algorithms. https://www.alisonclancy.com/youandme