lA fLEUR
"La fleur" is a contemporary meditation on the cyclical journey of perseverance. The movement embodies strength and tension that juxtapose soft, wilting shapes that fall only to regain composure once more, like a flower budding before bloom. The ever-evolving movement suggests hardship and release are both essential to growth and resilience. Though the piece portrays the struggles of daring greatly, its ultimate tone evokes awe at the beauty discovered through repetition―the determination to continue blossoming despite falling. "La fleur" explores how contrasting forces actually foster one another, each incomplete alone. Together they resolve into harmony, as integrated opposites allow the most magnificent flowers to unfold.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Kaitlyn Pollock graduated with a BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University in 2013, gaining extensive experience collaborating with professionals and performing in renowned works, including those by Gerald Arpino, KT Nelson, Lauren Edson, David Parsons, Harrison McEldowney, Autumn Eckman, and Ron DeJesus. In 2012, she showcased her talent at the American Dance Festival in Shen Weis' "Undivided Divided," performed alongside the main company at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Afterward, she pursued a professional dance career in New York City with Shawn Bible Dance Company, BOM DIGGS, and Smashworks Dance Collective, engaging in various freelance projects. In 2018, Kaitlyn returned to Michigan, teaching at Western Michigan University and Wellspring, alongside performing in the premiere of "Two Twelve" with Jodie Randolph Dance. In 2019, she embraced the role of Artistic Director for the Young Dancers Initiative, guiding aspiring artists in uncovering their future paths in dance.
CHOREOGRAPHER
Kelsey Paschich is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Western Michigan University. Her multifaceted career spans over 20 years across genres including classical ballet, contemporary dance, screendance, and motion capture technology. Originally from New Mexico, her performance experience stretches from the Moscow State Classical Ballet to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to a large-scale production on a glacier in Austria. Paschich is currently pioneering projects in AI and choreography as a recipient of WMU's Presidential Innovation Professorship Award 2023. She continues to create digital dance films that have been screened at festivals in Germany, Portugal, Turkey and the U.S. As an educator, Paschich draws on her diverse background to holistically mentor the next generation of dance artists.