2024 "FOCUS ON YOUTH":
FEATURED EMERGING ARTIST
Dancer & Choreographer:
Rubielle Nejaime
Photo Courtesy: Rubielle Nejaime
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Dancer and choreographer Rubielle Nejaime is from Berkshire County, Massachusetts. She started her training in The Berkshires at Berkshire Pulse, specializing in ballet, modern, contemporary and jazz. Currently, she is studying dance at Boston Conservatory to concentrate on the technique and artistry of her craft. She has trained during the summer months at The American Ballet Theatre, Bates Dance Festival, Limón Dance Company, BODYSONNET, and she has performed at numerous venues, including the Colonial Theatre, Jacobs Pillow, Simon’s Rock, Chesterwood, The Mount at Edith Wharton's home, and the Boston Conservatory main stage. Rubielle has a passion for creating dance inspired by activism and has cultivated works in the Young Choreographers Initiative for five years and counting that are performed locally and nationally at the Nation Youth Artist Summit in Austin, Texas. "I learned firsthand the importance of spreading dance to the community as an outlet for people and groups who need it. This collaboration with the community is a resource that aids in spreading awareness about important topics." ~ Rubielle Nejaime |
Proud Sponsor of 2024 FOCUS ON YOUTH:
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Modern Dance Performance by Rubielle Nejaime
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Rubielle shares why she's passionate about dance and choreography, some of her most memorable experiences, and the importance of using dance as an outlet for positive social change.
When did you start dancing?
I started dancing when I was eleven years old. I was watching the show Dance Academy on Netflix with my mom, and I felt drawn to the life of a dancer. I felt like that was what I wanted to do. I asked my mom to sign me up for dance classes, and soon she found Berkshire Pulse in Housatonic [Massachusetts] where I took my first dance class in ‘Foundations.’
What styles of dance have you trained in?
I have trained mainly in ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary techniques, but I have also taken classes in African, flamenco, salsa, hip-hop and more.
When did you start dancing?
I started dancing when I was eleven years old. I was watching the show Dance Academy on Netflix with my mom, and I felt drawn to the life of a dancer. I felt like that was what I wanted to do. I asked my mom to sign me up for dance classes, and soon she found Berkshire Pulse in Housatonic [Massachusetts] where I took my first dance class in ‘Foundations.’
What styles of dance have you trained in?
I have trained mainly in ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary techniques, but I have also taken classes in African, flamenco, salsa, hip-hop and more.
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What do you love about modern dance?
What I love about modern dance is that it is more a feeling than an action or how it looks. Modern dance technique [incorporates different theories or ways of thinking] about how to move the body through space. It’s less about ‘what’ you do, and more about ‘how’ you do it — the process and feeling while it’s happening. Whether it’s movement quality, imagery or texture, this enriches and deepens the movement that is present in modern dance. What physical challenges have you faced as a dancer?
During my first semester at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, my body was adjusting to the new rigorous schedule of dancing all day at a professional and intense level. At the beginning of the semester, I realized my twisted ankle from a few weeks earlier did not heal as properly as I had thought. It was a struggle and a setback. All I wanted to do was dance to my fullest, but I was restricted [physically]. I had to learn self-discipline at another level during this injury recovery, and I had to take care of and not advantage of the body that allows me to be a dancer. In the long run, this is most important. |
Photo Courtesy: Rubielle Nejaime
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Group Dance
Photo Credit: Christopher Duggan |
What has been your most memorable performance?
In the summer of 2022, I performed professionally for the first time. It was on the Colonial Theatre Stage in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, with Berkshire Theatre Group for a production of ‘Dracula,’ directed by David Auburn and movement directed by Isadora Wolfe. My character, Mina, or ‘The Woman in White,’ was directed to be a spirit that had movement choreography lifted above the actors on stage, portraying the horrific stories of ‘The Woman in White,’ which were told from the actors down below. This was my first time working with a company, specifically a theater company. I made great connections with the cast and crew, learned so much about what goes into a production, and had great performance experience. Through this experience, I also discovered a love for theater and acting in dance, which I would love to incorporate into my career as a dancer. This was also the summer that I had choreographed and performed my senior solo at my graduating home studio, Berkshire Pulse Performing Arts Program. That was an incredible experience, and it was something I had been looking forward to since I started dancing at Berkshire Pulse. It was a great summer performance! |
Have you had experience with choreography? What was the takeaway from these experiences?
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I have had experience with choreography through the Young Choreographers Initiative (YCI) supported by Berkshire Pulse since 2018. Young Choreographers Initiative is a program which empowers young choreographers to share their voice and to use dance to fuel social activism. My passion for collaborating with different members of the community through dance emerged, and I started focusing my choreography on activism.
Some experiences include a project I worked on called Moving Life Stories, where culture and history were shared through movement and words. In partnership with Berkshire Immigrant Center, immigrants and their allies came together and told their stories through movement. Another incredible experience was when our piece about sexual assault was selected to go to the National Youth Artist Summit in Austin, Texas. There, I led a workshop about sexual assault and consent. I got research for this workshop from community resources at the Elizabeth Freeman Center which provides lifesaving and life-renewing help to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Presenting that was something that I never thought I would have been able to do before becoming a dancer. In that moment, my passion for voicing this topic outweighed the anxiety, and I knew I had to continue further. In the choreographic initiative, I additionally connected with Arts in Recovery for Youth — a suicide prevention and peer support program based locally — and developed choreography based on their paintings. I even partnered with the retirement community, where I created a piece that combines poetry and dance to tell the seniors’ life stories.
I learned firsthand the importance of spreading dance to the community as an outlet for people and groups who need it. This collaboration with the community is a resource that aids in spreading awareness about important topics. It helps to broaden the artform of dance that is enjoyed and inclusive for everyone. I learned that opening myself up to connect with the community is so important, and I am compelled to continue this practice throughout my career. I am eager to continue creating.
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Photo Courtesy: Rubielle Nejaime
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What are your go-to foods/drink before a performance?
I like to fuel myself with a good bacon, egg and cheese bagel. It became a routine when performing at my studio and has stuck with me since; I even crave it beforehand. A lot of water is also key to being hydrated and energized for a performance.
I like to fuel myself with a good bacon, egg and cheese bagel. It became a routine when performing at my studio and has stuck with me since; I even crave it beforehand. A lot of water is also key to being hydrated and energized for a performance.
Photo Courtesy: Rubielle Nejaime
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What is the best advice you've gotten from a dance teacher or mentor?
The best advice that I have gotten from a teacher has been to take risks and use your voice. As I am entering the professional world, I’m learning that the key to becoming a successful dancer/artist is to train your mind at this level. As dancers, we spend so much time in class training our bodies physically to be able to do the movements, but dance goes so much deeper on a mental level which sometimes blocks us. A lot of things hold us back as dancers, even just as humans in this world. Fear, shyness, insecurity, ego, and the feeling of being judged [can all play a role]. When you release the things that are holding you back, opportunities become available. Do not wait for permission to show yourself completely. Are there any women dancers (past or present) whom you particularly admire? I admire Aszure Barton tremendously. I think her choreographic work is brilliant, completely new and unique to anything on contemporary dance stages today. She has worked with many world-renowned companies and dancers. I am fortunate enough to be at Boston Conservatory where she works with students and will continue to be in this partnership for the next four years. I had the pleasure of watching her piece ‘LIFT’ set on students from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and felt so many emotions from it. I love when dance makes you feel, and this is something Aszure Barton’s work excels in. I hope to have the pleasure one day of performing her work. |
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