Summer School

A is for action

By Amy Kepferle · Wednesday, July 28, 2010

What does summer school look like? Well, if you’re one of the four Western Washington University dance program students who auditioned to take part in “357 Repertory,” by this point in the process you can rest assured there will be no squeezing behind uncomfortable desks and spending your afternoons gazing blankly at a blackboard.

Last week, at the university’s Ving! studios in downtown Bellingham’s Odd Fellows Hall, summer school closely resembled a classroom in some ways—as in, there was an instructor and there were students—but in many other aspects, it was completely different than what people think of when they picture higher learning in action.

For one thing, there were costumes. And the not-so dulcet sounds of “Jungle Boogie” blaring through the high-ceilinged room.  And, of course, lots and lots of movement that defied the basic laws of gravity.

For KT Niehoff, this kind of class is nothing new. As the guest instructor for 357 Repertory—which focuses on process work and involves the creation and/or reconstruction of a major choreographic work that will be performed in front of an audience—Niehoff comes to the table with more than 20 years of experience both onstage and off.

Named the Artist of the Year in 2007 by Seattle Magazine, the accomplished Artistic Director of the Emerald City collective known as Lingo has been taking part in the teaching residency since classes started June 22.

Although she’s outwardly calm and collected in her approach to the students, Niehoff, 41, says teaching has never come easy for her. “It requires a lot of bloodletting and the opening of veins,” she says. “It’s not a negative thing—it just takes more out of me than performing with my company.”

Regardless of the inner turmoil brought about by helping students gain a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary dance, it’s clear Niehoff knows exactly what she’s doing.

For the Summer Dance Concert, which will show July 29-31 at Ving!, Niehoff encouraged the four students to generate all of the material they’ll be performing. And, although she’s guided them every step of the way, the end product will be based on ideas they came up with.

“I told them at the beginning that we were going to work by instinct,” she says. “The why comes later. If I saw something I liked, we looked into it.”

The end result—or at least the process of getting to the end result—is a show that’s playful, but also has a modicum of depth. It’s clear the students are soaking up what Niehoff says, and using it to their advantage.

“Direct the energy back up,” Niehoff reminded the dancers as they neared the end of the first hour of rehearsal. “Not bad: Let’s run through the whole thing again.”