NEW BALLET BY JOSHUA L. PEUGH
POETIC FORM OF SHAKE SPEARE TRANSLATED TO DANCE
TIMELESS ROMANCE Joshua L. Peugh is an award-winning choreographer from New Mexico. He is a former dancer with Universal Ballet in South Korea and is the founder and Artistic Director of Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, in addition to his freelance choreography work. He is a choreographer-in-residence at Verb this winter and was commissioned to create a new fulllength ballet, Romeo & Juliet. He has choreographed over 40 new works for major companies including BalletX, Ballet Memphis, and Tulsa Ballet. We sat down with him to talk about his new commission. You trained as a classical ballet dancer. Tell us about
dancing. I ended up dancing that work for the next
your experience and influence in becoming a
six years—even after I left the company, I would
contemporary dance maker.
come back as a guest and dance just that work.
I graduated from Southern Methodist University in
Ohad [Naharin]’s philosophy and movement really
Dallas. I felt very strongly that I was and should be
shaped and shifted me as an artist.
a classical ballet dancer and I took a job dancing with Universal Ballet in South Korea. On my first
What three words describe your choreographic style?
day of work, we auditioned for and worked on Ohad
I don't know if I can pick three words to describe
Naharin’s Minus 7. As a classical ballet dancer, I
my style. I would say that [my work] is a collage—it
began my career dancing for a very contemporary
is a collection of things in no particular order. I like
choreographer and it completely shifted my mind. It
to take things from here and there with movement
changed how I imagined myself as an artist and as a
styles and blend them, paste them together, order
dancer—and it reminded me of the pleasure that I
them, and reorder them to see what new thing can
had forgotten that comes from movement and
be produced. verbiculture | February 2022
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