This turned out to be sort of a joint interview. While I was interviewing Charles Tyson, Jr. of Underground DanceWorks for Dance Talk Radio, Bill Hebert was interviewing Tabatha Robinson-Scott  of Monarch Dance for the Dance Journal. So we present our collaboration of their collaboration.

On air interview with Charles Tyson, Jr. hosted by Steven Weisz

Interview of Tabatha Robinson-Scott by Bill Hebert:

Bill H: Where did the name for your company come from and tell us briefly about your company?

Tabatha: Monarch is about progression, and exploration. When I created the company, I was looking to define myself as an artist and emerging as a choreographer. The Monarch butterfly represented that for me and the vision I had in terms of working with other emerging dancers and artists. I wanted to create a company that was not only about personal growth but an opportunity to challenge and redefine the work that I do. In the 11 years that Monarch has been in existence, it has gone through many transitions. It has seen dancers emerge and go onto to other projects as well as a complete relocation to the Lehigh Valley. Monarch has lived in many different venues, and continues to be defined by the work we share.

Bill H: What made the two of you decide to do a joint show and why “11” for a show title?

Tabatha: I approached Charles over a year ago about a joint project and after many conversations about it, this seemed like the right time to enter this collaboration. We struggled with a title since our work is so different from each other and each of our companies is unique. But the main thing we had in common was that we have both been doing this for 11 years, hence the title. We also liked the parallels of the side by side element of the number.

Bill H: Tell us briefly about the works you be showing?

Tabatha: Monarch is presenting two new works, a section of our piece entitled, Audacious Pride and Catch Me If I fall. “Pride” is about the being beautiful on the inside and knowing how to project that to others without any falsehoods. This piece takes a look at the image that people present is not always who they are. This section portrays the outer beauty and how our society places so much weight on how people look rather than how they are. And all of us fall for it by putting a certain faces forward to highlight what we want people to see and value in us.

Catch me if I fall was inspired by all of the people who have entered my life and helped me in some way. We all have people who do something for us that changes the next step we take whether it is for a minute or a lifetime, those are the people who shape who we are.

I will be performing a solo and a duet with one of my dancers. I will be doing a solo that I performed and conceptualized in college about the give and take of relationships between men and woman. My duet with Fernando Quinones was developed by the both of us and it demonstrates the journey of our close relationship along the years.

The Fallen is a piece I created Spring of Last year about Domestic Violence. I heard an astounding statistic about how often it occurs in this country and who it impacts everyday. That statistic immediately made me think about the number of young women dancers I teach in high school and college settings. It is one of those things that affects so many people in this country and we do not talk about it.

Bill H: What drives you to make dances?

Tabatha: I am always things in everyday life to make dances about. I love trying to take simple concepts and make movement emerge from it. I watch how people move everyday and I use that as the impetus for creating I work but with the volume of that movement turned all the way up. High octane movement. I also love to challenge my dancers to do things faster, bigger, and wilder than we have done before.

Bill H: Any other upcoming events/performances you might want to mention?

Tabatha: Monarch is working on a full concert for this fall in the Lehigh Valley and we always perform at Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA on August 10th.

Bill H: Finally, is there one thing you hope audiences take away from this show and the piece’s you’ll each be showing?

Tabatha: I guess I always want them to see a performance that inspires them, challenges them to think about this world we live in and have a little fun watching some dancers work the stage in a way they’ve never seen before. I have a unique movement vocabulary so I hope see the message through the movement.

Underground DanceWorks (UDW) and Monarch Dance Company present: “11″
Friday, May 13 at 8pm
Saturday, May 14 at 3pm & 8pm
Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street, Philadelphia
Tickets on DanceBoxOffice.com