In the spring of 2000, my high school voice teacher, Dr. Jon Linford, invited me to be part of his production of The Tempest for the newly-formed Desert Absolutely Free Theater company. It was an amazing opportunity to learn from a roster of seasoned and generous local actors who were willing and excited to play in Shakespeare’s playground.

As a play I feel personally connected to (and as arguably the most musical of Shakespeare’s plays), The Tempest seemed like an ideal choice for adaptation to dance. Moreover, it seemed like the perfect fit for Rhode Island-based Newport Contemporary Ballet, given its exploration of colonialism and its cast of seafaring mariners.