For those of you who have seen a modern dance concert in Louisville, you have probably seen Katie Scott perform. And I’ll bet you remember her. Not because she is 5’11’’. Not because she has long, curving feet that other dancers envy, but because she has a distinctive way of committing to movement. Fellow dancers would agree Katie is a “dancer’s dancer”, possessing refined technique while easily adapting to varying dance styles. However, as an audience member, I can also attest to the fact that she has a gift for pulling viewers in. It is a skill that cannot be taught. Perhaps is can be attributed to a life lived in dance.
Katie will tell you she cannot remember when she first began dancing. She was making dances by the age of 6, decorating herself and her friend with rhinestones and feather boas. Now a college student, Katie has again taken on the craft of choreography. This time, however, she wears bubble wrap and collaborates with musicians. What brought her to this place? Katie answers this question for me here, the second in a series profiling Louisville-area modern dancers.
What has been one of the most important moments of your dance career?
My freshman year of high school I was told that I was “too tall” to participate in The Nutcracker along with the rest of my class. Up until that point, I had danced in The Nutcracker for 7 years (early years with Ballet Memphis and the later years with the Louisville Ballet). At 5’11, I do tower over most ballet dancers. It was then that I even toyed with the idea that the world of professional ballet might not be for me. The next year, I officially decided I didn’t want to pursue a career in the field of professional ballet and that I wanted to go to college and study Physical Therapy. I’ve since changed my major to Nursing, but I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t made that decision.
How did you get involved in Louisville's Modern dance movement, and why does modern work for you?
In the summer of 2007, I went to Governor’s School for the Arts and studied ballet for 3 weeks. In those 3 weeks, I completely burned myself out of ballet. Ballet class became a chore rather than something that brought me joy. However, in those 3 weeks, I gained incredible experience and exposure to modern dance. On “Dance Immersion Day,” I had the privilege to see Moving Collective perform selected works from their season. I immediately knew I had to get involved with that group. I’ve been dancing with Moving Collective now for…4 years?! I can’t believe it!
Modern dance works for me because it allows me to use my body “as is.” I can proudly stand at 5’11 and not wish I could cut my ankles off to shrink 4-5 inches. I can move my body in unique, challenging ways without having to fit the mold of anyone else’s standards. With modern dance, walking into the studio to dance is always a privilege, never a chore. Don’t get me wrong, I still love ballet! I stay involved with the ballet world by supporting ballet companies, taking ballet classes and teaching ballet.
How do you see yourself staying involved in dance in the future?
I always tell people thatI’d like to keep dancing until my body finally gives out (which will hopefully be a long time from now!) Because my entire life has basically revolved around dance, imagining my life WITHOUT dance is unfathomable. Most recently, I collaborated with Erin Clark in choreographing (for the first time ever!) a piece for Moving Collective. We are currently working on our second collaboration for the February 12th Moving Collective concert. I’ve also danced with Vandivier Ford Dance Company and look forward to working with them again soon. I’ve taught ballet at Sacred Heart School for the Arts but recently had to stop because of scheduling conflicts with school. I hope to teach again soon! However, when the time comes that my body finally tells me to stop dancing, I will stay involved by supporting local and regional dance as much as possible!
As a dance artist, how do you view success in the field?
I’ve managed to focus on school while continuing to make dance a part of my life. With that, I feel successful.
(For those of you who have ever taken dance classes, you’ve been asked by your friends of family during already-awkward holiday get-togethers to “do a move”. I suspect many of you do as I do, pretend to be shy and change the subject. But in her answer to my last question, Katie Scott demonstrates her talent for pleasing the masses.)
When people learn you are a dancer do they ask you to "do a move", and if so, what "move" do you "do"?
After attempting to clear up the initial confusion between modern dance and dance team, I’ll usually bust out some sort of “pretty” or “flowy” “move.” I feel like it has the most “WOW” factor, so I usually stick to that. Sometimes, I might throw in an arabesque or 2 in there because it’s something people recognize.
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