After apprenticing with Ballet BC for two years, Scott Fowler is now a full-time Company member! Scott shares his life as a dancer, what inspired him to dance and answers a few questions from the Proust Questionnaire!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
To live in the present moment.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Insincerity.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Clothing, photography and videography.
When and where were you happiest?
Flying across the Caribbean on the Golden Eagle.
When did you know that you wanted to become a dancer and what inspired that moment?
I was enrolled in dance when I was 9 years old, and didn’t know much about it. Through my years of training I became more and more interested and intrigued by dance. By the time I had to choose between dance and university, I knew it was what I wanted to do. It felt a lot more like what I wanted, because to be moving and pushing my physical boundaries was a sense of being free and alive for me.
Did you have a teacher or mentor who personally inspired your career in dance?
I would say it was not one particular person, but many of my colleagues and maybe a few others who inspired me to take on a career in dance. I was very fortunate and am now very thankful for three main teachers in training at Arts Umbrella, Artistic Director - Artemis Gordon, Marquita Lester and Lynn Sheppard. All three of them had such a huge impact on my development as a dancer, and really helped me get to where I am now.
You work with many different choreographers with various styles and ways of working. How do you prepare yourself to work with a choreographer?
To be ideally prepared to work with a choreographer is to be as physically able and as mentally fresh as possible in order to present what is being asked by the choreographer to the best of your ability. This can be a challenge especially when creations are back to back and there isn’t much time to physically and mentally recuperate. It can also be beneficial to do a bit of research on the choreographer, to know what work they have done and perhaps get a sense of their choreographic style.
Do you have a favourite choreographer who you have worked with?
I don’t have one favourite choreographer or style. I personally find it limiting and unhelpful to pick a favourite choreographer, my aim is to find a way to enjoy the uniqueness of each choreographer.
What does your audience mean to you?
My audience is the recipient of the work I am communicating. They are viewer of my expression. An audience can be a huge source of inspiration and energy for me when performing.
Why do you love dance?
There are many reasons, some that come and go, but a couple of main ones. One is that dance is a constant discovery, there’s always room to surprise yourself and go beyond your boundaries. Another reason is that dance will always be a way for me to check in with who I am. The element of physicality intertwined with expression and emotion in dance is a key to getting back on page with myself, and is like an escape or rejuvenation.
For more information on Scott Fowler, read his full bio on our website.
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Photo Credit: Michael Slobodian