Dancing Machine

 Do you think O(h) holds appeal for a wide audience?
Absolutely. The piece is very accessible. Even jaded dancegoers, people who have seen a lot of dance and have decided that they just don’t get it, will have something concrete to grasp onto.

 How does O(h) differs from other multi-layered dance performances?
Unlike most other performances out there, we risk being accused of pointing fingers unnecessarily at the dance community. I don’t think that many choreographers implicate themselves, like we do, about what is problematic in our field.

 What is problematic in the modern dance community exactly?
Too many dance artists think that their work is going to save the world. With that type of attitude, the final product usually dissolves into arrogance and public masturbation. That’s not to say work can’t be self-indulgent.

 You formed casebolt and smith with Liz Casebolt in 2006. What made you decide to open a dance company in Los Angeles, a city where few institutions will produce local artists?
I wanted to have creative control over my work in a city that I love. When I was in college, I lived in New York City for a summer and thought, well, maybe I could move there. But it was a sort of love/hate relationship every day. I felt that if I was really going to dance professionally, I’d rather be close to my family.

Did you grow up in Los Angeles?
No. I’m from a small conservative town called Yucaipa, which sits about 70 miles east of LA.

 What led you into dance?
One day many years ago, as an undergraduate at UC Davis, I followed a hot guy into a dance class.

 Stalking a hot undergraduate led you into dance?
Yes. I had been following him around campus for several weeks before I found out that he was going to take the class. Soon after I enrolled, we started dating. He was my first boyfriend and if anything else, my first introduction to the world of dance.

There is a time to love and there is a time to dance.
Exactly.

For more information visit caseboltandsmith.com