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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Some people have language. Some people are very articulate. Some people are good with words. Well, dance was my language. It helped me express things that I couldn't really say. And I can't imagine my life without it.

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Malaika Hollist

Hi. Welcome to Season two of the Arts Axis Florida podcast. I'm your host Malaika Hollist. Each episode we amplify the voices of the diverse art nonprofit organizations in our community. Conversations, Community and Connection is right here on the Arts Axis Florida podcast. Support for Arts Axis Florida comes from Community Foundation Tampa Bay. Championing philanthropy, encouraging and connecting givers to bring lasting good investing in education and economic mobility.

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Malaika Hollist

Learn more at C F Tampa Bay dot org. That's C F Tampa Bay dot org.

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Malaika Hollist

On this episode, we speak with Amanda Van Meter Burch, founder and director of Central Florida Choreographers Collaboration. We chat about her love of dance and how boredom led her to start this organization. We discussed their focus on collaboration of artists and the blessing in disguise of opening their doors unknowingly before the pandemic.

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Malaika Hollist

Hi, Amanda. Thank you so much for being on our podcast today. Would you mind telling us how you started the Central Florida Choreographers collaboration Absolutely.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Thank you so much for having me. CFCC started in 2019 shortly after I graduated from college. And it was really birthed out of boredom. I was freshly injured after teaching a class and my last semester of college, and I was getting into photography being a little less mobile at that time. So I was kind of on the mend and I just got to a point where I was wishing that there were more resources out there, sort of a platform to create work for choreographers.

00;02;24;12 - 00;02;58;10

Amanda Van Meter Burch

That wasn't necessarily tied to any one dance organization or studio. So I just kind of had put the word out there hoping that other choreographers would be interested in collaborating and creating a show. And it turned out that there were several that were very interested in the idea. And so the first season we had five choreographers that we brought on to create work that was sort of a live show.

00;02;58;27 - 00;03;32;15

Amanda Van Meter Burch

And then the pandemic happened right when we were starting to get momentum, and it kind of shifted focus. And because we were kind of already, you know, building that momentum, I was wondering, okay like, how do you guys feel about possibly doing a dance film instead And so they were all really into it and they were all really happy to still have a platform and an outlet to create during that hard time.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So that's sort of how that got started and it snowballed into. Three years later, we're making our our third.

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Malaika Hollist

Wow, that's awesome. I love that. It was created out of boredom. I think I feel like so many amazing ideas come from boredom for a

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Malaika Hollist

Lot of people

00;03;54;19 - 00;04;01;21

Malaika Hollist

Yeah. It's like, how can I entertain myself? And yeah, definitely, what with a dance injury, what dance injury did you have?

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Well, I was teaching during the BFA showcase, the warmup for the show, and I came down out of a jump and I snapped my ACL. Oh, it was a complete tear. So, yeah, that was not fun, but definitely a learning time in my life.

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Malaika Hollist

So yeah. Wow, that sounds so painful. I can imagine it as a dancer. So you're a dancer yourself, a teacher and a choreographer. What what do you love most about the art form of dance Well.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Dance has always been a part of my life in some form. You know, I started very young, and, you know, when you're when you don't really have that safe place anywhere else, dance became sort of that safe place that I would always go back to, and it was always just mine. And, you know, when some people have language, some people are very articulate, some people are good with words.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Well, you know, dance was my language. And it was it helped me express things that I couldn't really say and I just fell in love with the creative process of it. I fell in love with the art of just learning new ways to move and how that felt in my body. Yeah. And I love I love watching other people's quality of movement, and I love watching that journey for them as well.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So many, many facets of dance. I just absolutely love and I can't imagine my life without it.

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Malaika Hollist

Also, I, I, I feel the same way And as I spoke to you a little bit earlier about I too danced and it was, I think my parents for me a dance when I was like three and I danced all through, all through school, all through high school, into college. It's yeah, it's been the one constant thing that I haven't ever gotten tired of.

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Malaika Hollist

I just loved everything about it. I loved learning the dances. I loved taking different types of dance classes. The group of friends I made the I think it teaches you many things outside of dance and just, you know, determination and consistency and there are so many positives from that experience. And I always wish that people had the opportunity to get involved in dance in any way, because I think it's it's one of the most beneficial sports activities things you can do for yourself.

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Malaika Hollist

So I'm there with you, I think. Dance, dance. Is it in my head?

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

I totally agree. And, you know, like you said, the things that we learn in the classroom, we want these younger dancers who are being brought up into it. You know, they're getting so many life skills that even if they don't go on to a career in dance, they're going to be able to apply those elsewhere. You know, that work ethic, the expression, the kind of tackling almost a fear of you know, how you look because in the dance class, you know, you're it's it's very vulnerable.

00;07;18;16 - 00;07;47;03

Amanda Van Meter Burch

They've got these giant mirrors. There's a teacher, you know, there's all these other students but I think the ones that go on to be really successful are the ones that don't really care about how they look and just enjoy it for what it is. But yeah, if they're going on to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, you know, anything that those skills that are being obtained in a studio setting, in a classroom setting are going to go on to touch their lives forever.

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Malaika Hollist

Yep, absolutely. They're they're priceless. So to switch a slight gear but in the same realm at CFCC you guys, you know, you you try to help nurture your choreographers and their craft and give them a space to to create. What do some of those opportunities look like.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Well, I think as a baseline, it's it's really it it develops things like professional development and allowing them to create what they want on their terms and and sort of become innovative in this new way of doing it, especially in the realm of film, because it's so different than the stage. And a lot of the logistics that go behind that maybe not having a huge budget to produce a work and sort of figuring out those avenues of, OK, how can we make this work?

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

What goes behind it? What permits do we need for location? What licensing do we need for music? Can we afford this? If not, how can we make it work without a huge budget? And having those resources that, you know, if you have questions about something and you don't know the answer, I don't know the answer. We're going to research it out and walk in it together.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So having that support from the organization and from the other choreographers that are involved, the other artists involved, involved is it's a key aspect of of what we do here.

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Malaika Hollist

I love that. That's that's another great example of more skills. They are getting outside of dance that they can use, not just for dance, but in their lives in many different ways.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Definitely. Definitely. Yes.

00;09;37;00 - 00;09;51;23

Malaika Hollist

So you said that you guys opened 2019.. Yes. That changed the live performance aspect that your organization was hoping to do. And you said you moved to more film based work. How has that transition been?

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Surprisingly, it kind of just took on a life of its own and we just kind of saw where it went, being open to learn new things and setting expectations, but being flexible with those expectations because the good thing about film is that you can do it just about anywhere once you get the logistics on board and figuring out you know, the permissions of of where you can film.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

But the sky is the limit because we never actually got to the live performance aspect yet we will actually be doing that this season. I don't know. We just kind of took it one day at a time and every day has grown and we've learned more.

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Malaika Hollist

Awesome.

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Malaika Hollist

Can you tell us a little bit about some of the past films you've put on since you started in 2019 Yes.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So we as of now have produced a total of 19 short films, and then we're producing another 17 this season, so it'll be a total of 36.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

And then those were compiled into bigger films. So the first season was six short films compiled into the one, and then last season the rest, and then the season are even more so I love that each one is different, each vision is completely different. Nobody came to the table doing anything similar all of them had their own visions and it just it worked out.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

And each lineup has been really incredible and complimentary to each, each of the rest of the films I love going to different places across our beautiful state, you know, and even the audience, like they this has been a good point of feedback for us of like, Oh, I recognize that place. Ah, it was so great to see all these different places in Florida.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

The geographical aspect has definitely been fun. The choreographers have chosen to submit them to film festivals, and the few that have gone on to film festivals have done really, really well. And it's it's very rewarding for us to see the accolades that I'm that these films are acquiring. For instance, Bound has done incredibly well. That was choreographed by Sarah Amelia Betts, and she's actually a dance and film graduate.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So her focus has kind of been dance films. And so she's sort of living the dream right now. And she came on board with us the first season as a dancer and actually helped film behind the scenes with a few of those projects. And then the last season she came on board as a choreographer and created her own dance film, and she's been submitting to all these festivals and it's getting selected places and it's won awards and different places.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

And so that has been really, really exciting to see that take off. Another one that has done really well is Woven Widows, which was actually a replacement project for one of the choreographers that had a family emergency. So we had about a two week window to come up with an idea, find a location for it, cast dancers for it, and create it from the ground up.

00;13;34;24 - 00;13;43;21

Amanda Van Meter Burch

And it it happened really, really fast, but it actually became one of my favorite projects, and that's gone on to win awards at festivals as well.

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Malaika Hollist

That's so cool. I love that. So I'm curious about the process of it all. So you have choreographers, so when you guys are auditioning dancers, are these dancers like or the apart? Are they a part of CFC C? Are they dancers who come and audition from you know, around Florida? And then you mentioned one of the choreographers was a dancer first and then is now a choreographer.

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Malaika Hollist

So like how does that all work?

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Usually every season we have put out an open call audition. Their video auditions are done online and we compile a list and the choreographers will go through that list. Some of the choreographers, they'll bring their own dancers as well, just dancers that they've danced with. Or have built relationships with. And some of the choreographers actually dance in their pieces and other pieces, the audition as well.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So they come from from all areas of Central Florida, and a lot of them are past dancers. Some of them have been with us since our first season. Some are returning from last season. So each each season's different.

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Malaika Hollist

OK, I love that. That sounds and sounds really cool. I like this idea. I'm going to I'm going to tell a couple of dancers that I know. I know some who are graduating or who have been out, as, you know, the dance world for a couple of years and are kind of looking for something to get involved in.

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Malaika Hollist

So maybe they would be they would be interested in this.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Yes. And I love that. I love those in between dancers that are sort of freshly graduated but don't really have a plan or not maybe stuck on what to do next. I'm all about that because, you know, we want to we want people to have those opportunities that are maybe like I said, just stuck.

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Malaika Hollist

Right. And just to facilitate why dance after school, it's such a hard thing to find. I remember when I graduated college and I moved back home here to Tampa I would go to my old studio and for the first year or two, I would just take like the advanced class me and my friend would go. But after a while we felt like, oh, I don't know if I want to go to there.

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Malaika Hollist

It felt like we shouldn't take the kids class, like they should have their class. And it was hard to find an adult class specifically for that inbetween dancer who's, you know, is advanced but isn't training every single day anymore, but they can still dance, so they're just trying to find an outlet.

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Malaika Hollist

So that is still been something that I've kind of found some places here and there. But it's it's not a it's not it's not an easy thing to find, which is surprising for the amount of dancers in the area.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Very true. Very, very true. And this is something that we've actually we did an adult class here in Sumter County, which is actually where I'm from. And you know, I work from home and it it did really well, but it kind of fizzled off because of the location that we're in. So most of our artists are actually from the more metro areas like Tampa or Orlando.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

And so it's a stretch for them to travel that far. But I agree with you, and I hear that a lot from a lot of adult dancers, that it's really hard for them to find classes that are close to them or around their schedule. So it's something that I would love to tackle in the central Florida area eventually.

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Malaika Hollist

But one step at a time.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

One step at a time. Exactly.

00;17;29;21 - 00;17;48;22

Malaika Hollist

Yes. What do you think is so special specifically about the Central Florida Choreographers collaboration? You know, there's because you're putting together all the elements now you're putting dance choreography, music, storytelling. I know there's something special about that, but how would you describe that?

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

I think what makes us unique is I think our flexibility, for one and our willingness to collaborate with basically anybody who who shows up I want to do more artistic collaborations with non dancers, which they are happening. I would like to see more of that but we did actually. We've had other filmmakers collaborate with us, musicians, actors, singers, music artists, and we almost had a painter collaborate with us this season, but I'm not sure if that's going to continue because the schedule is really busy, but I like having pulling in all those artists that maybe want to work with dancers as well.

00;18;46;27 - 00;19;15;05

Amanda Van Meter Burch

And then obviously it stays dance focused but I think that everybody is stronger together and obviously, you know, collaboration is in our name and that's a big focus for us. And knowing that when when you're creating something, it's not just you like it takes a village and you need so many other facets. And I think that when we blend in all those other art mediums, it makes it so much more interesting, so much more amazing.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

And it also bridges the gap between maybe who somebody who's not necessarily a dance enthusiast or doesn't understand dance, but maybe they're like maybe they like sculptures or, you know, the majority. I think you'll find everybody has a music, you know, a music love. And they can get on board with that. And that kind of pulls them into the dance realm

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

It's not it's not so ethereal or untouchable as it has been in the past.

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Malaika Hollist

Yeah, I agree. It's a great opportunity for community, community based in different kinds of art. And, you know, it also, yeah, it could give somebody who maybe they've always been in the music world but they've always been interested in dance and opportunity to see it up close and yeah, kind of de-stigmatize that fear that comes with, you know, because dance is kind of I think it kind of is seen sometimes as like just ballet or just like, you know, you have to be really good at it to do it.

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Malaika Hollist

But really, it's everybody can dance really if they want to. And I think that's a really great opportunity for or for people to get an opportunity to see that up close. Yeah. So lastly, my last question is, so what are your plans for this season? What do you guys have going on in 20, 22? Oh.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So much is happening and I am beyond excited to see everything come to fruition. Like I said, we are producing 17 short films that are going to be compiled into 120, 22 dance film in addition to that, we're actually planning to put on a film, a dance festival in the fall and that will include classes, workshops, art installations, a live performance and the film festival when we're going to release the full film as well.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

So that'll be released at the dance festival and then it will be available online to stream for two weeks afterwards as well. So we're currently filming the projects and we have until the end of June to do that, which is oof a lot. It's a lot to do. And yes, and those two short months it's already May we just filmed our first one of the season this past weekend and it went so amazing.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

It was such a great start to the season and I'm I can't wait to share it with everybody.

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Malaika Hollist

Awesome. Well, Amanda, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. It was a pleasure. I love talking dance, always love talking dance and anything in that realm. So this is very fun.

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Amanda Van Meter Burch

Yes. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

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Malaika Hollist

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Dance is one of the great art genres that can bring you community and enrich your mental health, education and give you the ability to create. Thanks again to Amanda and we will see you in our next episode. We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of The Arts Axis Florida podcast. You can find more information on today's guests in the show notes.

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Malaika Hollist

You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram by searching Arts Axis Florida or go to our Web site, Arts Axis Florida dot org to get access to the arts. That's Arts A X I S F L dot org. Our show is a product of WUSF Public Media and made possible by our sponsors Community Foundation Tampa Bay and Gobioff Foundation.

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Malaika Hollist

A special thanks to our editor Scott Wachtler and many more who make this show possible. Copyright 2022 WUSF Public Media.

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