Holly Rothschild

From the midwest to the west coast, Holly Rothschild is dancing. Originally from Illinois and currently residing in California, the pulsating choreographer creates site-specific pieces while simultaneously collaborating with fellow artists in her company, Strange & Elegant Choreography.

Holly Rothschild

 Holly studied modern dance at the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign and then headed for the city of lights: Chicago. Influenced by the late Nana Shineflug and XSIGHT!, Holly gained skills for becoming a teacher herself, as well becoming proficient in theatrical performance. Holly states that she “…danced with XSIGHT! for many years and initially….it was mind blowing for me!  The work was filled with imagery, theatricality and irreverence. I had the incredible opportunity to work with the original members Tim O’Slynne, Brian Jefferey and Mary Ward.” In Chicago, her community was, “smaller, more tight knit” while in LA, “it’s so vast and spread out”, however, she states that she has, “developed relationships with a larger variety of people in the arts community” in California.

Holly Rothschild

 “I love doing site specific work because there are so many variables that you can’t control”, says Holly in response to her decision to choose the atmospheric and location specific performance art. Recently, Tongva Park, designed by James Corner in Santa Monica, was utilized by Strange and Elegant Choreography and Performance Installations. The performance entitled, Tongva After Dark: Holly Rothschild’s Strange and Elegant Dance (2014), featured dancers throughout the park in five different locations which were inhabited and intensified by the appearance and presence of Holly’s dance company. In one particular location, dancers emerged with long pole-like structures that extended from their fingers to the ground–creating a crutch as they bended, veered, and glacially moved through the natural space. 

Holly Rothschild

 Holly says, “I feel like site work leaves a ghostly imprint on a place for the people who witness it. You never see the space in the same way again. There is a resonance that lingers. When I do a site work, I spend time observing and taking in the space. The lines, the light, the textures and colors”. In the performance at Tongva Park, lights in the ground illuminated the figures as eager audience members encircled the fervor of movement and absorbed the atmosphere of site-specific dance. Holly’s decision on where and when to perform can alter a landscape, park or bus terminal significantly. Planning, precision, but an avid awareness of freedom, are all important components of site-specific dance.

Holly Rothschild

 In addition to her personal work, Holly collaborates with various artists, performers, musicians and multi-media projects. Her process includes a “balance of collaborative work and individual work” in which she works with fellow dancers, directors and ensembles to learn and engage with a vast range of creative outlets. Holly continues, “I am always surprised by little epiphanies that occur throughout and often after the process.  I glean a lot of new information after evaluating a process. Sometimes when I’m in the thick of creating the work the mechanics of it aren’t as apparent. I started collaborating very early in my career. I think it initially gave me the confidence to venture out to create my own work”. String Theory, Holly’s performance group whom she founded with her designer/composer husband Luke Rothschild and cellist/composer, Joseph Harvey, will be premiering new work at the Miles Playhouse in Santa Monica the last two weekends in May 2015. The performance will encompass several mediums, including video, installations, music and sound, and of course, dance.

Holly Rothschild Choreography from String Theory on Vimeo.

For more information on Holly Rothschild, visit her website. 

S. Nicole Lane is a multidisciplinary artist and writer residing in Chicago, IL