THE DIVERSE DEDICATION TO DANCE
Movement, breath and music, connecting one’s inner being to pulsating thoughts, untouched by the human hands. That’s the essence of dance. It is everything seen and unseen, heard and felt. But for those pirouetting on ‘pointe’ – Renee McDonald, Steven Cornwall and Sodanne Browne – dancing represents the core existence of imagination portrayed by the rhythmic waves of the body.
MOVEMENT, BREATH and music, connecting one’s inner being to pulsating thoughts, untouched by the human hands. That’s the essence of dance. It is everything seen and unseen, heard and felt.
Movement in pragmatic passion with Renee McDonald
Dance was all fun and games for seven-year-old Renee McDonald when she enrolled in Tony Wilson School of Modern Dance, and helped create dances for her church’s dance ministry. But when her passion for dancing came glaring at the age of 17, she was more than happy to throw her heart and soul into the art form, becoming a dancer for the University Dance Society and the Company Dance Theatre.
With more studio time and exposure to different genres of dance, choreographers, and other dancers, McDonald was introduced to creative spaces that instantly brought inspiration.
Though she loved expressing herself through movement, there was something missing. In 2009, a friend invited her to choreograph But for those pirouetting on ‘pointe’ – Renee McDonald, Steven Cornwall and Sodanne Browne – dancing represents the core existence of imagination portrayed by the rhythmic waves of the body.
for a fundraiser. McDonald realised that she was more than a dancer but a poet of movement.
“After my choreography, artistic director and principal choreographer of L’Acadco, Dr L’Antoinette Stines, told me that choreography was a gift from God that I was simply born with. Right then I knew that choreography was in me and for me,” she told Flair.
LEAVING A LOVE BEHIND
From there, McDonald started choreographing and teaching classes at various studios, hoping to one day be a storyteller who will change people’s lives. It was not long after that the feeling of ‘not being good enough’ started to plague the mind of the young dancer.
“Being a performer became tremendously pressuring for me. I had developed an inferiority complex over the years because I was not as flexible as other dancers. I also began gaining weight, and others were noticing it. I still enjoyed dancing, but became extremely insecure and almost obsessed with losing the weight,” she shared.
It was a personal battle she dealt with in secret, and while her mentor Wilson never mentioned her weight or flexibility and valued her as a dancer in The Company, she could not shake the thoughts of inadequacy. Detrimental to her mental health, McDonald had to make the tough decision of eliminating the aspect of dance that
made her feel unworthy.
REBIRTH
Little did she know that she was on her way to the joy and fulfilment of choreography. “I’m really grateful to God for blessing me with this talent that has become my main means of artistic expression. I can tell stories, build awareness, spark emotions, touch and inspire people with my imagination. The fact that dancers and artistic directors are willing to allow me to share that with them and their audience is amazing to me,” she said with passion in her eyes. Her latest work, ‘Breaking Point’ she explains, “is a dramatic modern piece about fighting for something you want until your last breath or until you are broken”. That can fit into so many life scenarios based on what an individual is desperate for, but for McDonald it was about her journey with dance.
“I hit my breaking point and in a way this piece gives me closure. I had an amazing experience choreographing the piece on Ailey II, the second company of the famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York City. I spent three weeks working on it with an awesome group of dancers. The artistic director and my friend, Troy Powell, really believed in me and my work,” she shared with Flair.
The 27-year-old is now focused on completing her final year at Norman Manley Law School to become an attorney-at-law. She is determined to balance her academic pursuits with her passion for dance, and tries to incorporate freelance choreography, teaching technique classes, photography and learning Spanish in her free time.
‘Breaking Point’ premieres on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Towson University in Towson, Maryland.