Meet the 2013 ChoreoFest Participants: Meghan McCaffrey/IMPACT Dance

In just one week (ONE! really!) we will be rushing about amidst last minute preparations for a long twenty-four hours of creation.  We anticipate about 45 wonderful people simultaneously making new work in the building aided by caffeine, camaraderie, and hitting a second/third/fourth wind.  As we are incredibly excited for this week to speed by, here is a second interview with a 2013 24-Hour ChoreoFest Participant...  meet Meghan McCaffrey!

Meghan McCaffrey is the Founder and Artistic Director of IMPACT Dance Company, a Contemporary Dance Company that focuses on bringing REAL LIFE to dance, raising awareness through movement and volunteering in multiple communities. She has taught all over Massachusetts at dance studios, public and private schools, dance programs, dance teacher's clubs and colleges. Meghan's choreography has been presented at dance festivals in Massachusetts and in New York. She has choreographed for numerous organizations including Dean College's dance department and most recently the Boston Arts Academy Summer Dance Program. 

LDC: How do you feel in advance of ChoreoFest?  What do you hope to accomplish, personally and choreographically?

MM: I am BEYOND ecstatic. I have wanted to participate in this fest since I found out about it last year! I hope to accomplish two things personally. The first being to truly not do ANYTHING before hand. I am a planner in regards to everything. I want to know the who, what, where and how. So it is going to be a  challenge to not plan any choreography, music or costumes... but I can do it ! Secondly I want to not rush while I am in rehearsal. I always feel I have to rush while in the studio. With this festival I am challenging myself to relax, fully develop my movement and choreography, let it breathe and transform itself into a beautiful end result. Basically I want to live in the process and just let everything fall into place. 

LDC: Describe your typical creative process.

MM: Usually I listen to the piece of music I am going to choreograph to five billion times, on repeat and then add some. I like to let the music tell me what to do and to learn all the nooks and crannies of each bar and or lyric. I then usually create three or four phrases. Which I then manipulate while in rehearsal with the dancers. I tend to come up with movement in the strangest places and I will name that phrase after the place where it was created. (There is a Dunkin Donuts phrase. Where I had to stand in what felt like the longest line ever and I created one of my favorite phrases!) I rarely sit in a studio by myself and choreograph. Every day life experiences inspire my movement as well as driving in my car. Very dangerous but most of my choreography comes from my head, while I am driving. 

LDC: What is your current greatest fear about the festival?

MM: That I will fall asleep while dancing or speaking!! ;) 

LDC: What's the longest amount of time you've been awake for?  How do you plan to cope with a lack of sleep and an excess of things to do?

MM: I believe the longest time I have been awake for is probably 20 hours. I plan on coffee, music and movement to keep me going. I do well under pressure, I sometimes tend to be a procrastinator.. so I believe this whole process will resemble my typical process when I am home. (Whether it's finishing an application an hour before the deadline, or finding a song 30minutes before rehearsal.) Fingers crossed! 

LDC: Anything else you'd like to share?

MM: I am so mad I didn't come up with this idea first!!! LOL But I am very excited to be participating in it this year. Can't wait to meet all of you and the other companies! 

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Make sure YOU come see Meghan/IMPACT dance (with all 11+ of their dancers, wow!) and the other ChoreoFest participants next Saturday, August 17, at either 2pm of 4pm.  Buy tickets at www.LuminariumDance.org/e-store, or email tickets@luminariumdance.org.