This spring the Purdue Contemporary Dance Company (PCDC) hosted an Alumni Guest Artist, whose new work  “Concurrent,”  will be presented in the May 2-3 Spring Works concert. Christy Carr, a 2006 graduate of the Rueff School’s Interior Design program with a Dance minor, joined us for her first time in this role. Christy choreographed on the company when she was an undergraduate, and has continued to develop herself as a mover and artist in the intervening almost 20 years.

Christy said that participating in the Alumni Guest Artist program has been a deeply rewarding collaboration with Purdue students, faculty, and theater artists—especially in sound and lighting design. She is pleased to have been given an amazing opportunity to continue her growth as a choreographer and teacher, while also imparting her own style of inspiration to another generation of PCDC dancers and designers.  Christy is a collaborator with Civic Theater Lafayette, and this experience has also helped her connect with these Purdue students who share interests in both dance and theater, contributing to her longterm goal of developing and supporting performance art within the Greater Lafayette community.

Christy stayed in the West Lafayette community after graduation, so was able to continue to be part of special dance opportunities with Purdue faculty members.  These included a performance with faculty Carol Cunningham and friends at the Prague Quadrennial, a performance in Puebla, Mexico, with faculty Sally Wallace, as well as continued engagement with contact improvisation with faculty Holly Jaycox.

Asked about her studies and influences Christy says college classes in subjects from philosophy to animal science, from math to music, have impacted her in her pursuit of a meaningful life. She also mentioned influential experiences such as being a participant in an amphibian study, as well as engaging in activities including mountaineering and scuba diving. After growing up in Georgia, before coming to Indiana Christy also attended the University of Georgia and Oregon State University, but completed her BA here at Purdue.

Stories Christy shared of memories from her time in PCDC, have stayed with her. “Some of my most cherished memories are subtle and intimate. I especially loved the process of collaborating and co-creating choreography and playing with concepts in rehearsals.” A moment she recalled, a moment that Holly has been known to also reference in her PCDC lore, involved a question that turned into a challenge for her dancers. Christy’s version goes like this:  “Holly casually said ‘Can we try… lifting a person on someone else’s head… and then can you spin?’ That particular group was wildly enthusiastic and completely up for the challenge—it was such a joyful, daring moment of exploration,” Christy shared.

She also has many powerful memories of learning contact improvisation techniques, and discovering this powerful way of moving that has been so impactful on her as a dancer. “ I immediately felt a natural affinity as we explored back-to-back movement—arching, contracting, sometimes leading with feet, sometimes with heads or arms—gliding over and under each other,” Christy said about her first time doing an exercise sometimes referred to as “velcro back.”

As a community member Christy sees many overlaps between her work and her experiences in the Dance Program that were so formative. “My dance experiences at Purdue deeply influenced my work choreographing for musical productions,” she said.  “Serving as a Co-Director of XWorks also honed my interest and growth in the technical side of production, which in conjunction with other experiences informed my work with Civic Theater and other performing arts groups.  Dance has become a foundational lens through which I move through life… Even my home births were supported by the somatic awareness I gained.

Christy has strong feelings about the special qualities in the Purdue Dance Program. “The dance program at Purdue has been truly inspiring and transformative. I developed lasting friendships and learned from exceptional teachers and fellow choreographers whose influence continues to shape my life and work… Contact Improvisation in particular, offered a powerful sense of community and deepened my understanding of body mechanics, as well as essential concepts like diversity, consent, boundaries, communication, and deep listening—both verbal and physical. The physicality of Modern dance thoroughly aligned with my aesthetic and provided a much-needed outlet during a demanding academic program.”

Christy is grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with the next generation of dancers , and sees how it has revitalized her passion for co-creation.  “Every production is a collective effort, and I’m grateful to have been part of this one—it’s a reminder of the power of creating something greater than ourselves,” she said.