Interview with Choreographer Kat Vaughn

Interview with Choreographer Kat Vaughn

Q. Have you always been a dancer? Did you dance when you were little? What kind, if so?

I haven’t always been a dancer I didn’t really start until I was around 17 years old. I was really shy and kind of afraid to use my body.  Then once I started dancing and I didn’t want to stop. I started with freestyle, hip hop and improvisational dancing and moved onto modern, and this past year started learning pole, ballet, samba and other Afro-Brazilian dances...

Q. When and for what reasons did you consider studying dance at a college level?

Once I started dancing I didn’t want to stop. People told me that I was good at it, and I felt like I was accessing a deeper part of myself and like this higher energy, it’s a truly freeing and spiritual and sublime practice for me. It became a passion for me and I wanted to keep pursuing it, I wanted to be challenged to keep exploring and improving.

Q. How has dance helped you throughout life?

Dance helps me express myself, exorcise emotions, communicate and share with others. It keeps me healthy and sane and creative and enriched my life. 

Q. What has been your take away feelings about making choreography and being part of a choreography class?

ACC has fostered a lot of artistic and personal growth for me I’m so grateful. I have learned and grown so much in developed my practice so much thanks to the amazing faculty here and the program in the community that I am truly grateful to be part of. The choreography class taught me a lot and give me the tools to explore and generate movement and form this very personal expression and a cohesive interesting way that I can share with others and it also is giving me a platform to present it to the public which is a really amazing opportunity.

Q. Was the process difficult, easy? Would you have changed anything?

Learning to choreograph is very challenging and choreographing your own piece is challenging not only technically, mentally, and physically but also emotionally.  You’re being very vulnerable and a lot of personal things come up when you’re diving deep into yourself for inspiration and you learn how to work with others and you learn a lot about your fellow dancers and you go through a lot together. It is very challenging but very powerful and very rewarding.

Q. What is the importance (to you) of the piece you have created this semester? Is there any specific message you wish for your audience to take away from your choreography?

This dance is kind of an elemental study of water and how that factors into all life and I kind of take water and its different forms and relate it to human experience and emotion. I hope that people can connect and relate to in some way or at least find it interesting.

Q. What are your plans for the future in movement and dance? 

I love traveling and learning about other cultures and peoples through dance.  I want to be a sponge for dance forms and keep learning and growing! I plan on traveling next year as much as possible and studying dance around the world before returning to ACC to complete the last semester for my associate of arts in dance.