INTERVIEW WITH CHOREOGRAPHER TAYLOR KING

 

Taylor King is an ACC dance major who was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey. She moved to Austin nine years ago in 2012. She has loved ATX ever since. Fun facts about Taylor are that she loves all things horror from movies to books. Her favorite musical artists are Selena Gomez and the Weeknd. Her favorite color is a super pretty dusty pink.  She is influenced by every type of dance style.  She loves being able to watch people create and construct choreography that is amazing and beautiful to them. She enjoys being able to figure out what the choreography is about and get a sense of the meaning through their movement. 

Taylor plans to complete her Associates of Arts Degree in Dance this summer. After ACC, she plans to take a much-needed break from school. She works full time and is also a full-time mama. She plans to take a semester off to reset and enjoy life a little bit with her daughter. She plans to attend Texas State University and continue her degree with the goal to complete a BFA in dance and become teacher certified in the Spring of 2022. She would love to teach high school drill teams, as she spent 4 years on her drill team and loved every moment of it. 

Taylor’s dance on film is titled, “Behind the Mask”. Her inspiration for this piece is based on the ability that we have as humans to mask our mental illness. Some of us can portray to everyone how great we're doing or how happy we are on the outside, but in reality, behind closed doors, some of us are truly not happy. Most people don't ever or rarely see that side of each other because we can be good at faking it. My intention is to show that some of us can get stuck in our in heads and by doing that our thoughts will slowly eat away at us. Knowing that there is a struggle on the inside, but when it comes to being around friends or family we can feel like we have to temporarily put those struggles aside. 

            After watching, "Behind the Mask", Taylor hopes that the audience will become aware that some of the people around us are struggling even if we don't see it. People can be good at covering their unhappiness and putting on a show for others. Taylor says,” If you are a person who can relate, I want you to know that you are not alone.”

The process of creating choreography during Covid-19 social distancing protocols was a new place for her.  Taylor was very hesitant and nervous about trying to create something on film while being stuck at home, in a small apartment. She was challenged but found it very rewarding in the end. She was able to come up with choreography that personally meant a lot to her in the comfort of her own home without others around. Although she missed being in the studio with everyone, it felt easier and more mentally comfortable to create in the safe space of her own home.