THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST'S A TO Z: F for Davalois FEARON and David FERNANDEZ
Davalois Fearon
Biography
The work of Davalois Fearon, Artistic Director of Davalois Fearon Dance (DFD), has been lauded by colleagues as “unapologetic” and by critics as “electrifying.” Born on the island of Jamaica and raised in the Bronx, New York, Fearon is an accomplished choreographer, dancer, and educator. She received a Bessie Award for her performance in the skeleton architecture, or the future of our worlds in 2017, and was named among “7 Up-and-Coming Black Dance Artists Who Should Be On Your Radar” by Dance Magazine in 2018. She is also a member of The Joyce Theater's Young Leaders Circle Artist Committee, and has been featured in prominent publications. From 2005–2017, Fearon performed and taught around the world with the Stephen Petronio Company, before founding DFD in 2016 with the mission to push artistic and social boundaries and help cultivate the next generation of dance artists. Follow her on Instagram at @davalois_fearon.
Image captions & credits: Davalois Fearon in "KERNEL" at the 2022 Arts for Art Vision Festival; photo by Robert I. Sutherland Cohen | Headshot by Jaqlin Medlock.
David Fernandez
Biography
Of David Fernandez's many choreographed works, Five Variations on a Theme, which was created for New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Joaquin De Luz, is his most acclaimed, and has been performed to standing ovations in NYC, LA, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Kiev, and Odessa. Fernandez has even created dances for stars of the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Kings of the Dance Tour, Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, Youth America Grand Prix Gala Concert, and more. Also an award-winning filmmaker, he made waves with Moving Though It — Phases of an Emergency Through Dance, which snagged the Los Angeles Olympus Film Festival Award (Best Public Service Announcement) for its revolutionary approach of making a public service announcement through dance. Follow him on Instagram at @eldavidfp.
Image captions & credits: Cover image and head shot courtesy of the artist.
What made you decide to enter this profession?
Fearon:
I am Jamaican, and dance is a big part of the culture. I have been choreographing and performing for as long as I can remember.
I recall there was an assembly in elementary school that featured a performance by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and it was at that moment I realized that I could grow up and dance for a living. I remember thinking, "I want to be like them. I want to do that."
I got the opportunity to begin my formal training to become a professional dancer in middle school thanks to the Alvin Ailey Outreach Program that partnered with my middle school's 306 Arts Studio Program.
Fernandez:
It came naturally to me — I just liked to dance all the time.
It came as a surprise when I found out that I could be a professional dancer!
Who has been the biggest influence on your life and why?
Fearon:
My older sister was like a second mother to me. We grew very close because my mother left when I was an infant to pursue a life in America. We joined her when I was four years old. Growing up, my sister helped guide me, which is why I am as successful as I am today.
Fernandez:
There are several persons that have influenced me artistically, some I know personally, others by distance.
I don’t even know who to start with, but Petipa, Maurice Bejart, Balanchine, Robbins, Baryshnikov, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Pelé, Vince Lmbardy, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Chet Baker, Bob Fosse, and many more. I saw what they were doing, and trying to understand how they did it became my favorite pastime.
I can always rely on __________ to cheer up.
Fearon:
My family. I am close with my mom, my sister, and of course, my husband, and if I am in need, I can go to any of them to help me feel better.
Fernandez:
Music.
I practice self-care by __________.
Fearon:
Relaxing at home, watching my favorite YouTubers, and enjoying an adult beverage. Lol.
Fernandez:
Good sleep.
Pets or plants. Either way, why and what kind?
Fearon:
No pets for me: my husband and I are allergic to furry creatures. However, we love plants (but struggle to keep them alive). We have three little plant babies at home.
Fernandez:
I love dogs. They are so much fun!
Cooking or eating out? Either way, what is your favorite meal?
Fearon:
I love traditional Jamaican food like oxtail with rice and peas with cabbage and carrots. Unfortunately, my lifestyle doesn't allow me to cook meals like that because they take at least three hours to prepare. So, sadly, we end up eating takeout more than home-cooked meals.
Fernandez:
Both. I like cooking a good steak, but I also love to eat out. In New York you have lots of amazing places.
If you could relive the past or catch a glimpse of the future, which would you pick and why?
Fearon:
I would catch a glimpse of the future because I have ambitions about where I am going, but life is unpredictable. I am content with where I came from and don't need to relive my past.
Fernandez:
A glimpse of the future. I like to see how everything will evolve.
What is your personal approach to handling challenging people or situations?
Fearon:
Leaning in with curiosity as a wise person has told me to do from time to time. Through that lens of inquiry, I can be patient with others, and try my best to find common ground and understanding.
Fernandez:
Stay calm and trust that I have the ability to handle the situation. There is always a way.
How has your personal life changed since the pandemic?
Fearon:
Ever since having more autonomy and time to myself, I now allow myself much more grace than I did in the past. I am much more selective with my time, and to whom I give my time. Ultimately, it has changed my life positively, because I see my family more than previously.
Fernandez:
Actually, the pandemic enhanced it by making me appreciate all the things that surround my life even more. It has made me more resilient too. And helped polish my editing skills — now I have editing jobs because of that.
Pandemic times were difficult, but thanks to the dance community, I was able to keep moving, and come to the other side stronger.
How has your art or approach towards art changed since the pandemic?
Fearon:
A lack of resources and the realities around the implications of gathering together, moving together, and breathing in an enclosed space have made it such that having a traditional company with company members has become a significant liability and a financial strain, especially for small business companies like mine.
Fernandez:
It became more precise. Zoom forced me to be more specific with my teaching and choreographing.
What is the last show you saw and loved?
Fearon:
I saw Peter Applebaum perform at NuBlu in the East Village, NYC. I love his instrumental music because of the African influences that have such a rhythmic sensibility, and which inspire me to dance.
I saw Darrah Carr and Sean Curran's performance at the Irish Arts Center, and I love that collaboration. Watching the integration of Irish step dancing and contemporary choreography was a joy.
Fernandez:
I saw A Midsummer Night's Dream by the New York City Ballet and love the music so much, and the choreography is really musical.
What is your pre-performance (as a spectator or a performer) ritual?
Fearon:
Before every performance, I like to get into the zone, have a moment to myself without outside influence, close my eyes, and connect with my body internally.
Fernandez:
Making sure I get to the theater in time is the best ritual ever.
Once I’m there, I just have fun warming up, going over steps, and getting ready. Apply some make up, get to the stage, listen to the audience behind the curtain. High five my friends and wish them luck. And do 16 big jumps!
I wish I could be a fly on the wall for this moment in dance history: __________.
Fearon:
In April 1931, The First Negro Dance Recital in America was produced by Charles Winfield and Edna Guy. I would have loved to see this historically significant event in American dance history.
Fernandez:
When Nijinsky danced Le Spectre de La Rose for the first time.
I have / have had the most fun performing __________’s choreography or trying out this genre of dance _____________.
Fearon:
Stephen Petronio's choreography. I never thought that a bald, white, gay man would inspire me to move in a way that felt so organically right to my petite, black, Jamaican, female, heterosexual self.
Fernandez:
Bob Fosse’s choreography.
Is there a book, podcast or TV program you recommend to others and why?
Fearon:
PBS's Free to Dance documentary chronicles the development of black dance in America over the years, starting in the 1600s up until about the 1980s. I would suggest that folks follow up with the Black Dance Stories YouTube channel to get the scope of contemporary choreographers of African descent. The Youtube channel continues where the Free to Dance documentary left off, highlighting present day contemporary artists.
Fernandez:
The Architecture of Happiness, a book by Alain de Botton. It just talks about beauty and architecture.
This city or country is the best place I have ever been to for art: __________.
Fearon:
No place like home: New York City is the mecca for me, and I love what I have access to in terms of diverse representations of art.
Fernandez:
New York.
Which social media app are you most drawn to?
Fearon:
Instagram, mainly. Tik Tok is not my jam, and Facebook is too dated for me.
Fernandez:
Instagram.
What advice do you have for young people in your field?
Fearon:
Innovate, innovate, innovate. Decide what you want to do, and figure out how to make it happen. The systems, tools, places, and spaces of the past may not prevail and/or serve generations to come, so figure out ways to attain what you want out of the field and pave the way.
Fernandez:
This is a marathon. I’m an avid collector of rejection and e-mail letters. If you have not been rejected or cut from an audition, it is because you are not doing your job. Just keep trying.
How can we amplify the voices of overlooked and deserving artists?
Fearon:
It is the responsibility of people in power to research artists who have been historically underrepresented and to write the wrongdoing of the past.
Fernandez:
Just keep trying.
How do you spread enthusiasm about dance?
Fearon:
My dancing sensibility is always present everywhere I go, and I encourage others to find joy in movement. As a dance artist, I need to inspire my students to be creative and express themselves through dance. It brings me immense pleasure when people are willing to take risks on the dance floor, let lose their inhibitions, and just have fun!
Fernandez:
By creating, teaching, collaborating, supporting other artists, leaving good comments on social media, going to live performances, bringing flowers for the performers, screaming, BRAVO!
Celebrating our successes, and being there when one is down.
We as artists wake up and go and do our art because we love it.
Overlooked, underfunded or rejected, I'm doing this beautiful art form forever!
