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THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Zoey Anderson on Her Decade of Dance with David Parsons
By Theo Boguszewski
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Published on May 10, 2025
Zoey Anderson. Photo: Lois Greenfield
Don't Miss Parsons Dance at The Joyce Theater from May 13 - 24, 2025
ABOUT: As Zoey Anderson celebrates a decade with Parsons Dance, she returns to The Joyce Theater stage not only as a seasoned performer but as the centerpiece of a deeply personal world premiere. The new solo, Her Gifts, choreographed by David Parsons and set to music by Roberta Flack, offers an introspective tribute to Anderson's artistic journey.
Parsons’ upcoming 2025 season, running May 13–24, also features a bold new work by Rena Butler, Sheep’s Gothic, alongside audience favorites like Caught and Wolfgang, promising a program that honors both tradition and transformation.
The Dance Enthusiast’s Theo Boguszewski chats with Anderson about her artistic journey and the unusually serene and intimate process of creating Her Gifts.
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Theo Boguszewski for The Dance Enthusiast: You’ve been with Parsons Dance since 2015. What makes Parsons a unique place to call home for a performer like yourself?
Zoey Anderson: Easy answer, the minute I saw Parsons at The Joyce Theater in my freshman year of college, and the minute I stepped into the room doing the Parsons Intensive, everything clicked. Everything felt right. The composition and lighting and music choices that Dave assembles to create his beautiful repertoire is so captivating. And I wanted to be part of something that was so intimate and connected to humans, and had such good energy.
David and I immediately connected; he had an interest in me, I had an interest in him and the company, and it was just that perfect fit right off the bat. David pulls out of his dancers things that they don't even know that they're capable of doing. It's exhilarating. All of the touring, all the travel, all the opportunities to see the world and connect with different people and audiences and cultures has been a highlight for me.
In what ways do you feel that you've grown as a dancer and as an artist during your time with the company?
Well, definitely physically. And it's not an external thing; it’s an internal way of working. Because David’s work is so athletic, you have to cross train. You have to be so aware, mentally and physically, of your body; how you're living your life, how much water you're taking in, how you're preparing. I've become such a regimen person now, whereas before I would just go with the flow. And that has been life changing, not just in the workspace, not just as a dancer, but as a human. I've changed in my personal life because of the company.
I think I’ve also grown by finding new ways to challenge myself; to never do something the same, to find new ways to perform, to create, to interact, to move. David and the company keeps all of us on our toes. Even at year 10, I'm still finding new experiences.
So, I'd like to talk to you about Her Gifts, a solo created for you by David Parsons. Her Gifts is described as an intimate, deeply moving tribute to your decade with Parsons Dance. How did this piece originate, and how did it feel to have a solo created for you by Parsons?
It started with everyone, the higher ups, realizing, “Oh my gosh, this is Zoey’s 10th season.” This is a moment, let's celebrate that. But then we were busy, we were on tour, and I had this thought, “it's almost The Joyce show, when is this going to happen”?
And it was one of those things where it needed to be the right time and the right place. And that meant me going up to Connecticut; it was just me and Dave, and it put us in a very peaceful mindset. I've never seen Dave in such a calm, connected way. I think we experienced something that was different for both of us. I'm a powerhouse; love to just dance and move and turn and jump, I love athleticism. And that was not the goal of this. This was about purity of movement; how genuine can I be? How can I just stand there and radiate who I am as a person?
Roberta Flack was a longtime friend of David’s and the company’s. She was honored years back at our gala, I never met her personally, but she and Dave obviously connected. We didn't struggle to pick what song, it kind of landed in his lap; here’s this amazing human and artist, let's celebrate Roberta’s life, what she created, and also let's celebrate my life and what I've done and what David and I have created.
Anything you can share about the title?
“Her gifts” right out of the mouth sounds like “her talent,” you know, her good qualities as a dancer. But that's not actually at all how I view it. As I sat with this, I realized this solo is about the gifts that I've been given through the years, which starts all the way back from the gift of my family’s support and helping me get to where I am financially, emotionally, and mentally. The gifts that I was given in my training at Center Stage in Utah, all my experiences that propelled me forward to move to New York, and go to Marymount to further my career. And then the gift of Parsons. I went through this whole timeline, all the big markers in my life, and how those people and those times were such gifts.
So I view this as a solo of two parts; all the things that I've been gifted with to be where I am now and share this art and the silence of dance rather than the loud projected performance aspect of dance. And then also, David and I sat down and watched Roberta Flack's documentary, to really get to know who I'm dancing about and for, what brought her to where she is. Something that stuck out to me was Roberta was someone who was known to be so pure, so humble, sharing her light and her gifts with the world. And so I love the fact that Dave and I have been able to create something that can have this deeper meaning. And that Her Gifts is celebrating the gifts that I've been given and the people I've met, and then also the way that Roberta has influenced the music industry.
Did you and David talk about your personal journey when you were creating this piece together?
Not as much, but I think because he knows everything already. It's an amazing partnership that we have, it goes beyond just the workspace. He's like a father figure. And we have been able to have amazing conversations about life. So it was kind of unspoken.
Parsons is known for its athleticism and theatricality. How does Her Gifts compare in style and energy to some of the other works that you've performed with the company?
It’s very different. Usually we move fast, the lighting is bright with lots of color changes, and the music's always got a quick beat. That’s just how I view Parsons. Some of these other amazing works that David has created, they couldn't be more opposite — they are physically taxing. You have to nail all the turns. Her Gifts really takes everything down 10 notches. It gets really raw and personal. The word I keep saying is “pure.” It's a legato. It's an adagio solo. I just start standing with my eyes closed, and I just stand and stand and stand, and I slowly open my eyes. And that's how the solo starts. And the light shifts on my face, different parts of my face to highlight different moments and expressions and angles. And a whole audience is there, but it really becomes not about them, not trying to show the audience something. It's not a performance.
This season also features Rena Butler’s new work Sheep’s Gothic. Have you had a chance to observe or be involved with that piece? What are your thoughts on its exploration of identity and transformation?
This is my second time working with Rena. And it’s always so nice when I’m comfortable with the choreographer and I start to know their vocabulary. And the story is about the Wolf in Sheep’s clothing. I'm actually the wolf in the piece.
It was cool to tear down that story and look at what that actually means; we're not just talking about animals, we're talking about the evil doings that can happen and how they can be disguised by good. And people can get fooled. And it's been fun to play that character of the wolf; it’s very different from the solo. I get to put on that character instead of just being me, although Rena has allowed all of us to find our own story within it. Something I've learned from her is that we’ve never arrived, the piece is never a product. And that's a beautiful thing. She's taught me to constantly grow and explore within her work and within dance and art and storyline, and find a deeper connection with the character I’m playing.
Parsons Dance will also present classics like Caught and Wolfgang. How does it feel to return to these pieces alongside newer works in the same program?
Coming back to the old works feels like coming home. I've done Wolfgang now for 10 years, and I'm not sick of it. It doesn't get old. It still feels new because I'm finding new things daily to do within that. And Caught is never going to be easy, but it’s much easier than it was when I first did it, because it now is just like riding a bike. But I'm still going to feel the nerves before, and I'm still going to feel the excitement after.
You have performed with the company internationally. How does dancing for New York audiences at the Joyce compare?
When you travel all over, you perform for different audiences, and some of them are super, super quiet, some of them are very loud, it just depends on where you are and the culture of behavior at shows. But, same answer as when you asked me about the old works — coming back to The Joyce Theater feels like coming home. The stage crew are amazing, they’re mostly all still the same people as when I first performed at the Joyce. They know us and they really care. So from the moment I walk in I just feel so connected. And The Joyce is so intimate, the way it’s set up; I see the faces in the audience, so I get to break that fourth wall a little bit; it's not just this black abyss that I’m looking out to, like some theaters. And then all the family, friends, board members, all the funders and supporters, I mean, these are our people. This is our home. This is our family. Everyone knows the joys and what it means, everyone gets it. And then I get to just ride out the two week run in this exciting celebration of all the hard work from the year and sharing the gift of art and dance with New York.
So with Her Gifts being such a milestone, what's next for you creatively and personally?
For all the years I've been with Parsons, I’ve never been able to think about anything else. I've just been so focused on the company and being able to take this company forward. And it's been so thrilling and exhilarating for me. I could keep going forever, and I hope I do in some capacity. I want to always, forever be connected with Parsons, whether that's guesting, teaching, directing. It’s been such a highlight of my life that it will never be a closed door.
However, there's a moment in everyone's life where we have to look to what's next. I started getting this itch for tapping back into “Zoey before college.” And “Zoey before college” had tons of ballroom training and competitions, singing lessons, acting lessons, I was doing commercial work. I had an agent in LA… And I'm like, wait, this could be really fun, what if I start getting to do other things? Like, what if I go teach yoga in the morning, teach ballroom privates, get a ballroom partner, compete. Who knows? What if I go back into singing and acting? I've always had my sight set on Broadway for the future, and now I'm like, this is the future. Time goes so fast!
How can I gain more, learn more as a person, as an artist, even, working behind a desk? I've never done that. What if I just start tapping into so many different options of what can fulfill my life, and find a balance to my life that will set me up for my future.
I feel this excitement and this new journey ahead and this clarity and confidence in change and how it can be a very beautiful thing... We have so many layers, and I want to keep peeling back the onion to be able to dive deeper into what that looks like.
