Why DTH's Lindsey Croop is "Power. On Pointe."

April 5, 2016


Lindsey Croop, Photo by Rachel Neville, Courtesy DTH.

 

This week
, Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to New York City Center with its bold brand of ballet. Pointe spoke with company dancer Lindsey Croop about branching out in the contemporary ballet piece, Change, a new work by modern choreographer Dianne McIntyre.

 

What was it like creating
Change
?

It’s based on women, past, present and future, so we each had a few that we researched. One of mine was Harriet Tubman. When you’re rehearsing, it’s often about perfecting the movement, but we talked a lot–about hardships we’ve overcome and how we’ve become who we are today. As an artist, it’s the kind of role you dream of doing, where someone is like, “wow, that brought me to tears” or “it told my story” or “I feel stronger because of that.”

DTH uses the slogan “Power. On Pointe.” What does that mean to you?

I feel like dance is able to communicate to everyone despite language or age, and the “power” that we bring is a message of hope, unity and possibility. And “on pointe” is a fun pun. It’s a little bit sassy–which I’m all about!

You majored in dance arts administration and strategic communication at Butler University. How have your degrees come into play at DTH?

At DTH, everyone pitches in and there’s always room for extra ideas. I even help with social media. Also, as an artist, I need to be able to market myself. When we’re on the road, we teach classes, and I feel comfortable using my presentational skills from my communications courses. My logistical and analytical side balances out my creative side.