I'm choreographer and co-founder of FrenetiCore Rebecca French. Robert Thoth and I started the company in 2003 and opened Frenetic Theater in 2009. FrenetiCore is my passion, my outlet, my day and night job.
I just got home from an amazing day of taking dance photos on location with Lynn Lane, a prominent and talented Houston photographer. As I sit here I notice my sunburn deepening, my pointe shoes are a soggy mess in the corner (some of our shots today were taken under a hose spraying at a car wash) and my lower back is feeling the burn of jumping on the concrete at an old silo. The same question enters my head--the one I ask every time we do a performance or project of any kind: "Why do I need to do this? Shouldn't I start acting like a responsible adult at some point?" And the answer I arrive at every time is: I need to do this because dance theatre is magic.
I found dance in college, and realized quickly that it would be a major part of my life. I had never been an athlete or artist. As a dancer, I became both. Going to see touring companies as a young adult showed me how transformational dance could be. The performances that affected me most were the ones that created a world onstage; a world with characters that I cared about, and a story that showed me a new way to understand life. Story is powerful. It's why we read books and watch movies. It's why we need songs and sitcoms. Life can be cruel, but stories teach us how to overcome difficulties, understand others better, and grow as human beings.
So how are photos of FrenetiCore dancers doing backbends at an abandoned silo going to teach anyone anything about the human condition? They may not. But hopefully, the shots we took today will tell a story of beauty, struggle, strength, and even comedy. I hope people will look at them and feel moved, or at least transported for a moment.
If you step into our story, we promise to give you some magic.
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