Maile Okamura of Mark Morris Dance Group; photo by Elaine Mayson
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Current city: Brooklyn, NY
Age: 39
College and degree: none
How you pay the bills: member of Mark Morris Dance Group, freelance costume designer
All the dance hats I wear: dancer, costume designer, teacher
Non-dance work: none
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My dance life in my twenties: I started my career as a ballet dancer. My first job was with Boston Ballet II, when I was 17, suddenly sharing the rehearsal room and stage with incredible artists like Fernando Bujones! I then spent 3 years with Ballet Arizona, under the direction of Michael Uthoff. There I was able to experience Balanchine and Tudor, survive the terror of dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy, and get my first taste of modern dance, in Paul Taylor's Esplenade. During these years I also started attending a modern dance camp in the summers, where I studied with people who expanded my narrow outlook on dance, like Bebe Miller and Joe Goode. At age 21, I quit my job at Ballet Arizona and moved to NYC to become a modern dancer, though I had no idea what that really meant. I just knew that I loved it. I spent my first 5 years in NY as a freelancer. I worked with Neta Pulvermacher, who had choreographed a ballet at Ballet Arizona, Zvi Gotheiner, Sean Curran, Brian Brooks, Gerald Casel, and many others. I waitressed in a Japanese restaurant, taught gymnastics, straightened knees at Ballet Tech, and sewed costumes for friends. I studied Graham, Cunningham, and Klein techniques. I was also a supplementary dancer for the Mark Morris Dance Group, which I joined as a full time company member in 2001 at age 26.
In my thirties: I was nervous about joining a full time dance company, being a freelance dance slut. But I quickly realized that Mark's world is a fertile garden where his imagination thrives and his dancers grow. We are constantly pushed to the edge of our capabilities, in class, learning repertory, creating new dances, and performing. It's a thrilling and wonderful and challenging dance life. It's what I was looking for when I left the ballet world.
Noah Vinson and Maile Okamura of Mark Morris Dance Group; photo by Arthur Elgort
Major Influences: My cousin Kim who danced with San Francisco Ballet. What a gorgeous dancer! I suspect I had very, very good training from my childhood teacher, Lynda Yourth, who was a soloist with New York City Ballet. Mark Morris: creator, teacher, director, advisor, psychic, friend. John Heginbotham: best friend and collaborator.
Taking classes: I love taking classes. I recently took my first tap class. Taking class is the best way I know to understand your body and keep track of the constant changes. I also try to take new classes in unfamiliar styles when I have time. It's fun and refreshing. It's good to do things that you think you might be bad at or hate.
On Klein Technique: Klein technique helped me reorganize my body during a time in which I was trying to absorb many different movement styles. I still use many of the stretches in my daily routine.
On costume design: I fell into designing and making costumes because I had many friends who needed help in that department but had no money to hire a real designer. My mother taught my sister and I some basic sewing when we were kids; I used to make warm ups and ballet skirts for friends. I don't have formal training, though I'd really like to get some!
Here is a photo of my costumes for a piece called Cinema, choreographed by John Heginbotham for his company, Dance Heginbotham. Photo: Christopher Duggan.
Final advise to dancers: A career in dance is an adventure. Follow all leads, take chances. Let it teach and excite you.
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