Ep 5: Exploring the Future of Dance with Martheya Scott

In this episode of Dance Unscripted, host Amy Elizabeth speaks with Martheya Scott, co-founder of kNOwBOX, about the innovative approaches to dance and community engagement. They discuss the importance of archiving dance, connecting with non-dance audiences, and the role of technology in enhancing the dance experience. Martheya shares insights on resilience in dance education and the entrepreneurial mindset necessary for artists today. The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of dance creation, particularly through the Mixtamotus project, which blurs the lines between audience and performer, fostering a sense of community and connection.

Martheya's links:

Websites: 

www.martheyamovement.com

www.knowboxdance.com

www.mixtamotus.com

Social Medias:

@martheya_nygaard

@knowboxdance

@mixtamotus

Transcript

Amy Elizabeth

Welcome to Dance Unscripted. I am your host, Amy Elizabeth, and today we are joined by Martheya Scott. Martheya is an internationally recognized dance artist and creative leader, co-creator and managing director of kNOwBOX, and nonprofit dance think tank. She's also co-founder and artistic director of Mixtamotus, a published writer,

who holds an MFA in dance from Texas Women's University and a BFA in dance from Sam Houston State University. Martheya, thank you so much for joining us.

Martheya

Thank you for having me and thank you for the wonderful introduction. I'm so excited to be on your show.

Amy Elizabeth

Thank you so much. And that introduction is all yours. That's your work right there.

Martheya 

It's always funny, right, to like hear it back or read it back. Like, okay, we're doing things. We're doing things.

Amy Elizabeth 

Mm-hmm

Yeah. So I'm really excited to have you on the show and really to discuss what it truly means to say no to the box and yes to the future of dance. So can we start there and explain to our audience what this tagline for kNOwBOX means for you and your co-founders.

Martheya 

Sure. So as you said, kNOwBOX is a dance think tank and we really operate as this hub for innovation, creative exploration and the advancement of new ideas in dance and the arts. And at kNOwBOX, we are not just thinking outside of the box, but rather we're eliminating it. We're saying no to the box and yes to the future of dance. And to us, that means rejecting limitations and embracing innovation. So really not necessarily

focusing just on the technology, but rather how can we use technology as a tool to enhance the embodied experience that is dance?

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, so when did this organization, when was it established? What was kind of the genesis for this project for you?

Martheya

Feels like a long time ago, but just yesterday all at the same time. My co-founder, Yejin Choi and I were actually in graduate school. As you said, we went to Texas Women's University in Denton and we were pursuing our MFAs. She was a cohort above me. So she was about to graduate and move off into the world. And we were kind of like wondering, like, how do we still stay connected and keep making works together?

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah.

Martheya 

even though we don't know where she was gonna be. She ended up in Mexico, but originally she was from Korea. So I was stuck in Denton in school. So we're like, how do we like keep making works together? And we realized maybe a lot of artists are having this same kind of question. You meet in community, you feel really connected, you wanna create together, and then you have to go back to wherever you are to survive and have a living. And so that's kind of how.

the initial question that we were pondering. And for us, that answer really first started in film. Because with dance and film, and as you know, when you send a film to a film festival, you don't have to purchase the plane ticket to go there, but your work can essentially travel the world while you're right at home. So we started in the very early days with a dance film festival.

And then we created our own dance film festival, the kNOwBOX Film Festival. And from there, we realized, okay, like there's some interest in this. it wasn't just about like the product and the event and bringing people together, but really about the conversations we were having around how to make and share work and how to distribute that work. So, so many people could have access to it and see it that might not otherwise be able to experience your work.

if you weren't from that same location. So from there, we decided we wanted to launch our podcast in  called Dance Behind the Screen Podcast, which a little plug, we're so excited to have you as a guest on this season. And at that point, that's when we thought we really needed to expand our team because we felt like we had such a specific view. And so we brought on fellow TWA alumni,

Zaria Hogan's and Raina Mondragon, who both at the time their research interests were very different from ours. So we thought we could kind of all offer a different perspective. And then as we were going, you know, the business side of things has to come into play, like, how are we going to make money and make this a thing? So at first we were just a sole proprietorship to protect our name and what we were doing and things like that. And then with time, we really realized that

Martheya 

Nonprofit was the way to go for us as an art service organization because centered in our mission and our values is really about serving the artist. And so then in , we became a nonprofit. And so now here we are today, continuing on with our podcast, our festival. We have different performances and workshops and a catalog for distributing dance films around the world.

Amy Elizabeth 

That's incredible. We actually have a similar story with Aimed Dance. Because I was in my undergrad, I started creating work and then I had friends who were creating art with me. We formed a name because I went to my first festival and they said, what's your company's name? And I was like, I have to have a name.

I mean, and this was 18 years ago. And so we got a name, we started as a sole proprietorship, and then we thought, what is this? What are we doing? We made the commitment, the dancers were also a part of the board. And so just collectively, these collaborative peers created this organization, this thing that has had many transformations over the year. I just...

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

finding that connection and that similarity between these organizations. And it's just creative, enthusiastic, like-minded people that really enjoy working together and want to find a way to keep doing that. And that's inspiring.

Martheya

Yeah, and I feel like as it is, and as artists, think, you know, it's easy for us to see what's missing when you're a working artist in this space. And so then when you're with other artists, it's really easy to kind of pinpoint, you know, a problem and a solution that you want to go after to make the world a better place.

Amy Elizabeth

huh.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, it's really beautiful. So you described the organization as a global hub for innovation, creative exploration, and the advancement of new ideas in dance and the arts. So in your words, can you describe for us what a dance think tank is and where do you see the overall impact of this?

Martheya

Sure, yeah. For us, I think a dance think tank is really about collaboration and this kind of idea-driven space where artists, scholars, leaders, cultural workers, we all kind of come together to critically explore these questions. And at kNOwBOX, we're really interested in how we can grapple with kind of the future of what dance might look like. And so I think that's like the easiest way to describe.

Amy Elizabeth

Uh-huh.

Martheya

how we're thinking about that think tank space.

Amy Elizabeth

So do you see this, I can ask a question, like the overall impact of the work that you're doing, do you see this more so in the creative research, in the dance making, in the educational workshops that you're doing? Where do you see this expand the most?

Martheya

Yeah, I think that's a really great question. And I think it's yes and everything. I think what's really special that we've identified about dance is it's not just necessarily the physical practice, the creative process, but really, you know, to preserve the future of dance, it's everything in between. So how are we archiving what we're doing? How are we disseminating what we're doing?

Martheya

How are we communicating about the importance and the value and the impact of dance as an art form? So I think, you know, we could certainly dive into any of those areas if you're more interested in talking about one specifically. But I think that that's the whole.

kind of like an underlying value for us in finding that language as a dance think tank is it's bringing all those ways of thinking and being in the world together in order to have those conversations about thinking about the future of dance and how we can preserve that.

Amy Elizabeth

Speaking of preservation, I've seen there have been in the last couple of years, or there has been an initiative to archive dance and to preserve dance. And for those listeners who are not as familiar with dance or may not understand this aspect of it is that dance is designed to be ephemeral. It is designed to be here and to dissolve. It is here in the moment, in the now. And so we don't.

have a lot of that information to carry with us. So can you speak on why you feel that the archival initiative is so important right now?

Martheya

Yeah, I think at Nobox how we're really thinking about it is how are we using, you know, the tools that we have, whether it be, you know, digital tools or

community events and things like that as a way to kind of honor what dance is, that ephemeral and embodied experience, but then using these tools to really communicate not only to people of present day, but people in the future, how the dance is happening, why the dance is happening, and kind of the value of dance at large.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Martheya

I realize that's kind of like a meta answer, but that's just, I think, how we're thinking about it. And I don't think we have any answers right now. I feel like we're certainly in this stage of really just trying to kind of continue to collect information and have conversations with people like yourself and facilitate spaces for this type of conversation too. Because I think we don't really know. And with technology, it's like,

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, no!

Martheya

as it continues to evolve, as it always has, I think it's important that we're able to kind of name and frame ways that it can support or inhibit that embodied experience of dance.

Amy Elizabeth

Identifying those parameters, if you will, is what I'm hearing. Yeah, absolutely. So you create platforms. We're connecting artists and audiences worldwide, not just across the US. This is a global initiative. We're incubating bold ideas. We're fostering entrepreneurial thinking.

Martheya

Definitely.

Amy Elizabeth

So how does it connect beyond the dance world to create access for non-dance-identifying audiences?

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

And let me explain that. I've been grappling with this because I have a large group of friends or colleagues or a part of my community here that they start by saying, I don't know anything about what you do. Or, I don't know anything about dance or I have two left feet. And so I find myself almost trying to...

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

find new ways to engage with them so it doesn't seem so unfamiliar. And I really didn't enjoy the word non-dancers. Because I believe everyone is, if you're a moving, breathing being, you are a dancer. You just don't have that information or you don't have that frame of reference for yourself just yet.

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

So that's why I use the term non-dance-ifying audience. So these are people who are not your typical dance enthusiasts who are lining up to get a ticket. So it's how do these initiatives that you have connect beyond our given audience to this maybe less informed audience.

Martheya

Mm-hmm. Well, I think that this question is really important and this is a question that really motivates everything that we do at kNOwBOX. In the early stages of starting kNOwBOX, we had a lot of conversations. We'd go to a lot of performances and then after it almost felt like we would go with our friends or our partners and things like that and they never understood what they were watching.

And it almost felt like, and we talk about this a lot on our own show, but it almost feels like sometimes dance is like this secret club. And if you don't have the password with your BFA or MFA or whatever it is, then you have no idea what the F is going on. And so what we're trying to do and what we're interested in practicing, creating, ideating around is how do we create those kinds of spaces and places

where we really just meet people where they're at and bring the art to the people, if that makes any sense.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, absolutely. So I want to swing back to this idea of entrepreneurial thinking. So one may not assume or directly connect dance and entrepreneurial thinking. So what does that look like for kNOwBOX and why is that important to you?

Martheya

Yeah, it's funny because I don't feel like in the beginning we were like, we want to be entrepreneurs. Like with that kind of mindset, it feels like in the past several years, people have identified us as entrepreneurs and kind of having this like arts entrepreneurship way of thinking about dance, about nonprofits and things like that.

But I think what we're really drawn to now having the language as entrepreneurs is just kind of having this value system of curiosity, risk taking, innovation, and courage. So I think that's kind of, I guess, how it started with us.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, I think that that word courage, right? And this idea of, know, I identify with the term experiential entrepreneurship. And most of time I say that and people are like, what are you talking about? And it's, yes, yes, that is what it is. You have a general structure, you have a general plan. You know what has come before. You know what the possibilities are. And as artists, we are creatives.

Martheya

Learn by doing.

Amy Elizabeth

This is we have critical thinking and problem solving skills. This is how we design our worlds. This is how we design our work. Why does that have to look any different in a business perspective or in a business world? And it is, you use the phrase having to learn the language. And now that I have now that you have the language, you understand, I've been doing this all along.

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

I just haven't been using the framework that has been set forth for me. And I find that really intriguing and fascinating that this idea of the artist's approach to business or that it's even separate from a traditional point of view. Do you feel now that you have the language and you identify as an entrepreneur,

Do you feel that your tasks or your responsibilities are any different?

Martheya

Well, I think it all comes down to communication. So how are you telling your story? And I think the world is shifting. So the way that we're able to communicate with people, whether it be social media, email newsletters, things like that, I think it's really important to find the tools and resources so that dancers know how to share their work. Because this kind of middle

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

person, whatever, if it was like a big company, right? They were kind of like, you know, the gatekeepers to those artists and, you know, the possibilities of them performing and things like that. So I think that we're at a place in time, and we have been for the past several years, where, you know, independent artists are finding ways to flourish and have funding and resources to present and make their work without being affiliated with just one institution.

And I think that's something that we've been experiencing. And so one of our goals is to articulate and share what that could look like. There's so many different pathways. And we have a lot of conversations like this on our podcast. We're not going to medical school, right? We don't have this clear set path as a dancer per se of what you do and.

then what happens next? And so I think, you know, one of our goals to really like empower and incentivize this entrepreneurial way of thinking is to just kind of provide free conversations about how real artists in real time are grappling with how to make and share their work every single day.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, and I think that idea of curiosity as well is that when the path is not laid out before you.

how do you take, how do you stay curious? How do you empower yourself to take that next step? And I think that that's what kNOwBOX is really doing is you may not know exactly the next step, but here are some options like stay curious, research this, talk to this person and really making that connection for the community to be able to take those next steps. And I just, that's really encouraging, I think.

for artists to be able to have a resource out there that may not have been available to them before. Like you said, there were the gatekeepers before. We don't need the gatekeepers. But what we do need is community and connection. And I think that that's really the service that kNOwBOX is bringing to the community in that way.

Martheya

Well, thanks for saying that, Amy Elizabeth. And I think, you know, coming from like an academic lens, you know, like I mentioned, we all met in graduate school. We found that at the time and even now, like so many students are pursuing dance degrees. And there's only so many teaching jobs, you know, that exist, right? And a lot of people who pursue dance, it's because of their love of performance or the love of the craft to create and share something with people.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah.

Martheya

And so I think it's an exciting time that there are ways to do that. And maybe it's not your full-time job, but there's avenues for you to still get paid to dance and do what you love to do. So I don't know. We're hoping that it just kind of takes some of the pressure off that like, hey, you're not alone. A lot of people are kind of grappling with this, trying to figure out.

you know, what's the right path, try out different things. And we're just hoping that we can, you know, just be kind of like a guidance and a network really for people as they're trying to figure out, you know, how they want to be connected to dance in this world.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah. And really how they keep going. How do you keep going? You've hit this finish line. You've hit this destination, this goal that you have. Now how do you take that into the world? So this kind of segues right into our mission for season one of Dance Unscripted. We're focusing on resilience in dance and how dance making and dance education can foster resilience in a person. And I define resilience as the ability to

Forward motion. Forward motion to get through to the other side or bounce back, you know, that sort of thing. And I feel like that is a reflection of what you're saying is like these students and being able to create that pathway for them to just keep pushing through to find the next step. So can you speak a little bit to these ideas for you and your own experiences as a dance teacher and a dance maker? Like how is resilience really?

resided as a part of your experience.

Martheya

Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I should, I guess, preface what I'm going to say with I'm not currently like a teacher. I say that with air quotes right now. I've really taken on kind of more administrative roles now with kNOwBOX Dance as we're growing as a nonprofit and then continuing to make work as an artist. So just to give a little bit more context to where I'm at and how I'm thinking about resiliency, I think...

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah.

Martheya

I think I totally align with what you said about kind of this idea of endurance, like keep going, keep going, keep going. But then at the same time, I think about how to be flexible, how to adapt, and then how to surrender. I feel like I've experienced resilience in many different ways, but most recently I had twin girls. There are almost two now.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah.

Martheya

But I feel like my understanding of the world totally changed becoming a mother because, and it changed in so many ways, but as an artist, I feel like it changed my practice and how I'm able to show up. And I've learned to like, this sounds so cheesy, but I've learned to like give myself grace kind of in these moments, like as my body was changing and healing and recovering.

Martheya

And I felt like for me personally, it was the first time in my life where I didn't have like kind of full control really of like the outcomes and the possibilities. And I feel like there's perhaps several, you know, many dancers who might resonate with that feeling because as a dancer, you control your body, right? Like you're told to do this and then you find a way to make it happen and you're able to bring that

to life. But then when certain physicalities are challenged or things like that, you don't really have control. So I think that's a more recent way, I guess, that I've been thinking about resilience, not just physically, but intellectually and emotionally resilient, like when I'm exhausted and haven't slept. And how do I show up and remain present?

Martheya

what are those practices, and they change. And that's okay.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

You know, there's a the recurring theme of showing up, like I expressed my my most relevant idea of what resilience is in my life and how dance empowered that for me was the idea of showing up and going to class and just that and then understanding that, you're showing up for yourself, but you're also showing up for the ensemble. You're also showing up for everyone in that environment and that it is a community. It is a collective.

And so with this idea of showing up, and I'm going to ask a question that I think I already know the answer to, but is resilience a destination?

Martheya

Well, I don't really think there's any destination, except for, I guess, death. But even then, I guess. Is that a destination? I don't know. I don't know. I feel like you're talking about your experience of showing up. And I think, to me, ultimately, resilience is really just continuing to move, whether it's physically moving, creatively moving.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

just like evolving and growing, you know, on a more personal level. And I think that...

Amy Elizabeth

Uh-huh.

Martheya

that resiliency is because sometimes I feel like the external forces is wanting you to stop and like not keep you down, but just like keeps presenting challenges or obstacles. And I think resilience is just about like staying calm and like persisting.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, persistence, perseverance, those sort of things. Part of our conversations in this, I'm gonna use the word research, but part of, in this research of resilience and how resilience is used and can resilience be taught, what I feel like we're finding is that there is a collective vocabulary that can be used and how people identify.

what that means to them and how it's incorporated in their lives and this idea of, you know, can it be taught and how important is it as a community to have this idea of resilience? So going back to dance and technology, this is the main focus of the work that you're doing is

Can this idea of dance and technology empower or encourage resilience? And if so, how would you describe that?

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

Well, I think, and I'll speak for our mission at kNOwBOX, I think.

why we're existing is because we want to find tools to help the art form continue to not just exist, but to thrive and to connect with people around the world in different kinds of environments and spaces. I think certainly resilience is a through line in all of that.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. If we're defining resilience as an idea of moving forward or persisting through, continuing to evolve, that's exactly what it's doing.

So as a dance creative, you established Mixtamotus, or I believe you referenced it as MM. Is that correct?

Martheya

yeah, that's just, yeah, we say MM like when we're writing, because it just gets to be so many words.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, so you've described this project as blurring boundaries, challenging traditional norms, and kind of a push to the limits of what's possible between humans and machines. So my first response is like, wow, that sounds really fascinating. And then my second response is, how? How do we do this? What does this look like?

as a creative, what is the vision for your audience or the person experiencing the work?

Martheya

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, thank you first off for the wow. I like that.

Amy Elizabeth

Ha ha ha!

Martheya

I think, I'm trying to think of where I want to start with this. guess I could talk about our audience. think we talked a little bit earlier about this kind of like your dance can sometimes feel like the secret club and Mixtamotus is, Reyna and I, or Reyna is the other co-founder and Joel Leavis of Mixtamotus. We kind of wanted to like problem solve around that feeling.

So Mixtamotus was one of our, I guess to use your words, know, like areas of research for kind of this problem. So I think, you know, my vision for the audience or someone experience our work is just like leaving with this kind of sense of wonder and openness to possibilities.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, that's beautiful.

Amy Elizabeth

How does that challenge traditional norms? So how does that differ from, you've been creating work for quite some time. Before Mixtamotus, you were creating work. Now we have Mixtamotus with this framework. We want to challenge something very specific. You said around the audience, the audience experience and grappling with that idea. So how has this shift in intention for you has that?

Martheya

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

or not how has it, has it shifted the way that you go into a creative project?

Martheya

Yeah, think, like you're saying, I created work obviously before Mixtamotus. And I think one thing that I was looking for as an artist is I wanna work in collaboration with people who inspire me. And so in creating Mixtamotus, that was kind of just like, we're creating this box, this frame for us to make work and challenge each other's ideas and kind of like an excuse to just like.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

try stuff and see what happens. So that's kind of like where it started, I guess. what was it? What else were you asking?

Amy Elizabeth

Maybe the difference, is there a difference between your approach to dance making before you put it inside of the frame?

Martheya

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah, think I guess, yeah, no, I mean, I think I identified like, yeah, okay, so now I lost my train of thought, now I'm back. So I think I identified like what I liked when I was creating and that was like working in collaboration with people and people who are experts at different things. So.

Amy Elizabeth

I mean, there may not be.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm. Yes.

Martheya

In a lot of our Mixtamotus works, we're creating with Joel Leavis, who is this amazing interactive media artist. So his work, all his work really, is on his computer. So he's coding and creating these generative animations and things like that. And then we kind of problem solve, how does that come to life with projectors on the floor, on the screens, on objects, and then in relation to live bodies who are moving. And are the bodies triggering?

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

you know, the technology is the technology triggering the bodies and like kind of all these types of conversations. So I think the elements, I guess, that I explored as like an independent artist, if you will, before working like under the Mixtamotus umbrella were like all the things I liked was collaboration, working with technology, but I couldn't like do that necessarily on my own in a sustainable way.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

And like at kNOwBOX , sustainability for artists is huge. We need to be getting paid for the work that we're doing and not just paid for performances, paid for rehearsals, having safe places. And so I kind of wanted to create that space, not just for myself, as a choreographer artist, but for the collaborators that we're working with in Mixtamotus as well.

Martheya

So kind of like practicing what we preach. Whereas before as an independent artist, I felt like I almost just would take every opportunity that came up, even if it was like not paid or really unsafe environments for dancing and really long hours, know, just like kind of all these like extremes. And so

I guess from the structure, like more administrative mind, I wanted to create those kinds of spaces of creating that really felt safe so that myself and the others in the artistic process could really just focus on creating, like making art.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, absolutely. So I kind of want to dive in if you can get really, maybe really specific on maybe one work, but the approach, you kind of referenced the approach and that you have this digital media and then we're asking the questions of how this plays with the movement and the live performance, like which comes first?

Martheya

Okay.

Amy Elizabeth

Do we start with an initial idea or concept and then we go apart and we come together? What kind of specifically, what does that and yes, I know not all processes are the same. But just give us that, I mean, you can hone in on one specific project if you'd like, but just kind of illustrate what that collaboration really looks like, feels like in the moment.

Martheya

Yeah, I'm so excited. I feel like it's not often I actually get to talk about the work that we're doing. Like with my voice not writing to try to get money to fund our projects. So this is exciting. I'll talk about, there's like a two part project that we did maybe like two or three years ago. So the first part was called hashtag filtering. And then the second part was called hashtag filtered. So in hashtag filtering, I'll just...

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah.

Martheya

first talk, I guess, about the venue that it was in to kind of give you that visual. It was in more of this warehouse underground space at this place in Dallas here called the Bathhouse Cultural Center. So it's like underground warehouse vibe, and we kind of transformed it into different installations. And a critical part of making our work from the beginning has been this idea of crowdsourcing.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

And it first started with like how we were really interested in social media early on. And so we would post like an A and B video and then the audience online would then vote like, we liked this turn better than this turn or something like that, or this should be a jump and this should be a pose, whatever. I'm just like oversimplifying it just to make it easy to understand and follow right now. So that's kind of one of like the first ways we were playing with this crowdsourcing idea.

And then we wanted to kind of bring that to life. So hashtag filtering was our real life crowdsourcing. So the audience was invited into these different installations and helped us pick the color, the main thematic color that we were gonna use for our formal staged work. Hashtag filtered. They got to have feedback on

different animations. So we had two different projection walls set up and people could walk in front of them and make a movement and that would trigger an animated projection response. And then they would get to vote on which version they liked better. And then we then included that in our staged work, hashtag filtered. And then we were able to share a short 20  second, or minute.

like sampling of our movement that we then incorporated into our stage work. So like the three main elements that we're always exploring are as movement, media, and music. So how we're generating these different vocabularies, sometimes separately and sometimes all at once, all together. So for a hashtag filtered, like I mentioned, we kind of started

with these different crowd-sourced answers. So was kind of like, you have all the puzzle pieces, they're all spread out, and then our job was to then figure out how we're gonna put the puzzle together to create the show, which was really, really exciting. And I guess I could dive deeper into the technological aspect if you're interested in that, or I'm not sure which route you'd wanna talk about.

Amy Elizabeth

I mean any route you want to talk about. This is fascinating to me because this goes beyond immersive performance. know, immersive performance is a way that we invite the audience into, they don't know whether they are an observer or a part of the action, is the way that I describe immersive. But this goes beyond immersive to the audience becoming collaborators, the audience making decisions on what it is they want to see and then seeing

how that unfolds. And so I'm really curious as far as audience development. Did you see that same audience who helped make decisions show up for part two and did they feel more engaged or more connected to the work after going through that process?

Martheya

Yeah, those are great questions. I we don't have any, I wouldn't say we have like concrete data that I'd be like citing right now. And we did credit those involved in hashtag filtering who helped make the decisions in the program for hashtag filtered because we did see them as collaborators in creating the work. But I certainly think there was, I guess more buy-in or like interest in

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's okay.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah.

Martheya

the ideas that went into creating the staged work. And I think for the dancers too, it was interesting to have such different experiences, because it's such different audience experiences when they were in more of this, like in the round seating and in this underground building versus like,

a black box theater with a set stage and a set audience. So I think that it created more comfort, maybe. I can speak from the artist's side in the material.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah.

So as the creators of this, it feel, I don't know, having someone else make decisions? Like there are some artists out there that they want to be in control of all of the decisions and then some who are a little bit more open to a more fluid creative process. And so as this collaborative force to then bring in an entirely separate collaborative force, did we ever

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

a resistance to or was it just a complete openness of this will be what it will be?

Martheya

I think it provides like a challenge. just like when working with technology, like I'm talking about these like projectors. So we like rig projectors, you know, on the ceiling and behind. And so it's projecting on the floor and the walls and things like that. I think there's like so many like unknowns. Like you don't, you're like working with all of these elements that you don't really have control over. And, you know, like any choreographer is working with dancers and

you you think you have a set agreed piece, but then in the moment, like something happens, their costume falls off, whatever, you know, they're living beings. Like the work is always evolving to speak to that, you know, like ephemeral nature, like we were talking about. So I think to us, it's just kind of like an exciting challenge. And I don't know, I think it like helps us feel like we keep adventuring into this unknown by having all these different challenges and.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

And we're just really interested in how like with the technology, whether the technology is like what you think of like a projector or the technology of like crowdsourcing, like how is that expanding access, you know, to those who are experiencing our work. And we're hoping that it's providing like entry points to experience dance in new and exciting ways.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

Yeah, that's thing that came to my mind is like inviting people in for this crowdsourcing as you call it, and then being able to make decisions on social media, being able to make decisions live in the moment. I would think that that has the potential to call in new sectors, for lack of better words, of the community and introducing dance in or even performance art.

Martheya

Mm-hmm.

Amy Elizabeth

through a different lens, like the introduction to it being completely different, that it would. I mean, I don't think that we need the data for that, that we're gonna see a different demographic coming in. And I would say, I mean, of course this is absolutely an assumption, but I would assume that it would bring in more of a younger demographic.

at younger generation who is engaged on social media and engaged in this crowdsourcing

Martheya

Yeah, I mean, I think if we look at our analytics, we'd certainly have a wide range of people coming. And it really depends too, like on the venue. Like I mentioned, when we're like in a, you know, black box theater in our arts district here in Dallas, I think, you know, the range of people who come to and can afford work in that kind of space is different than those who came to the work at the bathhouse. That's like an underground.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm-hmm.

Martheya

venue. So I think it's cool because we're able to kind of explore different ways of making and then sharing our work and see how we can connect with different types of people. And you talked too about like

you were talking about like, I don't remember the words exactly, but like different, like people of different backgrounds, you know, coming and it was interesting because, you know, we worked with like a local composer musician. And so like he had a big community of supporters, Lucas Reader. And so then, you know, his like musical supporters came and they were like blown away by how movement then interpreted

you know, that music. So I think it's always really interesting to kind of hear people's experiences and where they're coming from. then, like I said, we're hoping they kind of leave with this sense of like, wonderment, you know, like what, what's possible when you like merge these things together. And one thing we do at every show that we have for Mixtamotus is we do

a Q &A at the end with all our collaborators. And those have been some of the most special conversations because that's when we really get to hear from the audience of our work. And my favorite part is when all the other collaborators, not just like myself and Reyna, but the musicians, the designers, the dancers, they get to interact with the audience as well and talk about their process. And I think it...

Martheya

It reminds me of what we're trying to do with kNOwBOX too is just to create these spaces for connection and conversation. And how are we kind of using our work also as a tool to cultivate this innovation and community and access and embracing that. And it's all centered around dance.

Amy Elizabeth

beautiful and the word you use the word access and that's exactly what I was thinking in listening to this process and just making dance accessible giving people different entry points to it and different pathways to follow with it and I mean that is essentially sustainability is it not like it's

Martheya

Yeah, exactly. And it can keep changing. like now we're in the process of a new project. We're creating a dance film with like a live wind orchestra that will be playing like live for the screening of the film, which is really exciting. So I think it's an exciting time to be an artist right now because there's just so many possibilities. I mean, of course there's always going to be the funding challenges.

and obstacles, like as you the reason for your podcast about resilience, like I think it's our it's also our job as artists to help continue to like support others to find ways to just show up and do the work.

Amy Elizabeth

Mm hmm. Yeah, it is. That's a thread line through these podcasts as far as the word community. We're talking about connection. We're talking about community and we're talking about that through the lens of dance and how dance empowers us as as neighbors, as colleagues. You know, in one of my previous podcasts, we were talking about this idea of

when we as a community are kind of forced into an idea of resilience. So whether that be manmade natural disasters, those sorts of things, and strangers become neighbors. And it's this idea of where can we find this being cultivated in our everyday lives? And I think it's, we're specifically talking about how we're cultivating this through our projects, through our practices of dance making.

of dance research, but it all comes back down to this idea of sustainability as showing up, consistency, and finding the connection with our community. And that community is what helps us continue to push through, like empowering one another through our presence, through the idea of showing up. And that empowers the sense of resilience within our community. It's really beautiful, wonderful, and fascinating work because I honestly have not.

made the strong of a connection with technology. And if I'm being honest, I've had a little bit of a resistance to it in my stage work. I keep my screen dance and my stage work separate. And so finding it's empowering. This conversation is empowering and how we can find additional ways, additional pathways for resilience, for dance, for sustainability, for the arts, for community. And I just want to say thank you so much.

Martheya

Yeah.

Amy Elizabeth

for joining us today and taking the time to share your mission and vision. It has been educational for me and I hope for the audience that tunes in and listens. It's really incredible.

Martheya

Well, thank you, Amy Elizabeth. I think just exploring this topic of resiliency, you know, in the arts and just in the world right now is so important. And I can't wait to tune in to hear your other episodes with the other guests.

Amy Elizabeth

Thank you. Well, we're not quite finished yet. We have one more item and this is our rapid round. And these are two sentences that we're asking each of our guests in season one. This is kind of our thread line with this project that we're doing. And so I'm going to present two questions or two sentences to you. And if you could just finish them, fill in the blank. You ready?

Martheya

Okay.

Amy Elizabeth

All right, resilience is.

Martheya

presence.

Amy Elizabeth

Beautiful. Dance has taught me.

Martheya

Hmm.

Martheya

Dance has taught me...

Martheya

how to trust my intuition and honestly, I think what it takes to just be like self-aware, connected and present.

Amy Elizabeth

I love that. Thank you again, Martheya. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us and wish you all the best with season seven of your podcast coming out soon.

Martheya

Well, thank you and we can't wait to have you on our show. Definitely go check us out, Dance Behind the Screen podcast where you can listen to more of Amy Elizabeth.

Amy Elizabeth

Thank you for that and we will have more information on where you can find kNOwBOX and Mixtamotus in our show notes. Thank you so much.

Martheya

Awesome! Thanks Amy Elizabeth!

Amy Elizabeth

Thank you for joining us for Dance Unscripted, presented by Aimed Dance. Knowing you could’ve chosen any other platform, you chose us and you chose dance. For that, we are incredibly grateful. Be sure to click the subscribe button and share with a friend or colleague. Leave us a review on Spotify and your name will be entered into a drawing for Dance Unscripted merch. Winners will be announced at the end of each episode. Season One is brought to you by Lamar University’s Center for Resiliency.