Interview with HBC’s 2020 Co-Directors: Ana Maria Delmar and Abbey Pan
Today we had the opportunity to chat with Ana Maria Delmar and Abbey Pan, the amazing 2020 Co-Directors of HBC! These two were kind enough to share their thoughts on the Fall 2020 season, reminisce about their HBC experiences, and express their opinions and insights on being part of the HBC community. We hope you enjoy their responses to these 15 questions as much as we did!
❤️Audrey and Amy
1. What is your name?
Abbey Pan: Hello, I'm Abbey.
Ana Maria Delmar: Hi, I'm Ana Maria.
2. What is your class year?
Abbey: I'm a rising Junior.
Ana Maria: And I'll be a Senior!
3. What's your concentration?
Abbey: Neuroscience for me.
Ana Maria: Mine is History of Art and Architecture, and I'm doing an Art, Film and Visual Studies Secondary.
4. What's your role in HBC?
Abbey: I'm a Co-Director.
Ana Maria: I'm also Co-Director.
5. What's your favorite ballet?
Abbey: For me, I'll go classical this time, so Sleeping Beauty.
Ana Maria: I trained Balanchine my whole life so I have to say probably like a black and white Balanchine ballet like Agon or something like that.
6. What is your favorite aspect or your favorite memory from your time in HBC?
Abbey: I guess we always talk about tech week magic. There's just been so many memories from that, I guess probably during, in search of tech week for me and also strike. That was just a time when I felt like I got a lot closer with a lot of members of HBC and it was just really fun to go through the whole process of putting on the show with them and building the ramp.
Ana Maria: Yeah the ramp was an ordeal! I guess for me, when I joined HBC the whole transition from being pre-professional in high school with a very toxic dance environment to then joining HBC. And then just everybody was so kind and it was just like fun. And I think that was maybe the most magical moment was having that transition from dance becoming such a fun part of my life versus something that can make you really sad or stressed.
7. What are HBC's Fall plans, including for the show?
Abbey: We've been talking, brainstorming, and just adapting and embracing the new remote format. So, a lot of things we've adjusted, like our auditions are now being held virtually, and it's quite a different process. We unfortunately won't all be in one room taking class together. But hopefully we'll still be able to garner interest from like another excited new class of people. Also figuring out how to do initiation and adapting production of the show to better fit the virtual format. So maybe like a cool video instead of, you know, being on stage or having some kind of live performance.
Ana Maria: Yeah, I'd say it's about taking in stride with the constraints that are put onto our medium now and finding a way to embrace it. So embracing the fact that we're all in these different places and can pull from those experiences and create digital dance, which was not something as widely seen before COVID. So just finding new ways to still be creating, but within the constraints that we have. And then we're also planning to try and get more guest teachers and do fun things like that, and also fundraise through master classes, hopefully by having a diverse set of teachers or performers teach, and then we can fundraise for charities of choice and find ways to do philanthropy through dance.
Abbey: And we've realized that having this more digitally-focused semester will allow us to do things that we otherwise wouldn't have thought of. So it's helped push creative bounds. And hopefully that will transpire when choreographers or dancers are also adjusting to the circumstances. So perhaps we'll learn how to, you know, grow our minds and that way as artists and as people, so it may not all be bad.
8. What is your favorite piece that HBC has ever performed? Either that you were in or that you saw another piece of?
Abbey: Well, I think the first piece that popped into my mind was Mags' piece from in search of -- that like opening number for in search of was like perfect, like absolutely perfect for kicking off the show. And then I also just really loved the pieces that were going to go on stage this semester. Like just so many of them. I mean, I was in your piece, Amy, and it was a 15 out of 10 or higher! It was just perfect. And also, of course, Sarah, you know, legendary choreographer -- it was fun to be in her piece this semester, but all around, there's just been too many good pieces.
Ana Maria: Yeah, I know when I think back on all the good pieces, it's like, hard to pinpoint what were my favorites, but definitely, I was extremely excited this semester to be in the guest choreographer, David Fernandez's piece because it was just amazing. The energy, everything about it, the music was so good, and the whole cast was like, so good. So that was such a bummer to not have that on stage. And then, the first time I choreographed felt super special because I was very scared to choreograph. But then after the first time I did it, I just completely got over it and realized how fun it was. So there's something super magical too about seeing your own choreography for the first time on stage.
9. How would you describe the different types of dance genres of HBC?
Abbey: I guess this is something that I've come to really appreciate through HBC because coming in, you would think that we're, you know, just hardcore trinas, you know, strictly doing ballet, but I've really enjoyed exploring how HBC is, like, modern/contemporary with ballet undercurrents, which is like perfect to include more people, because I mean, it'd be hard to find just a subset of people who are strictly doing ballet and pointe so I think it's like been a huge asset for HBC and also has really helped people who might come from a more ballet leaning background to explore a different form and also learn that their body can like move in such different and like, comfortable ways. I think it gives you a good balance of your previous training and also learning new types of movements. And also just the range and spectrum of people in HBC helps with broadening your own limits, which has been really great.
Ana Maria: Yeah, I think there's a space for everybody. But the cool thing is that also, basically everybody does have a solid ballet foundation, which creates such a good baseline level of like everybody is technically very good, which allows choreographers to push the limits and set very hard choreography that's challenging. So that's also something really great about HBC -- the fact that people can perform all different types of things.
10. What is your favorite spot to dance when you're actually on campus?
Ana Maria: I guess it could be divided by studio and stage... stage-wise I love Farkas because you fill out the whole theater, but it still has just such a nice, classic theater vibe, you know, with the proscenium and everything. It's such a nice space to perform in, and the lobby is so beautiful, and it just makes you feel really like legit. And then in terms of studios, I love HDC 2, the small studio -- it's really great because it's the same size as all of your stages. So it helps you prepare well for when you perform. But also HDC 1 is amazing, because it's so big and you can just do anything there.
Abbey: I guess for me, I would have to say, studio-wise I would probably pick HDC 1 just because I feel like there's been good memories in there and also it's like a huge space so you feel like you can move really freely. And also, probably most recently, my room in Quincy just as where I would do my midnight like little pre-runs of Amy's dance, and you know when I just needed time to get away from work, it was just therapeutic during those times.
11. What are some fun HBC traditions and community building events?
Abbey: Well I guess the first one is always our initiation kickoff. I think that's a pretty memorable experience for everybody. It's a good mix of nerves and also excitement.
Ana Maria: Yeah, it's fun to see how people come into initiation very reserved because they don't know everybody, but then they feel super welcomed by the energy and by the end of the night, they're making new friends! So it's really fun to see that at initiation.
Abbey: And I feel like by the time you're on the other end of initiation, like when you're in the room getting ready for the next group of newbies to come, it's like a pretty special feeling. Yeah, you can reminisce a lot on that night I think, and so it's just like a really nice full circle feeling. Also, I always enjoy our Halloween parties...
Ana Maria: And yeah Senior Sendoff is the best! We didn't get to have a proper one this year because of coronavirus. But remember the one we did last year with the Class of 2019? We all got together at the Signet, and everybody was crying and it was, it was amazing. And it's supposed to be like, you know, "Senior roast," but like nobody roasts. Everybody just goes "you're so beautiful!"
12. What is your favorite thing about being an HBC Co-Director?
Abbey: I feel like I've just learned a lot from being a Co-Director, and it's just been a good opportunity. Being on board was already super enlightening in learning how our group functions because just as a new member, it was incredible to see how the Board runs so efficiently. So like doing everything we can in our power to not only continue that legacy of like, good leadership, putting on good shows; also there's always room to make your directorship unique and your own and so, like me and Ana Maria have been finding ways to do that as well this cycle, and yeah, just keeping with tradition is also always fun.
Ana Maria: Yeah, I think one of my favorite things too has been at the beginning, especially when we were first setting the creative vision for the show, kind of going through all the motions of everything that entails the production. So like, finding your set designer, thinking about the way you want everything to be presented visually, and all of those aspects like the music, creation, the costumes, just seeing the choreography come together. And as directors, you're the people overseeing that. So it's really cool to kind of point people in the right direction and just kind of be at the helm of it and see how it all happens. And then also, you have to do all the work to make that happen. And it's definitely taught me to be more organized, which I think is a great useful life skill. Also just the privilege to be able to work with amazing people like Abbey, Mecha and Aurelia, and the rest of the board -- it's just really awesome to get close to people and have more responsibility like that and make cool stuff together.
Abbey: Yeah, it's interesting because I feel like it's a role that you can never prepare fully for. Even in a COVID-free world, there's challenges that we met even in the fall, like just trying to figure out logistics for a show. But as things slowly come together, it's just a really incredible thing to see before your eyes, and just seeing what choreographers are creating, it just like kind of amazes you and reminds you in the midst of taking care of all of these logistical things, it's like, wow, we really have such a talented group of people that we're just privileged to, you know, lead.
Ana Maria: Yeah, and one last thing I think is really nice about being directors is that you can really kind of set the tone of how things should be in the company. So, I mean, all the directors that we've had, like the ones that I've had in all my years at school, they've just done such a great job of fostering the community within HBC, so it's cool to be in that position to, when you have new members to really make them feel welcome and speak with them. And just make sure that it's a good environment for everybody.
13. What's one piece of advice that you'd like to give to new members of the company?
Ana Maria: I guess one thing for me personally, I think this is exacerbated by everything happening with coronavirus, but I think just try to enjoy yourself and take classes that you truly enjoy in college. And I get it if you have to do requirements for whatever you have to do, but it's your one time to be able to delve in deep to certain things of your interest. So you might as well do it while you have the chance. I've personally done the things that interest me in school, and I'm really grateful for it. And I feel like I've learned a lot. So that's definitely one piece of advice I have for first-years. To not not be concerned about the masses and what everybody is telling you to do -- you should do whatever you want to do.
Abbey: I guess I can add on to that good advice in terms of more general or academics. I guess in terms of joining HBC and everything, I feel like just realizing early on that it might feel intimidating at first just like because of how close knit all of us are; it may feel difficult to transition in. But just I hope that people will see that we're really just here and really enthusiastic about welcoming people and wanting to just have fun together and just dance together because we all really enjoy and get a lot of comfort from doing that and especially from each other. So, hopefully with the new remote format, we're really sorry and sad that we can't be there with all of our newbies in person. But even with the remote format, like of course just never hesitate to reach out to anybody in the company. And if you have any kinds of questions or concerns or are looking for advice about dance, HBC, or school at any time, I know that anybody in HBC would be so happy to give our two cents.
Ana Maria: Yeah, along those lines, I think for new members and freshmen especially, immediately within the HBC world, you're important from the start. You can totally shed the mindset that you had as a student, as in a ballet school where like, you're not important, your teachers have this end all opinion about everything...that doesn't exist within our structure. So you're self directed, and it's a great community where everybody values each other. So it's amazing to be able to be within that and shed whatever bad experience you might have had with dance or whatever it was, and really start from something new and find that within HBC. And everybody's so willing to speak with you, and I feel like as a rising senior I want to take a freshman under my wing and be there for them if they have any questions, especially now with coronavirus, not being on campus, like, there's so much that the HBC community can help incoming students with. And it's something super special because I don't think every community on campus is the way ballet is. Because people in HBC really do it out of heart. People are not doing HBC out of like, oh I should join this group or whatever because it looks good on my resume. People are doing it because they want to be here. And so that really changes the vibe as well, which is nice.
14. What is something that you're looking forward to when quarantine ends?
Abbey: I guess in general, just you know meeting up with friends again and being able to like do all the little things together because that's kind of when you realize you might have taken for granted like just, I don't know walking in Harvard Square to like grab something to eat together, just those little things. Then of course like getting back in a studio with people, like the magic of rehearsals and being on stage and preparing a show is just unparalleled and is definitely something I think we would all love to get back into.
Ana Maria: Definitely I agree with everything Abbey said, like, all those little things that you just did every day, tiny things that you took for granted like literally walking to class -- like that doesn't exist anymore; you wake up and you turn on your laptop. So, things like that. And then, on bigger picture, totally looking forward to traveling again, visiting friends that are in other countries, doing things like that, being able to go out, dance, have fun, go eat at a restaurant without worrying about getting sick. All of those things -- they were almost like vanities back in the day when you were able to do them, but now, you just want to be able to do things with friends. So yeah, definitely looking forward to that.
15. If you had to describe HBC in a single word, what word would you choose?
Abbey: I think I would say uplifting because I guess that could be used in terms of like, on a smaller, more micro scale like just meeting all these people and making friends and continuing these friendships with people, and dancing still just makes my mood elevated during the week. And then also on a more macro scale, it's just constantly inspiring to be around all these people.
Ana Maria: Yeah, the word I thought of was inspiring in the sense of learning so much from your peers, learning so much through being on board and putting on the productions. And inspiring in the sense of how HBC is such a welcoming dance community, and it's such a big change from the way personally it was for me in high school. So, super inspiring that it allows dance to be purely challenging still because you're doing really hard stuff, and you're performing fun choreography, but still just fun and a warm and loving environment.