A day in the life of a dancer - after graduation
Top photo by Kegan Marling
As a WWU Dance student, Lainie Pennington was recognized nationally for her accomplishments in dance.
Lainie graduated from Western with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. The BFA degree track is a rigorous, conservatory-style program that focuses on developing the technical, creative, and analytical skills required to excel as a professional dancer and choreographer.
She's relocated to the Bay Area to pursue her dance career, and we asked her to tell us about her recent accomplishments with Margaret Jenkins Dance Company ("MJDC") - and a day in the life of a dancer.
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Allegra Bautista, Anna Greenberg Gold, Lainie Pennington, Sarah Emmons performing "Into Three Plus One." Photo by Scott Wall.
How did you come to work with Margaret Jenkins Dance?
Last spring, Margaret Jenkins Dance Company held an open call audition for several positions for the 2024-2025 season. I heard about the audition from a current company member that I’d taken class from in the city a few times.
The company is known for being deeply collaborative and they wanted to see how we worked on our own and with others.
After a group warmup, the audition was three sections of solo, partner and group work where we were asked to generate, modify, and present choreography.
I wasn’t expecting to get the gig since it was the first audition I attended since moving to San Francisco but I got the news two weeks later that I was one of five dancers selected for the six week rehearsal process.
After the conclusion of that process, I received another call from Margy inviting me to join rehearsals for the festival.
Can you tell us about the work with MJDC and the selection process to participate in the work?
This season I’ve performed in two pieces for Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. The first was a privately commissioned site specific piece in September at the beautiful Mill Valley home of one of Margaret’s long time friends. We got to dance in their gorgeous redwood grove and their tennis court for about 100 guests. Most recently I performed with the company in a quartet for an International Choreographers Festival. That piece we generated in just six rehearsals before the performance.
Below, from left to right: Sarah Emmons, Lainie Pennington, Margaret Jenkins, Deborah Slater in a Q and A panel at the International Choreographers Festival.
What’s a “typical day” as a working dancer in your experience?
A typical day in rehearsal starts with company class led by Margy. She has a set class with a few variations in combinations so you really get a chance to drop in and focus on technique. And she has a really keen eye and gives great feedback.
After class and a short break we start working on material. When making new choreography, we are often asked to make solos inspired by pieces of text that we then share and expand on.
We might also learn older material from videos and rework it to fit the vision of the piece. Everyone’s creative input is welcome and we spend a lot of time simply talking about the work and what we noticed.
When I’m not in a process with the company I try to take a couple of classes a week at the studios in town like ODC and I’m always keep an eye out for auditions and other performance opportunities.
The dance is very small and it doesn’t take long to start making wonderful connections.
What's next for you?
San Francisco is a busy dance city with lots of performances and projects going on that I’m planning to audition and apply for as well as continuing to work with MJDC.
This winter I’ll also be attending the NW Dance Project company repertoire intensive in Portland, OR and auditioning for their summer MOVE program which is a two week intensive for professional dancers to work with up and coming choreographers.
Below: Lainie Pennington. Photo by Kegan Marling.
