Let’s Have a Look at… Brian Reeder Choreographer and one of 2005’s award recipients from the New York Choreographic Institute.
There is an aesthetic to classical ballet that I really like," choreographer Brian Reeder said, "and working with women on pointe is both challenging and satisfying to me." It is a good bet that female dancers also enjoy dancing in Reeder's ballets. The women are often lifted high above their partner's heads, soaring, then diving, then returning to earth, set straight on their pointes in a balanced arabesque penche. They are shown off in flattering elegance. Today, in his early forties, Reeder is not far removed from his own performing career and is able to impart necessary partnering skills to the young men in his ballets which in turn, allows the women a sense of confidence and an ability to relax in the bright airy combinations that trademark his choreography. His contacts with major choreographers, his performing experience, and his determination have prepared him well for his new endeavor.
For three years Reeder was a member of The Frankfurt Ballet under the direction of William Forsythe. He credits Forsythe with the most formative period of his dance life. "Through Bill (Forsythe) I unlearned a whole buffet of dance training and began to understand that the body can go 'there or anywhere.' Bill's choreography became more and more about the body parts, and less about theatrics. He began looking at things under a microscope. He taught me that even if I exaggerate a simple tendu it would make the phrase more interesting."
Forsythe had also freed Reeder's sen-sibilities by teaching him that it isn't only the director who sets a piece. Dancers should be encouraged to offer snippets and passages of movement ideas that feel right to them. "Bill is a master editor," Reeder said. "He chooses lighting, sets, costumes, and certainly finalizes the choreographic choices. But there is only one William Forsythe, and I do not want to be a poor imitation. There are plenty of those," he noted with a smile. "When people see his name on my resume, they expect to see his insights as well. I have to try and stay away from that. My years with Bill were inspiring, but the time came to cut the cord and think about my future."
Reeder's ballets ebb and flow in an unbroken thread of musicality. They are reminiscent of other choreog-raphers like Jerome Robbins or George Balanchine, both mentors during Reeder's young years as a dancer. "Jerry (Robbins) was a big influence while I was in New York City Ballet," Reeder recalled. "His ballets had humanism. He challenged YOU to figure out who YOU were, what YOU were all about. In Mr. B.'s pieces it was about the music, accents and dynamics. Your body was the machine to interpret the music. His best ballets were dance for dance sake." Before Reeder put away his ballet shoes entirely, he gave Ballet Theatre a try. That meant exposure to Antony Tudor, Agnes Demille, and Fredrick Ashton, with some Mark Morris and James Kudelka mixed in. "The opportunity to learn the Tudor, DeMille, Ashton pieces rounded out my ballet education. I truly felt ready to tackle my own choreography."
Whatever a company wants, Reeder is open and willing to try. From pointe shoes to army boots, he will take a chance. Give him the music, or the narrative, or neither - he will dredge his mind for daydreams, actual experiences, or emotions like narcissism or loneliness, frivolities like tea parties (his ballet "Tea and Temptation")-- images he has filed away that he may call upon. "Often when I see something, I scribble myself a reminder to explore 'that' in a dance format. I listen to music, and it makes me think -hey, where can I go with this?"
Being a fledgling choreographer without steady income is daunting, but Reeder gave up his performing career specifically to pursue choreography unencumbered by other people's work schedule. He wanted to be free of commitments. "Of course, there is always the sticky obstacle of supporting yourself," Reeder admitted, aware of the chunk of uncertainty that goes with this new career choice. "It hardly pays the rent," he mused. "On the other hand I know a tall male dancer like me is always in demand, and I could still support myself as a dancer. But I feel a Broadway show or pick-up company would take my focus away from my goal. And since I can't do the double tours to the knee anymore, a ballet company would be out of the question. So I closed the performing shop, shed my tears after ABT, and realized I would not be living well for a while. On the other hand if I receive an offer to choreograph, I am free of obligations, and I can pack my suitcase. In between, I can always find teaching jobs, and I have hooked up with the ABT Studio Company and was able to choreograph for them using young strong dancers from their summer program. And, finally," he began to laugh, "if there is a real dry stretch, my friends have tuxedos to lend me for catering jobs."
Meanwhile, requests are beginning to show up on his e-mail. He will be choreographing a "Peter and the Wolf" for a Washington Ballet young people's program. Ethan Stiefel, newly appointed director of Pacifica Ballet, has commissioned a "Nutcracker" from him. The New York Choreographic Institute has awarded a Fellowship to Washington Ballet for a new ballet to be done by Reeder. These fellowships cover studio time, dancers, musicians, and a fee for the choreographer. For Reeder this award is an affirmation that he has already progressed to a new level of acceptance in this precarious, judgmental, but gratifying new career he has chosen.