Taylor Hartman is a dancer, choreographer, and performer on the rise. She is the choreographer and star of THE NEW RICHTER WALTZ music video by Larissa Zageris.
Taylor Hartman
What about this song and video makes you feel creative? What do you hope it makes others feel?
The song is such a fun concept, with fun historical concept. The choreographic process and the shoot were both amazing processes. There wasn't a time where I felt like I couldn't try something, it was playful and fun the entire time. I don't think I stopped smiling that entire shoot.
I hope it brings others joy, I hope that they see themselves in the daydream "dream ballet"-ness of it all. We've all been there, imagining ourselves in situations that are so much cooler than [insert situation that you're a part of, but don't wish to be a part of]. I also hope that it encourages more people to be honest on the difficulty of the hike they're inviting their friends on.
What inspired the choreography for The New Richter Waltz? Were you trying to tell a specific story with your choreography? Is it tonal? What was the lyric or vibe that led the way for you?
TH: When I heard about the song being about Rossa Matilda Richter, the first female acrobat to be shot out of a cannon, I was like "okay, here is a fascinating piece of history," and I basically started by reading everything I could about her. I wanted to see what inspired her, inspired Craig to write a song about her, just see what it was like to hold such a unique moniker. Getting into the song, the lyrics that really struck me were:
"the newspaper men / from the Graphic and Truth / to the Daily Citizen / they want you to stop!"
And
"But at Jackson Prison, I'll never do that again!"
Those two lyrics were moments that I felt were the soul of the song. Early on in the song, you feel the encroaching vignette of intense press coverage over this feat of female bravery, and then have a balance with a toned down, almost spoken line, a sentence of reflection.
I was also really inspired by the beginning and the end of the song. I wanted to bookend the choreography with those cute little heel-toe walks because I felt like such great, flowery, happy music didn't need any big flash to draw away from it. Small choreographic details draw focus into the music. That part always felt plucky and cute to me, sort of like if we were frolicking in those woods to just that part of the music, the woodland fairies would make themselves known and debate on claiming us as one of their own.
Can you share a little bit about your choreography process for this?
TH: When I was pitched the idea of choreographing for TNRW, of course, I went and researched the historical significance of this story, and was immediately swept away in that. I choreograph everything in my mind first. I'll play the song incessantly, imagining the perfect choreography for the scene. There's always lighting, costuming, a full house audience — I basically create and rewatch a dance film in my mind until I am set on the bones of the choreography.
Then I transfer the daydream to reality, and in this process, there were always times where you realize that the music is quicker than you thought, or that transition to the ground that was so elegant in your mind actually puts you on the wrong leg to work into the next movement. Making the daydream into a real piece of choreography is the hardest part, but digging out the diamonds in what you've created is incredibly rewarding.
What element of TNRW dance stuck in your head first? Or did the whole flow of things come first?
I knew I wanted to sing along to "But at Jackson Prison, I'll never do that again." The tonal and vocal shift of that moment in song immediately tracked in my brain, it was like "hello! I'm important!" and having that fourth wall break in the shoot was a fun way to bridge the gap between performance and our vlogger character.
How did the setting of Fellows Lake in Missouri (where this was shot) and surrounding area inspire or impact your choreography for this piece?
TAYLOR HARTMAN: When I was in the process of making this piece, I was staying with my parents for a bit over the summer, and Larissa was still in Springfield, so a lot of that early conversation about choreography was through watching footage. My parents' house has this little garage that faces the backyard, and a lot of those choreo videos were filmed out there.
I don't usually do site specific work, but something must've been in the stars to have me rehearse outdoors, and then the final project be shot outdoors. It was so fun to find ways to use the world around us. For example, sitting on that rock was a great way for us to not only get a stable shot of the ankle movement, but it was a great flow point with the story and how our character was feeling.
What was shooting the video like? Do you remember anything fun and/or challenging about the process?
It was the craziest, most exciting week of my life. We scoped out the location earlier in the week, and on shoot day, we woke up at about 4am, got hair and makeup ready, got some coffee and drove out to the lake to catch that sunrise. It was an early morning, but it made for some of the best memories. Midmorning, we found this cute vintage diner called Kady Korner right by the lake. We technically stopped in for an outlet to charge the camera, but we stayed for some food as well. Having breakfast food with everyone around us, knowing their day just started, but we'd had almost six hours of work under our belts was an interesting realization.
Larissa and I also coined the term "urban items," our phrase that we shouted when anything that belonged to us (backpacks, phones, tripods, etc.) was in the shot. We were in such a wonderful, rural area, and even though I was playing this vlogger, you obviously don't want to see our actual belongings in the shot. "Urban items" has gone on to encompass any item that you are holding. If I'm carrying a bunch of bags all in one trip, I'll usually snap a picture and be like "me and my urban items" or if I'm in a particularly Western looking outfit, but then put on big sparkly earrings or red lipstick, that would be some serious urban item usage.
What have you been up to dance-wise lately? What is to come?
I am currently a featured dancer playing Jamie King in MJ: The Illusion, a Michael Jackson tribute show in Branson, Missouri. I just performed my senior capstone project, "KING," (a film/dance hybrid presentation that was inspired by all of the art that is made about artists). In December, I will graduate from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance, and two minors, one in theatre arts and one in marketing! And then it is off to New York City to continue chasing my dream of being a professional dancer!
Where have you trained? How did your dance training help you with choreographing and performing this piece?
TH: Missouri State University. Pre-MSU, I trained at Dance Experience Performing Arts in O'Fallon, MO, under the amazing wings of Katie Strelzec, Emmeline Williamson, Annè Newscott, and Tiala Taylor. I was so grateful for this project to come along when it did, because I had just completed the second course in MSU's Composition series. Composition I and II are a pair of courses that all dance majors are required to take. Composition I focuses on the basics of how to create impactful choreography, and Composition II forces you to hone that skill.
I always say that Composition II is the "weed out" class, sort of the dance major's baptism by fire. We were submitting daily improvisation videos, researching choreographers, learning how to academically write about and discuss pieces of choreography, and we were presenting original works every single week.
When TNRW came around, Composition II had just wrapped up for me, I had just made my debut dance film, "Caesar on a TV Screen," and was jazzed to put some more dance on film! The Composition series of courses are the backbone of my choreography for TNRW, without the skills I learned in those classes, I wouldn't even be close to the choreographer I am today.
What do you hope this video does for the greater MSU dance community? The greater Missouri indie film community?
TH: I hope that it makes the other MSU Dancing Bears not only happy to see themselves represented in a fun video, but to encourage them to put yourself out there! I always tell the freshman dance majors that come in to take every opportunity, every audition, say yes to as many things as you can. TNRW was my professional choreography debut! If you asked me then if I was ready to create choreography for a music video, I would have said no, but I absolutely am so glad that I pushed myself and took the chance!
For the greater MO indie film community, my heart goes out to them. Missouri has such beautiful locations to shoot, and such amazing, talented people all around. I would say, to the creators, embrace it, have fun, lean into the enjoyment of filmmaking — people love seeing what other people love, if your passion and heart shine through the cuts and scenes, you're golden.
Artist Name: Taylor Hartman
Website: www.taylorghartman.com
All platforms:@tay.does.ballet