“We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.” – Isabel Allende

Photo by @leegumbs.photography Styled by @siennaetak MU by @kaylani.mendez

AN INTERVIEW WITH SAVANNAH ROSE

BTCF: New York City holds a special place in your heart.  Can you please share why and what is your favorite memory you have had there so far?

SAVANNAH: New York is the one place in the world that lets me work without being too much for something. I have always been told I am “too much” or I am “doing too much” but it’s like my “too much” in New York, is just enough. I would say my favorite memory was seeing the Fall Festival at Lincoln Center. I saw all these amazing dance companies I have been inspired by my whole life all in one hour on the same stage (Alvin Ailey, Ballet Hispanic, ABT, NYC Ballet).

BTCF: For people who do not know, what is AMDA and where is it located?

SAVANNAH: AMDA is an arts college that has a campus in both LA and NYC. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is one of the top 10 schools to send kids to Broadway. AMDA has singing lessons, acting lessons, and teachers who are in the industry and have been a part of very iconic moments in this art form. Like (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Anthony Ramos)

BTCF: What was the process of attending AMDA and how has it changed your life?

SAVANNAH: About two months left in deciding on a school to go to, it was a hard time because my dad wanted me to stay in South Carolina since I was getting ready to have a baby sister who is now one year old, but I had a dream, and the only plan in my dream was to go with my gut. My mom and I went to Atlanta to audition. I simply walked into the room on my own, I had to slate and start my first one-minute dance. I took a second and started to do my second dance. I was done! It took a total of 10 minutes and a few weeks later I was offered a scholarship to AMDA. I didn’t go to one of the big schools, my family did not have the money to take me to many places to audition in person, but I did get accepted into all of the schools I auditioned for. I chose AMDA because I know people who have left, and I see them now. I love who they are, and they still would say AMDA was a big part of that. But whether the school, I believe if you set a mental plan, no matter where you are, YOU can be as great as you want.

BTCF: If you had to name three people who have changed your life both professionally and personally, who would they be and why?

SAVANNAH: 1) I would say my mom has changed my life. She also created my life lol, but she has pulled me out of every dark hole I have been in. When I was too scared but still doing something, she was there with no fear. She has taught me strength and has always given me support in ways I can’t begin to imagine. 2) My dance teacher from home is Lindsey Gentry. She was a teacher who stepped my technique to another level. I never understood how powerful my mind was until I became her student. She gave me challenges I never thought I could face that days later were a routine. 3) Teddy Forance (CLI). I went to CLI for their second year of being open. We trained 10 hours a day 5 days a week and not a day went by that Teddy let us slack a bit. He teaches with love and strength and is one of the most supportive people I still have in my life.

BTCF: BTCF uses the power of all forms of art and expression to foster creativity, connection, and community as well as aide in overall wellness.  How has the art of dance helped you in your wellness journey?

SAVANNAH: Wow that is a loaded one. It is safe to say dance has saved my life a few times. Dance takes me to an entirely different world, and once you learn that new world, I never go back. So dance has given me a gift of simply a world where nobody else around me is. There is a place I go that only I can get to and when I come back to reality there is still residue on it. It sounds crazy, I know. I have never even tried to explain to people this so I know it sounds wild.

BTCF: While social media can be used for many positive conversations, what do you think is the most problematic with social media when it comes to body image and low self-esteem?

SAVANNAH: I think sometimes we forget what is normal and not. When trends start to come up, we sometimes get mixed in finding out why it is a trend rather than accepting the trend however we want then adding our personal flair to it. We are all special and so far from perfect. That should be put out there just as much as a trend.

BTCF: Can you share 3 of your self-care tips and how that brings peace of mind to you?

SAVANNAH: I think one of the biggest self-care tips I have is to set time out for yourself to not only plan and schedule but go over the approach you want to have for each task in your life. Allowing yourself to stay in the habit of knowing what your purpose is for that event. Another self-care tip I have is to prepare meals for the week. That looks different for everybody, so even if that means to plan just one meal, it is the action of caring for what you want to eat is what’s important. The last self-care tip I have is to find one physical activity that you enjoy doing often. Moving our bodies is important, so finding time for something good for you while enjoying it can be just the reset you need.

BTCF: How long have you been dancing and how did you get started?

SAVANNAH: I started dancing when I was 3 so it has been 17 years. I have danced since a little girl, I always wanted to take risks in the house, and I always loved putting on a show. That same Savannah is here today.

BTCF: You are a singer as well. Any types of music that inspire you and why?

SAVANNAH: Well, I wouldn’t call myself a singer, but I have been learning to sing at AMDA. I love singing dramatic songs. Anything very sad, very angry, or very happy. Anything that seems like too much, I love to sing because it gives my emotions a place to make noise!

BTCF: As a dancer and choreographer, what inspires you the most and why?

SAVANNAH: Something that inspires me is the music. I love the music mixed with how I feel when I come in that day. Those together give me no choice but to look at the reality around me at the moment and find sense and balance to create. Whether I am the dancer, choreographer, or both, I am inspired to always create.

BTCF: Your photos showcase movement and such artistry, are you apart of this creative process and do they ever have anything to do with your own personal story?

SAVANNAH: Honestly, I was all on my own. I was very specific beforehand about the energy I want the camera to capture, but in the end, I know myself best and I definitely couldn’t check how I was looking. I had to trust the photographer and I embodied the energy I wanted to give as much as I could during and before the shoot and pray for the best. It’s like improv. You think of the endpoint the entire time but not the in between and just hope for the best.

BTCF: Personal story through dance is an incredibly powerful, vulnerable, and engaging.  Even when it’s someone else’s choreography, do you ever find a connection to bring forth emotions you may have experienced to heighten the technical movement of the piece?  If so, can you give an example?

SAVANNAH: Definitely. That is probably my favorite part of being given movement. I always crave the feeling of speaking through my body, but I always or usually have naturally already translated the move into something for me to speak to or about. In New York, I did a piece by Maleek Washington, and he trusted me enough for me to be the only person to start on the stage. I can’t just stand there and do what he is told. I mean I can but, there is no point in that because the people in the audience are human. So my job is for me to let them understand what I am saying. I found the feelings I had when I remember how on my own I really am. I used to be afraid of growing up. So afraid. But the only times I feel the connection for me and dance grow is when I let go of holding everyone’s hand. I hate leaving people, being on my own, not being beside my family, but this is the part of my journey I have to do on my own. That is deep enough to tap into every time and get some form of result in the end.

BTCF: What is one fun fact in your family?

SAVANNAH: My mom’s birthday is May 11, mine is May 12, my dad’s is May 13.

BTCF: What is your favorite style of dance? If you don’t have one, what are three and why?

SAVANNAH: These three styles are my favorite as of right now with me sitting here typing this. Tomorrow it could be a different answer, and the day after I will have a different answer as well. Right now, contemporary is my favorite, musical theatre, and heels dance. I love heels dance because to me heels is all about honoring the change you get through experiences, heartbreak, and discovery. I also love tap. The rhythm on my feet is amazing, finding the pattern in where my body leans towards when I do certain steps. All feels like different days of the years.

BTCF: What would you say to a young person wanting to be a dancer, but feeling they can never reach their dreams?

SAVANNAH: I would say that I know exactly what it feels like to go for something not even knowing how it is going and if it is the right thing. Even the universe doesn’t know. That is why it tends to answer with what you asked. I think you should remember that even the people that have accomplished don’t think they have done everything right. So don’t wait, just never fail yourself before the universe does. Be scared and live in the fear until it is excitement.

BTCF: Rollercoaster or Merry-Go-Round?

SAVANNAH: Rollercoaster. If I am putting my trust in a machine, we are going all in!

BTCF: Tacos or Pizza?

SAVANNAH: If I still ate meat, it would be tacos, but now and always honestly, pizza.

BTCF: Painting or Journaling?

SAVANNAH: Journaling

BTCF: Is there anything else you would like to share?

SAVANNAH: I love hard. I trust the universe more than the humans in it.

Thank you Savannah!

IG: @savannahroseeee._

https://savannah-rose.com/