It’s been 10 years since Happy We’ll Be ran for 4 nights at the now demolished Roseland Ballroom in NYC. It was the result of winning the CAPEZIO ACE AWARD in 2011- I received a theater and a budget to put on my own show. I had up to that point only ever choreographed dances that were three minutes long; this was 75 minutes of dance and story. I was terrified although in these interview videos by @nealhunterhyde I certainly don’t sound like it. Perhaps it’s because of all of the brilliant and generous people that rallied by my side to make it happen. Gil Stroming, @breakthefloorprod , @nikolevallins , and @nataliemalotke produced and showed me what it really takes to put on a show. @i_am_josephmagnus and @ribondsy helped me write a story that would dance AND make sense and taught me about emotion and building characters. Robert Eggers (now a brilliant filmmaker) designed the sets and costumes and taught me about arc and mood and creating a world for the dancers to live in. @corypattak did the lighting and taught me about focus and color and energy. Katy Spreadbury and @nycmoro assisted me and gave me courage and insight to just keep on going even when it felt impossible. Friends and family donated to a kickstarter campaign when we realized how expensive it really is to make a show. And then of course the CAST. WOW. No one had any idea if I knew what I was doing and this incredibly generous group of dancers and actors had enough faith and courage to say yes. I’ll be forever grateful to them. I’ll never be able to measure how much I learned making this story and collaborating with these people. I look back with so much pride and happiness and honor. I think I’ve learned a thing or two since then about art and story and theater but I wouldn’t change a thing.