Canadian Aszure Barton began dancing at the age of three, and studied at the National Ballet School. In 2002, she founded Aszure Barton & Artists, a dance company dedicated to producing contemporary dance and nourishing artist development. Based in New York, they last visited Kingston in April 2010 and dance lovers have been eagerly awaiting their return.

As a choreographer, Barton has created works with Mikhail Baryshnikov, The National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theatre and The Martha Graham Dance Company. Awaa is a new work, developed at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2012.

When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you always want to be a choreographer?

Well, I was born into a family of three girls and I‘m the baby of the family. So by the time I was born Charisse and Carissa were already dancing and so I was I popped out and was surrounded by it and then when I was about three or four my mom put me into tap dance classes and I think all I did was stand in front of the mirror and make faces at myself. Apparently that‘s what I was like and I loved to make people laugh.

What‘s your favorite thing to eat?

Sushi, anything raw and oysters. I love rosemary. I‘m like obsessed with cheese and with red wine.

Favorite books?

I‘ll pick one. Knut Hamsun – and the book is a collection of 20 love stories, you should read it if you haven’t already, called Tales of Love and Loss. That‘s one of them.

Favorite movies?

I should see more movies. A recent movie that I really love is Holy Motors. I like obscure movies, well no, actually I love movies that are made well but usually ones that leave the imagination up to me. They don’t necessarily give it all, leave something up to imagination.

Favorite dance piece?

Oh, I can‘t answer that one. I cant remember the name of the piece but I can look it up, I cant remember what it was called, it was the piece that was inspired by Brazil maybe? I was really moved. Oh, and when I first moved to New York David Dorfman choreograph a piece that… because I‘m coming from such a classical background and I was choreographing but I was introduced to a whole other way of moving and through watching David‘s work like 20 years ago and I have to get the name of that one too, I don‘t know the name of it but I remember this and I‘ve never seen something like that before.

What about musicals? Do you have a favourite musical?

I really haven’t seen that many. Cabaret maybe, like the original or The Threepenny Opera.

I like dancers who …

That could be fools.

I am afraid of…

Bones when I eat fish. Those little tiny bones. I choked on one when I was little.

A dance piece should…

What I would like when I go to the theatre is I‘d like to leave the theatre thinking and feeling. It‘s not even the thinking part because sometimes it‘s just a sensation, it moves you in some way. It should move you.

Something you like to do other than what you‘re doing?

Make love.

One of the happiest moments in your life?

Meeting my partner.

One of your most unusual or coolest experiences?

I would say, there have been so many that have surprised me but unusual was being asked to make a dance for a Mischa. That was 2006, almost 10 years ago.

One of the most embarrassing moments in your professional career?

Oh my God! I don’t know… Let me think about that.

When I was little I performed this duet with Charisse. She was dressed up like an animal trainer, really sexy animal trainer, and I was dressed up as coy monkey… The embarrassing part was being on stage and we were being examined, being adjudicated, we were standing up on stage there like a banana and I was so competitive when I was little that I went over to my competitor like snack over there and I was waiting there with score sheets in an entire audience.

Who’s been one of the most influential people in your career?

I would have to acknowledge Wendy Ostermann because she taught me to improvise but also that ugly was equally powerful to its opposite and to have a sense of humour.

One of the hardest things about your job being a choreographer?

To remember and to thank that people that believe in you the most. To acknowledge. I mean it‘s not hard to remember but you may still have constantly have to not get caught up in my own ego, you know.

Do you have any goals you still hope to achieve? Something you hope to do?

Yeah, I‘d well it‘s kind of a continuum I guess, it‘s to continue making work that I’m proud of and reach a point where, actually I‘ll probably will never stop making again so if I can continue to do it then I‘ll be very successful.

If you could change one thing in the dance world what would it be?

If I could change something… I think I would kind of erase the edges, you could find a better way of saying that, between choreographers and artists so that there was more universal support so that we are all in it together. Well, I think wer‘e all in this, we move in the same direction and I think that through coming together and acknowledging each other and not competing with each other. We don‘t actually progress. Support each other and not separate what uptown and downtown, what is European and what is American and European you know, what‘s woman and man, black and white. It‘s probably the same as the real life stuff.

What would you change in the real world?

Segregation.

Why do you think there’s not as many female choreographers as male choreographers?

I think it reflects everything in the dance world is reflected by the world we live in and it‘s the slow-going motion forward. There are things happening, there seems to be a big push for it but it‘s a conscious push similar to perhaps people are …same in the white community, you know they are making an actual effort to say that there has to be an effort to you now have woman‘s programs. At first I was quite taken aback by that, I don‘t want my work to stand on its own not because I‘m a woman… But now I actually am in full support of it and that there are women that need to be encouraged and so I think hopefully there will be.

Is it difficult to be a woman in this business?

Well yes. There‘s moments, just like I‘ve had it. I can only speak for myself. I‘m a fighter so I tend not to I tend to see the bright thing in people so I tend to not focus on negative stuff very similar to Jojo I think that‘s why we both grew up together. You just kind of raise your head up and you know move forward.

I feel very lucky, fortunate I would say because I‘ve had an amazing path, I‘ve had an amazing mother, amazing sisters who guided my way. To feel very proud of being all that.

Is there something the collective dance world could do to increase the number of women, like to support women more in the dance world?

Yeah, I think it‘s raising awareness and people like you talking about it.

A question you want to know the answer to?

I guess some things come stupid and silly like « do vitamins actually do anything? » Or like « Does massage therapy really heal » or you know those kinds of health questions that are so powerful and it helps so many of us. We don’t really know the answer to the vitamin one maybe.

A piece of advice for young artists, young people who want to be like you, maybe young women?

Oh yeah. Work your ass up. Be diligent and listen just like Armando Braswell and the only way you can become a choreographer is to choreograph, to practice it. You can‘t just dream it up but you actually have to be in the studio making work otherwise nothing manifests, nothing comes about.