This week 10 Questions With… features Summer Templin Culp…

1.      How did you become involved with dance?

I grew up in a small town (less than 2000 people) and when I was young, there were not any dance teachers or studios in the area.  My father took me to see dance concerts whenever they were nearby, but although I loved dance very much and would dance in my own living room or back yard, I was never able to take classes.

When I was 14, a dance studio opened in a town that was about an hour and a half away and I enrolled in every class that I could on Tuesdays and Saturdays – my parents would take turns driving me to dance class and I was able to take 8 hours of classes per week in this manner.  When I turned 16, my parents moved across the state, to a much larger town, and I was able to enroll in a conservatory training program, dancing 6 days per week.

2.      What are you currently doing in the field?

I currently teach ballet and modern to ages 4 – adult.  I have just recently moved, but prior to my move I was dancing with an aerial dance company and a modern dance company.  I am looking for additional performance opportunities in my new community.

3.      Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?

The first person I remember seeing on stage as a dancer has been an incredible inspiration to me throughout my life. In college, I asked her to be a part of a choreographic project in which she collaborated with the director of the ballet company I danced for and one of my modern teachers to create a cohesive piece of choreography which displayed my talents as a dancer and performer.  The experience of being able to work with three of my mentors at the same time was absolutely awe-inspiring.  I wish everyone would have such an opportunity!

4.      What is the best advice you have received from a teacher or mentor? [Read more…]