Meet Olivia Rowe of The Esthete Collective in Marietta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Rowe.

Olivia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started choreographing in high school when my home studio started a “Dancer to Dancer Choreography” composition class that taught myself and my peers how to create dance. I fell in love with it right away and haven’t really stopped since then.

As a teenager, I was a part of a pre-professional conservatory and was solely interested in classical ballet. I wanted to graduate high school, dance professionally, then have a second career after I retired from dance. Through a series of injuries and shut doors, I ended up enrolling at Kennesaw State as a dance major, which was, in complete transparency, not my first choice! I didn’t really see any point in college dance; all I wanted to do was perform. Directing, choreographing, and teaching weren’t really even on my radar, even though I enjoyed choreographing in high school.

In fact, I initially enrolled as a theater major, wanting to study backstage production. The only reason I changed my major to dance was because I wanted to study production for dance specifically. I got to learn so much about producing a show and was given opportunities to work on numerous crews, but I unknowingly uncovered a passion for the creative process, too. I loved being around peers that shared that passion and I decided that, one day, I would start my own professional dance company.

It was only a few months after college graduation, though, that I realized there was no point in waiting for “one day.” Atlanta has no shortage of amazing dance companies, and I wasn’t trying to compete with that, but I felt there was room for something a little bit different. So, I called up a few dancers that I knew and trusted and asked them to take a wild leap with me. They’ve all been really patient and really dedicated. They are what makes this collective just that– a community of dance artists.

That’s what we’re working on right now. We’re all from fairly classical backgrounds in dance, so we’re trying to figure out how we all work together as peers, as humans, and as artists. We’re just at the beginning of creating this thing, so it’s a bit exciting to know that the sky is the limit. Currently, we’re focusing on keeping ourselves open to the community through our Open Class series, and we’re in process with some repertoire. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been a pretty smooth road so far, but it’s only been a few months, so I don’t want to speak to soon! I know the future holds its own challenges and rewards. Things have been falling into place in a serendipitous way since we decided to take the plunge in late 2018. People everywhere have been eager to help us along the way, from photography and promotional materials to studio rentals. I’m very grateful for the way things have worked out.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Esthete Collective is a collaboration of dance artists from classically-trained backgrounds who seek out creative honesty and integrity. The word “esthete” refers to someone who is deeply moved by the beauty in everyday life, which is the foundation for how we approach dance.

As part of this mission, our weekly company technique class is open to the public on Friday afternoons. This connection with our dance community allows more artists to take a peek into our process and to become a part of it themselves.

Ultimately, our goal is to be known not just by our patience and kindness as artists, but as people. We want to exist as a creative, safe space for dance artists. I think that’s an evolving point of view in the contemporary dance field, but the ballet world is a bit behind. While TEC isn’t a classical ballet company, I’m hoping we can stay rooted in that world, pushing ballet to be more than it is.

What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
Since we’re at the very beginning, everything we do is with the future in mind. We’re going to continue growing our Open Class series, and keep creating. We hope to be a leading voice in the contemporary ballet world, but we’re working with patience and persistence, seeking out opportunities that come our way.

Pricing:

• Open Class: $15 | Industry Professionals & College Dancers: $10

Contact Info:

• Website: bit.ly/theesthetecollective
• Email: esthetecollective@gmail.com
• Instagram: @esthetecollective
• Facebook: facebook.com/esthetecollective
• Other: bit.ly/estheteclass

Image Credit:
Naomi Hopkins Photography

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