Free Flow: Gibney Company & Purchase Dance

Q+A with Gilbert T. Small II '09, Company Director, Gibney Company

Founded as a socially active dance company in 1991, New York City’s Gibney Company has evolved into a cultural leader with “an unrelenting focus on artistic excellence and social integrity.” It’s no wonder Gibney and Purchase collaborate so naturally.

Last March, members of the Gibney Company visited campus to work with students in the days leading up to their Saturday performance at The Performing Arts Center, a stop on its first national tour.

The performance included a commissioned piece by Rena Butler ’11, Lusus Naturae (2021); other works (Bliss and SARA) were performed by Gibney Artistic Associates Eddieomar Gonzalez Castillo ’20 and Jie-hung Connie Shiau ’12.

Following the performance, an alumni panel discussion solely for Conservatory of Dance students featured Shau and Gonzalez-Castillo as well as Deputy General Manager Thuy Wyckoff ’18, Stage Manager Madison Ellis ’18 (Design/Tech), and Company Director Gilbert T. Small II ’09.

Originally from Baltimore, Small was a leading artist with the internationally acclaimed Ballet British Columbia for 10 years.

‍Proof asked Small about returning to Purchase in his new role and more.

P: Gibney Company recently visited campus for two days of classes, workshops, and panel discussions leading up to the Saturday performance at The PAC. How did it feel to return to Purchase as Company Director of Gibney Dance?

GS: Returning to Purchase felt full circle. To share my journey since graduating, to inspire and inform is a part of my practice, and it felt so rewarding to do this in a place that gave me so much opportunity and experience.

P: When you were at Purchase, do you recall a similar experience—where you were given the opportunity to interact with professionals in the field? If so, who with and what kind of impact did it have?

GS: As an eager young dancer, I participated in as many workshops as possible. Sometimes they were provided in partnership with the Conservatory, and sometimes I wrote the touring companies directly. One of the most memorable experiences was workshops with Batsheva artist Guy Shomroni. The experience of connecting to my body through sensation was very new to me at the beginning of my time at Purchase, and this experience changed me and shifted my practice forever.

P: How did your Purchase experience prepare you for life in the dance field?

GS: Purchase taught me how to self-govern my practice, and this understanding of self was incredibly helpful when I joined Ballet BC after graduation.

P: Related to the previous question, what skills did you develop in professional dance training that now translate to holding a position of leadership?

GS: Rigor, organization, care, understanding, patience, tenacity, drive, and dedication.

P: Having worked for many years with myriad dancers from all over the world, what sets Purchase dancers apart? Is there a tie that binds, or some trait they all share?

GS: I’ve always said that Purchase dancers are self-sufficient. There is a drive to dance no matter what. That fire is present in all of us, and it’s what continues to push the legacy of the school forward. 

P: You had a transformative experience studying abroad while at Purchase. What aspects helped to "shift your perspective," as you say? And how important do you think global education is for a dance student's development? 

GS: When coming to Purchase, I was a well-rounded dancer with a focus on ballet. Before studying abroad, I would say that I didn't know what my fullest possibilities were in the field. Though I researched companies, I didn't think I could get into those spaces with the type of training I received in the States. Going abroad opened me up to how to supplement my training with summer programs and workshops that would give me other skills to complement the information I was receiving from the brilliant teachers at Purchase.

P: Is there a professor or instructor you recall who had a particularly indelible impact on you? Any lasting impressions that stay with you even today?  

GS: I don't have one professor, but many. Richard Cook has greatly impacted my perspective of self and the field at large. Stephanie Tooman deeply shifted my ideas on movement and performance. Rosanna Seravalli sparked my rigor and care of quality. I could go on and on, but honestly, during my time at Purchase, each teacher was special in their own right. 

P: You onceanswered "20 Questions" for Vancouver Presents. To "Theone thing in your life that makes you most proud," you said, "Mydegree." What motivated your response? Is it still true? 

GS: Getting my degree was very important to my family, and because I went that route, I walked away and entered the field with more than most dancers. I had life experience beyond the studio and perspectives from a multitude of backgrounds. 

P: What was your favorite place on campus?

GS: The Conservatory of Dance.

P: Describe a moment or experience you witnessed or were a part of that was totally and uniquely Purchase—
something that could only happen here.

GS: Culture Shock is uniquely Purchase.

P: Back to today. Describe your bliss. What brings you joy?

GS: Integrity in the art form and the spirit of community.

P: Where do you call home?

GS: Home at this moment is where my partner and animals are. My heart is still in the Pacific Northwest, though.

Purchase & Gibney in the 2023–24 Season

Purchase alumni figure well into the upcoming season at Gibney, including debuts of new work by Vim Vigor Dance Company, where Jason Cianiculli ’16 is co-choreographer and rehearsal director; and 2nd BestDance Company, founded and directed by Hannah Garner ’15 and featuring dancers Courtney Barth ’16, Hsiao-Jou Tang ’08, Ryan Yamauchi’15, and Will Noling ’16, who is also rehearsal director.

As part of Gibney’s DoublePlus program, where established artists select and mentor emerging choreographers resulting in split-bill performances of new work, Kyle Abraham ’00 has chosen to work with DualRivet, founded by Jessica Smith ’17 and Chelsea Ainsworth; and Mayte Natalio ’08 will present new work mentored by Camille Brown.

And Sidra Bell MFA ’05 is Gibney’s Artist-in-Residence.

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