Phillip Hamer Photography
Choreographic Lab
Mason Cummings rehearses with dancers ahead of The Choreographic Lab Showcase at COCA.
When Mason Cummings graduated from New York University’s dance program last May, he knew he didn’t want to perform right away.
“I always wanted to choreograph,” Cummings says. His interest stemmed from his early participation in praise dance and continued throughout college. But the choice to pursue choreography right away was partly because of the pandemic. “I just wanted to create,” he says. "I’m an introvert and love to be alone. It was healing for me to be by myself. My creative juices were different.”
Cummings was also hesitant to audition for dance companies on Zoom, choosing to wait until he could show his skills in live auditions. He saw a call on Instagram for the Center of Creative Arts (COCA)’s alumni Choreographic Lab and figured he’d give it a shot.
Cummings attended Grand Center Arts Academy and took some of his first dance classes at COCA, beginning in 2013. Two years later, his family relocated to New York, where Cummings attended The Ailey School and Professional Performing Arts High School. While at NYU, he studied pre-law in addition to earning a degree in dance.
Friday and Saturday, Cummings’ residency concludes with a showcase in COCA’s gorgeous new theater, part of a recent 52,000 square-foot, $45-million addition to their center located in University City.
Cummings says it’s been “surreal” to be back in St. Louis. He spent six weeks working with two of COCA’s pre-professional companies, COCAdance and Ballet Eclectica, creating a piece for each with guidance from an all-star panel of mentors whose experience ranges from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to the Royal Ballet. COCA rehearsal assistants Sam Gaitsch and Ashley Hamann each contribute an additional dance to the hour-long evening. Ballet Eclectica will perform a ballet set to jazz music, challenging the dancers to think outside the rhythmical box, while Cummings’ piece for COCAdance flips the script on the traditional audience/performer relationship.
“Dancers look at audience members as art, whether they know it or not. We oftentimes see these two groups as separate, but they are the same group of people just alternating roles,” Cummings says. “Dancers are watching the audience members and audience members are watching performers.” Getting source material from the seats, the young performers alternate between dancing and more audience-like behaviors such as leaning in from a chair and clapping.
The Choreographic Lab is not just about Cummings' growth as a choreographer. It’s also designed to expose COCA students to real-life examples of where their dance educations could take them.
“Talking to these kids, I remember being in that same position,” Cummings says. “They’re thinking about college or how they want to break into the business. Some of them want to do other things alongside dance. My background having a pre-law minor and major in dance, and coming from COCA, is a good infusion for these kids.”
After six years in New York, Cummings recently moved to Los Angeles, but admits he hasn’t spent much time there yet. He’s planning to take advantage of a well-deserved break now that his COCA residency is finishing up, giving him a chance to explore his new home base before diving into the next thing. But for now, Cummings is basking in his final days back in St. Louis.
“I’m not sure what’s next for me, but I leave this residency with so much confidence and knowledge,” he says. “I see myself in a different light now. I’m going to move into the next phase of life with so much more than how I started this one, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
The Choreographic Lab Showcase runs 7:00 pm Friday and 5:00 pm Saturday in the Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA. Tickets are $10-$15, available at cocastl.org.
