Kellie St. Pierre, ‘The Rate We Change,’ and the Grand Prize
Kellie St. Pierre with dancers from Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival. Photo by Jingzi Zhao.
University of Utah School of Dance alum, and adjunct assistant professor, Kellie St. Pierre, won the Grand Prize Award at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival last month for her work “The Rate We Change.” We caught up with Kellie to ask her about this work, its evolution, and her experience at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival.
You’ve developed The Rate We Change over the past several years. Can you talk about how the piece has grown and changed since you originally started work on it?
The Rate We Change has had several iterations since its seed. It has been delightful and exciting to keep coming back to the work, and every visit has given more clarity and understanding to its process. I have learned that this piece is malleable, and I love seeing what is possible with each new set of performers. Comfort levels with the set piece, preferences, and personalities all contribute to the choices, order of events, and ultimately the uniqueness of the piece. It is collaborative and exploratory each time.
The piece was born from my thesis research, set on both students and local professionals. It made its way to ACDA Regional and Nationals, truncated for the festival purposes. A re-staging was commissioned by Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company for their Re-Mix performance presented in their 2024-2025 season, in which I was able to return to its intended choreographic idea as a longer experience and journey. The work has continued with the company this current season, being presented through national and local festivals.
What inspired the spinning platform in your piece? What are the particular challenges and opportunities associated with that?
I wanted to work with a spinning platform for its visual, physical, and metaphoric ability to capture a mesmerizing, time-erasing quality of an ongoing experience. Its dichotomy is poetic–I love finding that keeping pace with its spinning speed often requires physically slowing the body down, and that once understood, moving with the set piece illuminates the body’s intelligence and instinct.
The Rate We Change as performed by Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. Photo by Todd Collins.
I think challenges and opportunities here go hand in hand. I have a background dancing on moving structures–never in spinning fashion–but was able to find comfort in learning its language. Not everyone has this same initial experience. Dancing on a moving platform requires learning a new set of skills dependent on physics, and there is a serious risk involved. The process can evoke fears or uncertainties in navigating the set piece’s unpredictability, not to mention building a tolerance in the body to become accustomed to spinning. But I have seen these discomforts also influence growth. The best part of the process is seeing dancers discover what is possible and new in their bodies, and what is exciting for us as a group. It's a massive achievement getting through the piece every time, and I love witnessing some of these challenges being confronted with confidence, courage, and grace.
I’m always trying to figure out how to create a listening environment in which dancers can work with their own edge and comfort levels, and feel safe while also being encouraged to research the risk. It's a delicate balance; I don’t have all the answers, and the work is hard, but I am truly grateful for each lesson and person who has added to the formula.
How did you incorporate “powering” the moving platform into the choreography/dance movement?
A human-powered aspect to the work was integral and part of my initial inspiration in creating a piece centered around a spinning platform. There is something about ownership and teamwork that blooms when members contribute to the whole process. I was first curious about the duration of the experience, sustained by alternating between the roles of powering the platform and moving with the momentum created. I realized that understanding both roles gave dancers more insight into how to partner, weight-share, and communicate with the platform as if it were another company member. It also aligned deeply with my intention for shared leadership within the concept. For every moment, the person who generates the platform is directly setting the environment for the next dancer to perform successfully. A human-powered platform elevates the care and responsibility within the group.
The Rate We Change as performed by Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. Photo by Todd Collins.
Part of my thesis touched on the research of object autonomy and ontology. I see many objects as kinetic, living partners, so engaging with the platform with this perspective allowed synergy to be established between human and object. The platform needed to speak, move, feel, and choose alongside its dancer counterparts. A motorized component (although perhaps more easeful!) just didn’t fit the concept in relation to embodied change.
What was it like setting your work on the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company?
Fierce. Brilliant. Thoughtful. The dancers of Ririe-Woodbury are stunning, intelligent performers and artists, and a solid unit together. I have had the honor to witness how they help each other grow, speak, problem-solve, and shine. They are passionate about every detail of the work and value the time it takes. This work can only thrive with a group of people who are for each other, and I feel this very clearly.
They are also a collective of fierce individuals who have each brought their unique gifts and strengths to work. A spinning set piece was uncharted territory for each of the dancers, but they brought a curiosity and dedication to the work on a whole new level. I am so proud of them and honored to have been working with the entire Ririe-Woodbury team through the journeys of this piece.
Are there any memories that stand out from your experience at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival?
Kellie St. Pierre winning the Grand Prize Award at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival. Photo by Jingzi Zhao.
A pretty phenomenal moment was winning the Grand Prize Award! The festival was a competition showcasing some of the most brilliant choreographers in the field. They called my name on stage, and I froze. I’m still stunned and honored, and also so deeply proud of us. Everyone has been working so hard. It took a huge amount of effort from the entire team of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company to get us there, through flight cancellations, trouble with the set piece, long travel days, extensive rehearsals, and so much more. Yet the performance was exquisite, and I am beyond grateful for this opportunity.
You’ve said that you feel much of your work is about adaptation. How is this expressed through the piece?
On a physical and very real level, the dancers are continuously adapting to a changing environment. For example, the rate of increase occurs over time; ultimately, the piece undergoes a reversal, with each stage presenting distinct levels of physics that require different responses from the body. There is also the live element of the work, the fact that, despite consistent rehearsing, the platform and its speed can be inconsistent. Things happen (and sometimes don’t), and the ability to adapt to the moment is essential for both safety and continuity of the piece.
On a broader level, I view this work as a meaningful reflection of our continually evolving environments and the intricate relationships that exist between individuals and the world around them. Our ability to adapt, evolve, and stay committed while nurturing connections is crucial in embracing whatever disruptions and uncertainties come our way.