Cami Rezabek is a fourth-year BFA student in the Department of Dance with minors in English and Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, the undergrad research assistant for the UIDC, and the student-choreographer for Fierce, a new 21st-century opera that follows four teenage girls through a journey of discovery as they write their college admissions essays. Fierce makes its Iowa debut on the Hancher stage April 26-27, 2024.
Rezabek is originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her mother, Carol, is a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, and an alum of the University of Iowa with BFA degrees in Dance and Theatre Arts—so naturally, Cami began dance lessons by the time she was 3 years old. And the UI was a natural fit, too, when it came time for college.
“The dance program here is so good,” she explains, “and my family has a history in this department, so it just made sense.”
Cami started dancing at the UI in Fall 2020, amidst strict COVID pandemic restrictions—switching between Zoom ballet lessons and social-distanced rehearsals where students danced in six-by-six squares taped to the studio floor.
“It was an interesting first year,” she says. “I feel like I got really close to the dancers I came in with but, because we weren’t in Halsey Hall, we didn’t have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the older students in the program.”
Since then, Rezabek had been actively participating in UI dance performances, touring with the UIDC, and seeking out opportunities to choreograph.
“I’ve always had a passion for choreography,” Rezabek describes her choreographic work. “For me, it’s all about creating or elevating a story, bringing meaning to movements. I like to build dances around a narrative or a message, and think about the way every step, every movement, and all these small moments can come together in the body.”
“For musicals or pieces that have an existing story, I spend a lot of time analyzing the story,” she explains. “Choreography can add another layer to the piece, so it’s important to examine what’s there and find moments where a movement can bring something new and enlightening to a character or a scene.”
During the fall semester, Rezabek flexed her interpretive skills in a different way, working as a research assistant with UIDC. For their 2023-2024 season, UIDC prepared an interactive program of dance and dialogue called Dances Described that put special emphasis on the use of Audio Description as a tool for making dance more accessible to audiences with blindness, low vision, and other visual impairment. While the company developed their new piece, “Winning,” led by UIDC Artistic Director and Assistant Professor of Dance Stephanie Miracle, Rezabek created the Audio Descriptions that are read aloud—live—during the dance performance.
“Writing the Audio Description as we were creating the piece was a huge benefit,” says Rezabek. “Hearing how the dancers describe their own movements has really expanded the way I write about dance, and I can better communicate the visual into language. It’s helped me become a better choreographer and a better dancer.”
Rezabek was also one of the 38 UI student dancers who performed Martha Graham’s Panorama during the GRAHAM100 concert at Hancher on March 29. In early January, Rezabek and the rest of the ensemble dancers were hard at work in Halsey Hall, learning the historic choreography and intense Graham Technique while snowstorms whirled outside.
“It was really the opportunity of a lifetime to share the Hancher stage with professional dancers who perform at such a high level,” Rezabek explains. “When I graduate, I want to get a job with a dance company. Being part of the Martha Graham performance was a professional experience that I could have never imagined, and one that I am so grateful to have as I move into the next phase of my career.”
Rezabek was still rehearsing for Panorama when she joined the creative team of Fierce. It was another remarkable opportunity, particularly for an undergraduate student.
“Honestly,” Rezabek admits, “I didn’t think I was going to get the job, so I was really excited when I did.”
Fierce was first commissioned by Cincinnati Opera and composed by UI assistant professor of Jazz Studies William Menefield, who wrote the music for the opera in collaboration with author and librettist Sheila Williams.
“Once I read the description of the opera, I knew I wanted to be a part of the project,” Rezabek describes her initial interest in Fierce. “The story is very relatable and it’s also very modern with jazz, R&B, and Latin influences. It’s such a robust musical score so there is so much material I can pull from as a choreographer.”
Her first task was to find four dancers to work with, which proved to be difficult since many of the dancers in the Department of Dance had packed schedules. “At one point I counted, and there were five dance shows that overlapped with the rehearsals for Fierce,” Rezabek explains, “so I had to get a little creative.”
Eventually, she found her four dancers: Fabiola Casteneda-Santiago (BA student in Biology), Chloe Schwab (BA in Theatre Arts), Joslyn Sheley (BA in Psychology, Political Science, Pre-Law), and Trinity Woody (MA in Dance Pedagogy and Instruction, Pre-Business). “They’ve been amazing,” Rezabek explains, “I don’t have to coach them on how to add style to their movement, so I can really focus on developing the choreography and the ideas that we’re trying to elevate through dance.”
As part of her development process, Rezabek conducted extensive research on the various influences that Dr. Menefield has incorporated into his composition.
“There is a lot I can derive from the music itself, but I wouldn’t want the movements to feel false,” she describes her research process. “I really watched a lot of videos, going back and forth between basic tutorials and more advanced performances because it’s important for me to learn and know the styles that my choreography is referencing. For example, I’m not as familiar with salsa. I had to spend some time with the style so that I could present something authentic.”
During rehearsals, Rezabek arrives with her thoroughly marked-up script and, as the singers are practicing in the opera studio on the lower level of the Voxman Music Building, the dancers develop and work on their choreography upstairs. Then, she works with Dr. Menefield to incorporate the choreography into the blocking for the actors and other cast members.
“I’ve felt really respected in the process,” says Rezabek. “I think it really helps that Dr. Menefield is both composer and director. Not only can I hear the feeling and intention in the music itself, but he’s also there to provide me with feedback. He’s always treated me like a professional, so he’ll tell me if something’s not working and, on the other hand, he’s not afraid to show enthusiasm when the choreography comes together.”
“I’m so excited to see the evolution of this production,” Rezabek says, “and I can’t wait for audiences to see all the performers come into their character. We’re really going to turn it on and light up the Hancher stage.”