October Spotlight: Dancer of the Decades Christopher Yaeger

Hi Christopher, so happy you had the time to talk to us a bit more about your artistic career! Can you tell us a little about your background and what your art form is?

I am excited and honored to be a part of the COMPAS community, to work alongside such a diverse and talented group of artists. I identify as a teaching artist and dance educator. I have a background in the American Dance Vernacular, Ballet, Folk Dance, and Creative Movement. I lead movement workshops that include dances through the decades, bringing stories to life, Holiday-themed events including Igor’s Halloween Dance Party.

When did you first become interested in dance? How did it happen?

When I was younger I was a gymnast and eventually started Ballet classes. Movement was easy for me. The Ethnic Dance Theatre (EDT) was the next chapter. 20 years in that company opened the world of dance and music to me. The arts are everywhere. To share in them with respect is a fantastic way to be in the world. It was then that I started to teach in the schools through EDT, ArtStart, Ace Dance, the Cowles Center, and Heart of Dance. Each in their way influenced my training. I believe the Arts are vital to the nourishment of our world.

What is your favorite thing about dance?

The variety of shared experiences that happens in dance. it is a celebration of life and it is an easy way to exercise.

What do you gain from teaching that you don’t get from dancing/performing on your own?What do you enjoy the most about each?

Being a teacher is a gift of helping others experience new things. As a performer, I am projecting and entertaining I am the one giving the energy, as a teacher I am actively encouraging the energy to come from the students. Performing offers me the stage to entertain, being a teacher opens the door for that entertainer to make a difference in others' lives. To watch students move past their limitations and enjoy the process of dancing is still a miraculous moment for me. To see my students shine with smiles on their faces is a mission worth embarking on. Pure Joy is only a few steps away.

A lot of your programming is focused on older adults, how is teaching older adults different than teaching K-12 students? How is it the same?

The curriculum is similar to that of K-12, the only difference is the adults seem to work harder at continuing to stay active. Children have so much energy they are not thinking of remaining active, they are more concerned with where to put the energy. I have learned to embrace that kinetic energy and go with the flow. Both adults and students have the same effects once the involvement becomes active. Dance is fun, a great way to meet people, and a dynamic way of sharing. “I see the world through the eyes of a dancer.” That perception allows me to move through the world with more grace and style. Embrace that feeling and keep on keeping on, the music plays on!

You’ve recently been doing a residency with older adults at The Pillars of White Bear Lake, how has that been going? Have you been working on any other new projects lately?

Pillars has proven to be a fantastic experience. This summer we virtually traveled to New Orleans for a Mardi Gras celebration. Each week I introduced another component of the Mardi Gras experience. the history of Jazz and Dixieland music, the marching clubs and parade and throws. To see smiles on people’s faces and hear them laugh out loud are important goals and are landmarks for success. Enjoy life, it passes quickly, and we have choices of how we move through it.

During this time of great change in Minnesota and around the world with the uprising of anti-racism work and recognition of white supremacy, how do you see the arts as fitting into that story?

Dance is a language that crosses borders and offers a mosaic that can give us an opportunity to understand and learn from each other. I do not pretend that racism does not exist and yet I prefer to focus on the similarities and the contributions that world cultures have given us. To have respect for other cultures I must first find respect for myself.

You have been a part of the COMPAS artist roster for over 30 years! What’s it like to be a part of COMPAS?

COMPAS has given me the opportunity to share my gifts with hundreds of students and adults. I am blessed to be on the COMPAS roster.

How do you practice creativity in your everyday life?

I view the world through the eyes of an artist. To create is to be alive, being creative shows up in my cooking, the clothes that I wear, the way I decorate my space. I am always adding color and joie du vivre to my day. I am grateful to be an artist. Impacting the lives of others through my unique vision is a gift. To BE who we are is the true gift. I am Dance, I am Music, I am Free, I am Me and it is my honor to share me with all of you. I invite us to consider how we move through life and maybe add a skip every once in a while. Smile and Be the Light we are here to be. Shine on. With Love and Light. Christopher - a human “being” in the world!!