We sat down with Essential choreographer Virginia Pilgrim Ramey and asked her a few questions about the Say It creation process. Take a minute to get to know her before tuning into the debut of Essential, October 8th at 7pm CST.

What have you been doing to stay connected and moving during quarantine?

My husband and I turned one of our rooms into a mini dance studio. We created a series of short dance films to share on social media that have been so fun to do too! And we’ve spent lots of time outdoors with our little girl to stay active and busy.

How was it collaborating on a new project like ‘Say It’?

All of the practice Brandon and I had this summer creating videos really prepared me for this one. I felt I knew exactly what the finished product was going to be even before I started! The logistics and filming were difficult at times but learning what you can do with the editing process has been a blast to do. Speeding things up for comedic effect, the cuts you can make to tell the story, I’ve really enjoyed that part.

What do you want to tell the audience about ‘Essential?’

I hope people consider how important the arts are to them during a time when we’ve had to determine essential vs. nonessential business. The piece is uplifting and full of joy! It was what I needed right now- to receive dance as a healing factor in my life. I wanted to share that with other people and let it be something that brought lightheartedness, if even just for a minute.

Ballet Memphis is coming into a whole new realm of possibilities with a virtual season and new leadership. What has that transition been like for you?

While nothing compares to on-stage performances, we’re able to provide an entirely new experience digitally that will bring dance to even more people than before. Guided by Steven and Gretchen, everybody is on board with making the best of the situation we’ve been presented with. The creativity of our leadership has allowed us to continue doing what we love and that’s all you could really ask for.