Pacific graduate Shaun Keylock returns as guest choreographer for the Autumn Choreographer’s Concert
“To be able to go back to campus and work with the students that are in the program I was in for four years is really exciting,” says 2015 Pacific graduate Shaun Keylock on his return to Pacific as guest choreographer for this year’s Autumn Choreographer’s Concert.
A little over ten years ago Keylock graduated with his bachelor’s in art history, criticism, and conservation, and was also a part of the dance program during his time as a Boxer. As guest choreographer, Keylock has enjoyed being back and sharing his professional wisdom with students. One of his favorite lessons from this semester: Have fun.
“Dance can often be seen as super serious, especially contemporary dance, but it also has this other side which is that there’s a lot of joy and belonging and fun in this thing that we do, and so I think that’s something that I’m really trying to bring out especially as we’re getting to the show now.” Keylock explains.
Keylock’s piece selection for this concert also reflects his values of encouraging dancers to have fun, and enjoy their art form. The concert will be restaging Greg Bielemeier’s 1996 work “Suits Side In,” which Keylock has described as a little funny and goofy. “I think that there is so much serious contemporary dance that we need a good balance,” he explains, “and so I was thinking about what is something that’s a little happier, or can balance the show a little more?”
Aside from encouraging students to have fun, Keylock also selected “Suits Side In” to benefit the strengths of the dance ensemble. “It’s a big work,” he says, “so it utilizes pretty much almost the entire company. It’s also really accessible. So, you can be a really technical dancer, you can have a few years of experience, it really works for anyone.”
Keylock’s own dance company, the Shaun Keylock company, will also perform and will preview a work of his that will come out next summer. He started his company in 2018, and it is this professional experience that allows him to be more than a guest choreographer for the concert, but a role model for students who hope to also have a career in the dance world.
Working with Keylock is an example to students of how they can create opportunities for themselves and transition from a college graduate to a professional. He created his company after graduating and spending some time dancing in Portland, but realizing he wasn’t getting enough opportunities to exercise his creativity. Keylock then began his company as a way to pursue his passion of creating his own pieces and working with his own dancers.
“Not only am I bringing my professional experience to the students as part of restaging this historic work,” he explains, “but also that they get to see my work on professional dancers as well… The students get to see my work and professional dancers performing so they can sort of see the career path that you can go.” He adds, “I feel like I can share some of what I’ve learned over the last ten years and come back with this professional experience that I can impart on them. So it feels like a little bit of a full circle moment.”
Autumn Choreographer’s Concert is hosted November 19 – 21.
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