Local Dancer and Choreographer Launches Global Dance Storytelling Project

Barry Kerollis

We all have a story. That’s the fundamental belief behind local Philly choreographer Barry Kerollis‘s newest project, Core-ography, and the concept is unique, interesting, and quite exciting for anyone who loves dance or loves to be human, period.

“We’ve all been through times when immense growth and significant challenge seem to go hand-in-hand,” said Kerollis. “Commonly, we look back at these experiences as positive building blocks in our lives. But did you feel you had to keep private and deal with things all on your own? Did you worry how people would judge you if you admitted that you were less than happy and content all the time? [This project] tackles these questions through dance.”

Kerollis has teamed up with performers from English National Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Israel, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Washington Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet, and hopes to have a total of twelve different dancers share their stories via series of YouTube videos. After completing a video interview with each dancer, Kerollis will spend a week with the performer and his or her company, developing choreography that tell that dancer’s story. The finished product will be a video that fuses the dancer’s interview, story, rehearsal footage, and final performance.

Barry Kerollis

“This project brings superhuman dancers down to their most human qualities and inspires people to share without judgment,” Kerollis added. He’s received fiscal sponsorship with New York Live Arts, which allows him to accept tax-deductible donations for the project (if you’re interested in donating, click here).

Kerollis, who was born and currently resides in Philadelphia, studied at the Kirov Academy of Ballet and the School of American Ballet. Since then, he has performed with the American Ballet Theatre, Ballet X, Houston Ballet, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, amongst many others. He also operates a blog, Life of a Freelance Dancer, that provides insider tips for aspiring ballet performers.