COMING FULL CIRCLE: Interview with RUBBERBAND apprentice Micah Sell

Philadelphia native Micah Sell comes full circle with RUBBERBAND. After first seeing the company perform at the Annenberg Center at age 8, the dancer now takes the stage as a first-year apprentice in the Philadelphia premiere of Reckless Underdog. 

Debra Danese: I see that you are originally from Philadelphia. Where was your early training here? 

Micah Sell: Some of my early training included circus arts at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts and gymnastics at various gyms in Philadelphia. I started my ballet training at a neighborhood studio, but after one year, I joined the Metropolitan Ballet Academy (MBA). I continued at MBA under the direction of Lisa Collins from ages 9 to 18. Although the studio focused primarily on ballet, I was also mentored and taught contemporary dance by Sarah Mettin. 

DD: As a recent graduate of SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, how did the program prepare you for concert dance? 

Micah Sell. Photo by Isabel Rancier

MS: The teachers and community at Purchase prepared me well for the concert dance world. The training was intense and gave me a strong foundation in modern dance, floorwork, composition, and improvisation. It taught me how to drop my weight, take up space, and have confidence in who I am as an artist. The friends and community at Purchase introduced me to the contemporary dance world, where the constant sharing of ideas and experiences allowed me to learn just as much from my classmates as from my teachers. Certain teachers also taught me how to advocate for myself and stand up in the face of authority, how to respect my own opinions while also listening to others. 

DD: You’ve said that you’ve wanted to dance with RUBBERBAND since first seeing them perform as a young student. How does it feel to now be a part of the company? 

MS: I feel incredibly grateful to be dancing with RUBBERBAND. I feel seen, both as an artist and as a person, while being pushed physically and creatively in a space that values growth and mutual support. When I was 8, I had no way of knowing that the

company held these values, but I believe I could feel it in the dancing. That is one of the many things that attracted me to the company over the years. 

DD: What was the audition process like? 

MS: The process of joining the company began when I met Victor at the B12 Dance Festival in Berlin, Germany. I took a workshop with him and enjoyed it immensely. This was in the summer of 2021, between my first and second year of college. In my junior year, Victor invited me to a week-long audition in Montreal. At the end of this audition, he suggested we wait and talk the following year, as I still had one more year of school. In the winter of my final year, Victor and I had a meeting where we both expressed our interest in working together. My final step was attending the RUBBERBAND Summer Intensive in 2024, where he offered me a contract the day after the intensive ended. 

DD: What excites you most about returning to the Annenberg Center? 

MS: I am so excited to be able to perform the school show, as it is where I first saw RUBBERBAND. It’s so important for children to be exposed to dance and art forms they might not usually encounter. There’s also a homeschool program that attends the school show, and I was part of that program when I first saw RUBBERBAND.

[Penn Live Arts at Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St] February 14-15, 2025; pennlivearts.org

 

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