Today, we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Sneesby.
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started as an extra dramatic dancer in ballet.
My movement heritage comes from a range of sources. Growing up, I trained in ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, and partnering. Simultaneously, I had a love for theatre and musical theatre. I went from the ‘dancer who acted’ to the ‘physical actor who could tell stories with their body’ to the choreographer or movement practitioner responsible for shepherding others to tell stories with the instrument of their body.
Now, I am a director and theatre educator working with fellow dramatic adults and training the next generation of storytellers. I take a holistic, embodied approach to working with my students and teach techniques to the individual body rather than a uniform aesthetic. My role is to adapt to the needs of the individual actor or performer to provide a movement language that best connects with the individual.
In 2021, I founded Creative Movement Practices as an avenue to produce my work as a Director but also to provide a platform for transforming rehearsal rooms into inspiring, transformative, and collaborative spaces in which theatre makers practice, hone, and establish their craft.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth and struggles are not antithetical in the performing arts industry. To have smooth sailing, one must first learn how to sail through the rough patches and struggles. (My apologies for the ship metaphors; we are currently ankle-deep in rehearsals for our Summer production of Treasure Island).
In some aspects, it has been a smooth road. Once I made the decision to fully pursue my craft as a director, I have never once regretted it and wished I had remained where I was. However, there have been struggles, lessons learned the hard way, and mountains to climb with no tools or gear to do so. In a world oversaturated with people submitting content to the ether saying ‘notice me!’
I have found attaching to the proper audience has been a struggle, we know they are out there, but getting them to notice us and take a chance on a small theatre company has been the toughest struggle. The creatives I work with are phenomenal, but there is only so much progress we can make when performing in an empty theatre.
Also – like many industries, theatre can be a little “old boys club” in terms of networking and knowing people over having the talent and skills for the position. It can be frustrating waiting for the opportunity to showcase your work and worth, but it is worth it for those breakthrough moments where your hard work, dedication, and talent shine through the tangle and land you that job.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
I specialize in theatrical movement. Many people jump to the “Oh – so you choreograph musicals?” line of thought when I say this (and YES, I do, in fact, choreograph musicals). However, theatrical movement encompasses so much more than dance and choreography.
I named my theatre company Creative Movement Practices because I want to be known for my creative interpretations and solutions to problems (and I want to do that through movement whenever possible). As such, you will not see blackouts for scene transitions in my productions, but rather, transitions are done in a way that propels the story forward and further enthralls the audience.
What sets me apart from so many other directors out there is my training and attention to detail when it comes to both micro and macro movements for a theatrical production. Nothing makes me happier than the silence of an enthralled audience.
The strangers who walk out of the room are happy to have spent a few hours with strangers experiencing something that sits outside of the normal time and space continuum.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I first knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life when my grandparents took us to see Texas, the Musical. I remember my pop pop telling me all the reasons I shouldn’t be a performer (long hours, bad pay, etc.), but none of that mattered. I remember the joy I had watching others tell a beautiful story.
I wanted to jump up and join them. I do not remember too much about the plot, but those feelings of theatre magic have stayed with me my entire life. It is the spark that lit an ember that stayed safe in dreamland for decades before taking root and blooming, and I am so thankful for it.
Pricing:
- $15-30 dollars/ticket with select “pay what you can” performance nights.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creativemovementpractices.com/
- Instagram: @creativemovementpractices
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeMovementPractices/
- Youtube: @creativemovementpractices6727
- Other: https://matchouston.org/events/2024/treasure-island
Image Credits
Ludo des Cognets Show, Pin Lim of Forest Photography, & Katherine Rinaldi
