Ro Verwey

Ro (Rox Roxy Roxana)

Where are you from?

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

What got you into dancing and how long have you been doing it?

I subbed My Sister’s street dance class at the age of 12.

My mother is one of my dance inspirators. She used to dance AfroJazz in a company that was founded by the first Afro Dutch female directors from Surinamese descent.

Around the age of 7 she ‘trained’ me and my cousins in her living room. I continued dancing on the streets and started training in church. My sister was into street dance, and when she had her high school exams she demanded that I subbed her street dance class at the age of 12. I figured out that you needed a warm up, a combination and a cooling down, as I also played soccer and did karate at the same time. The kids who were age 6-12 loved the classes and I finished the school year and taught there for 2 more seasons and getting more classes every year.

When creating a dance or a show where do you pull inspiration from? What type of music influences your style?

Mmm. I see movement everywhere. In music, in colors, in words. I think about what a move tells me and what I could tell with a move. Almost everything can inspire me. I think it’s important to either tell a story or make people feel something. Yes, I think moving with movement is my biggest inspiration. Like my favorite quote, “Inspire to be inspired!”

I listen to all kinds of music while creating; Hip Hop, Funk, Soul, Jazz, Electronic, POP, R&B, Rock, Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Afro Beats.

I love a lot of different music genres. It’s the beat, the rhythm, the melody that gets me first. That’s what I also hear first when I listen to a song. I often hear the lyrics of the song later.

What’s your favorite style of dance?

Improv! Going with the flow! Creating on the spot and experimenting with the movement that comes up in the moment. Choosing what and how to do it in the moment. I grew up with Hip Hop - this is the culture that I trained in first and my love for anything Hip Hop is big. Later in life I learned about different styles and as I trained more in other and technical styles, all styles of Jazz were definitely growing on me and Jazz became one of my favorite dance styles.

How would you define your fashion style? Would you say your style influences your dance or vice versa?

I love fashion! I would definitely say I love to express myself through clothing, through fashion.

I think fashion is a big part of my life. Next to art (mostly dance and theatre) and traveling, fashion is one of the things I love and need in my life. It doesn’t matter what I wear. I wear the clothes, they don’t wear me. Dance or movement is what I am, fashion is what I do and how I express. I think that my love for Hip Hop, Rock and Punk influenced how I would dress as a child and teenager. I also think that my dance influences my style sometimes. I dress differently as a dancer then when I act or when I go out or have a meeting.

Who are some of your idols? Anyone currently influencing your rhythm?

I don’t have idols, but I do have people that inspire me and I see as icons!

I would say I have performers I looked up to. I love the way Charlie Chaplin moved, Martha Graham, Bob Fosse, Debbie Allen, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gregory Hines, Pina Bausch, Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson and Grace Jones!

Since I’m teaching and choreographing mostly now here are some dance teachers and choreographers that inspire me: Galen Hooks, LaurieAnn Gibson, Parris Goebel, Zoï Tatopoulus, Chris Grant, Mecnun Giasar.

I don’t think they influence my rhythm, but their being and work inspire me to keep on creating my thing and be fabulous doing it.

What is your favorite dance project you've done thus far?

The kind of project that has always been my favorite are the exchange programs I did. In total I did 4 exchange programs and what I loved about it was meeting people all over the world sharing a passion exchanging talents and gifts and creating something together to share with an audience.

You’re a very passionate person which shows in your many creative outlets. How do you translate your passion/feelings into your work?

I think I always know what I’m doing when I know why I’m doing it. Most of the time the ‘why’ happens in that moment, or is the cause why I start. I think that’s one of the reasons I love improvising so much. With dance, with the way I play a role, the way I chose to dress. I think my work is passion; I wouldn’t do what I do if I wasn’t passionate about it.

Working with people. Sharing with people. Being vulnerable in the process and also while sharing needs passion. What I do and what I create needs to come from a need to do it and for that you need passion. My passion lies in my why and my why is that I want to share and or tell a story. I also think that I am mostly my work, because it’s my art, a big part of my body, me and my soul. It’s how I communicate.

What is your favorite type of music to dance to?

I think Afro Beats is the type of music that gets me going, always!

Name 3 songs you're listening to at the moment.

Talk about some of your personal work or goals.

One of my goals in life is to be able to travel and connect with a community that inspires me. With the people of that community I want to create multidisciplinary plays to tell stories and share them with their community and the world. I want to exchange. I want to share my knowledge and story with them and inspire them how they can share their knowledge and stories.

Also I want to work more with upcoming and also established (musical) artists. To work on their performance, movement, body, mind and soul. Coaching them to become the best version of what they can be at that point in time.

In general my biggest goal is to connect more, to be a bridge, to be a connector. To inspire to be inspired!

It’s 2am and you’re craving a snack what’s your go-to?

I think I would drink lukewarm water first, cus I know the feeling of craving is actually the feeling of thirst and after I would go for rice crackers with probably peanut butter and jam.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone has given you?

When you think you can do it, you can do it!

@worldofro

design, peopleLauren AbbazioMarch 14, 2020design, creativity, dance, choreography, art, movementComment