Story & Lesson Highlights with Micaela Church of Phoenix, Tempe

We recently had the chance to connect with Micaela Church and have shared our conversation below.

Micaela, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Dance. Moving to my own rhythm and creating movement is part of the core of who as I am and brings me closer to myself, humanity, and the greater universe.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Micaela Church is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the 501c3 non-profit professional dance company, MAC & Company based in Phoenix, AZ. She is also resident dance faculty for Chandler-Gilbert Community College. She received her MFA from Arizona State University, where she also taught as faculty associate. She has earned both her BA in Dance and a BM in Viola Performance from Alma College. Her choreography for MAC & Company has been chosen for performance at dance festivals in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. She has produced all of MAC & Company’s full length performances and has toured the company throughout the Southwest.

MAC & Company was founded from a shared passion for dance education and performance between Micaela Church and Li Pei Khoo in 2014. While being full time dance educators, Church and Khoo continue to be committed to the creative process and practice of dance as a performing art. With the common goal of presenting innovative work and nurturing professional growth in the field of dance and music, Church and Khoo hope to provide a platform for fellow dancers who share their passion.

MAC & Company has a current roster of 18 dancers all local to Phoenix and presents work throughout the Valley and the Southwest year round. Their next production “11th Hour” is being performed August 16th at Tempe Center for the Arts. “11th Hour” is a two-part concert of diverse dance styles. The first half of the program will feature a wide range of pieces choreographed by various company members and include works by guest tap ensemble Friends in Dance. The second half will feature a themed set of works inspired by fantasy, fable, and fun.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I’ve been a dancer my whole life. Even before any formal dance training, I would dance constantly around the house and dancing is a part of my soul. As I got older and there were instances, where I would take time away from dancing, or was influenced to take other career paths, I have always come back to dance. It is one way I identify who I am and will always be.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. It was after graduating with my undergraduate degree and starting on a pathway outside of dance. It was suggested that going into a different field would be more stable and economically reliable. Better “job security,” but after a year off of dance, studying in another field, I took a dance class and it just felt like home. This is what I needed to be doing and I knew I had to make it work. Whether that be dancing, choreographing, or teaching, I needed to be in the field of dance, and I did make it work.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
As the Artistic Director of MAC & Company, I rely on the dancers creative ideas for work. Part of the unique way the Company is run, is that the dancers get to choreograph work, not just me. They come up with new ideas, create unique movement, and ultimately the mixing of many creative minds makes our productions exciting and with elements that anyone can enjoy. I rely on the dancers to bring new ideas to the Company and ultimately we collectively create incredibles show that are diverse in content and visuals.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes. Creating dance, providing a space where other dancers can create and show work, and ultimately still being able to dance and perform brings me an immense sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I don’t need the accolades of praise, as I know intrinsically what we’ve created with MAC & Company is giving so much back to the dancers in the company, the audience that attends our events, and the overall arts community. Outside validation is nice, but I know that I’ll continue to give my all to make sure that MAC & Company continues well past the 11 years we’ve been creating and performing dance in the Valley.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.macdance.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mac_and_company/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macdancecompanyphoenix
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MChurchDance

Image Credits
Photography by Rick Meinecke (@lightsviewphoto) & Michael Lucas