20 QUESTIONS: Zenon leadership

Dance in the Twin Cities. Most people know that it exists, but they don’t know anything about it. They don’t know who the dance makers are, or the artists, or the dancers. Or, they may know a dancer, but they have no clue what kind of dance they do. (You say dance, people think tutus.) Here’s your chance to get to know the people who are making dance happen in the Twin Cities. Our first artist is Linda Z. Andrews: I’m the founding Artistic Director of Zenon Dance Company and School. I’m a teacher—an educator—I do a lot of teaching. It’s just in my DNA. As Artistic Director, I develop my dancers’ careers. So I try to develop them as a dancer, as a performer, as an artist. Zenon Dance School is also very important to me because I started the organization with the School, kind of a grassroots progression, which I think has also made us very able to survive and, you know, stay relevant in the community. I live in Minneapolis, so I’m comfortable there, but I love St. Paul. I feel like we [Zenon] serve the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. I love to go into St. Paul because it’s more neighborhoody, but I live in Minneapolis, so I do more here. 1) How did you end up doing the work you do? It’s been my vision since I was out of college. I had two different things when I was in college, I thought, well, I’m gonna be either an actress or a dancer, but I kinda got sucked into dance. I think it was more my primary passion, because I had grown up with various-not-continuous dance education, but enough to really whet my appetite. Then I thought, maybe I’d go on and get my Ph.D. and maybe head a dance program, but for some reason, I got on the front lines. I think it’s probably because I’m an entrepreneurial creative type, so I was able to, sort of, create an organization around my primary passions.—I would say my children are my primary. My next passion would be Zenon. So I think it was just having the vision and having a strong will. I willed it into being, I wanted it so much. 2) Who’s/What’s your nemesis? Why? I’m not going to answer “who,” because I don’t really feel like I have a nemesis. If there was a general nemesis for me, it would be all bad dance in America. Mediocrity. I feel like I’m here to serve the art form, and I have such a great respect for dance, that it’s not OK for me to see professional-level companies not be good. Artistic excellence is my big thing. 3) How long have you lived in the Cities?/What brought you here? My ex-husband brought me here. My first husband, we moved here from Virginia. And how long? Gosh, 35 years I guess. 4) Preferred place to be if you’re alone and incapacitated? The South of France. 5) How often do you call home? Not too often. 6) Best performance space in the Twin Cities? Why? I have to say the Cowles Center because that’s our home. It’s the right size for us, and the stage is wonderful for the dancers. 7) Favorite performer, living or dead? Why? I don’t have an answer for that. 8) Most hated dessert? Now, I’m an expert on dessert. Let’s see. What do I hate the most? It would be any commercial dessert. I hate any commercialized dessert. I really only like gourmet, natural ingredients. Most of American desserts, I don’t like. 9) What annoys you about the Twin Cities arts scene? [sigh] I think the standards are too low, which results in an unsophisticated arts scene. I think it is gradually improving. People not speaking their minds. Honest critiques don’t happen that often, and therefore the art form isn’t pushed forward. There’s plenty of bullshit, cream cheese, white toast, going on out here. Just not enough push and critique amongst the artists. 10) Arts awards shows and/or “best of” lists in the Twin Cities: go. It’s always helpful to get the “Best Of” something. I don’t know who’s voting. Awards programs are premature, based on the level of our… I’m not going to pick one out because I hate them all. 11) Donuts: awesome or overrated? I hate donuts. Overrated. 12) Best thing about the Twin Cities arts scene? One of the best things is the variety. I think there’s a lot going on. One thing about the Twin Cities is that it does allow younger artists to come up, to show what they’re doing. I have a divide on that. I’m interested in promoting the younger artists, but I have a professional standard for people that call themselves professional; I expect a really high level. But I like the people sprouting in the Twin Cities. I think that’s a very healthy arts community. 13) What song or songs best describe your life? I have no idea. “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” I guess. I don’t know. I can’t answer that off the top of my head. It would be a lot of soul, rhythm and blues, jazz. 14) Out of any living Minnesotan, who would you pick as the next Governor of Minnesota? Why? I don’t keep up on politics as much as I do on the arts. I think Dayton should stay in there for a while. I like his liberalism. I feel like he’s trying to get the rich guys and make them pay taxes, which I like. 15) Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter? Summer. 16) Favorite adult beverage? Wine. Red. I would say red wine. 17) Pajamas: necessary or a waste of laundry space? Necessary. You freeze to death in Minnesota. They’re necessary. 18) Favorite “luxury” item with which to treat yourself? Massage, or a really nice dinner. Fine dining. 19) What rituals do you have concerning your work? How do you prepare? I’m always prepared. A lot of what I do is intuitive, so it’s difficult for me to describe my processes. It’s just I have strong reactions, to choreography, to dancing. I’m able to see where we need to go. I try to really understand the choreographer, when they’re here, and get that soul of the piece. So rituals? No. I would say caffeine is necessary. 20) You have $500,000 to spend on whatever you want, as long as it’s not on something personal. What would you do with it? I would try to, probably, buy the Cowles Center, take it over, and run it. Increase Zenon’s administration and run it. But other than that! Well, not that I’m opinionated. [laugh] That’s gonna get me in trouble. I’m not from Minnesota, I don’t mince my words.