Something magical happens when music meets bodies in motion.
This week I've been in the studio with students from the Grainger Academy at the Joffrey Ballet as they prepare for the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2026 Gala. Honestly, it's been one of those collaborations that reminds me why I love this work.
As a harpist, I think a lot about time in phrasing, breath, or where sound lives in the air. But in the studio, that all shifts. The dancers listen and adapt with their whole bodies. A pause held in muscle feels different than a pause held in music. It stops being accompaniment and starts being conversation.
These students bring such focus and generosity to the room. It pushes me to listen more deeply than I usually do. Performing at the Gala this weekend feels like a celebration of that, of what happens when musicians and dancers actually hear each other. I'm grateful to be part of it.