Tristan, a new addition to Project. B., has been a part of the rehearsal process for the preparation of Sol y Sombra which premieres on February 17-18 at the Garage.
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Where are you from?
Ventura, California
Where did you study?
I started with jazz and tap (and even a bit of Scottish Highland dancing) at a local studio. Once I got more serious about ballet, I started to commute down to Westside Ballet in Santa Monica. It was run by two former members of the Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet, and the training was excellent. I used to do my homework in the backseat of the car while my mom drove me down. I also came up here for the summer sessions at the San Francisco Ballet School. Looking back, I think those summers were the beginning of my very deep and very fond attachment to the San Francisco dance community.
There were only two ballet classes a week at Stanford when I was a student, so I took Cal Train up to the city to take open classes at LINES. I also started to explore modern dance with Diane Frank's very rigorous and pure technique class at Stanford.
What got you into dancing?
I have really bad asthma and couldn't play outdoor sports when I was little, so my mom started me in dance classes. I loved it. She and I used to take tap classes together.
What dancer(s) or people inspire you?
So many! Not the least of which is the group of dancers in Sol y Sombra... they are serious about the work, serious about their art, and yet don't take themselves too seriously. I feel like I should be paying to participate in the rehearsals, not the reverse.
What inspires you to keep on dancing?
The fact that I am a bad and insufferable person when I don't.
Who are your role models?
My mom, for her unwavering ability to find joy in life's simplest pleasures. My husband, Mark, for his emotional generosity and clarity. And Kara Davis and Tianne Frias for their curiosity, their passion, and the way they constantly reinvent themselves.
Outside of dancing professionally, do you have any hobbies or other interests?
Tango tango tango.
Have you ever used your talents for the good of the community?
Not nearly enough. I recently taught a modern dance workshop in Kolkata (Calcutta). The level ranged from classically trained professional dancers to victims of sex trafficking who had never taken a formal dance class but had come to dance as a form of healing. It was an amazing experience. I would like to incorporate that type of community service into my life, hopefully sooner rather than later.
What was your most embarrassing dance moment?
It's a tie between the time my leg fell asleep onstage and I had to do the waltz in Sleeping Beauty by dragging it around, and the time I was doing a site specific work with Robert (Moses). It was at the needle exchange behind Safeway, and we were supposed to-- well, blend in. I wore some holey pants and a huge, hygienically challenged coat. During one of the shows, I heard someone gasp and say, "Tristan! WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?!" It was my mom.
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