Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Van Meter Burch.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started dancing at a very young age and it has always been a huge part of my life. I never quite fit the dancer’s mold. I didn’t have the stereotypical build in order to pursue a career with larger dance companies. I danced with a few smaller companies while teaching and choreographing.
I got married very young and ended up going back to college to get my AA in Religion. I’ve always been a woman of faith & studying, delving deeper into my own ideology, as well as studying other ideologies was something I knew would have a place in my future. After the birth of our son, I went back to school to finish my BA in Dance with a minor in religion.
I was not the “typical” college dance student being ten to twelve years older than my fellow students at the time, as well as being married with a new baby. I was also commuting an hour each way to and from school. I breastfed my son through the majority of my time in school, pumping in between classes. It was a unique perspective to have as a college dance student in my thirties.
I injured my knee, which made it difficult to stay active. Despite this, I was able to heal and graduate, but it left me immobile for a time. This is when I started taking my photography more seriously. I started Avy Photography back in 2018.
Shortly after, I started pondering ways to put my degree to work. I’ve always had a love for dance composition and connecting people to resources. I found myself wishing there was a place I could go with bodies to create work on, other professionals to enjoy making work with, and a community of support in order to elevate that work. I started putting the word out on social media for our first season wondering if anyone would ever be interested in this idea. I was surprised to find quite a few artists were looking for the exact same thing.
In April of 2019, Central Florida Choreographers Collaboration was born. We began with five Project Choreographers. Talented dance community leaders who were ready to create something beautiful. We planned to produce a stage performance in the fall of 2020. Then we all know what happened next. A global pandemic derailed those plans. We took a little time to re-evaluate what was possible during this crazy time. Being a photographer, and having access to camera equipment I asked them if they would be interested in making a dance film instead, rather than calling a quits for the season. They were all on board.
We began casting for their individual projects through video auditions and in October of 2020 we released our first production, “2020 Dance Film”. The film consisted of six dance film projects compiled into one. We released it on our website for two weeks. It ended up doing very well and we loved the process. There was so much wonderful feedback of artists so grateful to have a place to create and be a part of something special during this very difficult time in world history.
Our second season doubled in size with ten Project Choreographers. We produced another dance film with thirteen projects this time in collaboration with over seventy artists. To date, we have had several film projects go on to be shown in film festivals worldwide and even win awards. This season we have decided it’s time to get back to the stage, planning for both films and live performances this year.
I am so grateful for all the artists who have been a part of creating this platform with their incredible work. We have been able to do some amazing things in these last few years, producing work, connecting the community, providing resources for artists, and it has even led to jobs for some. It’s been incredible to blend so many different art mediums into one place. We welcome all different kinds of artists, who are open to collaborating with a dance focus.
Musicians, composers, singers, actors, poets, photographers, videographers, painters, sculptors, costume designers, make-up artists, lighting designers, set designers, stage managers, graphic artists, and more are all welcome to collaborate with us.
As we continue to grow locally every season, we get many requests from artists internationally wanting to get involved. This has prompted us to prepare a global endeavor that is still in the works hopefully to be released in the near future.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think anything worth having is delivered on a smooth road. There are always obstacles and kinks to work out. We are experimental by nature and the concept of CFCC is still evolving.
The adversity that we have faced in the arts due to the pandemic, being a startup company that doesn’t bring in any income, and balancing family are not without their challenges. However, the lessons we are learning from every bump and every experience whether positive or negative are invaluable.
I have loved the relationships we have made with artists of all experience levels and backgrounds. There are many wonderful people that I have worked with and continue to work with. I also get the added bonus of being a part of a small step in their careers. It’s been so rewarding and I feel that I am fulfilling a big part of my purpose.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a Christian, I am passionate about my faith in Jesus Christ. I don’t separate my faith from any part of my life. He is the reason, I am so blessed to be able to do all these things.
In a world where people are searching for identity and long to be loved and encouraged, I feel a beckoning to create art that meets a need in people’s lives. I usually pull ideas, inspiration, and artful messages from spiritual topics and practices. This is where most of my focus is, as an artist. Aside from giving artists a place to create, I want to instill messages of hope.
I want to spread kindness. I want to make someone’s day. People need that right now. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I’ve learned many lessons from the Covid crisis. It gave me an opportunity to be creative with my life and with my business. It was an opportunity to learn many new skills and how to apply them to this company. It also highlighted the importance to remain a positive presence in the lives of those I come into contact with.
That isn’t always easy to do feel the weight of your own burdens, but this crisis has revealed so much about the resiliency of the human spirit. It’s also brought to light many things we may not like in our community brothers and sisters. However, our reaction and choices going forward is a reflection of our own character, not our judgment on theirs.
Character building is something we focus on a lot in my house raising a young man and this has been another opportunity to model respectful and loving behavior towards others for my son.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@choreocollab.com
- Website: https://choreocollab.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cfchoreocollab
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/cfchoreocollab
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfchoreocollab
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/cfchoreocollab
- Other: https://vimeo.com/cfchoreocollab
Image Credits
Abigail Hinson, Alessandra Berrojo, Amparo Padilla, Ashley Draper, Corinne Hidar, Danielle Fudge, Hailey Rogers, Jillian Michaels, Josie Shelton, Lillian Checchio, Mariah Derby-Wine, Mary Roberts, Matthew Sommers, Morgan Bronk Lutz, Olivia Schmiedeke, Rebecca Van Gelder, Roselana Hermoso, Sabina Reilly, Samantha Cressman, Sammy Kedziora, Sera Milavetz, Sierra Rusnak, Sierra-Loren Chapman, Sydney Dobbins, and Xiomara Alfinez.
