Genevieve O’Keeffe

Get to know Genevieve

How and why did you become a professional dancer?

“My mum has told me the story that when I was a very young child, I made a badge to attach to my clothes and wear around the house. This badge has a drawing of a painter’s pallet, my declaration to the world that I was an artist. Although I have been interested in pursuing many things, my initial decision to align myself with all things creative and self-expressive still feels right.

From a young age I took great pride in being a dancer. I felt special to be part of a community pursing something difficult and beautiful. I had a reverence for dance that was probably intense for a child but became normal and admired over time.
Each step I’ve made towards a professional career hasn’t felt inevitable. Coming from a remote city I felt like the smallest fish in a big and unknown pond. I never assumed I would be successful but felt strongly compelled to continue in any way that I could. I felt I had nothing to lose in trying, being vulnerable and willing to fail.
I knew I could be happy and successful in another career but I really wanted this one. I wanted to continue the trajectory I was on and connect with the people who must feel similarly to me.
Becoming a professional dancer has felt like a series of becoming and arriving. Each step in my non-linear path has felt like a leap, and I’ve felt such a sense of pride and reflection every time I’ve stretched what I thought I could do.
I’ve had feasible ambitions and dream like ambitions. At one point those destinations merged in a way that continues to feel remarkable to me.”

What is it about NDT that inspires/challenges/deepens your artistry?

“The culture at NDT feels to me distinct and unique. There is dedication towards art that feels sincerely shared and uncompromised, not only in the studio but as a community, extending into all parts of production and also our audience. It is understood that what we are doing is important, and this offers a sense of recognition to the stakes and urgency I feel when dancing.
In the studio I am often put in situations where I need to reframe, let go, attempt and make my own clear decisions. I have the space and pressure to cultivate the artist I am curious to be, and can observe and appreciate my colleagues on the same path. The environment of NDT is a gathering of brilliant people and simply the proximity alone inspires me to discover and ask more of myself.”

How do you think art impacts your personal life and the way you view the world?

“I find it really beautiful to observe the way people dedicate themselves to art, both as makers and observers. It’s brave for someone to make a piece of art and put it into the world, to be vulnerable with their ideas, and I admire that act of giving. I find a lot of joy in observing the simple choices people have made to communicate and curate their point of view.
In my own life the consumption of art serves as a counterpoint to feeling lost or disillusioned. I see art as a bid for connection and retrospection, a way to shift my perspective when my lens becomes too wide or narrow.
Dance in particular continues to ground me and fill my cup. Confirming that people are generous and curious, reflective and collective. On small scales we problem solve, share and support each other. Bare our souls, laugh, challenge physics and our anatomy while we work towards potentially arbitrary goals, with great satisfaction and reward.”