DANCE: A breed apart

Parker Lutz, left, and Sarah Michelson

In recent years, no choreographer has been more imitated than Manchester, England–born Sarah Michelson, 41, who’s making her debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in October with Dogs—a work she’s keeping cloaked in secrecy (this is typical for her). Parker Lutz, Michelson’s visual collaborator, will perform in the dance, which was commissioned for the Harvey Theater, along with Jennifer Howard and Greg Zuccolo. And that’s all the info you’re going to get, for now.

Michelson on the perils of making a dance with a chronic hip injury: I suddenly realized that I was saying to my dancers, “You could kick the other leg. I can just only kick this leg.” It’s kind of hilarious.

On quitting while she’s ahead: In some very deep way, I feel like Dogs is my final dance, but I don’t know if that will manifest or if I’ll go and work on So You Think You Can Dance. This definitely feels like a landmark. I’m so injured, and that has coincided with this moment in my career. It feels like a message.

The Sisyphean factor: This is the hardest dance I’ve ever made. I’ve always been a person who tries to accomplish something and then takes away the accomplishment to see what my actual potential is. In a weird way, that’s it: I don’t know if I’m even talented or skilled. I am very unsatisfied with repeating, and my agenda changes every time. I think I want to find out how far I can go.

The current agenda: All I know is that Dogs is really about being a dance maker. I’ve made work that I’m very proud of, but then I have to question it: Can I cut it? Am I a dance maker? I know I’m not Balanchine, but where do I stand in relationship to that? I’m not formally trained. I just have this drive and love for this form—it has tormented me, and it has been everything to me.—Gia Kourlas

Dogs is at BAM Harvey Theater October 18–21.

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