Interview with Drew Scammell
Q&A with our CMI Dance Company member, Drew Scammell
Through dance, Drew Scammell found a way to feel free.
As a teen in upstate New York, he discovered his passion for the artform after joining a ballet class, and has continued dancing ever since.
He got involved with Capitol Movement in 2022 and credits the studio for allowing him to continue the activity as an adult even as other priorities — like friends, family and his nine-to-five job at a science nonprofit working to advance diversity and equity in the STEM field — also take up his time.
Drew’s love of the artform shines through in his performances, and he said Capitol Movement has allowed him to meet and experience dancing with people from all different walks of life. He said he finds inspiration and fulfillment in his fellow dancers at CMI, and feels the studio helped him overcome feelings of self-doubt.
How did you get your start in dance?
I’m originally from Saratoga Springs, New York. I’m the middle of three brothers and my parents put us all in sports when we were young, like baseball and basketball. My brothers really stuck to them, but I knew it wasn’t for me. However, there was something about this idea of performance that always excited me.
When I was 16, I told my dad that I didn’t want to keep going with the traditional sports that he and my brothers played. He said “That’s fine, but you need to do something you can commit to.” That is when I first started taking ballet once a week and my involvement in dance has only grown from there.
What do you think dance represents culturally at this moment?
It’s interesting, I see it through two lenses — one as a mover and another as a choreographer. I’m very intrigued by the physical embodiment of current affairs and social movements, in addition to physical properties and concepts. Just as any art form takes something and expresses it through the art’s chosen medium, how can we take various phenomena and put them onto a physical body?
To pull from one experience, a lot of work I did with a previous fellowship was taking a certain set of movements and putting it on different bodies, and seeing how that shifts the audience’s perspective (i.e. comparing perceptions of movement on a Black femme-presenting body to a White androgynous body).
How do you think dance differs from other artforms as a vehicle for storytelling?
It may seem obvious, but I think dance differs from the others through its usage of the human body as the vessel for the art. While oil-based paints may be used for studio art or instruments for music, the body is intrinsic to dance. Dance takes our bodies and uses them to convey a message, feeling, or theme in a uniquely sentient way. That is what makes dance such an astounding and transcendent artform to me, especially in regard to storytelling.
How did you get started with Capitol Movement?
I began this year for their 2022-2023 season after my friend Margaux introduced me. It was wonderful to see so many working adults continue to dance through means that work for them, a fantastic opportunity that CMI provides.
Last year I saw Capitol Movement had open auditions. I feel like it clicked at the right time where there was this opportunity to dance with other adults working on a schedule — people just trying to keep movement in their lives in an exciting way. It's been a really enjoyable process to see people with all different careers and accomplishments come together in this one unified space to simply move, to expose the passion that they have.
What specific experiences from your time with Capitol Movement stand out to you?
At this year’s CMI performance during the Intersections festival, I remember watching a trio perform to “Motiv8” by J. Cole. That piece brought such joy to my heart and in that moment, I felt pure gratitude. I was so thankful to see three stunning individuals move the way they did and I was proud to be a part of a community with inspiring dancers.
Another experience was when we had a workshop with Cat Cogliandro. Whenever there's an opportunity for collaboration with a new, fresh outside force, I soak that up like a sponge. I really appreciate that Capitol Movement provides this opportunity where we can bring in people outside of the D.C. dance community as a source for fresh inspiration that we can absorb and mold for ourselves.
How does the D.C. dance scene compare to your past experiences as a dancer?
By the end of my collegiate dance experience, I was really comfortable with the people I danced with and my positioning, but once I came to D.C. and entered a new space, going to auditions or dancing with new people, it was like imposter syndrome. These are some phenomenal, incredible dancers, so I wondered if I even belonged. What I have found especially with Capitol Movement is that the barricade that I put up for myself is immediately torn down by the people in those spaces. They make room for everyone that's there regardless of ability or if you have the “X factor.”
What advice would you tell a younger person looking to enter dance?
Anything you have a semblance of interest in, just go for it. Dance is an art form. View it as such and as a way to express yourself in whatever way feels authentic to you, knowing that all forms of expression are valid in dance. Your body is your body and there is no “right” or “wrong” way as to how you should move it.
Use dance as a way to set your own goals as opposed to comparing yourself to what others are trying to get out of it. All of this is to say that dance has allowed me to become in tune with my body in ways I never even imagined. I am forever grateful for what dance has given me and I wish the same for every single person out there.
