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Joshua Peugh’s name is becoming familiar to those in the dance scene both here in Dallas and the wider world. With the amount of recognition he has received over the last year, it’s safe to say that Peugh and his dance company, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, are having a pretty good year so far.
Peugh, a graduate of Southern Methodist University’s dance program, was recently named one of Dance Magazine‘s “25 to Watch” for in 2015 and was on every “Best of 2014” list in Dallas. Needless to say, Peugh has garnered quite the following and his company’s recent show at the newly renovated Erma Lowe Hall at Texas Christian University had a sold-out weekend. So what’s next for Peugh, aside from his teaching responsibilities at his alma mater? He will be choreographing Colossal at the Dallas Theater Center.
How did you first find your way into your craft?
When I was about 3, my parents took me to The Nutcracker. Apparently, I was mesmerized, and they signed me up for classes at our local dance academy.
What has been your motivation to pursue the career you have chosen?
Ever since I was a little boy, I have always wanted to put on a show. My parents constantly had to tell me, “No show today.” I guess I’m motivated by the need to tell stories through movement. I’ve never been able to sit still, which is ultimately why I left the Universal Ballet Company [which is based in Seoul, South Korea] where I was dancing professionally, and founded Dark Circles. I wanted to tell more “undressed” human stories.
If you had to describe your aesthetic in five words or fewer, what would they be?
Simple, pure, transparent. This is my mantra. I repeat it to myself constantly. If I had to add two more words, I’d add authentic and human. Movement is the most basic form of human communication. It is the perfect language to communicate with when words are unavailable or insufficient. It allowed me to communicate while I lived in South Korea and it has allowed Dark Circles to share stories with people all over the world.
What in your daily life inspires you?
Everything! I get inspiration from the music playing at my favorite coffee shop, from street signs, from people watching. I get a lot of ideas from photography; I try to imagine what surrounds the moment that was captured.
What brought you to Dallas, and what is keeping you living, working and creating here?
Southern Methodist University brought me to Dallas as an undergrad. Bruce Wood brought me back to Dallas as an adult. Dallas is an exciting place to be right now. There are quite a few of us both in Dallas and in Fort Worth making a real effort to build the local dance community and make the area a hub for new, innovative ideas as well as for artistic excellence. I think it’s very important to push locally made and produced work.
What’s one art trend you want to see die this year?
There are plenty of trends (particularly in dance) that upset me, but I wonder if what I like would be as likable without the trash to balance it?
What is your biggest dream for the Dallas dance scene?
That we would be able to pay artists a good enough salary to keep them in the area (or draw them to it); one large enough that they would be able to concentrate on their art as their primary source of income. Creating fantasies for people to get lost in is important work. People love people and people love stories. Creating these sorts of jobs shouldn’t be as difficult as it seems to be.
If a mystery patron offers you unlimited funds for life, what will you do with it?
The first thing I’d do is pay my dancers the salary they deserve for their passionate, generous work. The second is continue to create more programming that reaches broader audiences both locally and internationally. I’d take the company back to Korea to show the dancers where its roots are and reconnect with our Korean branch. I’d keep creating and wondering about why we do what we do.
100 Creatives:
100. Theater Mastermind Matt Posey
99. Comedy Queen Amanda Austin
98. Deep Ellum Enterpriser Brandon Castillo
97. Humanitarian Artist Willie Baronet
96. Funny Man Paul Varghese
95. Painting Provocateur Art Peña
94. Magic Man Trigg Watson
93. Enigmatic Musician George Quartz
92. Artistic Luminary Joshua King
91. Inventive Director Rene Moreno
90. Color Mavens Marianne Newsom and Sunny Sliger
89. Literary Lion Thea Temple
88. Movie Maestro Eric Steele
87. Storytelling Dynamo Nicole Stewart
86. Collaborative Artist Ryder Richards
85. Party Planning Print maker Raymond Butler
84. Avant-gardist Publisher Javier Valadez
83. Movie Nerd James Wallace
82. Artistic Tastemakers Elissa & Erin Stafford
81. Pioneering Arts Advocates Mark Lowry & Michael Warner
80. Imaginative Director Jeremy Bartel
79. Behind-the-Scenes Teacher Rachel Hull
78. Kaleidoscopic Artist Taylor “Effin” Cleveland
77. Filmmaker & Environmentalist Michael Cain
76. Music Activist Salim Nourallah
75. Underground Entrepreneur Daniel Yanez
74. Original Talent Celia Eberle
73. Comic Artist Aaron Aryanpur
72. Classical Thespian Raphael Parry
71. Dance Captain Valerie Shelton Tabor
70. Underground Culture Mainstay Karen X. Minzer
69. Effervescent Gallerist Brandy Michele Adams
68. Birthday Party Enthusiast Paige Chenault
67. Community Architect Monica Diodati
66. Intrepid Publisher Will Evans
65. Writerly Wit Noa Gavin
64. Maverick Artist Roberto Munguia
63. Fresh Perspective Kelsey Leigh Ervi
62. Virtuosic Violinist Nathan Olson
61. Open Classical’s Dynamic Duo Mark Landson & Patricia Yakesch
60. Rising Talent Michelle Rawlings
59. Adventurous Filmmaker Toby Halbrooks
58. Man of Mystery Edward Ruiz
57. Inquisitive Sculptor Val Curry
56. Offbeat Intellect Thomas Riccio
55. Doers and Makers Shannon Driscoll & Kayli House Cusick
54. Performance Pioneer Katherine Owens
53. Experimental Filmmaker and Video Artist Mike Morris
52. Flowering Fashioner Lucy Dang
51. Insightful Artist Stephen Lapthisophon
50. Dallas Arts District
49. Farmer’s Market Localvore Sarah Perry
48. Technological Painter John Pomara
47. Progressive Playmakers Christopher Carlos & Tina Parker
46. Purposive Chef Chad Houser
45. Absorbing Artist Jeff Gibbons
44. Artistic Integrator Erica Felicella
43. Multi-talented Director Tre Garrett
42. Anachronistic Musician Matt Tolentino
41. Emerging Veteran Actor Van Quattro
40. Festival Orchestrator Anna Sophia van Zweden
39. Literary Framer Karen Weiner
38. Man Behind the Music Gavin Mulloy
37. The Godfather of Dallas Art Frank Campagna
36. Rising Star Adam A. Anderson
35. Artist Organizer Heyd Fontenot
34. Music Innovator Stefan Gonzalez
33. Triple Threat Giovanni Valderas
32. Cultural Connector Lauren Cross
31. Critical Artist Thor Johnson
30. Delicate Touch Margaret Meehan
29. Fashion Forward Charles Smith II
28. Dedicated Artist Carolyn Sortor
27. Political Cyber Banksy Wylie H Dallas
26. Dance Preserver Lisa Mesa Rogers
25. Rob ‘Ain’t No Creative Like A Bow-Tie-Wearing Creative’ Shearer
24. Scholar of the Stage Susan Sargeant
23. Photographer of Record Justin Terveen
22. Music Man Jeffrey Liles
21. Keeper of the Safe Room Lauren Gray
20. Playwright Jonathan Norton, Man of Many Words
19. Filmmaker and Funniest Comic in Texas Linda Stogner
18. Gallerist Jordan Roth, the Art Scene Cheerleader
17. Artful Advocate Vicki Meek
16. Ballet Queen Katie Puder
15. Carlos Alejandro Guajardo-Molina, the Book Guy
14. Janeil Engelstad, an Artist with Purpose
13. Will Power, Playwright and Mentor
12. Gallerists Gina & Dustin Orlando, Boundary Pushers
11. Moody Fuqua, Music Community Organizer
