Choreographer Annalee Traylor’s 11 Good Things

Every week, ArtsATL asks a member of the Atlanta arts community to share 11 things on their mind. We hope you enjoy getting to know these people better.

The daughter of two artists — a dancer and a musician — Annalee is a creator, choreographer, director and educator based in Atlanta. Her choreography has been commissioned and performed across the United States and internationally, reaching audiences in Los Angeles, New York City, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. During her residency as the 2023-24 Emory Arts Fellow in Dance, she conducted research on clowning and mimetic techniques, choreographed a new dance work this thing is real, and directed the avant-garde play, Other Shore. 

Here are Annalee’s 11 Good Things:

1. Smiling. Purely; simply. 

2. Community. Art-making is such a beautiful vehicle for community-making, and I cherish the community I have in Atlanta.

3. A live horns section. I will never forget hearing Blitz the Ambassador’s horns live and feeling overcome by emotion. I consistently am drawn to this powerful sound and am especially enraptured by a big band’s horn section.

4. Marlene Monteiro Freitas’ Bacchae: A Prelude to a Purge. I witnessed this dadaist-influenced performance piece by Portuguese choreographer Freitas in 2019 at BAM. I laughed, cried and was forever changed. It was one of those works that opened something inside of me and gave me permission.

5. 40 degree weather. A good winter coat coupled with the feeling of fresh, brisk air hitting my face is invigorating; I feel alive. Unexpected snow flurries make this weather an even more ecstatic experience. 

6. Cupping. I receive cupping from Dedric Carroll at Empirical Knead on Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue. This bodywork modality works wonders. 

7. Chieko Shimizu’s glass mosaic artwork. She’s an artist I have been following for years now. Her work transports me — the colors, vibrancy, detail, nuance, dimensionality. It evokes something in me on a deep soul level.

8. School of Rock, the movie. I grew up on classic rock. This movie brings out my inner child drummer, the me who is now an amateur adult drummer. I would probably be a drummer if I wasn’t a choreographer. 

9. Fall in Pittsburgh. Fall foliage in general, but Pittsburgh’s foliage is magical. It gives me a nostalgic feeling. 

10. Pudding (bread, banana, rice, chia, tapioca, vanilla). My preferred dessert. There is something about the texture and sweetness that I always go for. 

11. Stefan Wenta’s ballet classes. Some of my best dancing, memories and friendships came from my experiences in Stefan’s classes in Santa Monica, California. People from all walks of life, ages, backgrounds, experiences and cultures studied with him — it was a testament to his ability to bring people together through the art form. RIP Maestro.