Aimee takes the stage for the very first time with OpenStage in DANCE NATION!
Tell us about yourself! What theatre or other experiences did you have in this discipline before working on this show?
I had family members that were in the performing arts so I kind of grew up in the theater. I have been performing since I was 6. I went to a performing arts college and was lucky enough to start working right out of college, performing with various companies through the San Francisco Bay Area and the Phoenix Valley. I also was a children's dance instructor for many years.
What is something you spend your free time doing, outside of theatre?
I like to garden and work on arts & crafts.
How did you hear about OpenStage?
My fiancé is an OpenStage company member and introduced me to the Company.
What compelled you to audition for this show?
I was actually in a staged reading of Dance Nation a few years ago at a Theater company in Arizona so I was already familiar with the show.
What has been your favorite part of rehearsals so far?
Getting to create art with a group of such wonderfully powerful women.
What has been the most challenging aspect of rehearsals for this show?
It's been pretty smooth sailing so far (knocks on wood)
What is your favorite character from the show (other than your own)? Why is that one your favorite?
There is something so relatable about each of these characters it's hard to pick just one but I would have to say Ashlee because her monologue is so beautifully raw and the character and I have some shared personal experiences.
Why is Dance Nation important? What do you hope audiences will get out of it?
It's absolutely fearless! It deals with the objectification of young girls’ bodies, while simultaneously leaving space for the dancers to vocalize their ambitions, fears, and internal dilemmas allowing them to own who they are and who they will become without apology. It is a story about navigating female-hood in our society and all the expectations that come along with that. It also deals with the thrill and toxicity of the competitive dance world.
What is your favorite role you’ve played in the past?
It's a three-way tie between Mina in Dracula the Musical, Cheryl in Evil Dead the Musical, or The Witch in Into The Woods.
What is your favorite play or musical?
Hunchback of Notre Dame The Musical and We Will Rock You are two of my favorites however I have been obsessed with Ride The Cyclone lately.
What projects are you working on next?
Nothing in the works yet.
What is your dream role or dream show to work on?
Hunchback of Notre Dame or Chicago.
By Clare Barron
Directed by Heather Ostberg Johnson
May 11–May 26, 2024
Playing at Outrun Parkour (2026 Bear Mountain Dr #117, Fort Collins)
Come see Aimee take the stage in "DANCE NATION" May 11- May 26!
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. But more is at stake than a first-place trophy: puberty, friendship, rivalry, and girls becoming women, to be exact. Fangs come out as the competition heats up, and the blood, sweat, and tears get very real. Portrayed by adult actors of all ages, these adolescent girls (and one boy) struggle with their tween confusion—and their future adult selves. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Dance Nation is a play about ambition, growing up, and how to find our souls in the heat of it all.
Content Warning: Dance Nation contains gore, coarse language, depictions of self-harm, simulated masturbation, and descriptions of: masturbation, sex, and sexual violence. May not be suitable for patrons under the age of 18.