Introducing New West Coast Contributor Lara Wilson!

As we continue to expand our coverage across the country, I am excited to introduce another west coast correspondent: Lara Wilson. Hearkening from Michigan, Lara Wilson is a dancer, choreographer, dance filmmaker, and writer. She recently moved to Southern California from New York, where she graduated summa cum laude from The Ailey School/Fordham University with a B.F.A. in Dance in 2009. While in New York, Lara’s choreography was presented locally and internationally. She is excited to be pursuing her various callings in sunny Cali, where she is truly a DIY dancer.

We welcome Lara to our community of movers and shakers and look forward to her first post!

ART:  Performance or visual?  What place does art have in your life?

Art is my religion! I take this shit seriously. Art–performance, visual, whatever you got–is being able to say what you want in your own language. It doesn’t have to make sense, it doesn’t have to follow grammatical protocol, and it doesn’t have to please anyone. The amazing thing is that people can relate to it and understand it without words. Being a choreographer and dancer–knowing I am working towards building my own language–is what gets me up in the morning.

CRAFT:  Knit or Crochet or Other?  What is your craftiest project to date?

In high school I attempted to knit a bikini. I never finished it, though, and in one regrettable spring cleaning or something it disappeared. I kept looking for it, but never found it. Any knit or crochet projects I’ve taken up have been abandoned halfway through. It’s a curse.

 DESIGN:  Classical or modern?  What designer or architect inspires you the most?

I can appreciate both classical and modern design, but my personal aesthetic draws me toward the modern. I’m always reading about these amazing designers who are making all-glass houses perched on the side of some precarious cliff. I want to live in one of those.

 FOOD:  Salty or sweet?  Do you know how to make your favorite dish? (If so, please tell us in a blog!)

I have such a sweet tooth. That bakery Baked in Brooklyn has the most incredible brownies, and the recipe is Googleable. They are pure chocolate, egg, and butter.

THOUGHT:  Fiction or Nonfiction?  What form does the bulk of your own reading and/or writing take?

I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary fiction lately: Haruki Murakami, David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Franzen, Jose Saramago, etc. I love fiction, but I never write fiction. It feels like lying. I can‘t keep all the made-up details straight. I want to try again, though.

 FUN:  Where in the world do you want to go or be stranded?  What five things would be in your bag?

I could be stranded in Mexico pretty happily. I was in Baja a few weeks ago. You need a tent, a shovel, a book, a Spanish-English dictionary, and a bar of soap.

You can also find Lara at her website, on twitter @larawilsondance, and on tumblr.