Artist Statement

I've always envisioned a society in which: all people are recognized as viable and valuable; difference is upheld, not feared; increased understanding and communication take the place of isolation, alienation and lack of contact; people do not detach from their bodies because of external judgments and conventional standards they have internalized; people are encouraged to "own" and value their bodies; and a high standard of excellence is achieved through sustained work and focus.

I strive to create a private world onstage that the audience is drawn into. I love watching dancers so consumed by their tasks that they do not have the time to "act". I want to see the human being who is moving; to feel their fleeting emotions that respond to and inform the movements they're executing. I am fascinated by technical virtuosity but I am just as compelled by someone taking a risk, showing their vulnerability, being in a raw state. I like to play with the balance between control and out-of-control and love sheer frenetic muscular power. I love to "twitch" when I watch my dancers. Only then do I know they're feeling something and there is a visceral exchange.

From my work with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, through my partnership with Lawrence Goldhuber (who is much heavier than a typical dancer) and my twenty years coaching actors in movement, there has always been a common thread of working with unexpected bodies and social justice. My current body of work with disability and my mission to redefine virtuosity take this direction to another level.  The work also embodies my belief system and has opened up a whole other world to me politically and artistically.

Organizational Mission

HEIDI LATSKY DANCE (HLD) is a dance company that supports the educational, artistic, and outreach projects of Heidi Latsky.

The mission is to bring contemporary dance to a broad audience in a visceral and emotional way with performers whose unique attributes, physical and otherwise, are honored and utilized in highly dynamic, virtuosic and provocative ways; and to expose people to alternative ways of looking at their lives through community programs that emphasize discourse, experiential risk-taking and body work.

Organizational Vision

HLD envisions a society where:

• all bodies are recognized as viable, fascinating and expressive instruments;
• difference is upheld, not feared;
• increased understanding and communication take the place of isolation, alienation and lack of contact;
• people learn to "live in" their own skin and do not detach from their bodies because of external and internally assimilated judgments and conventional standards;
• one is encouraged to "own" one's body, value it and use it to be expressive and truthful in ways that are empowering, enriching and unique;
• a strong work ethic is valued and implemented;
• and a high standard of excellence is not only desired but is achieved through sustained work and focus.