The voice still sounds the same after all these years. I first interviewed Kristofer Storey back in 1994 as a 17-year-old senior who was setting his sights on the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and maybe a role in a Broadway show. I remarked on his “deep, slow-as-molasses voice.” As it turns out that voice has served him well.
The Homewood native was back in Pittsburgh to set one of his dance works, “Stimela,” on Point Park University’s Conservatory Dance Company. “Stimela” will appear on the “Pittsburgh Connections” program, on view this weekend and next, along with works by Marissa Balzer, Jeffrey Bullock and Patrick Frantz.
It was fun to catch up on things with Storey. As it turned out, Juilliard was “not easy for the ego and not easy for the mind,” but it served as his first introduction to techniques found in Martha Graham and Jose Limon, among others. The young, hard-core ballet dancer from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Schenley program soon became well-versed in modern dance.
Upon graduation, he had to turn down an offer from a “Lion King” audition because he had just secured a contract with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. However, he was told to come back “when you get tired of concert dance and want to make a real paycheck.”
The Ailey’s heavy touring schedule only whet his appetite for more. Storey left the company after three years to free-lance and perform with Donald Byrd and Mark Morris, in addition to teaching and choreographing.
But those were the years after September 11 and Storey was ready to explore something new outside the U.S. Through Juilliard he hooked up with American choreographer Kevin O’Day at Mannheim National Theater in Germany. (Yes, that’s the same O’Day who choreographed for PBT’s “Indigo in Motion” and Sting projects.) He also would perform with former PBT expatriates Terence Marling and Lauren Schulz.”It was new for everybody,” Storey recalls. “There was a lot of passion involved.”
Not knowing anything about Mannheim, he bought a Lonely Planet Guide, which told him that it was “not one of the ten nicest cities in Germany.” Mostly destroyed in World War II, it boasted a lot of new construction. But if it wasn’t the prettiest, Storey enjoyed the city’s energy and its central location in Europe.
During his travels, he met his wife, Miriam, who lived in Hamburg. And he decided to see if “Lion King” would make good on the offer so many years ago.Before he say Mufasa, Storey was placed in the Hamburg production in Germany. Since he was already 30 he had the option of making the transition to vocalist. Although Storey had taken a few vocal lessons at Juilliard, he learned on the job, standing next to South African singers who “in essence, had been singing from the womb.”
Storey has been with the company for eight years (yes, “Lion King” translates well into German),
working his way up the ladder. Now he not only performs, but is learning the artistic end of things with the organization.
It’s been a blessing for his family. While Storey’s wife is attending school working on a degree in psychology, he is able to spend the days with his daughter, Jona, now 2. And he always had vacation time to come back to Pittsburgh and visit with his mom.
The timing was right for “Pittsburgh Connections” and to revisit some other personal connections. So he pulled on his choreographic experience, which included a prize-winning work for Chicago’s Hubbard Street 2, to set “Stimela” on the CDC students.
Inspired by Hugh Masakela’s music, Storey composed a piece about the men who travel from countries all around South Africa. They board coal trains to get to Johannesburg, where they work for pennies a day. “It’s a symbol for tearing apart the African family and community,” he says.
“Stimela” also questions Africa’s debt. Storey’s political views come into play as he notes how many countries built their wealth on the backs of African slaves, including the United States. “Who will pay that African debt?” he asks.
Storey himself still has many questions and is ready to find the answers. But for now, it’s good to redevelop his realtionship with Pittsburgh.
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