Dancing
Tap
At 10, I decided I wanted to be a drummer. But I quickly discovered that gaining access to the drum set in middle school band required getting past the boys who told me I was a girl, so I should play the glockenspiel. Which I did.
But when I was in college, I went to see Stomp in the theater district of Boston. I was so excited by the high-energy percussive dancing, I signed up for a tap dance class. For the next ten years, I tapped on-and-off while starting a “real” career as a high school history teacher. As teaching became too time-consuming, and life-sucking, tap class was the one hour a week I devoted to myself. Tap dancing required so much focus and was so fun, I forgot about my tough job and found pure joy.
Then a chain of events completely changed my life. My teacher, Jacob Stonebraker, was cast in Tap Dogs. Watching him embark on the adventure he’d been training for his whole life inspired me, and made me believe I might reach for more than a once-a-week class. I screwed up the courage to attend the Big Apple Tap festival. Sitting in that studio in New York, I realized, more than anything in the world, I just wanted to dance. So, I resolved that day to quit my soul-sucking day job, and become a dancer.
Ballet
Like many girls, I tried a ballet class when I was 5. I noticed that some girls had little tutus and cute leotards, while I didn’t. I asked my mom for a tutu. She said “no.” I said “I quit.” And yet, I still eyed both tap and ballet as I grew. And grow I did — to be a whopping 6’2”, which ruled out (according to my mom) acting, ballet, and being a flight attendant.
But when I was all grown up (in my early 30s), I fell into ballet class because I wanted to learn how to coordinate my arms with my legs for my tap dancing. It was instant love, thanks to instructor Andrew Thompson. A few years later I found Broche Ballet and learned that 6’2” was an asset, not a liability, and I have never felt more beautiful or capable.
I got my first pair of pointe shoes in my mid 30s which felt like a dream come true! I never thought I would put a pair of those on. Ballet taught me to love my body, to stand tall, to work on stretching and strengthening, to eat right, and to express myself through movement. It has been a difficult journey, and I still have a tremendously long way to go, but it’s been absolutely worth the struggle.
Performance
There are no upcoming performances.
Past Performances
“Shoes”
Reykjavik Fringe Festival 2023
Denver Fringe Festival 2023
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022
Interdisciplinary dance artist, Kristen Helen Poppe, explores defining yourself when you feel undefinable. This 40-minute solo show queers the boundaries of the boxes society places us in, in terms of our gender, our careers, and even how we dance. Tap, Irish, Flatfooting, Ballet, and Contemporary dance accompany 5 pairs of shoes and a bit of storytelling about this dancer’s queer dance journey.
Shows with Terpsichorean
Filmmaking
Film Festivals
Commission Projects
If you are interested in working with me on a project, please get in touch via the contact form! I have made half a dozen dance films with students — on location in interesting places, in the home, even as a remote collaboration! I can film/edit a dance you already have choreographed, or bring you through the entire process from choreography to the final product!
Educational Videos
