Spotlight On

Roulette catches up with artist Jessica Cook for a quick Q+A. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

I am a choreographer living in Brooklyn for 12 years; grew up in Durham, North Carolina. I studied Dance at SUNY Purchase and moved to Bushwick in 2005, where I made costume-based performance and worked with a slew of choreographers in the city. I have collaborated with various Roulette-affiliated artists over the years including Matt Mehlan in UUMANS, Jessica Ray, Stephe Cooper in EAGLEAGER, and Kyli Kleven. I drink a lot of coffee, collect a lot of garbage, and take a lot of videos. Becoming a real New York rat!

Describe the project you are developing for Roulette.

I’m creating a sound score using repetitive movement patterns paired with found objects and materials that become layered, amplified, and distorted over time. It’s a trio with Katie Dean, Ayano Elson, and myself. I am figuring out how to create various sculptures with sound, bodies, objects / architectures that all incrementally warp and recontextualize atop an island made of paper and foam.

What is your first musical memory?

My Dad playing a busted zildjan cymbal around the house.

What is your favorite Roulette memory?

Playing next to Greg Fox and his metal band in MUSICIRCUS. I did a soft / sad / quiet duet — it was a good combo.

What’s your absolute favorite place in the city to be and why?

McGolrick Park in Greenpoint. Lots of coffee options, Romanesque columns, good dog / owner combos, and shameless squirrels.

What artists are you interested in right now?

Eva Hesse, Alma Thomas, Alice Coltrane, Whitney Houston, and my sister Sheryl Cook — she does it all.

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Jessica Cook performs Dog Flats alongside Ayano Elson and Katie Dean during Roulette’s ongoing [DANCEROULETTE] series, taking place February 6-7, 2018.