American Dance Festival Made in NC Choreographer Tracey Durbin – Interview

Put your hand on your heart and listen to the sound of your soul.

This is an admonition that choreographer and dance teacher Tracey Durbin recounts that her teacher, the jazz dance legend Luigi (Eugene Louis Faccuito), used to open his every class.   Now dancing at 70 and beyond, she says she brings all of her life experiences to dance, and wants her students to do the same.

Durbin’s life experiences in the dance world are considerable.  American Dance Festival recaps the highlights in this summary—

Tracey Durbin moved to Durham from Portland, OR, where she was an integral part of the Portland dance scene for 25 years. She began her training with Julie Adler in Detroit and at Interlochen. Tracey trained under Eugene Louis Faccuito, “Luigi,” one of his generation’s most famous international jazz teachers. The Luigi technique and philosophy became the foundation of her teaching. Tracey has choreographed and taught for Northwest Dance Project, Body Vox Dance, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Reed College.

She was one of four choreographers chosen for the Northwest Dance Project’s Chopin Project with acclaimed pianist Yekwon Sunwoo and is also a featured artist in the book Beauty is Experience: Dancing 50 and Beyond. Tracey currently teaches at NC State, Ninth Street Dance, and ADF.

Durbin is now a North Carolina denizen who says she loves the people and nature in NC, which now feels like home. She is also one of the four North Carolina-based artists commissioned to create new works by the American Dance Festival that will premiere at the June 17, 2026 Made in NC performance.

Here, Picture This Post (PTP) asks Tracey Durbin (TD) about her upcoming performance that she titles All Along the Watchtower.

(PTP) Why did you choose this piece for your ADF commission?

(TD) When Jodee (Jodee Nimerichter, Executive Director of ADF) emailed me to participate in Made in NC I immediately began digging for music to build a score. I found a lush piece of music to open. It led me to feel the beginning of a love story. One that speaks to the struggle, disengagement, and desires of modern life.

What do you hope people take away from this performance?

I want the audience to feel what the dancers feel and go on an emotional journey with them.
When I worked with the dancers we dug deep to weave their personal stories, struggles and joy
into the movement . Hopefully this will touch on universal feelings about love, life and
navigating a changing world.