Juneau-raised dancer to perform at Super Bowl

Leading up to the Super Bowl, Genevieve Carson practices with an instrument from the Earth Harp Collective. (Photo courtesy Genevieve Carson)
Leading up to the Super Bowl, Genevieve Carson practices with an instrument from the Earth Harp Collective. (Photo courtesy Genevieve Carson)

Former Juneau resident Genevieve Carson is performing at the Super Bowl. The 29-year-old grew up dancing in the capital city and will be sharing the stage with musician William Close & The Earth Harp Collective during the NFL’s Super Bowl Tailgate Party in Arizona.

It’s not the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but it’s still a pretty big gig. Thousands will attend the invitation-only event just outside the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Seattle Seahawks will face off against the New England Patriots.

“Everything has been kind of just so go, go, go that I haven’t really had time to get nervous,” says Genevieve Carson, a professional modern dancer born and raised in Juneau. She’s choreographed pieces for four dancers, including herself, for a 3-hour performance prior to the big game.

“I’m more just, like, trying to get the job done and be levelheaded about everything because anxiety never helps me. So I’m just trying to stay focused,” she says.

In past years, Lenny Kravitz and The Fray have performed at the NFL Tailgate Party. This year it’s country singers Dierks Bentley and Gavin DeGraw, as well as William Close & The Earth Harp Collective.

Close is an installation artist and musician. His giant harp has strings that span hundreds of yards and fill the space he performs in. Carson and the other dancers will integrate into the band through dance, sometimes playing instruments.

Carson collaborated with designers to create costumes that she describes as epic and ethereal.

“They’re kind of like Burning Man chic, but also like elegant football warrior-esque type costumes. We have these shoulder pads that are also wings, and then we have crazy goggles that make us look like warrior bug creatures. Everything just makes us look larger than life,” Carson says.

Besides dancing, Carson will play the drum orb during the NFL's Superbowl Tail Gate Show. (Photo courtesy Genevieve Carson)
Besides dancing, Carson will play the drum orb during the NFL’s Superbowl Tail Gate Show. (Photo courtesy Genevieve Carson)

She started dancing at age 4 in the Janice D. Holst School of Dance. In middle school, she traveled out of state for Scottish Highland dance competitions. She was further trained at Juneau Dance Unlimited, now Juneau Dance Theatre, and was a member of the dance team at Juneau-Douglas High School. Carson got a degree in dance performance from Chapman University in Southern California.

She joined the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company in 2009. She’s choreographed several pieces for the company and performed at the Oscars last year.

For the tailgate party, Carson only had two weeks to get everything together.

“I like working like this, like in a pressure cooker. It’s exciting and I feel like the energy never dies,” Carson says.

While performing at the Super Bowl is a milestone in her career, Carson will soon start her dream job as artistic director of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company.

She isn’t sure if she and fellow dancers will get the opportunity to watch the Super Bowl from inside the stadium on Sunday. But no matter where she’s viewing the big game, Carson says she’ll be rooting for the Seahawks.

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