We had the good fortune of connecting with Gavin Larsen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gavin, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I am continually inspired by other artists, whether they are in my field, adjacent to it, or working in a form completely unfamiliar to me. Watching other artists at work reinvigorates my own urge to create, to refine, to develop and produce.

Several years ago, I was awarded a fellowship at an arts foundation residency program and spent three months in the company of seven other artists– writers, painters, sculptors, mixed media creators– and although we were not obliged to share or work communally, we regularly came together to get to know each other and find out about what everyone else was focused on. That was the first time I heard myself, when asked “what do you do?” respond that I am a writer, and my work is about dance. Receiving the interest that my cohorts expressed on hearing that was such a powerful force. We exchanged glimpses of each others’ work, gave our reactions, and each time, I came away with the priceless gift of truly impartial, artistic feedback.

Today, reading other writers’ work, watching other dancers dance, watching my sister make waves with her photography, all these impressions validate my own work, reminding me that I, too, need to continue doggedly moving forward.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I became a professional ballet dancer at age 17, following ten years of training. After nearly 20 years of professional performing, I retired from the stage to focus on dance teaching and writing. Over the years since then, I have amassed a substantial portfolio of articles and essays, and one published book with another one in the pipeline.

None of it was ‘easy,’ but looking back, it all seemed inevitable. My dance training was simply a matter of keeping my focus on the everyday practice, with a long term vision of the rest of my life held off to the side. I had no interest in wavering from that daily grind– the misconception is that ballet training is brutal, painful, or self-sacrificing, but the truth is that the effort really is the reward. I felt those rewards on a physical level every day, so while it was never ever “easy,” it was also never what most people see as “hard.”

Writing has been the same. I began writing about dance because it’s the field I know the most about, and have the most interest in, and when others wanted to read more and more of what I was producing, I learned everything I could about how to do it better. And the practice of doing it made me better along the way.

Lessons I’ve learned are that you have to honor your instincts and resist any pressure to trust someone else’s over your own, especially when it comes to art. As a performer, I knew when I had danced well and when it was not so good. As a writer, I have the chance to step back and “watch” my work before I send it to the “audience,” which is a luxury a dancer never has. That objective is difficult to achieve, but necessary.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love showing people around Asheville! I would take them on walks through downtown, with a side trip up to the Chestnut St. corridor for lunch, coffee, or a pastry at the Liberty House Cafe. We’d walk a lot during their week in town… along the French Broad River, the Arboretum, the Blue Ridge Parkway and definitely around the Grove Park Inn golf course. We’d have drinks at Smokey Park Supper Club and dinner at any number of the wonderful restaurants in town.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many, many people, organizations, and elements of life that were and are instrumental in shaping my story, but the primary ones are my family, whose unwavering support, belief, and encouragement are what I value above all else.

Website: www.gavinlarsen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gavinalarsen/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinlarsen1/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GavinLarsenAuthor/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtE__197AKgvg_V9B01rjeg/videos

Other: https://www.facebook.com/gavin.larsen.58/

Image Credits
Blaine Covert

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