Caitlin Gray – Gatsby Party Choreographer

New York Choreographer, Caitlin Gray, has wowed Sydney’s VIP’s with her creations to match Baz Luhrmann’s vision of Gatsby decadence at the Premiere’s after party on Wednesday 22nd May.
Caitlin spoke to us at length about what she has loved working with Baz on both the New York and Sydney Australia premiere events.
DanceLife: What do you love about Australian dancers?Caitlin Gray: ‘The Sydney dancers are amazing … the energy … that’s what I’ve always loved about them since I’ve been coming to Australia over the past three years. That’s probably what distinguishes them from every other dancer that I’ve worked with in New York or anywhere else – it’s their energy and their passion, their attack when they perform. They are at 100% right off the bat. I love Australian dancers!
DL: Did you find the Hordern Pavillion space very different to work with in comparison to New York’s Plaza Hotel?
Caitlin Gray: ‘Its a much larger space, which presented more challenges but we have a really wonderful director and technical crew and stage manager etc that make my job easier.
DL: How have you found working with Baz Luhrmann?
Caitlin Gray: ‘He is a creative genius! There aren’t many, if any, other people that function on that level. He looks at a room and he ‘sees it’ from director’s point of view, with director’s eyes. Everybody should learn to take notes when he’s in the room – purely from his level of experience and his creative mind.’
DL: Baz has said he is ‘passionate about reinventing the modern musical’. Do you think he has achieved that with The Great Gatsby?
Caitlin Gray: ‘Oh definitely, it reaches the younger generation and that’s the whole point really. He’s a genius with the soundtrack, and that’s the way Baz has communicated to the younger audience. They connect to the music, they connect to the 3D element, the modern actors and his spin and take on the story and what he chose to focus on is very different to the Gatsby movies that have been made before it.’
DL: The fact that he has incorporated song and dance – how does that appeal to you as an American regarding an American iconic story such as Gatsby?
Caitlin Gray: ‘As a choreographer, music enhances everything for me so a good soundtrack is like having the perfect outfit for an event. It really is just an accompaniment that can either make or break a show, a film, a live performance – anything – so it’s really a key factor in a successful production.’
For more information on Caitlin Gray – her career and achievements – read more here