Christopher Page-Sanders began his journey with COCA at the age of nine. He initially explored acting and film with involvement at COCA, The Muny, Stages St. Louis, and St. Louis Repertory Theatre Company.
While waiting in the lobby after an acting class at COCA in seventh grade, Christopher watched an Advanced Jazz Class instructed by Ms. Lee Nolting and was invited into the studio to observe.
“Seeing bodies move with such articulation, grace, and musicality hit my jaw to the floor. I was amazed at how they contorted their bodies to create shapes and lines and moved expressively to the music playing,” said Christopher.
He thought that taking dance would improve his theatre skills to gain more comfort in moving his body. Once Christopher got home that day after observing Ms. Lee Nolting’s class, he told his parents that he wanted to start taking dance classes which ultimately changed the trajectory of his artistic career.
During his freshman year of high school, Christopher fully immersed himself in dance by auditioning for COCAdance and the Pre-Professional Division Program.
“With COCAdance, I became a sponge; this drive I had with the love and nurture of Ms. Lee and an additional fire lit under my tail from Indigo Sams, created this determination and attitude to BECOME a dancer,” said Christopher.
He was first introduced to black dance and dance theatre by being cast in Cecil Slaughter’s work of EMERGE. Christopher looked up to the great influence of choreographers and teachers including Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Arthur Mitchell, Pearl Primus, Talley Beatty, Ulysses Dove, and more.
After finding his choreographic voice through COCAdance, Christopher studied dance at university. His path then intertwined back to COCA in 2004 when Christopher substituted for classes while Ms. Lee Nolting was recovering from an injury.
“I began by simply repeating her class back to those students, but as I found my way, I also found myself utilizing the tools I was being taught at COCA,” said Christopher. “Things like putting dance combinations together, teaching dance and movement for understanding, inspiring a room and lovingly energizing a room, and seeing the potential of one another. My teachers at COCA instilled these things in us, and I found myself giving those things to our students.”
Christopher was then hired as a choreographer for the theatre program. He recalls the grassroots beginnings of COCA’s theatre program when he and Dr. Phil Woodmore collaborated in the production of The Boyfriend.
“In those early days, we started with bare bones; the cast brought costumes from their closet, and we used whatever we could find for a set. […] We had to challenge our creativity and create soulful experiences,” said Christopher.
In 2009, Christopher moved to Denver, Colorado, to dance with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and would return to St. Louis over the summer to choreograph COCA musicals. The theatre program at COCA was growing immensely and, at this time, other directors and designers were joining the team including Grace Austin, Jim Butz, Dr. Duane Martin Foster, and Joel King.
The program grew to give students more of an opportunity for a more robust artistic education. Shawna Flanigan then helped create a system of youth and main-stage musicals, giving the theatre program more structure.
“I have seen this program grow from its inception and have been a part of its journey every step of the way,” said Christopher.
Christopher has returned to COCA to choreograph the upcoming production of The Color Purple and reflects on the past 20 years of the theatre program.
“In these 20 years, I have watched a magnificent baobab tree grow,” said Christopher.
“I am not sure if I fully realized the true meaning of those 20 years. We were just caught up in the process and we wanted to create an environment filled with joy, laughter, and hope. To see that simple love for what we do, grow through each individual, AND see what their lives would become just by going through this program has been life-changing for me.”
