The dance world bids farewell to the Trey McIntyre Project this month.  The decision to shut down the Project came as a surprise when it was announced last January -- the company's tremendous success made its end a confusing source of speculation to many -- but eponymous Artistic Director Trey McIntyre says he's ready to move on. In an interview with The Washington Post McIntyre explains, "I'm really burnt out. Some of that could be the fault of my personality. I'm very much the kind of person where, if there's a need, I'm going to be the one who jumps in there to fulfill it. And the places of need are pretty endless. ... I've done too much for too long."

TMP performed its last dance at Jacob's Pillow last week, performing "The Vinegar Works" and "Mercury Half-Life." McIntyre plans to pursue expanded artistic interests including writing, photography, and film, though he will not abandon choreography altogether.  He will be creating a site-specific outdoor work for Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Southern California next year and will direct the Queensland Ballet company premiere of his "Peter Pan" in Australia, according to the New York Times.

TMP final bow at Jacob's Pillow  Photo by: Jamie Kraus

TMP dancer Bret Perry (featured in this TWD blog) tells WaPo, "It is a bit sad. We have invested a lot of time, energy and passion into this company. ... The company could have continued on for however long it wanted to, but if Trey isn't 100 percent invested and sure that this is what he wants, then I think it was the best decision." Perry is dancing with Aszure Barton and Artists as a freelancer next fall.

For TMP fans, the Project's disbanding isn't a total loss. "Things are changing," says veteran dance writer Wendy Perron. "We can see McIntyre's work in many other companies -- Cincinnati Ballet's wildly fun rendition of his madcap Chasing Squirrel at the Joyce was a recent example." And it will be intriguing to see what this innovative artist does next. Best of luck to everyone at TMP in their future endeavors. 

 by Tamara Johnson 

University of The Arts, Philadelphia

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