Meet Julie Rothschild of FloorSpace Studio and JRM Studio in Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Rothschild.

Julie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story, how I started, how I got to where I am today, is largely based on a move my parents decided to make in 1976, from Palo Alto, CA to Urbana, OH. They bought a farm, packed us into the paneled station wagon and embarked on a roller coaster of a journey. They worked hard, my dad farming and my mom as a night nurse at a nearby hospital. As soon as my siblings and I were old enough, we all worked. The farm was constantly evolving. It went from a livestock, corn and soybeans operation to corn nuts, raspberries and strawberries, a few goats, horses, dogs and bees. And I remember tons of broccoli, which I sold by the side of the road out of a wheelbarrow. Soon, it was a ‘pick your own’ raspberries and strawberries farm. They added an annual ‘Raspberry Sundae Festival,’ with food, berry picking, art and live music. The most memorable festival for me was when they partnered with Very Special Arts of Ohio and The Dancing Wheels Company from Cleveland came and performed. Their performance really clicked with me and solidified my belief that dance does not belong to a limited few. Dance had become an essential part of my life at that point and continues to give me this sense of awe. Look at what we are capable of! It was such an honor to meet the Founding Artistic Director, Mary Verdi-Fletcher. And so the farm was a place of working hard, creativity, successes, failures and change. I was old enough to be involved as it grew into a ‘gourmet’ food business and literally experienced a “from the ground up” story. My family is no longer in Ohio and the business has changed hands several times at this point, but I think of that time as incredibly formative.

While I didn’t know it at the time, the farm was also my introduction to elements of space and time that we study and practice in dance and art. The cornfield was the ultimate grid. Our farm was more or less a square. The center-pivot irrigation system rolled in an arc. To get to the far corner of the farm, I could walk the perimeter or create a pathway of horizontal, vertical, diagonal or arcing lines. Also, the horizon in every direction was ever-present and always in flux. Some actions had to be immediate, say if a freeze was predicted in September. Others more slowly, like planting and waiting and hopefully harvesting.

I have been a dancer since childhood—also, an athlete. I went to a high school, Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, OH, that had a dance program. My teacher, Emilie Bromley, was such an influence and we are still in touch today. There was also a sports requirement. I played volleyball at the same time that I was introduced to Modern Dance. Looking back, I think the intertwining of those two kinesthetic pursuits, alongside some incredible teachers and mentors, set me on a particular stage and path.

After high school, my story is all about the places I have lived and the people I have danced with, literally and figuratively. Colorado Springs, CO; Chicago, IL; Florissant, CO; Lawrence, KS; Charlottesville, VA; Athens, GA; Silver Spring, MD; Pasadena, CA: Munich, Germany; and now here in Boulder, CO since 2009. Though I haven’t lived in Mexico, I have spent significant amounts of time in Cholula, Puebla dancing and creating and performing with a host of amazing artists. My husband, who I met in Lawrence, KS in 1992, and I have been married 25 years and our sons, 22 and 19, are embarking on their lives in North Carolina and Georgia. All of these relationships to people and places are deeply woven into my story.

I currently own and operate FloorSpace Studio, going on 7 years. What it is and what purpose it serves continues to evolve. The now-familiar story of running a business in which people gather in close proximity, slammed up against a pandemic, shifted everything. Classes ended. All rent stopped. Refunds on prepaid rent were granted. And then it was just me in an empty space. Very much like how it felt when I first walked in. Empty and curious.

After the shock wore off, I took over the studio with my relatively newfound love/obsession with weaving. The studio basically became my loom. I am discovering that every bit of training I have undertaken as a dancer, performer, improviser and choreographer applies to how I am working with these materials. I could never have imagined this new endeavor, nor did I think I would be making anything worth sharing or selling. Recently, a quartet of young artists joined me in the studio and provided a magnificent infusion of energy, curiosity and creativity. That is what the space is for!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have really taken my body to the task – injuries and surgeries and arthritis have plagued me for decades. Over time, I have become more patient with myself. I get great satisfaction from walking, hiking and xc skiing – have let the jumping and leaping go.

Professionally, it has been challenging to start over when we’ve moved to new cities. Boulder was probably the most difficult place to find my way. I had a few false starts, or abrupt ends. I relied on, also loved, work that took me out of town to keep myself engaged in dance and performance. Now, 11 years later, I feel more grounded here.

I do grapple with depression and had some tricky bouts with it since we moved here. I am learning how to recognize when I need help and feel lucky to have strong and steady support in my life. I don’t think I will list all of the obstacles and challenges that have shown and will continue to show up – suffice it to say they sometimes lay me out flat, sometimes push me to do things differently and most often, both.

Please tell us about FloorSpace Studio and JRM Studio.
FloorSpace Studio is my home-base. We lived in Athens, GA before moving to Boulder and I co-founded a studio, also named FloorSpace, with several friends/dancers. When it closed, I brought the name back to life here in Boulder.

FloorSpace Studio opened in 2014. I was the primary teacher and artist in the space. I was able to run workshops and residencies for visiting artists, such as Chicken Bank Collective, a collective of women artists from Mexico and the United States. Soon, other local artists began to use the studio for rehearsal space and intimate performances. This was really exciting for me – I love seeing artists make and share work in small settings. FloorSpace is quite small and so performances are truly intimate.

In the last few years, I became more of an administrator of the space as others have rented it to run their own businesses (Yoga, Qigong, Alexander Technique, Pilates). I don’t mind wearing the administrator hat, but I’m not sure I was all that good at it and I was losing site of my own work as an artist. A remedy for that happened when Meg Madorin and I cooked up the CLOSE LOOK series in the spring of 2019. CLOSE LOOK is a performance series that we curate, inviting artists to share solo work in the studio. We provide the space and a small stipend as well as production and marketing assistance. This year, Jun Akiyama joined us as an advisor and after a recent meeting – we have some really exciting ideas for the future.

Over this last summer, a few artists have been able to use the studio for solo work. Several performances have also taken place, with the solo performer inside and the audience spaced apart outside, the garage door up. We had two CLOSE LOOK artists in residency in October, James Brunt performed his new solo work: Caged Words, and rick h-m performed their new solo work: The Girl Box.

At this moment, in my career in the arts and with the studio, the CLOSE LOOK series, my own artwork and continuing to support young artists are what I feel most inspired to put energy into. As I dive deeper into the study and practice of weaving, FloorSpace is becoming home to my new project, Julie Rothschild Made Studio, JRM Studio. Funny – the initial name of the space was JRM Studio – Julie Rothschild Movement Studio. I guess that still applies but now that I am engrossed in making textiles with these materials, “made” feels like the next iteration. I am in new territory right now, and that feels good.

I believe FloorSpace, though small, has room enough to hold these experiments in art and performance making during a time when we are all carefully negotiating how to be together in creative and meaningful ways.

What were you like growing up?
I was a shy kid and spending time by myself was and still is just fine with me. I remember that I felt most peaceful when I would walk with our dog around the farm. My favorite tv show was Fame and movie was Footloose. I would actually dance in and around the barn, channeling my inner Kevin Bacon.

Contact Info:

• Address: FloorSpace Studio
  1510 Zamia Ave #101
  Boulder, CO 80304
• Website: www.floorspacestudio.com and www.julierothschildmovement.com
• Phone: 706-372-4830
• Email: jerothschild@gmail.com
• Instagram: @Julieerothschild @closelookseries @floorspacestudio_boulder
• Facebook: Julie Rothschild

Image Credit:
Joshua Farrell, Cassie Wright, J. Akiyama, Shea Kluender

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