Victoria Billington

"I think the first thought I had when I met Victoria in 2010 was ‘Man, she’s quiet!’. But I remembered that we should always watch the quiet ones. They do things that will never cease to amaze you. Two years after I met her, Victoria auditioned for Inertia Dance Company, Missouri State’s student dance troupe, and I selected her to be an apprentice to the company. On a day when we least expected it, Victoria had to step in to a piece that she’d only learned movement to. No demonstration of nerves, no freaking out—step up, assume the responsibility and get the task done. And by getting that task done, Victoria got out of her boundaries, danced her butt off and stayed on the path to making herself a well-trained and versatile dance technician! After three years had passed, and Victoria had been dancing a lot of my musical theatre choreography, I cast her in a revival of a piece called ‘A Divine Majority’—very modern, very classical. Once she started to learn the piece, she would ask me all sorts of questions about counts and where movement set inside the music—by doing this, I knew she was on her way to making her interpretation of the movement and using her musicality and intelligence to do it. Jump cut to: 2017. When I was asked to become associate artistic director for the college’s student dance company where I teach now, I knew I wanted to give those students many chances to work with emerging choreographers that may or may not have had some experiences like their own. My first choice without hesitation was Victoria. As a guest artist, Victoria was ‘no joke’. Victoria created a short dance for the SIDC titled ReAct. The piece was a part of both concerts that SIDC produced at SIU-Carbondale and it has set a high mark for guest artists to come. The work was kinetic, textured, technically demanding and a total change of pace from the psychodramatic work that is too easily found on reality TV and internet sources like YouTube. The work also brought company members of different levels together and taught them new ways of approaching performance. To wrap this up—I don’t know how. I’ve watched Victoria become a dance artist to reckon with, I‘ve danced with her onstage and loved it and I’ve had great conversations about where our art form is going. I can’t wait to hear her stories about all the other people she will meet who will feel the same." -Darryl Clark, Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre Dance, SIU-Carbondale

- Darryl K. Clark

"We have more often than not found ourselves in a society where most choreograph for an audience's reaction. We were molded at some time in our lives the bigger the better, standing ovations, flowers thrown at the feet, etc. However, upon reflection, that ends up being empty calories. That simple wow factor is fruitless and not as nutritional whenever it comes to work that feeds the soul. I find myself leaning towards the pieces of work that have such subtle details that correlate, yet tumble into a fulfilling choreographic piece where once all is said and done the only appropriate response is an exhale. The silence envelopes your brain afterwards leaving only a simple question in your brain. That is what Victoria brings to performances. With finite details and musicality that reflects in timing and quality of movement in her choreography, you get fed exactly what you need without even realizing it. You get art."

- Abigail L. Lind

"I had the wonderful opportunity to go to college with Victoria as we gained our degree in dance. Right away, she was a leader in our class, not only with the uniqueness and quality of her choreography and performance, but also as a driven and passionate individual. I have worked with her on several projects since graduation and it is always an inspiring experience. When you combine her knowledge of performance, choreography and music, you are sure to get an outcome unlike others. When choreographing, her vision is always impacted by the individuals performing it. She has her vision, and values how that vision relates to the dancers and performers involved. Lastly, although she has an incredible knowledge bas already, she keeps herself open to always expanding and learning from those around her. That's why her work always stands out from others. I would always welcome the opportunity to work with her because I have valued every project I have ever been able to be involved in with her. She is one of a kind."

- Kristina Carter