Dancer Profile: Daniel Cossette

Daniel Cossette
"To delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalms 37:4

Daniel, a Marceau-style mime from Mimeistry International, toured with Mimeistry 2000-2002. He founded Ambassador Arts, Manchester, CT, where he premiered the shows Say it Loud! and Christmivest. Daniel has performed with Project Dance, Welten Wechsel, and Dance Houston. Currently he teaches for the Houston Ballet Outreach Program and the Alley Theatre, and is in his 4th year with Ad Deum.








Fun Facts:
1.) Nick Name: My brother calls me Maestro, and my sister calls me Adelweiss

2.) Where are you from? Tolland, CT

3.)How Many years have you been dancing? 4 years, I started when I was 27.

4.) Favorite style or styles of dance? Modern dance, because it is so versatile and physical and emotive. And hip hop is fun to watch.

5.) What made you want to start dancing? I saw  Ad Deum Dance Company perform in New York City, and I thought they were incredible. I took a class from their director and thought, "I have never moved like this in my life!" it was really inspiring.

6.) What dancers or dance companies inspire you? I really like Cedar Lake (but partly because I think their stuff is a lot like ours) as well as Alvin Ailey. Who doesn't love Alvin Ailey with those incredible, strong lines!

7.) Favorite work of Ad Deum and Why? I love Unconfined, because it is so intense and powerful. I feel like it was a gift to be able to have such a prominent solo. I also love the animalistic antics of Wondrous Beast. But the spiritual depth of Hymns is also so powerful. It is hard to choose only one.

8.) Favorite Performance or Outreach of the year? I have two: The first is always Project Dance. There is nothing like meeting up with our extended dancer friends and family around the world and tearing it up on stages outdoors (one of my favorite settings anyway). I got started performing outdoors for missions trips with my church, and it is still the best. 

Also, I love the CS Lewis Conference we do, where we are always so welcomed. The people there are so sweet and receptive, I feel like they give me as much as I give them, and it sets you free to dance as a performer and minister.

9.) Favorite Ad Deum Memory? It's impossible to pick on memory and call it the ultimate favorite, but one I remember was great when we were on tour in Corpus Christi in the van together, and Stella says: "Have you heard the Lara rap?!? You gotta hear it!!!" So someone started beat-boxing (because we're contemporary dancers and we're good at that) and Lara totally started  to freestyle a rap all the way. We laughed pretty much all the way back to Houston: She is that good! Watch out for ballerinas man... they got skillz!

10.) Favorite Food? I love Tacos and pizza. I'm sorry, I just do. They are so good. Tacos with avocado, and 4 cheese pizza. There's no better way.

11.) What would you do if you were not a dancer? I love lots of things. I'm a mine to my core and I will always be that with or without dance. I am also an actor, animator, writer, gamer, etc... I'll do almost anything creative.

12.) What type of music do you listen to? Rock, worship, and worship rock.

13.) Random Interesting Fact about yourself? I'm getting married this June!

"Dancers are God's Athletes"- Albert Einstein