Meet the Dancers: Dave McCall’s St. Louis Story
From Saint Louis Dance Theatre's "Meet the Dancers" series.
Not every dancer leaves home to find their path. Some discover that the place they're from is exactly where they're meant to be. For Dave McCall, Saint Louis isn't just where they perform—it's where they were born, raised, and continue to find inspiration in the city's rhythms and spaces.
Forest Park is where Dave goes to recharge. It's fitting, really—nature influences their artistry in profound ways. "Nature, being around community," they say when asked about inspiration sources. That connection to the natural world and to people shapes how they move, how they create, how they exist in spaces both on and off the stage.
Dave McCall | Photo by Pratt + Kreidich on location at 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis
Contemporary dance is Dave’s language, and they speak it with clarity and conviction. But their influences run deep and varied—choreographers like Wayne McGregor, Kyle Abraham, Shamel Pitts, and Jermaine Spivey inform their understanding of what movement can be. Each of these artists pushes boundaries in different ways, and you can see that expansive thinking in how Dave approaches their own work at STLDT.
Dave McCall | Photo by Pratt + Kreidich on location at 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis
When it comes to the company's repertoire, one piece stands out: The North Star by Norbert de la Cruz. "Because of its meaning and one of the few pieces we have that includes the full company," David explains. There's something special about those moments when everyone is on stage and the entire ensemble moves together. For a St. Louis native performing with their hometown company, that collective energy hits differently.
David's artistic fuel comes from unexpected places. Their playlist is eclectic—Beyoncé's "Alien Superstar," Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther," and Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" rotate through their headphones. When they're not dancing, you might catch them watching crime mysteries or documentaries about cults (a guilty pleasure they own fully), or you might hear them doing something that surprises most people: singing.
For staying physically strong, David keeps it straightforward with a power bowl: chicken, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and kale. And for staying mentally and physically balanced? Planks. Simple, effective, essential.
Dave McCall | Dance by Kirven Douthit-Boyd | Photo by Pratt + Kreidich
The challenges of professional dance “go hand in hand," they note about mental versus physical demands. "The physical demands affect your mental and vice versa." It's an integrated understanding that comes from years of navigating the complexities of this demanding art form.
Perhaps the best wisdom Dave’s received cuts through all that complexity: "Being you is enough—just do that." It's advice they carry into every rehearsal, every performance, every moment on stage. And it's particularly meaningful for a hometown artist who's chosen to leave, come back, and to stay, and then build their career here, to be part of what makes the St. Louis dance scene vital and dynamic.
A favorite memory? Performing Gaslight Dreams at Chaminade. "That work is my favorite of the repertoire and I loved performing it with the rest of the company," David reflects. Those moments—when the work you love meets the people you love performing with—that's what it's all about.
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