Meet the Dancers: Megan Rancour’s Love for the Work
From Saint Louis Dance Theatre's "Meet the Dancers" series.
Megan Rancour has found her artistic home with Saint Louis Dance Theatre. Now in her seventh season with the company — and serving as studio manager — this Chicagoland native has built a life rooted in the rehearsal studio, the Pilates studio and the St. Louis community. We sat down with Megan to talk about falling in love with the work, musical theatre dreams and why quality time matters most.
What drew you to a repertory company like STLDT?
It's really difficult to choose just one style of dance as a favorite because there are aspects of all styles that I love. It is exactly this reason why I so enjoy being in a repertory company! We get to do it all!
Which piece in STLDT's repertoire has been most meaningful to you?
I would have to say Picture Studies by Kirven Douthit-Boyd from our 23-24 season. I love that the choreography really highlighted the strengths of each company dancer, and the score of the same name, composed by Adam Schoenberg, is incredible. It was hard not to get emotional during our performances with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra! Overall, it was just a really special collaboration.
What about this past season?
My favorite memory from the 2024-2025 season was working with Shirley Esseboom on Jiří Kylián's Sechs Tänze! This work is very specific and demanding, but she made it such a joy to learn with her incredible coaching and infectious energy.
Beyond dance, you're also a certified Pilates instructor. What's your favorite exercise?
I'm very biased toward anything Pilates related! I would say my favorite exercise is one called Leg Pull Front Prep. You start in a quadruped position with your toes tucked under, then walk your hands further forward, away from your knees. From here, you press into the hands and toes to shift your weight forward into both hands and find a plank position. Then you slowly return to the starting position by shifting your weight back toward your toes and lowering the knees down. When done well, it gives full-body activation to kickstart a warmup!
You also have a hidden talent that might surprise people.
I love to sing! Musical Theatre is another passion of mine that I haven't been able to fully pursue, but I am hoping to get to be in a Muny show someday.
What influences you as an artist?
When I am looking for inspiration, I tend to seek new ideas from other dancers. That could be via my insanely talented coworkers in class and rehearsal, watching a virtual performance or rehearsal from another company, or attending a performance locally.
Megan Rancour in the studio with Norbert De La Cruz and company dancers.
Which do you find more challenging: the mental demands or the physical demands?
I would say that the mental demands are more challenging, however the two are very connected. Even though we have been training for the physical demands for many years, the hardest point for a dancer can be when our body has hit its limit and the mind becomes the driving force. Do you choose to surrender to the exhaustion or continue to fight against it? I have found that either option can be the right choice, but it's understanding which one will best serve the work.
What's the best advice you've received?
What immediately comes to mind is from an interview with Spenser Theberge that I saw a few years ago. He was speaking about how, as dancers, we need to fall in love with the work. The time on stage is such a small part of what we do, so how can we feed ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically and artistically with the work in the studio? You have to come in each day and choose to love whatever is thrown at you. This really changed my process, and my favorite part of dancing is now working and exploring in the rehearsal space.
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