Even though I am a lapsed cellist, my experiences as a performer continue to influence my compositions. One of my cello teachers once commented that as a performer, I was most connected to the cello through the Bach solo suites. In "Dance Suite," for bassoon and piano, I take the idea of a Baroque suite, but I use more contemporary styles of dance: Tango, Waltz, Belly Dance, and Polka. Dance Suite is composed for bassoonist Maya Stone.