Day job: Choreographer and dance educator

Neighborhood: Westerville

Alma mater: Juilliard School, New York

Hometown: Columbus

Web: kristinaisabelledance.com

Junctionview Studios remains a hotbed of creative activity, much of which will be on display during Agora 6. The day-long celebration of art, music and community will include two performances choreographed by Kristina Isabelle. The versatile movement maiden, who's known for integrating ballet, modern dance, walking on stilts and twirling things on fire, also created a New Dance Project piece being performed this weekend by Columbus Dance Theatre.

I came back to Columbus from New York. I was dancing with Stephen Petronio. I was having a great time, touring the world and doing all sorts of fun things. But I really wanted to focus on my own work.

Leaving New York, my goal was to stay somewhere long enough to make something happen. There were a couple people who were here that had the same vision that I did: If we're here in Columbus, we're going to make it a dance scene. And we have.

What makes Columbus exciting is that it's open. I'm able to push myself creatively here. Whatever I want to do I can do. I'm not up against anybody else, really. It's about what's driving me in this moment.

One thing I don't do is sing. I've done karaoke, and it's very embarrassing for all involved. [Laughs.]

Our first dance piece at Agora is called In the Ropes, and it's an interactive piece. The audience will choose songs from an iPod, and we have choreography for each song on the playlist. We tried to get a wide range of music, so people might know some but not know everything.

The other performance is a fire ritual. Not only will we have fire performers and dancers, we'll have Ashley Voss doing a live painting behind the show. We'll have hula-hoop artists, poi spinners, staff artists, stilters, dancers. I will be a stilter - with fire fangs.

The neat thing about using fire is the sound of it when it's whipping by your body. You get excited. It's this intense feeling. There's just something about the pace and rhythm you get into when you're spinning the fire. There's the fear of it, as well.

My first time on stilts was an "aha!" moment. I went out to San Francisco and met this group that had stilts. I got up, and it was like the whole world opened up for me. Movement possibilities were endless. It was my classical training gone wild.

My first fall was killer.

Someone I admire is Donn Vickers, my manager, for the way that he can understand the art and how to build the connections to make one be able to do what they're good at. I admire anyone who is passionate about something and makes it happen.

The best advice I've ever received is be in the moment and don't take yourself too seriously. I end up telling my dancers that a lot.

Three things I can't live without are music, vintage clothes and my dogs.