PROCESS
Research
Sarah used her own tendency to over-think, a habit she knows many people share, as the starting point of her piece. She finds that even when people have a lot of good things to think about (project ideas, future plans, etc.), sometimes the quantity of thoughts leads to confusion, and this confusion causes the brain to shut down. During this time, “weirdness” happens; specifically, self-doubt and impatience. But having a lot to think about can also be very exciting-- and, in the end, people persevere and life goes on.
Sarah’s piece began as a one-minute “movement vocabulary:" a set movement phrase from which adaptations are made in order to create a full-length piece of choreography. This phrase includes contrasting dynamics such as slashing, gliding, punching, and floating. By putting these dramatically different dynamics together, Sarah hopes to harness the “weirdness” brought on by an overload of thoughts. Her piece does not have a linear story, but attempts to capture the crazed introspection brought on by mental congestion through repeated, frantic movement phrases. She also hopes to capture the nervous energy and excitement of having a lot of thoughts all at once with choreography that changes direction and “throws the dancers around.”
Rehearsal
For the most part, Sarah comes into rehearsal knowing what she will teach her dancers. However, she never knows when in the music or where in the space the movement will occur. She works with her dancers to find successful floor patterns and timing that fits with the music.
The style of this piece is modern/post-modern/African/jazz. Elements of all of these styles are present in Sarah’s choreography; the control and expression of modern, the absurdity of post-modern, the vivacity of African, and the stylization of jazz. Sarah mashes these styles together in a way that allows for cohesive choreography, since all of the movement comes from her initial one-minute "movement vocabulary" phrase. The blending of styles reflects the way ideas blend together in the mind during mental congestion.
Sarah hopes that the process of creating this piece is enjoyable for herself and, especially, for her dancers and then, in performance, for the audience. She wants her dancers to enjoy themselves at her rehearsals and hopes that their enjoyment comes through in their performance quality. As a choreographer, she wants to learn to feel comfortable leading a group of people through rehearsals that are both productive and enjoyable. As she develops her voice as a choreographer, she hopes to create unique, abstract movement that is fun to watch.
Research
Sarah used her own tendency to over-think, a habit she knows many people share, as the starting point of her piece. She finds that even when people have a lot of good things to think about (project ideas, future plans, etc.), sometimes the quantity of thoughts leads to confusion, and this confusion causes the brain to shut down. During this time, “weirdness” happens; specifically, self-doubt and impatience. But having a lot to think about can also be very exciting-- and, in the end, people persevere and life goes on.
Sarah’s piece began as a one-minute “movement vocabulary:" a set movement phrase from which adaptations are made in order to create a full-length piece of choreography. This phrase includes contrasting dynamics such as slashing, gliding, punching, and floating. By putting these dramatically different dynamics together, Sarah hopes to harness the “weirdness” brought on by an overload of thoughts. Her piece does not have a linear story, but attempts to capture the crazed introspection brought on by mental congestion through repeated, frantic movement phrases. She also hopes to capture the nervous energy and excitement of having a lot of thoughts all at once with choreography that changes direction and “throws the dancers around.”
Rehearsal
For the most part, Sarah comes into rehearsal knowing what she will teach her dancers. However, she never knows when in the music or where in the space the movement will occur. She works with her dancers to find successful floor patterns and timing that fits with the music.
The style of this piece is modern/post-modern/African/jazz. Elements of all of these styles are present in Sarah’s choreography; the control and expression of modern, the absurdity of post-modern, the vivacity of African, and the stylization of jazz. Sarah mashes these styles together in a way that allows for cohesive choreography, since all of the movement comes from her initial one-minute "movement vocabulary" phrase. The blending of styles reflects the way ideas blend together in the mind during mental congestion.
Sarah hopes that the process of creating this piece is enjoyable for herself and, especially, for her dancers and then, in performance, for the audience. She wants her dancers to enjoy themselves at her rehearsals and hopes that their enjoyment comes through in their performance quality. As a choreographer, she wants to learn to feel comfortable leading a group of people through rehearsals that are both productive and enjoyable. As she develops her voice as a choreographer, she hopes to create unique, abstract movement that is fun to watch.