Through the Grieving Sea We Sail

My capstone is a contemporary-modern dance piece from which I draw mostly from my personal experiences and observations. This work has been in some respects therapeutic or cathartic. Its main focus is d the physical embodiment of the grieving process. Some movement was configured last semester in Choreography II. I have been video recording the evolution of this project since the fall 2010 semester. This spring I expanded the movement by incorporating inspiration derived from images of classic and renaissance works of art such as sculptures for certain movement qualities and Italian gothic architecture for formations and points of focus. For lighting ideas I drew upon scenic photography of different Italian landscapes at dawn and sunset. A collaborative an approach with the dancers is more effective than one in which dancers are simply told what to do. I enjoy exchanging many ideas with the dancers and encouraging them to give their constructive feedback. The use of improvisation helps in "filling the gaps" or substituting the original movement idea that may not be ideal for some of the dancers, or that "looks great in my mind", but fails to be achieved in execution. It has been a worthwhile journey.B.A. (Bachelor of Arts