Oral Presentations - Session 2E: UC 333
Brief Encounters: A Choreographic Project
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Heidi Jones-Eggert
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Dance
Abstract / Artist's Statement
How do two people move together naturally, and what emotions can different partnerships emit? These are the research questions I explored as I developed this project in creative scholarship. The result was a work of choreography entitled “Brief Encounters.” In this work, five dancers interact with a focus on partner work and how a duet can emulate a relationship or a conversation. A rehearsal process of collaboration and experimentation has resulted in an intricate and cohesive piece of choreography that incorporates motifs, relationships, and a natural story arch. The idea for this piece came from an interest in partner work, and how a duet can tell a story without being blatantly narrative. In building the piece there was a particular interest in improvised partnering, and how one person’s actions can depend upon the actions of their partner. This approach to choreography is original and significant because it represents abstract ideas about relationships that are relatable, and it comes from a rich creative process that heavily involved the dancers, resulting in movement that they can fully embody and own. Each duet is open to audience interpretation, which makes the piece intellectually stimulating, and yet there are also moments of beautiful physicality and architecture, making the piece visually appealing as well. “Brief Encounters” was premiered in the UM School of Theatre and Dance’s Dance Up Close and was selected by the faculty to be presented in the University’s largest dance event of the year. I also plan to present a live excerpt at the UM Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Category
Visual and Performing Arts (including Creative Writing)
Brief Encounters: A Choreographic Project
UC 333
How do two people move together naturally, and what emotions can different partnerships emit? These are the research questions I explored as I developed this project in creative scholarship. The result was a work of choreography entitled “Brief Encounters.” In this work, five dancers interact with a focus on partner work and how a duet can emulate a relationship or a conversation. A rehearsal process of collaboration and experimentation has resulted in an intricate and cohesive piece of choreography that incorporates motifs, relationships, and a natural story arch. The idea for this piece came from an interest in partner work, and how a duet can tell a story without being blatantly narrative. In building the piece there was a particular interest in improvised partnering, and how one person’s actions can depend upon the actions of their partner. This approach to choreography is original and significant because it represents abstract ideas about relationships that are relatable, and it comes from a rich creative process that heavily involved the dancers, resulting in movement that they can fully embody and own. Each duet is open to audience interpretation, which makes the piece intellectually stimulating, and yet there are also moments of beautiful physicality and architecture, making the piece visually appealing as well. “Brief Encounters” was premiered in the UM School of Theatre and Dance’s Dance Up Close and was selected by the faculty to be presented in the University’s largest dance event of the year. I also plan to present a live excerpt at the UM Conference on Undergraduate Research.