Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Brooklyn Draper
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Dance Department
Abstract / Artist's Statement
“The greatest lie we pull on our mind is that we can do it alone. That nobody can comprehend what’s wrong with ourselves. That you’re the main problem in the vast mind field of thoughts. Which is, ultimately, the truth. Nobody knows your mind except yourself.” This creative research, Treading the Mind-Field, explores choreographic methods to navigate everyday mental health challenges. This choreographic process was an investigation of expressing our bodies in our own personal and scientific research experiences in a hip-hop contemporary dance form.
Throughout this process I was interested in exploring how mental health has the ability to encompass our physicality and relationships with others. This research was explored within five choreographic sections: the unknown, the sudden realization of the onset of panic attacks, anxiety and stress, fighting mental breakdowns, the recognition of self within a community. Movement was generated with the mindset of how each dancer physicalized their own personal experiences and research of mental health within these five categories. As the facilitator of the process, I was responsible for providing a safe space while also generating a community of creative collaborators.
This research provided a fresh approach to generating movement material within the choreographic process while dealing with difficult and uncommon approaches to making dance. Treading the Mind-Field was not only a meaningful experience for the performers but also resonated with the audience. The performance removed the fourth wall between performer and audience.
Category
Visual and Performing Arts (including Creative Writing)
Treading the Mind-Field: The Integration of Mental Health & Choreography"
“The greatest lie we pull on our mind is that we can do it alone. That nobody can comprehend what’s wrong with ourselves. That you’re the main problem in the vast mind field of thoughts. Which is, ultimately, the truth. Nobody knows your mind except yourself.” This creative research, Treading the Mind-Field, explores choreographic methods to navigate everyday mental health challenges. This choreographic process was an investigation of expressing our bodies in our own personal and scientific research experiences in a hip-hop contemporary dance form.
Throughout this process I was interested in exploring how mental health has the ability to encompass our physicality and relationships with others. This research was explored within five choreographic sections: the unknown, the sudden realization of the onset of panic attacks, anxiety and stress, fighting mental breakdowns, the recognition of self within a community. Movement was generated with the mindset of how each dancer physicalized their own personal experiences and research of mental health within these five categories. As the facilitator of the process, I was responsible for providing a safe space while also generating a community of creative collaborators.
This research provided a fresh approach to generating movement material within the choreographic process while dealing with difficult and uncommon approaches to making dance. Treading the Mind-Field was not only a meaningful experience for the performers but also resonated with the audience. The performance removed the fourth wall between performer and audience.