Graduating Presentation
Date of Defense
4-24-2018
Date of Graduation
4-2018
Department
Dance
First Advisor
Megan Slayter
Second Advisor
Carolyn Pavlik
Abstract
My Graduating Presentation and Lee Honors College Thesis, entitled Ephemeral Reality, was an exploration and product of my current personal aesthetic in dance within the conceptual state of R.E.M. dreams. Intrigued by various dynamic qualities and substantial shifts of energy, I constructed geometric movement within a large kinesphere. The dancers in my piece presented technical prowess within a contrast of control and abandonment, which was represented through states of bound and free flow efforts. Inspired by innovative artists such as Crystal Pite, Alejandro Cerrudo, and Paul Lightfoot, I challenged myself to generate energetic connections between dancers in the space. My musical choices existed to enhance the movement and establish a mood that reinforced the intended concept of my work, dreams, as well as represent my personal aesthetic. By fueling movement through exploration and curiosity, the resulting choreography was diverse in time and effort, maintaining priority on the physicality of the work.
Throughout the choreographic process, I explored multiple recurring elements in dreams that could provide a wider range of dynamic qualities in my work, such as being somewhere unfamiliar, being restricted in a variety of manners, being somewhere with a large body of water, and occurrence of extremely specific details that I remember clearly upon waking. In the rehearsal process, I worked with a variety of movement phrases, which were later diversified by editing factors such as time, space, and inclusion of different gestures to add layers and complexity to the work.
In performance, the final lighting and production design was sophisticated and complimented the structure of my work, making Ephemeral Reality a cohesive piece of art that was brought to life. My cast of twelve dancers utilized a wide dynamic range, an intelligent use of musicality, and a large kinesphere, each representative of my personal aesthetic. I believe Ephemeral Reality strongly demonstrated my intent for the project, my skills as a lighting designer and choreographer, as well as a broad application of my knowledge gained in the art form through my four years in the Dance Department. Along with the public presentation of my work, Ephemeral Reality included a portfolio of supporting documents in regards to my artistic choices.
Recommended Citation
Charvat, Tara, "Graduating Presentation" (2018). Honors Theses. 2943.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/2943
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Open Access
Reflection Paper