Date of Defense

4-26-2021

Date of Graduation

5-2021

Department

Dance

First Advisor

Kelsey Paschich

Second Advisor

Alyssa Brutlag

Abstract

Stones Beneath a River is an eight-minute collaborative staged work through the eyes of a soloist who is exploring the concept that you are the product of the five people you surround yourself with. The soloist realizes the ebbs and flows of relationships and how to let go of relationships that no longer serve the individual. The graduating presentation is a culminating project of everything I have learned in the past four years. This includes collaboration, performance, choreography, production, conceptualization, costuming, and much more. My final portfolio consists of my dance and headshot, artistic statement, biography, resume, proposal application, essay, music analysis, cast list, design documentations, production, publicity, program information, final budget, and a link to my final work. I was also assigned to be the Casting Coordinator for this GP project. My responsibilities were to arrange virtual auditions and mediate the casting meeting.

My graduating presentation was created in collaboration with Ciera Nolan. When the department chair first proposed the idea of collaborating with another student, we immediately thought of one another. We have worked together in a variety of capacities before, but this was our first time collaborating on a choreographic process. We each pitched our concept ideas to each other and realized that they were very similar, this felt like an immediate confirmation that working together was the right choice for this culminating project.

The book The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, was a huge influence on the project. This story is about a man who passes and meets five people in heaven who tell him how he impacted each of their lives. The book’s closing statement reads, “each affects the other and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one.” We carried this quote throughout the rehearsal process as a reminder that each dancer has their own story, however these stories also overlap and the paths of the six dancers connect. We want this piece to be a demonstration of our appreciation for the time we have together.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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