Date of Defense
4-27-2026
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Department
Dance
First Advisor
Carolyn Pavlik
Second Advisor
Kaitlyn Pollock
Abstract
The Cost of Becoming is a choreographic thesis work created and presented as the culminating project of my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Western Michigan University. Rooted in personal lived experience and shaped by the broader social and political climate surrounding LGBTQ+ identity in America, this piece explores the disorienting and ultimately liberating experience of self-discovery. Specifically the ways in which authenticity can create distance from the environments, people, and systems one grew up trusting. The work follows a central narrative arc structured across three distinct sections. The first establishes a sense of innocent belonging, evoking the communal warmth of home before the complexities of identity begin to fracture that safety. The second section confronts the breaking point. This is the moment of realization that the familiar world will never feel quite the same. The third and final section traces a rise toward my lead dancer choosing herself. The ending is marked by the discovery of a transformative relationship that makes choosing oneself feel not only possible, but worth every loss.
My movement vocabulary blends the grounded rhythmic precision of jazz with the expansive, emotionally driven phrasing of contemporary dance. This fusion reflects the my distinct artistic identity rather than a compromise between styles. A recurring motif of a dancer raising her hand before her face, as though looking into a mirror, threads throughout the piece as a symbol of ongoing self-interrogation and emerging self-recognition. Music selections to fit the three different sections were Chants by Jesper Ryom, Opr by Gesaffelstein, and Trauma (Worakls Remix) by NTO and Worakls. These songs were chosen to support the narrative arc and emotional escalation of each section. The costume palette was drawn from the lesbian pride flag. I costumed each dancer individually to show that everyone played a different piece in my lead dancer's journey. The lighting design transitions from warm amber through electric magenta to deep blue. These colors were deliberately integrated to amplify the emotional journey. The piece intentionally resists resolution, closing with an image of my two main dancers walking into the unknown together, honoring the reality that choosing yourself does not guarantee a perfect ending. Ultimately, The Cost of Becoming is making visible an experience many carry in silence while celebrating the courage it takes to choose authenticity over comfort.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Avery, "The Cost of Becoming" (2026). Honors Theses. 4091.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/4091
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Restricted
Restricted to Campus until
6-24-2027