I really enjoyed the Dance Majors Concert. Especially getting to see people I know perform! It has always been an interesting experience for me to watch college dance program concerts because they seem focused on modern dance, which is really different than what I grew up with. Now that I've taken a little more ballet, however, I can really recognize elements of ballet in modern dance, such as arm movements, turns, and the way that dancers really move around their cores/centers when they dance.
One performance that really stuck out to me was Devin McDermott's performance in "Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred." Although this wasn't really "my kind of dancing," the performer was so intense and engaged in her performance that I enjoyed watching her and was really impressed. I thought she did a great job, and her performance really demonstrated the importance of feeling/showing emotion while dancing.
Another performance that stood out to me was "Caviar and 200 Cigarettes." The dancers really incorporated their breathing with their dancing, which I was able to connect with exercises we've done in class with breath.
Overall, I really enjoyed the concert and would definitely like to go again next quarter. It was fun to watch, and I was also able to connect a lot of things we've learned and discussed in class with what I saw.
Thursday night-3/6 I did not know what to expect and it was a great experience. I felt like i was on one of those movie rides like the ones at big theme parks where the seats move. Everything was soo dark and silent between each performance, but it really struck me in the beginning, it was weird for me to hear nothing.
Anyways, the dancing was so entertaining, so spontaneous and unpredictable that it kept me at the edge of my seat.
"The Calling"- The lighting was dramatic with the red glow. They did some really cool moves all together and one of them really stuck out to me like she really understood the story she was trying to portray.
"Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred" - So weird for me! I do not usually watch horror movies, but she reminded me of a little evil doll. I do not think that I had seen any dance that was quite as scary as this girl. It was a really cool experience to watch her do all these weird things. At times it reminded me of an "emo teenager" kind of look by the way she was so dramatic about what was wrong with her.
"Dye"- Great costume effect. Each one had kind of a spot light as they took off their plane cover over their bright colored shirts! Their hair looked really cool as well, it was soo pretty and flowing, but their hair was wild and crazy. Their dancing was so well connected, it was different from the way the girls in the first one were connected. They were more like one body dancing together and that connection was really cool to watch.
"Proximally Each Within" - The puffy pants gave their centers emphasis. They used their costumes to draw attention to how they moved their centers. While they were doing their own thing they were connected by an outside editing, like they were movie clips edited together for a reason to emphasize a pattern. Their arm movements were so dramatic!
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes"- It seems like it would be hard to dance together without music. I enjoyed watching them dance without music! It focused more on depending on the acting and not on music. Their costumes were so flashy and the dancer's costumes were so different. Very entertaining! They did some really cool moves together and I was very impressed by their ability to stay together even without music.
"3" - The fog and the lights made a really cool effect for this one. Each girl had her own stage that reminded me of their own cells in some facility for the mentally ill. They were all sporadically doing repetitive movements like they were crazy or they had lost their minds. They acted well to portray this kind of mind set.
"The Sticky Wicket Rumble" - Oh my this group was really funny. Their costumes were so colorful and the way they acted reminded me of a circus or a zoo. So many random animals and ways of interacting. This was soo entertaining and fun to watch. It was soo creative they way they came in or introduced their characters. Their fighting was so random and amusing.
"Steel Grace" - This dance was so spiritual. The music was so sporadic and some points in the music were awkward. Their outfits were so pretty and flowing! They portrayed a very spiritual dance like they were in prayer or getting in touch with their hearts.
"Letting Go To Hug"- Haha! These people were funny! They had these emotional-serious-heart filled songs and they were dancing so unemotional and so cosmically. Their outfits were soo crazy. This giant man was wearing the shortest shorts I have ever seen a man wear and it was awkward to see him interacting with that shorter guy. They were all random and it was entertaining. Their moves were unpredictable and crazy. Their piece was really great!
I really enjoyed getting to watch the dance majors concert. First of all, I want to say great job to everyone from our class who performed. You guys did awesome. It was fun watching all of the different things that the student choreographers came up with. All of the pieces were filled with so much emotion and performed so well by the dancers.
I really enjoyed the first routine, The Calling, because it was very creative in the way the four dancers interacted with each other. Three of them would be dancing together and one would have a solo, and then all of sudden it was two and two, and then someone else would have a solo. I thought it was put together really well, because it never slowed down.
I also really liked the last performance, Letting Go To Hug. I think that the dancers were chosen really well for their parts, and they each brought their own quirkiness into the routine. Both of the female dancers in this piece had such gorgeous long legs, I am definately jealous.
I think that the Sticky Wicket Rumble was definately a crowd favorite. It was very comical, and was put together so well. The dancers demonstrated that they had great theatrical ability in addition to their dance skills.
On a random side note, I just want to say that the beginning of Caviar and 200 Cigarettes reminded me of one of the routines in Center Stage, when the dancers are walking back and forth on the street. Did anyone else see the resemblance?
The only thing that I thought was missing was a little bit more technicality. All of the routines showed off the creativity of the choreographers, which I imagine was the point of the concert, but I really wanted to see what some of the dancers could do. A couple of times I found myself desperately wanting to see a leap or a jump or a turn to show off what great dancers we have at UW.
Overall I really enjoyed the concert! I think I will go again next year.
(Friday's Show) I’ve believe I’ve been to two dance major concerts prior to this one, and each one is surprisingly different. This one had a distinctly modern vibe.
“The Calling” the opening performance was right up my alley. It had a very jazzy feel to it (which is my favorite style of dance) and they had a very thrash-y and intense routine. They even got the crowd involved by running up to the steps and dancing around the handrails of the stairs. That was a pleasant surprise.
“Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred.” Really didn’t appeal to me. The dancer looked possessed (which was probably the point, but I didn’t understand) and there was too much repetition for my liking. She did the same move for four eight counts, which I thought was overkill. But what was interesting about this piece was that it seemed borderline hip-hop because there were so many body pops in it. It had kind of a street feel to it.
“Dye” was an interesting piece with 4 women. It was also a very modern piece and there was a lot of interaction between the dancers, there was play fighting and dancing together which kept me paying attention. “Proximally Each Within” was another over-the-top modern piece that I felt was kind of awkward to watch. They were breathing really heavily and it kind of made me uncomfortable. But it did showcase the dancers’ flexibility and agility. One of the women danced in a way that reminded me of yoga. She was in a “child’s pose” for a while, it was interesting.
“Caviar and 200 Cigarettes” had a lot of my present and former classmates in it, so that made it fun to watch. This piece had no music to it, so it was a little surprising at first, but I adjusted to the change quickly. I imagine it was hard for the dancers to coordinate with no music. But they did a great job with timing. Good job!
“3” was another very intense piece, similar to “Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred.” There was a lot of fast head-shaking, that made them look like they were crazy and there was also a lot of repetition. It was quite alluring. It looked as though someone were playing a video and then reversing it and playing it again, because they would do a move, go do something else and then do it again. It looked like a video on a loop. It was something I had never seen before and very though provoking.
“The Sticky Wicket Rumble” was also filled with our classmates, good job guys! Now I know why you all were so good at imitating animals! This one definitely one of my favorite pieces, it was entertaining, funny and creative. They made their own music which was great. I really enjoyed the play fighting scene!
“Steel Grace” had an African-modern feel to it and it was performed by a group of girls, I didn’t really understand this one, but there was a fight scene at the end that was exciting. The danced to steel drums, which I really love and I assume that’s where the title came from.
“Letting Go to Hug” was also another favorite. It was simply hilarious. There was lots of shoulder-rides and modern dancing. It was a very light-hearted dance and a great way to end the show. I think the audience left feeling upbeat and happy. I believe this piece was about love between the four people and I thought it was ADORABLE how they ended. They were all hugging. Good job!
All in all I thought it was a great performance, I can tell everyone worked really hard and hopefully it paid off!! I’ll definitely be going again!
Like many others have said, I too did not know what to expect to see at this concert...and I was certainly blown away. Modern dance in such an interesting art form. I would love to watch one of the artists begin to choreograph one of those pieces, they are all so unique! One of my favorites was the first one, "The Calling." I loved the use of lighting and the formations that the dancers usually stayed in even though they all had very different parts. I also really liked "Dye" which might not be such as surprise since parts of it really reminded me of "The Calling." Some of the other pieces were incredibly abstract. "Proximally Each Within" being one of them, was stunnign to watch, I felt like I just sat there and stared the whole time and couldn't move, like all I could do was just try and take in all that was going on. I was so pleased to see people from class in the other performances! Everyone looked so great, I was really impressed! This was the first dance concert I have seen at UW but I definitely want to see another in the quarters to come and hopefully see some more familiar faces.
The concert as a whole was very intriguing. There were many pieces with concepts I may have never thought of. One piece that sticks out to me is “Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred”. This piece really stuck out to me because it reminded me of a scary movie. I felt like the dancer was trying to tell the audience a story. One reason this piece stands out is the lighting. I’ve never seen stage lighting like this! It was wonderful! Only about one third of the stage was lit. The dancer stayed downstage the entire time. There were certain points in time where she went danced toward the dark part of the stage, and even stepped into it. The moment when she stepped partially into the dark part of the stage really stands out in my mind. The lighting really fit the piece. It made me think about whether she was going to go into the darkness and not return, or if something was going to come out. It really kept me on edge. The second piece that really impacted me was “3”. It was like watching three different people tell their life story at once. It seemed as if they were all different, but had something in common. The lighting contributed a lot to the performance. There were three different spot lights for the three dancers, and even though there was a dancer in center stage, it didn’t make me take my focus off of the dancer who was stage left, or the one who was stage right. There was a moment in the piece where the one of the dancers would run upstage and put her hand out and stare, and then run back downstage. She did this a number of times. It really stuck out to me. It made me think that she was trapped. The lighting was made so that each dancer had a spot light, but it was like a box. So it made me think that the dancer was trapped in a box, and the box could represent many different things such as school, work, or even friendship. This piece was fun to watch, everything flowed together so well.Overall, the concert was amazing! It made me think of new ways to dance, and inspired me to explore new movements.
I really enjoyed the Dance Majors Concert! To be honest, I didn't know what to quite expect but it was great seeing people I recongized performing!
The Calling: I felt was very jazz based meets modern intensity along with the vividly dramatic lighting. I was enthralled with the way the 4 dancers interacted with one another because the intensity was running high throughout the entire performance.
Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred: This dance was provocatively scary and reminded me of The Exorcist. I enjoyed watching her expression but realized that it didn’t complement my taste for dancing. However, I thought that the repetition was tedious.
Dye: I thought it was a traditionally modern piece that really showed the “teamwork” of the women because it was almost an allusion since they all could have been the same single dancer on the stage. I loved the costumes as well! I was engaged while watching this performance.
Proximally Each Within: This was another extremely modern piece that explored the intense agility of all the dancers. However, I didn’t really connect with the perfomance.
Caviar and 200 Cigarettes: I loved watching all of my present classmates! You all did very well considering there was no music. I imagine that must have been difficult practicing since you are relying on your own counting ability to be in unison with no outside cue from music!
3: The way the dancers interacted made them appear as if they were mentally insane! It was intriguing to see dancing from an angle like this and I think the set and lighting really contributed to their performance in its entirety!
The Sticky Wicket Rumble: I was once again excited to see my classmates! You rock! The animal imitations were especially creative and entertaining to watch!
Steel Grace: I felt that it was influenced by African dancing along with the steel drum music which I very much enjoyed hearing! The fight scene at the end was great as well! However, I still don’t know quite how to relate to the modern aspect.
Letting Go to Hug: LOVED IT Literally! It was light-hearted and refreshingly happy! The ending was great and it was evident how much they practiced for this performance! Fabulous ending to the show!
The concert was awesome. It went by really fast, and their were some very unique and memorable performances.
To be honest, I don't really remember "the Calling." I think it's because it was first out of nine and I had a partial bias against it because I didn't care for the song.
"Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred" was completely captivating. Devin did a really good job of incorporating her whole body into the piece, ie: looking possessed. I was a little confused at the beginning though - it seemed like it went on a little too long without music or movement, but maybe that was an accident....
I really enjoyed Anh Nguyen's piece , "Dye." I thought it portrayed femininity really well. Also, I thought it was cool how each seemed to be isolated, yet their movements matched so well that you could see the definite unity in it.
I thought "Proximally Each Within" had a very grounded, earthy feeling about it. This was shown by the earthy colors, the lack of height in the jumps, as well as the bent over dancers who were often on the floor.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" basically amazed me. I have tried doing routines originally with music without it. It's pretty much impossible to do it without speeding up. So I am definitely jealous and in awe.
I really enjoyed reading the choreographer's note before I saw "3." It was cool that they thought of "ideas that populated their minds without finding answers or without letting them rest" because this is exactly what it looked like they were thinking in the dance. Their moves were twitchy, their cells isolated, and the dancers themselves looked like they had been driven crazy.
"The Sticky Wicket Rumble" was so entertaining and great job to all of the dancers from Ballet108! Loved the costumes.
I enjoyed the music from "Steel Grace" because I felt like it really stood out from the other pieces' music. It also made me feel like I was watching them dance on a jungle island or something = very cool!
I loved "Letting Go To Hug." It was entertaining, and it showed a positive take on getting over a significant other. This was very fun to watch and I'm glad the show ended with this performance!
This was by far my favorite dance concert I've seen so far - so incredibly creative and talented. I took away a little something from each performance
The Calling - This reminded me of our Rock n Roll ballet classes! One thing that I really admired about this group was each girl's ability and confidence to dance apart from the rest of the group. This confidence is something that I am personally improving on but still striving to really own.
Roses are Blue. Violets are Rrrrred - other than jenea and Trevor's hilarious Wicket performance, this was my absolutely favorite. Devin McDermott is an incredible dancer an I really admired her bravery to really try something outside of the box. Her style of dancing also reminded me of our exercises in class where we practice transitioning from composed/proper to decomposed/collapsed bodies.
Proximally Each Within - I was struck by how, of the 3 girls, one who was particularly rigid stood out (in a negative way)from the rest. She reminded to be cafeul not to lose my fluidity or flexibility while trying to maintain control over my body.
Caviar and 200 Cigarettes - Thomas was UHmazing. Love those huge leaps. Love the pants.
The Sticky Wicket Rumble - So funny, so utterly entertaining. I could not keep from laughing at the beginning when Jenea was smacking that girl's but with her stick. But I really got something even bigger out of these, and it seems to be one of the common themes from our class - and that is the willingness to not be perfect, to be confident in your dancing abilities, and to be willing to laught at yourself. Loved it.
The dance majors concert was incredibly surprising to me. I saw a lot of creative works that developed from many different ideas (cultures, animal movements, satire) and that the typical choice of dance movement (purely jazz or ballet or whatever) was not always picked. I could also tell that the choreographers spent a lot of time talking to their dancers about their pieces and allowed the pieces become about the dancer as well. I was also really happy to see to see pieces that were more narratives (Sticky Wicket, Hug) and these pieces tended to appeal to my more humorous, theatre background.
The original music was impressive as well,and I must say, I wanted to download some of the original music (like Roses are Violet's music and Steel Grace). I thought this was the perfect work for dance majors to do and was very happy I was required to see it.
Unfortunately I was unable to go to the Dance Majors Concert because I had choir concerts all weekend. I did get to see La Compañía Nacional de Danza and they were very, very good. I especially liked the last act of the ballet with the sand. The sand really added a lot to the performance and made it really intriguing to watch. All the dancers moved with such grace and ease and you wondered how they make it look so easy.
I did like the second act, but it seemed to just end abruptly. It didn't feel like they totally closed it. The effect of the dancers bringing out the candles and setting them down while they danced was pretty cool.
Well I did not see the UW Dance Major’s Concert this past week, because I was in it. I was in “The Sticky Wicket Rumble” This piece was choreographed by Katrina Hamilton. It was a very unique piece with a lot of humor. I had a lot of fun trying new ideas at rehearsals and I made many new friends. One of the best parts of performing was hearing the audience laughing and having my classmates from 108 give me amazing sticks OH YAAA thanks guys! One thing I learned from the experience is that there are many, many different interpretations of dance. This piece is definitely out of the ordinary, but the audience seemed to really enjoy the comical aspect of it. There are two moments that are memorable for me. Both are near the beginning of the dance. To start the dance, I play “Do Re Me” with sticks on Kate Mosbarger’s rear. This is memorable, because it was at the very beginning and I was not nervous at all. I was surprised at how much more I related to the audience as a dancer than I did as a gymnast. I really realized how much audience participation helps one perform. I also loved being able to finish my performance and be clapped for not scored by a judge anyways the whole experience was amazing and I loved being a Wicket!
I think the dance majors concert was really well done although very different then I expected. I thought it would be more ballet but it ended up being all modern. The first dance was my favorite. "the calling". The choreographer Jennifer Baxter is in m y dance company and I knew right away it was her dance just by the style. She loves to do kicks and turns and that was seen in her dance. It was my favorite for that reason though. It definitely showed the dancers technique and training. I also LOVED the song! The second dance was done amazingly with the solo dancer. Although I did not really connect with the dance, Devin McDermott did not break character one bit and the emotion behind her moves was done very well. Dye was another dance I really liked. I like how the title of the piece really connected with the dance. The different colored dresses worked very well with the choreography, music and the lighting. Proximity each withing was another dance I could not really connect with. Although the dancers did an amazing job I don't have much feedback on it because in order to comment on modern dance you must connect with it and without connection its just moves. Caviar and 200 cigarettes had amazing costumes. I also give props to Thomas! great job! had no idea you were in it! The costumes went very well with the lighting. I must admit it was a little weird not having music because I have not really experienced dance with out music, but it was a nice change. 3 was a super cool dance! The fog went perfect with the dance, in my mind the dancers did out there moves and the fog helped illuminate the craziness of it. Some of the moves that the girls did would have given me a headache so props to them! The sticky wicket rumble was definitely a new genre of dance i have never experienced. I have never really seen comical dance but it was well done. The costumes fit perfectly with the dance. Good job to Jenea and Trevor! The gymnastic moves Jenea did were amazing! MAJOR props for that! In steel grace i liked how the girls made the dance look so easy and easy spirited. When i think of African music it reminds of calm peacefully flowey music and this dance showed this care free spirit. Letting go to hug was a great way to end the dance. It looks like all 4 dancers had a blast learning and performing the dance and it really showed. I feel like the audience really enjoyed it!
On a last note i happen to be sitting by all the choreographers and when their dances were being performed they were so exited and had huge smiles on their faces the whole time. I feel choreographers do not get recognized enough for their work. Coming up with dances is a hard job!
I really enjoyed watching the concert with marina and samantha, the show overall was excellent, since they incorporated different style to a dance.
One of the performance that got stuck on my head, and really liked was Caviar and 200 Cigarettes. It was cool since they danced without any music, but yet they were so united in moving together (nobody gets behind or do the wrong thing) , like they were on the right tempo exactly. it was totally difficult !!
I really really like the Sticky Wicket Rumble, seeing our classmates performing was really cool. and they did really well!!!! It was a fun, unique , theatrical routine, each presenting each own strength and personality. They were so good at imitating animals, and i felt like i was in a jungle too.i can totally relate to dance, and really get what the choreographer was thinking for this routine. It feels like you can be yourself, improvise it, and make it into a dance.
"Letting go to hug" was one of my favorite too. the performers were so cute together. i like when the small guy dance freestyle (he did not dance slow although the song was really slow) but yet it suit the song perfectly.
roses are blue violet are rrredd is cool! Devin did an amazing job looking like possessed doll, to be honest i got pretty scared watching it. the dance incorporated slow movement (reallly slow) like what we did in class. and it was totally beautiful
I enjoyed watching the Dance Majors Concert. I've been to quite a few of them and I must say, everyone of the DMC's that I've been to is unique is its own way. The first piece, "The Calling" was my favorite piece of the whole night. There was something about the music blending in with the dancers and the whole piece together that I really liked about this piece. I felt like this piece was put together well with lighting, movements, although their outfits were simple it blended greatly with the piece and still stood out, and I just really liked it.
The Second piece, "Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred" was a unique and entertaining. I found myself following and carefully watching every move the dance made, paying special attention to her facial expressions because everything she did was unpredictable and entertaining. She was a really good performer and fit for this piece because she put in the facial expressions,and the acting skills to tell a story.
I thought "Dye" was unique because of the use of clothing when the dancers took off a layer of the shirt they had at different times as part of the choreography. The dancers' hair was left down and messy but worked well with the choreography.
"Proximally Each Within" performed by the three girls stood out because of the leotards with the baggier pants.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" was a good piece to end on prior to the intermission. Pieces with multiple performers is alway fun to watch and see how it all gets put together. This piece stood out because everything was red and white but the red really stood out piece. The use of the stage horizontally across the stage going right and left was used alot.
"3" stood out to me as a piece that focused on the dancers and their use of a set of movements and playing with the speed of those paticular movements. The lighting and fog features of this piece was a good fit.
"The Sticky Wicket Rumble" was the funniest and goofiest piece of the night. This piece drew the most laughs and reminded me of a circus. I really liked the costumes and the silliness put into this piece. This piece shows that dance doesn't always have to be serious, formal and structured, it can be silly too.
"Steel Grace" stood out because of the music. What I remember most about this piece was the dancers pushing each other.
"Letting Go to Hug" was good and funny in its own way. When one of the male dancers came out on stage with one of the female dancer sitting on his shoulder it was sorta funny. I think the height difference of this piece worked well and helped bring out a story. The interaction between david and nathan in piece was entertaining. This piece was funny, serious, and the hint of love/desire in this piece was fun to watch.
Overally, piece was unique and I there was alot of talent in each piece. The DMC covered many different styles of dance and was well rounded. It was fun to watch!
Dance Majors Concert Offers a Postmodern Experience
The Dance Majors Concert this winter offers a variety of styles and themes for audiences. There are pieces that are completely lyrical and narrative in nature, while others are abstract and ambiguous. Space, sound, clothing, and lighting are all explored as the audience is taken through the entire spectrum of emotions from sorrow, to anger, and happiness. This is all part of the postmodern experience created by the dance majors.
One of the most apparent differences between the pieces is how the movement relates to the sound, or the lack of sound, on stage. “The Calling” and “Steel Grace” are choreographed in a lyrical, even narrative, fashion to the music. The dancers embody the polyrhythms of Kathryn Hightower and Jah Breeze’s “Afrique” as they move in and about each other. In Callie Arnold’s “Letting go to Hug,” the dancers move in and out of the rhythm in the music. Sometimes there is a harsh, intentional contradiction between the music and the movement, and at other times, the movement matches the music exactly. There is also silence on stage. This is particularly intriguing for audience members since it creates and awkward feeling. There is a sense that music or sound should come, but it never does. The dancers create rhythms with their breath and bodies instead. The feeling of thirteen people existing in a space without external guidance from sound is commanding. “The Sticky Wicket Rumble” commands this attention from the audience as it begins with a stage full of sleeping wickets. In all, the sound, and the lack there of, give the audience a powerful experience as the dancers choose to connect or disconnect from it.
Another aspect of the performance which is explored by the nine choreographers, in different fashions, is the use of the space. Laara Garcia’s “Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred” uses only the first panel of the stage. However, the audience feels as though Devin McDermott’s dancing fills the entire theater. The combination of lighting, sound, and expression create this sense of grandeur. Alice Gosti’s “3” explores different sections of the stage. With Peter Bracilano’s phenomenal lighting design, each of the three dancers has a unique color and distinct portion of the stage. As the dancers move around their section the audience is kept in suspense, waiting to see if one of the dancers will break through the barriers. The exploration of space through division and minimization allows the other aspects of the dance to create the magnificence the audience experiences.
All of the choreographers are dance undergraduate students. And the performers are undergraduate students. This blossoming group of students is by no means at a professional skill level, but the choreography was perfectly matched to the level of competence and skill each dancer possessed. This creates a sense of confidence and prestige around each performance. This allows the technical aspects of each dance to be accentuated. Jumps and leaps have a clarity which draws the audience’s attention to that movement just so it can be taken to another part of the stage immediately after as another dancer begins another section of the piece.
Frequently changing focus is a theme in more than one of the pieces in this concert. It enhances the postmodern experience for the audience as each change of focus creates an emotion in the audience. It might be excitement to see what is next, or sorrow that something so beautiful is complete. The emotion continues to draw the audience deeper into the performance in addition to the sounds and the spacing. It is the combination of emotion, technical prowess, sound, and space which make this concert an excellent postmodern experience.
First of all, a big GREAT JOB to all f our classmates who performed in the dance concert!!!! Bravo!
What I love about DMC is definitely seeing the work of classmates - whether it is choreography or performing. I am always SO impressed!
The Calling - I really enjoyed the jazz and lyrical elements, though as others have mentioned, it is difficult to remember all of the details of this piece since it was the first one.
Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrred... Oh my god. I was speechless, absolutely speechless. As I have mentioned before, I am selective about which modern dance pieces that I really like - this one blew me away, which kind of surprises me since the movement certainly was not an aesthetic I prefer. But Devon was incredible - what a talent she is! Her stage presence is a force of nature. And Laara did an amazing job at choreography - it was so dynamic and unpredictable. Most of all, Devin's character, the choreography, the lighting and the music in combination REALLY moved me - that is how I really define art - when it moves people in one or more of the various ways we experience emotion...
Caviar and 200 Cigarettes - wow, the difficulty it must be to dance a group piece without music!!! It felt so human, you could feel their experience of dancing, I think because you could hear their breath. A piece like that really shows the skill of the dancers to be really in tune with each other.
3 - loved the lighting, the concept and I always appreciate work by Alice.
The Sticky Wicket Rumble - so good to see you guys on stage - what fun! Jenea - amazing walking in back bend!!!
Steel Grace - was a nice 'something a little different'... a very communal feeling dance.
I enjoyed the concert because, although it focused on modern pieces almost exclusively, it ran the gambit from somewhat modern to extremely modern. It also allowed me to showcase to a larger audience what I look like in blue tights and a skirt.
My experience dancing in Katrina's piece was very enlightening and challenging. Sure, I didn't have to bend in half like Janaea did, but I did encounter some challenges.
Katrina has told us many times that her piece is not supposed to be funny(it is actually about the war) as such, we aren't supposed to smile during the dance. Regardless of this fact, I still spent most of my time desperately trying to choke back a smile or a giggle. On opening night (Thursday) the lights went up and we were lying in our wicket pile when some older gentleman in the front row exclaimed "WOW...LOOK @ THAT PILE OF PEOPLE." You have to keep in mind that he said this loud enough so that I (and probably everybody else in the room) could hear him quite plainly. I had to actually bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud.
It is the little challenges like this that make presenting a dance so interesting and worthwhile. All in all I thought the concert was quite good. And really, seeing Thomas in tight, gold pantaloons is worth $10 anyday.
I really enjoyed the Dance Major concert. I have seem some performances in the past and it is always an amazing experience. You can really see how hard all these individuals worked and how much they but into these pieces. It is also fun to see people from your very own classes out there! Everyone did an amazing job and were inspiring to keep loving dance and keep pushing yourself with technique.
One piece that I really got into was the "Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred." The dancer projected so much emotion and feeling with her dancing. Also, the lighting really set the mood for the whole performance. The combination of steps, lighting and music really gave to the feeling of this piece.
Another piece that I really enjoyed was the "The Sticky Wicket Rumble". It made me laugh and it was a very engaging piece. Not only did these dancers have the dance ability but it was very comical and showed a theatrical side to them as well.
Overall the concert was very enjoyable. I really love watching modern pieces and I was excited to see this as the over all theme to the concert. I will defiantly go and watch another Dance Major concert!
I was impressed by the work in the dance majors concert, and I enjoyed the dancing and the music.
There were a couple of pieces that really stuck with me and that I found particularly effective.
Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrred , while this kind of piece isn't usually my favorite, I really liked. It fit the music beautifully, and the dancers presence and dedication to the movements were exceptional. I also liked how the choreography had some recurring themes and ideas in it. I felt that it was a very communicative piece that was well performed.
Also, the Sticky Wicket Rumble was very well done. It had comedy, and I loved how the dancers made their own beats and music and had their own characters within the dance, that were able to capture the audiences' attention with their interactions.
The Dance Majors Concert, like many of the other dance performances at UW, surprised me in how creative, unique and entertaining the show was. I love how UW's dance department has really expanded their creativity and variety in dance as an art form, this was very apparent in the dance majors concert. Almost every single piece was unique from the other and had its own personality. This reminds me of another blog topic- the Sir Ken Robinson video. He spoke of how education undermines creativity... although that is something I continue to ponder about every day ( I work at an elementary school) I can say for sure that UW dance students have not lost any creativity- probably because they've been dancing!
Although I appreciated various aspects of all of the pieces at the concert, I had a few favorites... "Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrred" was definitely a surprise. It was so engaging to watch because Devin was so intense- with her movement and with the audience, oh and the facial expressions too. It was so intense it was almost gave me the shivers! I also really liked "Proximally Each Within" and I wish it was longer. The movement was very fluid and I loved how the background music had dialogue in it. A band I listen to called The Books, classify their music as "aleatoric" because it incorporates dialogue and theater into their songs. That piece reminded me of the Books, so I really appreciated it. "Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" was also interesting because their was no background music, so you could only hear the breaths of the dancers- and that was neat. "Letting Go To Hug" was also very nice because it was just sweet and left you with a happy feeling. Overall, the concert was a lot of fun and inspiring- I am excited to continue studying dance-art and see where it goes!
Unfortunately I was unable to attend the dance majors concert due to the fact that I have been very sick lately. I also had dance rehearsal for a different show and work all weekend :( I really REALLY wish I could have seen it. These comments all make it sound so interesting and inspiring. I'm sure that I will be attending many dance performances to come, I can only hope that they are as entertaining as this one sounds.
I went to one of the later performances and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Roses are Blue, Violets are RRRRed:
This was an amazing performance. I felt like I was watching a slow psychological breakdown, an eroding of sanity before eyes. It was an uncomfortable mix of human and machine like movements. This fudging was a little disturbing, but I found myself unable to take my eyes off of the performance. What great isolation of different parts of the body, what intensity of focus. She really understood attention to every part of the body as a possible site of performance.
The Sticky Wicket Rumble; Trevor, Janea! You guys were great! Good for you, for putting yourself out there! First of all, I adore this name SO MUCH. I think that if I were a furry creature or one of the Lost Boys, I would live in a den/tree/forest/part of the woods/etc called the Sticky Wicket Rumble. The costumes were so simple, but they really got the creature idea across. Nobody was afraid of letting go with this animal idea and I liked that. The whole piece was goofy, silly and reminded me of childhood and what I wanted adventures to be like.
Letting Go to Hug:
This was an interesting piece and I wasn't sure if the audience reaction was what the dancers had intended. At the performance I went to, many people ended up laughing. I was confused as to how I should respond. The females had a different style and tone then the males. The two guys were an unexpected pair, but I suppose that is what made it effective.
These were my favorite three pieces because of all the emotions they invoked. That was kind of my main gauge. Could they really alter the way I was feeling just by watching them?
This is always a really great learning experience.
I really enjoyed watch the Dance Majors concert. Somehow i feel every piece was kinda of short. I wish each piece of the show can be longer. The Dance Majors Concert was mainly modern dance which is different from what we are doing. In our class, we are mainly deal with the traditional ballet dance.
" The calling"-4 dancer was running around the stage entire time of the performance. The lighting was dark.
" Sticky Wicket Rumble"-I really like this piece of dance because it was very unique from other dance. The whole piece was funny because the dancer act stupid to make this piece funny.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes"- I was really impress by this piece because it was without any music. I think it will be very difficult for anyone to dance without music. Music helps dancer a lot for counting beats.
These 3 dance piece are really stand out in my head. Other dance piece are still good but some of the piece i have hard time to understand and figure out the meaning of the piece.
The music was good and i really like the lighting because some of the piece the light was bright and some of the dance piece the light was dark. The transformation of lighting is good.
I really enjoyed watch the Dance Majors concert. Somehow i feel every piece was kinda of short. I wish each piece of the show can be longer. The Dance Majors Concert was mainly modern dance which is different from what we are doing. In our class, we are mainly deal with the traditional ballet dance.
" The calling"-4 dancer was running around the stage entire time of the performance. The lighting was dark.
" Sticky Wicket Rumble"-I really like this piece of dance because it was very unique from other dance. The whole piece was funny because the dancer act stupid to make this piece funny.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes"- I was really impress by this piece because it was without any music. I think it will be very difficult for anyone to dance without music. Music helps dancer a lot for counting beats.
These 3 dance piece are really stand out in my head. Other dance piece are still good but some of the piece i have hard time to understand and figure out the meaning of the piece.
The music was good and i really like the lighting because some of the piece the light was bright and some of the dance piece the light was dark. The transformation of lighting is good.
I thought the concert was very interesting and unique. I have attended many of the Dance Majors Concert and I found this one to really stick out in a different way for me. I felt that there was less focus on detailed choreography and more on costumes and breath and the intention behind the movement. I found this particualary so in Caviar and 200 Cigarettes. The use of sound has always been very interesting to me in dance, and in this case a lack of. There is so much more emphasis on the dancers body and movement. Attending this performance tied really well into what you have been trying to get us do all quarter by connecting with our emotions and to explore movement for the sensation of it. Again in Caviar and 200 Cigarettes (I really enjoyed this piece which is why I focus on it) but it also tied into my Dance Philosophy class. The intentionality behind the decisions of the choreographer seemed to be incredibly distinct. The choice to not have music is such an interesting choice, as a sometimes it seems that the story and movement stems from the music. However you could really see that the interaction of the dancers in this piece was key and was an asthetic choice. Overall I felt that the costumes were generally very planned and very much apart of the piece. The costumes also played off the emotions being portrayed. When dancers were acting like animals or had little constraint their costumes seemed wild and crazy to almost magnify the emotion and intention. The decisions dancers made seem to fill the space. I saw so many dancers who movements filled and expanded, and you could see the joy of movement on their faces which was really awesome to see. Being in a smaller theater is also a great experience. I think that being in a huge concert hall, many of these pieces would have lost some of their zest just because you would not have been as close to the dancers to see facial expressions or to watch the manipulation of their bodies. Overall I was very impressed and always love seeing the talent of the UW dance department.
I was totally impresseed to watch the concert. I enjoyed every piece of performance, but want to reffer to two pieces that I really was amazed.
"Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred." I loved the choreograph, dancer's movement, the slight confusion at the biggining and so forth. The choreograph was pretty refined and seemed perfect to me. Random move, marrionett, and flowing body movemnt using the whole stage... I thought this choreograph is well arganized dispite of many destructive and passionate movements. The dancer, Devin was just incredeble. She seemed to have performed exactly as the choreographer expected. Her way of expressing emotions, her flexibility, sence of timing and how she made the stage "her own world" were wonderful and I lerned much from them. I was so inspired by her dance that I could identify her in the in-class performance yesterday. She was dancing among other 3--level class students and seemed to have stand out for me because I think she has a talent that brings people to watch her.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes." I can not imagine how difficult it is to dance perfectly like this without music. I saw the great bond of dancers. I really liked how they express their individualities and incorporate their move and timing at the same time, to make this performance as a integrated dance performance beyond the dependence to music.
I was so stuck by all the performances that I can even recall them quite vividly still. I myself had been doing modern dance from 5years old to 16years old, so those performances remind me of the feeling of dancing modern. I like modern because it is unexpectable for audience even though the performance is practiced again and again, and organized perfectly. As a dancer, it is fun to surprize th audience, and as audience, it is stumulating to be surprized by the performance. I loved this dance major concert because I was so amazed by every performance and was motivated very much. I want to thank this class for giving me the opportunity to watch this and learn a lot of thing about dance.
The Dance Majors Concert was GREAT! I've really enjoyed this years production. And plus, seeing familiar faces was a lot of fun.
I had the opportunity to work as stage crew prior to the show and during the show. I was never able to watch the show during the showings; only through a small tv screen backstage. Therefore, my reactions are only based on what I see then and possibly through rehersals.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" made a brilliant choice of not including music in their piece. The jumps were almost required to be as light as possible because there was no music to drown out sloppy landings. I can hear, see, and feel the breaths of every single dancers. It was cool.
My favorite was definitely "3," choreographed by Alice G. Though some movements were simple and repetitive, I LOVED it. It was a piece filled with many emotions and I can feel it as an audience not even understanding what the piece was all about.
"Letting Go to Hug" was also a memorable piece. The entire effect it gave me was pretty fascinating. It was a great piece to end the night and show with. Their techniques were incorporated with many different ideas; very touching. =)
All in all, this years group had many talents and I very much enjoyed it. I could only wish I was able to see the show as an audience seeing everything for the first time.
The dance majors concert is always a joy to watch and I don't know if they are supposed to have a theme but i noticed one in these pieces, sans the beautiful and slightly frightening solo of Devin's. The dancers would begin separate and have their nice individual moments and then it seemed they all fell to the middle and fought due to some mysterious dance force. There was a lot of anger or something i couldn't name in some of the pieces. I loved the use of breath as music in caviar and 200 cigarettes. It felt so human, and reminded me that those are real people on the stage, not just visual patterns thrown at me from somewhere in my mind. The sticky wicket rumble was one of the most amazing pieces of physical comedy i've ever seen. it's interesting to read trevorrrrrr's post about the background of the piece and the lack of comedy in the idea from which it sprung. I still couldn't help myself when jenea was playing that girls bumdybum. I had to giggle. I loved "Letting Go To Hug" because each of the performers had such a distinct personality and relationship with the audience. It was great fun to watch.
i had a really hard time concentrating on the dance with no music. i found myself not knowing what to expect. i like the idea of dancing to no music, but really could not follow it. all in all it was a really good show!
I've been to a number of UW dance program performances, but this is the first time I've been to one of the Dance Majors concerts (I went Thursday night). I really enjoyed seeing work created by people I knew. In fact, one of the choreographers is a gal I've known since elementary school, and I was excited to be able to see her piece (Steel Grace).
I think my favorite piece was Sticky Wicket Rumble, although I think its because it was entertaining more so than because of the choreography itself. I know the choreographer is involved in the drama program too, and I think that came across in her piece. Plus, I loved the colors and costumes! I also felt it reminded me of a Dr. Seuss book on caffeine (or something).
My least favorite piece was Roses Are Blue, Violets are Rrrred. I felt that it just didn't look like dance to me. It struck me as lots of movement without really being dance. I have to agree with others, however, in that Devin McDermott was definitely intense and involved in her performance, which made it engaging if not my favorite.
I was excited that one of the pieces (Dye) used music by Feist - one of my favorite musicians!
It's interesting to go to these shows with my husband. He's got zero exposure to dance outside of these shows, so it's interesting to hear his perspective as a non-dancer. This show went over his head in this case.
While I prefer more ballet-inspired pieces (these struck me as very modern), it was still exciting to see work done by our contemporaries.
I enjoyed the vriety of dance works presented at the dance majors concert. The concert exhibited some ballet technique especially in the opening piece on Thursday the dancers performed piourettes and schneee turns. Although the piece had ballet vocabulary the performance was a lyrical quality with the expression and extension of their arms and hands alluding to a longing sensation. This reminded me of the adagio combination that we did during the modern ballet series. Furthermore, there was a multiplicity of theatrical pieces ranging from a colony of umpa lumpa looking creatures to three narratives of three different indivuals lives. The stories were communicated through the expressivness of the facial gestures and I noticed that movements were often performed in all of the pieces more durasticly and forecfully when the dancers utiized their arms. For example, in Odessa's piece the three women would remain still while performing very puntuated arm gestures signaling to me like a burden to get rid of. The concert was interest to see the works of fellow peers and classmates and to be apart of their work. Ashley Howisey
I was really really impressed by the Dance Majors Concert. We have a lot of really talented dancers/choreographers at our school... even in our own class! I went to the Sunday show, so I think there was a lot of good 'last show' energy. I think that The Calling was a really good way to open up the show for me. It had a lot of jazz elements, which I'm really comfortable with and enjoy. I really liked how they used so much of the space. I was actually a little disturbed by the Second piece, Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrrred. It was creepy and strangely beautiful at the same time. The dancer did an amazing job of getting into character. Dye was probably my favorite piece of the night. I thought that the flow of the dancing was beautiful. Caviar and 200 Cigarettes had a whole lot going on. It kept me really busy figuring out what I wanted to watch at any given time. They also used the space really well. The Sticky Wicket Rumble was amazing. It was fun to watch... definitely a crowd pleaser. I thought that the use of colors was really nice as well. Steel Grace left me really happy at the end of the piece. It was interesting, because after the show I overheard some people talking about how they hadn't particularly enjoyed this piece, and I was reminded how subjective dance is. I really liked this one, but obviously other people will have other tastes. Letting Go to Hug was really cute. I thought that the dancers had really good chemistry together, so it was fun to watch them interact. Overall I was really impressed by each of the pieces. One thing that I noticed was how well a lot of the dancers were able to balance. There were a lot of things that we talked about in class that I could see that really added to the performance.
As this was my first Dance Majors concert experience, I came into the performance with an open mind with no preconceived notions of what it would entail. This made for an overall very enjoyable event.
I thoroughly enjoyed "the Calling". I am surprised at how vividly I remember it despite the fact that it was the first of many performances. I really related to the dancing techniques within the performance as I found it to mirror an upbeat style. I loved how they brought in my attention by interacting with the crowd more than I would have ever expected. When they ran up and down the stairs I was fixated on nothing else.
The raw emotion portrayed within "Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrrred" was alarming to me. There was a starch difference between this piece compared to the previous one which opened the show. I found Devin's movements rather sporadic and terrifying. However, I'd imagine that the emotions I am receiving from the piece are intentional and meaningful.
What attracted me to the piece, "Dye", was definitely the costume. The wild hair along with the bright shirts really made the performance come alive. The heavy audible breathing really mirrored everything about the performance. Dance talent was really showcased in this piece. I also enjoyed the costumes within "Proximally Each within".
The lack of music within "Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" was very much profound and avant garde. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces :) I look up to those who can put themselves out there for people to judge such as the performers did within this piece.
In all honesty, I could not stand the performance "3". I found the movements very repetitive. I did enjoy the fog, on the other hand.
Jenea was awesome in "the Sticky Wicket Rumble" wasn't she!? I loved her tumbling. I found this piece rather humorous but at times confusing because so much was going on at once!
The sheer title of the performance, "Steel Grace" definitely connected to every aspect of the piece. The flowing costume denotes grace while the music changed in tempo randomly.
Choosing "Letting Go to Hug" as the final performance of the night was ingenious. I left Meany Hall satisfied and on a good note. I found it adorable, humorous, but very much unpredictable.
Overall, the fact that a lot of modern and improv was incorporated into our ballet class allowed me to have a further respect for the performance itself. I am very grateful that my horizons were expanded and now have a greater appreciation for modern dance.
35 comments:
I really enjoyed the Dance Majors Concert. Especially getting to see people I know perform! It has always been an interesting experience for me to watch college dance program concerts because they seem focused on modern dance, which is really different than what I grew up with. Now that I've taken a little more ballet, however, I can really recognize elements of ballet in modern dance, such as arm movements, turns, and the way that dancers really move around their cores/centers when they dance.
One performance that really stuck out to me was Devin McDermott's performance in "Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred." Although this wasn't really "my kind of dancing," the performer was so intense and engaged in her performance that I enjoyed watching her and was really impressed. I thought she did a great job, and her performance really demonstrated the importance of feeling/showing emotion while dancing.
Another performance that stood out to me was "Caviar and 200 Cigarettes." The dancers really incorporated their breathing with their dancing, which I was able to connect with exercises we've done in class with breath.
Overall, I really enjoyed the concert and would definitely like to go again next quarter. It was fun to watch, and I was also able to connect a lot of things we've learned and discussed in class with what I saw.
Thursday night-3/6
I did not know what to expect and it was a great experience. I felt like i was on one of those movie rides like the ones at big theme parks where the seats move. Everything was soo dark and silent between each performance, but it really struck me in the beginning, it was weird for me to hear nothing.
Anyways, the dancing was so entertaining, so spontaneous and unpredictable that it kept me at the edge of my seat.
"The Calling"- The lighting was dramatic with the red glow. They did some really cool moves all together and one of them really stuck out to me like she really understood the story she was trying to portray.
"Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred" - So weird for me! I do not usually watch horror movies, but she reminded me of a little evil doll. I do not think that I had seen any dance that was quite as scary as this girl. It was a really cool experience to watch her do all these weird things. At times it reminded me of an "emo teenager" kind of look by the way she was so dramatic about what was wrong with her.
"Dye"- Great costume effect. Each one had kind of a spot light as they took off their plane cover over their bright colored shirts! Their hair looked really cool as well, it was soo pretty and flowing, but their hair was wild and crazy. Their dancing was so well connected, it was different from the way the girls in the first one were connected. They were more like one body dancing together and that connection was really cool to watch.
"Proximally Each Within" - The puffy pants gave their centers emphasis. They used their costumes to draw attention to how they moved their centers. While they were doing their own thing they were connected by an outside editing, like they were movie clips edited together for a reason to emphasize a pattern. Their arm movements were so dramatic!
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes"- It seems like it would be hard to dance together without music. I enjoyed watching them dance without music! It focused more on depending on the acting and not on music. Their costumes were so flashy and the dancer's costumes were so different. Very entertaining! They did some really cool moves together and I was very impressed by their ability to stay together even without music.
"3" - The fog and the lights made a really cool effect for this one. Each girl had her own stage that reminded me of their own cells in some facility for the mentally ill. They were all sporadically doing repetitive movements like they were crazy or they had lost their minds. They acted well to portray this kind of mind set.
"The Sticky Wicket Rumble" - Oh my this group was really funny. Their costumes were so colorful and the way they acted reminded me of a circus or a zoo. So many random animals and ways of interacting. This was soo entertaining and fun to watch. It was soo creative they way they came in or introduced their characters. Their fighting was so random and amusing.
"Steel Grace" - This dance was so spiritual. The music was so sporadic and some points in the music were awkward. Their outfits were so pretty and flowing! They portrayed a very spiritual dance like they were in prayer or getting in touch with their hearts.
"Letting Go To Hug"- Haha! These people were funny! They had these emotional-serious-heart filled songs and they were dancing so unemotional and so cosmically. Their outfits were soo crazy. This giant man was wearing the shortest shorts I have ever seen a man wear and it was awkward to see him interacting with that shorter guy. They were all random and it was entertaining. Their moves were unpredictable and crazy. Their piece was really great!
I really enjoyed getting to watch the dance majors concert. First of all, I want to say great job to everyone from our class who performed. You guys did awesome. It was fun watching all of the different things that the student choreographers came up with. All of the pieces were filled with so much emotion and performed so well by the dancers.
I really enjoyed the first routine, The Calling, because it was very creative in the way the four dancers interacted with each other. Three of them would be dancing together and one would have a solo, and then all of sudden it was two and two, and then someone else would have a solo. I thought it was put together really well, because it never slowed down.
I also really liked the last performance, Letting Go To Hug. I think that the dancers were chosen really well for their parts, and they each brought their own quirkiness into the routine. Both of the female dancers in this piece had such gorgeous long legs, I am definately jealous.
I think that the Sticky Wicket Rumble was definately a crowd favorite. It was very comical, and was put together so well. The dancers demonstrated that they had great theatrical ability in addition to their dance skills.
On a random side note, I just want to say that the beginning of Caviar and 200 Cigarettes reminded me of one of the routines in Center Stage, when the dancers are walking back and forth on the street. Did anyone else see the resemblance?
The only thing that I thought was missing was a little bit more technicality. All of the routines showed off the creativity of the choreographers, which I imagine was the point of the concert, but I really wanted to see what some of the dancers could do. A couple of times I found myself desperately wanting to see a leap or a jump or a turn to show off what great dancers we have at UW.
Overall I really enjoyed the concert! I think I will go again next year.
(Friday's Show) I’ve believe I’ve been to two dance major concerts prior to this one, and each one is surprisingly different. This one had a distinctly modern vibe.
“The Calling” the opening performance was right up my alley. It had a very jazzy feel to it (which is my favorite style of dance) and they had a very thrash-y and intense routine. They even got the crowd involved by running up to the steps and dancing around the handrails of the stairs. That was a pleasant surprise.
“Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred.” Really didn’t appeal to me. The dancer looked possessed (which was probably the point, but I didn’t understand) and there was too much repetition for my liking. She did the same move for four eight counts, which I thought was overkill. But what was interesting about this piece was that it seemed borderline hip-hop because there were so many body pops in it. It had kind of a street feel to it.
“Dye” was an interesting piece with 4 women. It was also a very modern piece and there was a lot of interaction between the dancers, there was play fighting and dancing together which kept me paying attention. “Proximally Each Within” was another over-the-top modern piece that I felt was kind of awkward to watch. They were breathing really heavily and it kind of made me uncomfortable. But it did showcase the dancers’ flexibility and agility. One of the women danced in a way that reminded me of yoga. She was in a “child’s pose” for a while, it was interesting.
“Caviar and 200 Cigarettes” had a lot of my present and former classmates in it, so that made it fun to watch. This piece had no music to it, so it was a little surprising at first, but I adjusted to the change quickly. I imagine it was hard for the dancers to coordinate with no music. But they did a great job with timing. Good job!
“3” was another very intense piece, similar to “Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred.” There was a lot of fast head-shaking, that made them look like they were crazy and there was also a lot of repetition. It was quite alluring. It looked as though someone were playing a video and then reversing it and playing it again, because they would do a move, go do something else and then do it again. It looked like a video on a loop. It was something I had never seen before and very though provoking.
“The Sticky Wicket Rumble” was also filled with our classmates, good job guys! Now I know why you all were so good at imitating animals! This one definitely one of my favorite pieces, it was entertaining, funny and creative. They made their own music which was great. I really enjoyed the play fighting scene!
“Steel Grace” had an African-modern feel to it and it was performed by a group of girls, I didn’t really understand this one, but there was a fight scene at the end that was exciting. The danced to steel drums, which I really love and I assume that’s where the title came from.
“Letting Go to Hug” was also another favorite. It was simply hilarious. There was lots of shoulder-rides and modern dancing. It was a very light-hearted dance and a great way to end the show. I think the audience left feeling upbeat and happy. I believe this piece was about love between the four people and I thought it was ADORABLE how they ended. They were all hugging. Good job!
All in all I thought it was a great performance, I can tell everyone worked really hard and hopefully it paid off!! I’ll definitely be going again!
Saturday Night Showing:
Like many others have said, I too did not know what to expect to see at this concert...and I was certainly blown away. Modern dance in such an interesting art form. I would love to watch one of the artists begin to choreograph one of those pieces, they are all so unique! One of my favorites was the first one, "The Calling." I loved the use of lighting and the formations that the dancers usually stayed in even though they all had very different parts. I also really liked "Dye" which might not be such as surprise since parts of it really reminded me of "The Calling." Some of the other pieces were incredibly abstract. "Proximally Each Within" being one of them, was stunnign to watch, I felt like I just sat there and stared the whole time and couldn't move, like all I could do was just try and take in all that was going on. I was so pleased to see people from class in the other performances! Everyone looked so great, I was really impressed! This was the first dance concert I have seen at UW but I definitely want to see another in the quarters to come and hopefully see some more familiar faces.
The concert as a whole was very intriguing. There were many pieces with concepts I may have never thought of. One piece that sticks out to me is “Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred”. This piece really stuck out to me because it reminded me of a scary movie. I felt like the dancer was trying to tell the audience a story. One reason this piece stands out is the lighting. I’ve never seen stage lighting like this! It was wonderful! Only about one third of the stage was lit. The dancer stayed downstage the entire time. There were certain points in time where she went danced toward the dark part of the stage, and even stepped into it. The moment when she stepped partially into the dark part of the stage really stands out in my mind. The lighting really fit the piece. It made me think about whether she was going to go into the darkness and not return, or if something was going to come out. It really kept me on edge.
The second piece that really impacted me was “3”. It was like watching three different people tell their life story at once. It seemed as if they were all different, but had something in common. The lighting contributed a lot to the performance. There were three different spot lights for the three dancers, and even though there was a dancer in center stage, it didn’t make me take my focus off of the dancer who was stage left, or the one who was stage right. There was a moment in the piece where the one of the dancers would run upstage and put her hand out and stare, and then run back downstage. She did this a number of times. It really stuck out to me. It made me think that she was trapped. The lighting was made so that each dancer had a spot light, but it was like a box. So it made me think that the dancer was trapped in a box, and the box could represent many different things such as school, work, or even friendship. This piece was fun to watch, everything flowed together so well.Overall, the concert was amazing! It made me think of new ways to dance, and inspired me to explore new movements.
I really enjoyed the Dance Majors Concert! To be honest, I didn't know what to quite expect but it was great seeing people I recongized performing!
The Calling: I felt was very jazz based meets modern intensity along with the vividly dramatic lighting. I was enthralled with the way the 4 dancers interacted with one another because the intensity was running high throughout the entire performance.
Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred: This dance was provocatively scary and reminded me of The Exorcist. I enjoyed watching her expression but realized that it didn’t complement my taste for dancing. However, I thought that the repetition was tedious.
Dye: I thought it was a traditionally modern piece that really showed the “teamwork” of the women because it was almost an allusion since they all could have been the same single dancer on the stage. I loved the costumes as well! I was engaged while watching this performance.
Proximally Each Within: This was another extremely modern piece that explored the intense agility of all the dancers. However, I didn’t really connect with the perfomance.
Caviar and 200 Cigarettes: I loved watching all of my present classmates! You all did very well considering there was no music. I imagine that must have been difficult practicing since you are relying on your own counting ability to be in unison with no outside cue from music!
3: The way the dancers interacted made them appear as if they were mentally insane! It was intriguing to see dancing from an angle like this and I think the set and lighting really contributed to their performance in its entirety!
The Sticky Wicket Rumble: I was once again excited to see my classmates! You rock! The animal imitations were especially creative and entertaining to watch!
Steel Grace: I felt that it was influenced by African dancing along with the steel drum music which I very much enjoyed hearing! The fight scene at the end was great as well! However, I still don’t know quite how to relate to the modern aspect.
Letting Go to Hug: LOVED IT Literally! It was light-hearted and refreshingly happy! The ending was great and it was evident how much they practiced for this performance! Fabulous ending to the show!
The concert was awesome. It went by really fast, and their were some very unique and memorable performances.
To be honest, I don't really remember "the Calling." I think it's because it was first out of nine and I had a partial bias against it because I didn't care for the song.
"Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred" was completely captivating. Devin did a really good job of incorporating her whole body into the piece, ie: looking possessed. I was a little confused at the beginning though - it seemed like it went on a little too long without music or movement, but maybe that was an accident....
I really enjoyed Anh Nguyen's piece , "Dye." I thought it portrayed femininity really well. Also, I thought it was cool how each seemed to be isolated, yet their movements matched so well that you could see the definite unity in it.
I thought "Proximally Each Within" had a very grounded, earthy feeling about it. This was shown by the earthy colors, the lack of height in the jumps, as well as the bent over dancers who were often on the floor.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" basically amazed me. I have tried doing routines originally with music without it. It's pretty much impossible to do it without speeding up. So I am definitely jealous and in awe.
I really enjoyed reading the choreographer's note before I saw "3." It was cool that they thought of "ideas that populated their minds without finding answers or without letting them rest" because this is exactly what it looked like they were thinking in the dance. Their moves were twitchy, their cells isolated, and the dancers themselves looked like they had been driven crazy.
"The Sticky Wicket Rumble" was so entertaining and great job to all of the dancers from Ballet108! Loved the costumes.
I enjoyed the music from "Steel Grace" because I felt like it really stood out from the other pieces' music. It also made me feel like I was watching them dance on a jungle island or something = very cool!
I loved "Letting Go To Hug." It was entertaining, and it showed a positive take on getting over a significant other. This was very fun to watch and I'm glad the show ended with this performance!
This was by far my favorite dance concert I've seen so far - so incredibly creative and talented. I took away a little something from each performance
The Calling - This reminded me of our Rock n Roll ballet classes! One thing that I really admired about this group was each girl's ability and confidence to dance apart from the rest of the group. This confidence is something that I am personally improving on but still striving to really own.
Roses are Blue. Violets are Rrrrred - other than jenea and Trevor's hilarious Wicket performance, this was my absolutely favorite. Devin McDermott is an incredible dancer an I really admired her bravery to really try something outside of the box. Her style of dancing also reminded me of our exercises in class where we practice transitioning from composed/proper to decomposed/collapsed bodies.
Proximally Each Within - I was struck by how, of the 3 girls, one who was particularly rigid stood out (in a negative way)from the rest. She reminded to be cafeul not to lose my fluidity or flexibility while trying to maintain control over my body.
Caviar and 200 Cigarettes - Thomas was UHmazing. Love those huge leaps. Love the pants.
The Sticky Wicket Rumble - So funny, so utterly entertaining. I could not keep from laughing at the beginning when Jenea was smacking that girl's but with her stick. But I really got something even bigger out of these, and it seems to be one of the common themes from our class - and that is the willingness to not be perfect, to be confident in your dancing abilities, and to be willing to laught at yourself. Loved it.
The dance majors concert was incredibly surprising to me. I saw a lot of creative works that developed from many different ideas (cultures, animal movements, satire) and that the typical choice of dance movement (purely jazz or ballet or whatever) was not always picked. I could also tell that the choreographers spent a lot of time talking to their dancers about their pieces and allowed the pieces become about the dancer as well. I was also really happy to see to see pieces that were more narratives (Sticky Wicket, Hug) and these pieces tended to appeal to my more humorous, theatre background.
The original music was impressive as well,and I must say, I wanted to download some of the original music (like Roses are Violet's music and Steel Grace). I thought this was the perfect work for dance majors to do and was very happy I was required to see it.
Unfortunately I was unable to go to the Dance Majors Concert because I had choir concerts all weekend. I did get to see La Compañía Nacional de Danza and they were very, very good. I especially liked the last act of the ballet with the sand. The sand really added a lot to the performance and made it really intriguing to watch. All the dancers moved with such grace and ease and you wondered how they make it look so easy.
I did like the second act, but it seemed to just end abruptly. It didn't feel like they totally closed it. The effect of the dancers bringing out the candles and setting them down while they danced was pretty cool.
Well I did not see the UW Dance Major’s Concert this past week, because I was in it. I was in “The Sticky Wicket Rumble” This piece was choreographed by Katrina Hamilton. It was a very unique piece with a lot of humor. I had a lot of fun trying new ideas at rehearsals and I made many new friends. One of the best parts of performing was hearing the audience laughing and having my classmates from 108 give me amazing sticks OH YAAA thanks guys! One thing I learned from the experience is that there are many, many different interpretations of dance. This piece is definitely out of the ordinary, but the audience seemed to really enjoy the comical aspect of it.
There are two moments that are memorable for me. Both are near the beginning of the dance. To start the dance, I play “Do Re Me” with sticks on Kate Mosbarger’s rear. This is memorable, because it was at the very beginning and I was not nervous at all. I was surprised at how much more I related to the audience as a dancer than I did as a gymnast. I really realized how much audience participation helps one perform. I also loved being able to finish my performance and be clapped for not scored by a judge anyways the whole experience was amazing and I loved being a Wicket!
I think the dance majors concert was really well done although very different then I expected. I thought it would be more ballet but it ended up being all modern.
The first dance was my favorite. "the calling". The choreographer Jennifer Baxter is in m y dance company and I knew right away it was her dance just by the style. She loves to do kicks and turns and that was seen in her dance. It was my favorite for that reason though. It definitely showed the dancers technique and training. I also LOVED the song!
The second dance was done amazingly with the solo dancer. Although I did not really connect with the dance, Devin McDermott did not break character one bit and the emotion behind her moves was done very well.
Dye was another dance I really liked. I like how the title of the piece really connected with the dance. The different colored dresses worked very well with the choreography, music and the lighting.
Proximity each withing was another dance I could not really connect with. Although the dancers did an amazing job I don't have much feedback on it because in order to comment on modern dance you must connect with it and without connection its just moves.
Caviar and 200 cigarettes had amazing costumes. I also give props to Thomas! great job! had no idea you were in it! The costumes went very well with the lighting. I must admit it was a little weird not having music because I have not really experienced dance with out music, but it was a nice change.
3 was a super cool dance! The fog went perfect with the dance, in my mind the dancers did out there moves and the fog helped illuminate the craziness of it. Some of the moves that the girls did would have given me a headache so props to them!
The sticky wicket rumble was definitely a new genre of dance i have never experienced. I have never really seen comical dance but it was well done. The costumes fit perfectly with the dance. Good job to Jenea and Trevor! The gymnastic moves Jenea did were amazing! MAJOR props for that!
In steel grace i liked how the girls made the dance look so easy and easy spirited. When i think of African music it reminds of calm peacefully flowey music and this dance showed this care free spirit.
Letting go to hug was a great way to end the dance. It looks like all 4 dancers had a blast learning and performing the dance and it really showed. I feel like the audience really enjoyed it!
On a last note i happen to be sitting by all the choreographers and when their dances were being performed they were so exited and had huge smiles on their faces the whole time. I feel choreographers do not get recognized enough for their work. Coming up with dances is a hard job!
I really enjoyed watching the concert with marina and samantha, the show overall was excellent, since they incorporated different style to a dance.
One of the performance that got stuck on my head, and really liked was Caviar and 200 Cigarettes. It was cool since they danced without any music, but yet they were so united in moving together (nobody gets behind or do the wrong thing) , like they were on the right tempo exactly. it was totally difficult !!
I really really like the Sticky Wicket Rumble, seeing our classmates performing was really cool. and they did really well!!!! It was a fun, unique , theatrical routine, each presenting each own strength and personality. They were so good at imitating animals, and i felt like i was in a jungle too.i can totally relate to dance, and really get what the choreographer was thinking for this routine. It feels like you can be yourself, improvise it, and make it into a dance.
"Letting go to hug" was one of my favorite too. the performers were so cute together. i like when the small guy dance freestyle (he did not dance slow although the song was really slow) but yet it suit the song perfectly.
roses are blue violet are rrredd is cool! Devin did an amazing job looking like possessed doll, to be honest i got pretty scared watching it. the dance incorporated slow movement (reallly slow) like what we did in class. and it was totally beautiful
I enjoyed watching the Dance Majors Concert. I've been to quite a few of them and I must say, everyone of the DMC's that I've been to is unique is its own way. The first piece, "The Calling" was my favorite piece of the whole night. There was something about the music blending in with the dancers and the whole piece together that I really liked about this piece. I felt like this piece was put together well with lighting, movements, although their outfits were simple it blended greatly with the piece and still stood out, and I just really liked it.
The Second piece, "Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred" was a unique and entertaining. I found myself following and carefully watching every move the dance made, paying special attention to her facial expressions because everything she did was unpredictable and entertaining. She was a really good performer and fit for this piece because she put in the facial expressions,and the acting skills to tell a story.
I thought "Dye" was unique because of the use of clothing when the dancers took off a layer of the shirt they had at different times as part of the choreography. The dancers' hair was left down and messy but worked well with the choreography.
"Proximally Each Within" performed by the three girls stood out because of the leotards with the baggier pants.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" was a good piece to end on prior to the intermission. Pieces with multiple performers is alway fun to watch and see how it all gets put together. This piece stood out because everything was red and white but the red really stood out piece. The use of the stage horizontally across the stage going right and left was used alot.
"3" stood out to me as a piece that focused on the dancers and their use of a set of movements and playing with the speed of those paticular movements. The lighting and fog features of this piece was a good fit.
"The Sticky Wicket Rumble" was the funniest and goofiest piece of the night. This piece drew the most laughs and reminded me of a circus. I really liked the costumes and the silliness put into this piece. This piece shows that dance doesn't always have to be serious, formal and structured, it can be silly too.
"Steel Grace" stood out because of the music. What I remember most about this piece was the dancers pushing each other.
"Letting Go to Hug" was good and funny in its own way. When one of the male dancers came out on stage with one of the female dancer sitting on his shoulder it was sorta funny. I think the height difference of this piece worked well and helped bring out a story. The interaction between david and nathan in piece was entertaining. This piece was funny, serious, and the hint of love/desire in this piece was fun to watch.
Overally, piece was unique and I there was alot of talent in each piece. The DMC covered many different styles of dance and was well rounded. It was fun to watch!
Dance Majors Concert Offers a Postmodern Experience
The Dance Majors Concert this winter offers a variety of styles and themes for audiences. There are pieces that are completely lyrical and narrative in nature, while others are abstract and ambiguous. Space, sound, clothing, and lighting are all explored as the audience is taken through the entire spectrum of emotions from sorrow, to anger, and happiness. This is all part of the postmodern experience created by the dance majors.
One of the most apparent differences between the pieces is how the movement relates to the sound, or the lack of sound, on stage. “The Calling” and “Steel Grace” are choreographed in a lyrical, even narrative, fashion to the music. The dancers embody the polyrhythms of Kathryn Hightower and Jah Breeze’s “Afrique” as they move in and about each other. In Callie Arnold’s “Letting go to Hug,” the dancers move in and out of the rhythm in the music. Sometimes there is a harsh, intentional contradiction between the music and the movement, and at other times, the movement matches the music exactly. There is also silence on stage. This is particularly intriguing for audience members since it creates and awkward feeling. There is a sense that music or sound should come, but it never does. The dancers create rhythms with their breath and bodies instead. The feeling of thirteen people existing in a space without external guidance from sound is commanding. “The Sticky Wicket Rumble” commands this attention from the audience as it begins with a stage full of sleeping wickets. In all, the sound, and the lack there of, give the audience a powerful experience as the dancers choose to connect or disconnect from it.
Another aspect of the performance which is explored by the nine choreographers, in different fashions, is the use of the space. Laara Garcia’s “Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrrrred” uses only the first panel of the stage. However, the audience feels as though Devin McDermott’s dancing fills the entire theater. The combination of lighting, sound, and expression create this sense of grandeur. Alice Gosti’s “3” explores different sections of the stage. With Peter Bracilano’s phenomenal lighting design, each of the three dancers has a unique color and distinct portion of the stage. As the dancers move around their section the audience is kept in suspense, waiting to see if one of the dancers will break through the barriers. The exploration of space through division and minimization allows the other aspects of the dance to create the magnificence the audience experiences.
All of the choreographers are dance undergraduate students. And the performers are undergraduate students. This blossoming group of students is by no means at a professional skill level, but the choreography was perfectly matched to the level of competence and skill each dancer possessed. This creates a sense of confidence and prestige around each performance. This allows the technical aspects of each dance to be accentuated. Jumps and leaps have a clarity which draws the audience’s attention to that movement just so it can be taken to another part of the stage immediately after as another dancer begins another section of the piece.
Frequently changing focus is a theme in more than one of the pieces in this concert. It enhances the postmodern experience for the audience as each change of focus creates an emotion in the audience. It might be excitement to see what is next, or sorrow that something so beautiful is complete. The emotion continues to draw the audience deeper into the performance in addition to the sounds and the spacing. It is the combination of emotion, technical prowess, sound, and space which make this concert an excellent postmodern experience.
First of all, a big GREAT JOB to all f our classmates who performed in the dance concert!!!! Bravo!
What I love about DMC is definitely seeing the work of classmates - whether it is choreography or performing. I am always SO impressed!
The Calling - I really enjoyed the jazz and lyrical elements, though as others have mentioned, it is difficult to remember all of the details of this piece since it was the first one.
Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrred...
Oh my god. I was speechless, absolutely speechless. As I have mentioned before, I am selective about which modern dance pieces that I really like - this one blew me away, which kind of surprises me since the movement certainly was not an aesthetic I prefer. But Devon was incredible - what a talent she is! Her stage presence is a force of nature. And Laara did an amazing job at choreography - it was so dynamic and unpredictable. Most of all, Devin's character, the choreography, the lighting and the music in combination REALLY moved me - that is how I really define art - when it moves people in one or more of the various ways we experience emotion...
Caviar and 200 Cigarettes - wow, the difficulty it must be to dance a group piece without music!!! It felt so human, you could feel their experience of dancing, I think because you could hear their breath. A piece like that really shows the skill of the dancers to be really in tune with each other.
3 - loved the lighting, the concept and I always appreciate work by Alice.
The Sticky Wicket Rumble - so good to see you guys on stage - what fun! Jenea - amazing walking in back bend!!!
Steel Grace - was a nice 'something a little different'... a very communal feeling dance.
I enjoyed the concert because, although it focused on modern pieces almost exclusively, it ran the gambit from somewhat modern to extremely modern. It also allowed me to showcase to a larger audience what I look like in blue tights and a skirt.
My experience dancing in Katrina's piece was very enlightening and challenging. Sure, I didn't have to bend in half like Janaea did, but I did encounter some challenges.
Katrina has told us many times that her piece is not supposed to be funny(it is actually about the war) as such, we aren't supposed to smile during the dance. Regardless of this fact, I still spent most of my time desperately trying to choke back a smile or a giggle. On opening night (Thursday) the lights went up and we were lying in our wicket pile when some older gentleman in the front row exclaimed "WOW...LOOK @ THAT PILE OF PEOPLE." You have to keep in mind that he said this loud enough so that I (and probably everybody else in the room) could hear him quite plainly. I had to actually bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud.
It is the little challenges like this that make presenting a dance so interesting and worthwhile. All in all I thought the concert was quite good. And really, seeing Thomas in tight, gold pantaloons is worth $10 anyday.
I really enjoyed the Dance Major concert. I have seem some performances in the past and it is always an amazing experience. You can really see how hard all these individuals worked and how much they but into these pieces. It is also fun to see people from your very own classes out there! Everyone did an amazing job and were inspiring to keep loving dance and keep pushing yourself with technique.
One piece that I really got into was the "Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred." The dancer projected so much emotion and feeling with her dancing. Also, the lighting really set the mood for the whole performance. The combination of steps, lighting and music really gave to the feeling of this piece.
Another piece that I really enjoyed was the "The Sticky Wicket Rumble". It made me laugh and it was a very engaging piece. Not only did these dancers have the dance ability but it was very comical and showed a theatrical side to them as well.
Overall the concert was very enjoyable. I really love watching modern pieces and I was excited to see this as the over all theme to the concert. I will defiantly go and watch another Dance Major concert!
I was impressed by the work in the dance majors concert, and I enjoyed the dancing and the music.
There were a couple of pieces that really stuck with me and that I found particularly effective.
Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrred , while this kind of piece isn't usually my favorite, I really liked. It fit the music beautifully, and the dancers presence and dedication to the movements were exceptional. I also liked how the choreography had some recurring themes and ideas in it. I felt that it was a very communicative piece that was well performed.
Also, the Sticky Wicket Rumble was very well done. It had comedy, and I loved how the dancers made their own beats and music and had their own characters within the dance, that were able to capture the audiences' attention with their interactions.
The Dance Majors Concert, like many of the other dance performances at UW, surprised me in how creative, unique and entertaining the show was. I love how UW's dance department has really expanded their creativity and variety in dance as an art form, this was very apparent in the dance majors concert. Almost every single piece was unique from the other and had its own personality. This reminds me of another blog topic- the Sir Ken Robinson video. He spoke of how education undermines creativity... although that is something I continue to ponder about every day ( I work at an elementary school) I can say for sure that UW dance students have not lost any creativity- probably because they've been dancing!
Although I appreciated various aspects of all of the pieces at the concert, I had a few favorites... "Roses Are Blue. Violets Are rrrred" was definitely a surprise. It was so engaging to watch because Devin was so intense- with her movement and with the audience, oh and the facial expressions too. It was so intense it was almost gave me the shivers! I also really liked "Proximally Each Within" and I wish it was longer. The movement was very fluid and I loved how the background music had dialogue in it. A band I listen to called The Books, classify their music as "aleatoric" because it incorporates dialogue and theater into their songs. That piece reminded me of the Books, so I really appreciated it. "Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" was also interesting because their was no background music, so you could only hear the breaths of the dancers- and that was neat. "Letting Go To Hug" was also very nice because it was just sweet and left you with a happy feeling. Overall, the concert was a lot of fun and inspiring- I am excited to continue studying dance-art and see where it goes!
As I tally up the blog entries, I have recorded everything up to here - two. 3-14-08 7 am.
Unfortunately I was unable to attend the dance majors concert due to the fact that I have been very sick lately. I also had dance rehearsal for a different show and work all weekend :( I really REALLY wish I could have seen it. These comments all make it sound so interesting and inspiring. I'm sure that I will be attending many dance performances to come, I can only hope that they are as entertaining as this one sounds.
I went to one of the later performances and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Roses are Blue, Violets are RRRRed:
This was an amazing performance. I felt like I was watching a slow psychological breakdown, an eroding of sanity before eyes. It was an uncomfortable mix of human and machine like movements. This fudging was a little disturbing, but I found myself unable to take my eyes off of the performance. What great isolation of different parts of the body, what intensity of focus. She really understood attention to every part of the body as a possible site of performance.
The Sticky Wicket Rumble;
Trevor, Janea! You guys were great! Good for you, for putting yourself out there! First of all, I adore this name SO MUCH. I think that if I were a furry creature or one of the Lost Boys, I would live in a den/tree/forest/part of the woods/etc called the Sticky Wicket Rumble. The costumes were so simple, but they really got the creature idea across. Nobody was afraid of letting go with this animal idea and I liked that.
The whole piece was goofy, silly and reminded me of childhood and what I wanted adventures to be like.
Letting Go to Hug:
This was an interesting piece and I wasn't sure if the audience reaction was what the dancers had intended. At the performance I went to, many people ended up laughing. I was confused as to how I should respond. The females had a different style and tone then the males. The two guys were an unexpected pair, but I suppose that is what made it effective.
These were my favorite three pieces because of all the emotions they invoked. That was kind of my main gauge. Could they really alter the way I was feeling just by watching them?
This is always a really great learning experience.
I really enjoyed watch the Dance Majors concert. Somehow i feel every piece was kinda of short. I wish each piece of the show can be longer. The Dance Majors Concert was mainly modern dance which is different from what we are doing. In our class, we are mainly deal with the traditional ballet dance.
" The calling"-4 dancer was running around the stage entire time of the performance. The lighting was dark.
" Sticky Wicket Rumble"-I really like this piece of dance because it was very unique from other dance. The whole piece was funny because the dancer act stupid to make this piece funny.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes"- I was really impress by this piece because it was without any music. I think it will be very difficult for anyone to dance without music. Music helps dancer a lot for counting beats.
These 3 dance piece are really stand out in my head. Other dance piece are still good but some of the piece i have hard time to understand and figure out the meaning of the piece.
The music was good and i really like the lighting because some of the piece the light was bright and some of the dance piece the light was dark. The transformation of lighting is good.
I really enjoyed watch the Dance Majors concert. Somehow i feel every piece was kinda of short. I wish each piece of the show can be longer. The Dance Majors Concert was mainly modern dance which is different from what we are doing. In our class, we are mainly deal with the traditional ballet dance.
" The calling"-4 dancer was running around the stage entire time of the performance. The lighting was dark.
" Sticky Wicket Rumble"-I really like this piece of dance because it was very unique from other dance. The whole piece was funny because the dancer act stupid to make this piece funny.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes"- I was really impress by this piece because it was without any music. I think it will be very difficult for anyone to dance without music. Music helps dancer a lot for counting beats.
These 3 dance piece are really stand out in my head. Other dance piece are still good but some of the piece i have hard time to understand and figure out the meaning of the piece.
The music was good and i really like the lighting because some of the piece the light was bright and some of the dance piece the light was dark. The transformation of lighting is good.
I thought the concert was very interesting and unique. I have attended many of the Dance Majors Concert and I found this one to really stick out in a different way for me.
I felt that there was less focus on detailed choreography and more on costumes and breath and the intention behind the movement. I found this particualary so in Caviar and 200 Cigarettes. The use of sound has always been very interesting to me in dance, and in this case a lack of. There is so much more emphasis on the dancers body and movement. Attending this performance tied really well into what you have been trying to get us do all quarter by connecting with our emotions and to explore movement for the sensation of it.
Again in Caviar and 200 Cigarettes (I really enjoyed this piece which is why I focus on it) but it also tied into my Dance Philosophy class. The intentionality behind the decisions of the choreographer seemed to be incredibly distinct. The choice to not have music is such an interesting choice, as a sometimes it seems that the story and movement stems from the music. However you could really see that the interaction of the dancers in this piece was key and was an asthetic choice.
Overall I felt that the costumes were generally very planned and very much apart of the piece. The costumes also played off the emotions being portrayed. When dancers were acting like animals or had little constraint their costumes seemed wild and crazy to almost magnify the emotion and intention. The decisions dancers made seem to fill the space. I saw so many dancers who movements filled and expanded, and you could see the joy of movement on their faces which was really awesome to see.
Being in a smaller theater is also a great experience. I think that being in a huge concert hall, many of these pieces would have lost some of their zest just because you would not have been as close to the dancers to see facial expressions or to watch the manipulation of their bodies.
Overall I was very impressed and always love seeing the talent of the UW dance department.
I was totally impresseed to watch the concert. I enjoyed every piece of performance, but want to reffer to two pieces that I really was amazed.
"Roses Are Blue. Violets are rrrrred."
I loved the choreograph, dancer's movement, the slight confusion at the biggining and so forth.
The choreograph was pretty refined and seemed perfect to me. Random move, marrionett, and flowing body movemnt using the whole stage... I thought this choreograph is well arganized dispite of many destructive and passionate movements.
The dancer, Devin was just incredeble. She seemed to have performed exactly as the choreographer expected. Her way of expressing emotions, her flexibility, sence of timing and how she made the stage "her own world" were wonderful and I lerned much from them. I was so inspired by her dance that I could identify her in the in-class performance yesterday. She was dancing among other 3--level class students and seemed to have stand out for me because I think she has a talent that brings people to watch her.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes."
I can not imagine how difficult it is to dance perfectly like this without music. I saw the great bond of dancers. I really liked how they express their individualities and incorporate their move and timing at the same time, to make this performance as a integrated dance performance beyond the dependence to music.
I was so stuck by all the performances that I can even recall them quite vividly still. I myself had been doing modern dance from 5years old to 16years old, so those performances remind me of the feeling of dancing modern. I like modern because it is unexpectable for audience even though the performance is practiced again and again, and organized perfectly. As a dancer, it is fun to surprize th audience, and as audience, it is stumulating to be surprized by the performance.
I loved this dance major concert because I was so amazed by every performance and was motivated very much. I want to thank this class for giving me the opportunity to watch this and learn a lot of thing about dance.
The Dance Majors Concert was GREAT! I've really enjoyed this years production. And plus, seeing familiar faces was a lot of fun.
I had the opportunity to work as stage crew prior to the show and during the show. I was never able to watch the show during the showings; only through a small tv screen backstage. Therefore, my reactions are only based on what I see then and possibly through rehersals.
"Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" made a brilliant choice of not including music in their piece. The jumps were almost required to be as light as possible because there was no music to drown out sloppy landings. I can hear, see, and feel the breaths of every single dancers. It was cool.
My favorite was definitely "3," choreographed by Alice G. Though some movements were simple and repetitive, I LOVED it. It was a piece filled with many emotions and I can feel it as an audience not even understanding what the piece was all about.
"Letting Go to Hug" was also a memorable piece. The entire effect it gave me was pretty fascinating. It was a great piece to end the night and show with. Their techniques were incorporated with many different ideas; very touching. =)
All in all, this years group had many talents and I very much enjoyed it. I could only wish I was able to see the show as an audience seeing everything for the first time.
The dance majors concert is always a joy to watch and I don't know if they are supposed to have a theme but i noticed one in these pieces, sans the beautiful and slightly frightening solo of Devin's. The dancers would begin separate and have their nice individual moments and then it seemed they all fell to the middle and fought due to some mysterious dance force. There was a lot of anger or something i couldn't name in some of the pieces.
I loved the use of breath as music in caviar and 200 cigarettes. It felt so human, and reminded me that those are real people on the stage, not just visual patterns thrown at me from somewhere in my mind.
The sticky wicket rumble was one of the most amazing pieces of physical comedy i've ever seen. it's interesting to read trevorrrrrr's post about the background of the piece and the lack of comedy in the idea from which it sprung. I still couldn't help myself when jenea was playing that girls bumdybum. I had to giggle.
I loved "Letting Go To Hug" because each of the performers had such a distinct personality and relationship with the audience. It was great fun to watch.
i had a really hard time concentrating on the dance with no music. i found myself not knowing what to expect. i like the idea of dancing to no music, but really could not follow it. all in all it was a really good show!
I've been to a number of UW dance program performances, but this is the first time I've been to one of the Dance Majors concerts (I went Thursday night). I really enjoyed seeing work created by people I knew. In fact, one of the choreographers is a gal I've known since elementary school, and I was excited to be able to see her piece (Steel Grace).
I think my favorite piece was Sticky Wicket Rumble, although I think its because it was entertaining more so than because of the choreography itself. I know the choreographer is involved in the drama program too, and I think that came across in her piece. Plus, I loved the colors and costumes! I also felt it reminded me of a Dr. Seuss book on caffeine (or something).
My least favorite piece was Roses Are Blue, Violets are Rrrred. I felt that it just didn't look like dance to me. It struck me as lots of movement without really being dance. I have to agree with others, however, in that Devin McDermott was definitely intense and involved in her performance, which made it engaging if not my favorite.
I was excited that one of the pieces (Dye) used music by Feist - one of my favorite musicians!
It's interesting to go to these shows with my husband. He's got zero exposure to dance outside of these shows, so it's interesting to hear his perspective as a non-dancer. This show went over his head in this case.
While I prefer more ballet-inspired pieces (these struck me as very modern), it was still exciting to see work done by our contemporaries.
I enjoyed the vriety of dance works presented at the dance majors concert. The concert exhibited some ballet technique especially in the opening piece on Thursday the dancers performed piourettes and schneee turns. Although the piece had ballet vocabulary the performance was a lyrical quality with the expression and extension of their arms and hands alluding to a longing sensation. This reminded me of the adagio combination that we did during the modern ballet series.
Furthermore, there was a multiplicity of theatrical pieces ranging from a colony of umpa lumpa looking creatures to three narratives of three different indivuals lives. The stories were communicated through the expressivness of the facial gestures and I noticed that movements were often performed in all of the pieces more durasticly and forecfully when the dancers utiized their arms. For example, in Odessa's piece the three women would remain still while performing very puntuated arm gestures signaling to me like a burden to get rid of.
The concert was interest to see the works of fellow peers and classmates and to be apart of their work.
Ashley Howisey
I was really really impressed by the Dance Majors Concert. We have a lot of really talented dancers/choreographers at our school... even in our own class! I went to the Sunday show, so I think there was a lot of good 'last show' energy.
I think that The Calling was a really good way to open up the show for me. It had a lot of jazz elements, which I'm really comfortable with and enjoy. I really liked how they used so much of the space.
I was actually a little disturbed by the Second piece, Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrrred. It was creepy and strangely beautiful at the same time. The dancer did an amazing job of getting into character.
Dye was probably my favorite piece of the night. I thought that the flow of the dancing was beautiful.
Caviar and 200 Cigarettes had a whole lot going on. It kept me really busy figuring out what I wanted to watch at any given time. They also used the space really well.
The Sticky Wicket Rumble was amazing. It was fun to watch... definitely a crowd pleaser. I thought that the use of colors was really nice as well.
Steel Grace left me really happy at the end of the piece. It was interesting, because after the show I overheard some people talking about how they hadn't particularly enjoyed this piece, and I was reminded how subjective dance is. I really liked this one, but obviously other people will have other tastes.
Letting Go to Hug was really cute. I thought that the dancers had really good chemistry together, so it was fun to watch them interact.
Overall I was really impressed by each of the pieces. One thing that I noticed was how well a lot of the dancers were able to balance. There were a lot of things that we talked about in class that I could see that really added to the performance.
Sunday Performance
As this was my first Dance Majors concert experience, I came into the performance with an open mind with no preconceived notions of what it would entail. This made for an overall very enjoyable event.
I thoroughly enjoyed "the Calling". I am surprised at how vividly I remember it despite the fact that it was the first of many performances. I really related to the dancing techniques within the performance as I found it to mirror an upbeat style. I loved how they brought in my attention by interacting with the crowd more than I would have ever expected. When they ran up and down the stairs I was fixated on nothing else.
The raw emotion portrayed within "Roses are Blue, Violets are rrrrrred" was alarming to me. There was a starch difference between this piece compared to the previous one which opened the show. I found Devin's movements rather sporadic and terrifying. However, I'd imagine that the emotions I am receiving from the piece are intentional and meaningful.
What attracted me to the piece, "Dye", was definitely the costume. The wild hair along with the bright shirts really made the performance come alive. The heavy audible breathing really mirrored everything about the performance. Dance talent was really showcased in this piece. I also enjoyed the costumes within "Proximally Each within".
The lack of music within "Caviar and 200 Cigarettes" was very much profound and avant garde. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces :) I look up to those who can put themselves out there for people to judge such as the performers did within this piece.
In all honesty, I could not stand the performance "3". I found the movements very repetitive. I did enjoy the fog, on the other hand.
Jenea was awesome in "the Sticky Wicket Rumble" wasn't she!? I loved her tumbling. I found this piece rather humorous but at times confusing because so much was going on at once!
The sheer title of the performance, "Steel Grace" definitely connected to every aspect of the piece. The flowing costume denotes grace while the music changed in tempo randomly.
Choosing "Letting Go to Hug" as the final performance of the night was ingenious. I left Meany Hall satisfied and on a good note. I found it adorable, humorous, but very much unpredictable.
Overall, the fact that a lot of modern and improv was incorporated into our ballet class allowed me to have a further respect for the performance itself. I am very grateful that my horizons were expanded and now have a greater appreciation for modern dance.
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