Elongated Tongues: A Compositional Development from Classroom to Performance
Mentor 1
Michael Estanich
Location
Union Theater
Start Date
24-4-2015 9:40 AM
Description
Elongated Tongues: A Compositional Development from Classroom to Performance / / Presenter: Emily Hein, ehein818@uwsp.edu / / Faculty Sponsor: Michael Estanich, Michael.Estanich@uwsp.edu, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Department of Theatre and Dance, Associate Professor-Dance / / Each fall semester at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), The Department of Theatre & Dance produces Afterimages, a student-choreographed, directed, performed, and designed dance concert. As a sophomore, junior or senior in the UWSP Dance Program, students have the opportunity to choreograph for this fall production. However, the skills learned from academic courses Dance 301: Group Composition and Dance 302: Solo Composition provided me with the foundation to create my Afterimages compositional dance piece, Elongated Tongues. / In order to accomplish my goals of creating a piece for Afterimages, I decided to further develop a choreographic idea I began as an assignment for Dance 301: Group Composition. Using inspiration from frogs, I explored my understanding of the compositional devices of speed, levels, space, repetition, motifs, sound and pathway through different movement studies. Because Elongated Tongues had a cast of 8 dancers, I investigated how each of these compositional tools could be explored on different bodies at the same time as well as the impact of a single quality happening in unison. My creative process also embraced improvisation as an exploratory tool to discover a unique movement language for the dance. I would provide a piece of music and requested the dancers to follow their instincts and move as if they were frogs. This allowed my cast the opportunity to make a personal connection with the choreographic theme as well as inspire me to make new movement choices. / Throughout the choreographic process, I created base phrase material and taught it to all cast members. As the process continued, I used the qualities learned in class to adjust the choreography to enhance the movement dynamics. My most significant finding is the realization that the first phrase of movement created may not be permanent. Instead, composition takes time to craft in order to achieve the movement that will precisely portray the choreographic vision. I accomplished my goal of using movement to communicate frogs on a journey in a whimsical world in search of serenity. / As a dance major, Dance 301: Group Composition and Dance 302: Solo Composition are essential academic courses that allowed me to understand how my compositional ideas can impact an audience. My course work in the UWSP Dance Program not only allowed me the opportunity to choreograph for Afterimages but has provided me the skills in hopes of becoming a global citizen artist and use choreography to impact audiences. / /
Elongated Tongues: A Compositional Development from Classroom to Performance
Union Theater
Elongated Tongues: A Compositional Development from Classroom to Performance / / Presenter: Emily Hein, ehein818@uwsp.edu / / Faculty Sponsor: Michael Estanich, Michael.Estanich@uwsp.edu, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Department of Theatre and Dance, Associate Professor-Dance / / Each fall semester at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), The Department of Theatre & Dance produces Afterimages, a student-choreographed, directed, performed, and designed dance concert. As a sophomore, junior or senior in the UWSP Dance Program, students have the opportunity to choreograph for this fall production. However, the skills learned from academic courses Dance 301: Group Composition and Dance 302: Solo Composition provided me with the foundation to create my Afterimages compositional dance piece, Elongated Tongues. / In order to accomplish my goals of creating a piece for Afterimages, I decided to further develop a choreographic idea I began as an assignment for Dance 301: Group Composition. Using inspiration from frogs, I explored my understanding of the compositional devices of speed, levels, space, repetition, motifs, sound and pathway through different movement studies. Because Elongated Tongues had a cast of 8 dancers, I investigated how each of these compositional tools could be explored on different bodies at the same time as well as the impact of a single quality happening in unison. My creative process also embraced improvisation as an exploratory tool to discover a unique movement language for the dance. I would provide a piece of music and requested the dancers to follow their instincts and move as if they were frogs. This allowed my cast the opportunity to make a personal connection with the choreographic theme as well as inspire me to make new movement choices. / Throughout the choreographic process, I created base phrase material and taught it to all cast members. As the process continued, I used the qualities learned in class to adjust the choreography to enhance the movement dynamics. My most significant finding is the realization that the first phrase of movement created may not be permanent. Instead, composition takes time to craft in order to achieve the movement that will precisely portray the choreographic vision. I accomplished my goal of using movement to communicate frogs on a journey in a whimsical world in search of serenity. / As a dance major, Dance 301: Group Composition and Dance 302: Solo Composition are essential academic courses that allowed me to understand how my compositional ideas can impact an audience. My course work in the UWSP Dance Program not only allowed me the opportunity to choreograph for Afterimages but has provided me the skills in hopes of becoming a global citizen artist and use choreography to impact audiences. / /
