Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Emory Dance Company Spring 2015: Inside the Choreographer's Mind

Only two weeks stand between now and the premier of Spotlight, Emory Dance Company's Spring Concert! Lights have gone up, costumes are being fitted, and the choreographers are putting the final touches on their works as we head into the last week of rehearsals!

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Loris Takori
Senior
Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology Major, Dance & Movement Studies Minor

I think that I am a very spontaneous mover. Lately I have been finding myself making up bits of phrase work in the elevator as it takes me up to my apartment. Then, when I am in the studio, I will elongate these fragments into actual phrases. I think this shaped my work because it set me up to think in a non-linear way. I don't necessarily have a story I am trying to tell or phrases that build off of themselves; but rather, distinct sections of material that I am having to put together in some way.

Currently, I am working with the idea of "overcoming." I think everyone is so set and ready to put forth a facade of 'togetherness' in order to navigate successfully in their day to day interactions. I am interested in what happens when you are forced to break that barrier within yourself for whatever reason. Each of my dancers was told that this piece was about "the struggle" and I wanted them to have their own interpretation of that in the beginning stages of the work. Now that we are a little further into the process, I will ask them to get more specific with their motivation behind the movement. The questions will now ask them to define the theme of my movement, : Are you struggling to prove a point? Are you trying to win an argument with yourself or someone else? Do you want to overcome an insecurity or self-doubt?

My hope is that this probing will allow the dancers to connect more to the material and bring forth a sincerity and expressiveness in their movement--without which, my piece's theme will not be able to thrive.
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Don't miss the Emory Dance Company Spring Concert, Searchlight! Click here for more details. For more information on the Emory Dance Program, please go to our website or check out our Facebook page.

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