As we get closer to the fall Emory Dance Company concert, we profile the fourth of five choreographers and their new works: Ugly Duckling, choreographed by faculty member George Staib. Below, George describes his piece and how he works with his cast to create movement, followed by a rehearsal clip. Intrigued? Buy your tickets now!
Ugly Duckling is a contemporary ballet that asks: What are we growing into if not a more exaggerated version of the younger self? Through the robust and highly physical movement vocabulary, dancers straddle the thin line between the beauty and toxicity of vulnerability. What happens when our flaws make their way to the surface? Will someone be there to support, or chastise?
The creative process was highly collaborative. Through prompts that elicited movement that was as lovely as it was grotesque, dancers created and manipulated ideas, playing with juxtapositions and incongruity. The piece is centered on a lead couple who within moments of encountering one another, abandon formality and dive into the messiness of authenticity. The encounter is followed by glimpses into elegance, indulgence and inner conflict that dissolve as quickly as they appear.
As the work moves forward, the dancers and I have worked to layer/overlap ideas with the intention of posing a question of perspective. Through the collaboration, we are intentionally creating a world where it might be difficult to discern if you are seeing strength, weakness, sincerity, or a facade. To this end, the stage space is divided into two sections, the forward area and a back space we refer to as the “dream space." We invite viewers to decide what that space means to them.
The work for 12 dancers is a flurry of images that refer to the transience of thought and acceptance. In the end, we are left asking: are impositions and expectations self-imposed, or do they belong to the unspoken demands of the society around us?
George Staib EDC rehearsal 2022.MOV from Emory Dance Program on Vimeo.
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