Allison Mathis
Project Completion
Title and Abstract
Title: Student Dance Concert
Full Abstract: For my project, I will choreograph a piece for the student dance concert that will take place at the end of fall semester 2016. I will be a participant in watching auditions for this concert that will be held the first week of school. From observing this audition, I will select dancers to be in my dance. Immediately following auditions, I will hold weekly rehearsals to teach my dancers choreography and to work with them to culminate movement ideas. I will be responsible for managing each rehearsal and making sure the time is used wisely, both for myself and my dancers purposes.
Goals and Outcomes
I became a better choreographer, artist and leader. I learned how to better manage a group of dancers and manage time wisely in rehearsals.
I achieved this goal by making sure I was on top of my schedule. I knew that every Tuesday I needed to be prepared for rehearsal. I learned that when I was more prepared, rehearsals went by much more smoothly and I was able to be more creative. Through good preparation I had freedom to deviate from my plan because I knew that I had a solid backup if an idea didn’t work as anticipated. I became better at making decisions. Although collaboration with my dancers is a big part of my process, when it comes down to the final decisions being made, I as choreographer am responsible to make those decisions. As with mastering any craft, choreographing takes practice. Having a whole semester to work on choreography was a huge help and benefit to me in understanding how I work and how I create. I came out of this experience feeling more capable of being a choreographer and leader.
Restate the Project Outcomes in the past tense to indicate the project is now completed.
Because I created a dance, I gave dancers an opportunity to be a part of the student dance concert.
Because I choreographed a dance, I gained experience and grew artistically through the process.
Because I choreographed a dance, I pushed and challenged myself and reached past my comfort zone.
Through the audition process, I selected three dancers to be in my dance. For the remainder of the semester, I worked with these dancers and the three dancers performed my work and were participants in the Student Dance Concert. The dancers were listed in the program and performed my piece six times in front of an audience.
This process as a whole helped me gain very valuable experience that has numerous benefits to me personally and professionally. Choreography is a craft and it takes a great amount of time to really understand your own process and all the elements that makes choreography great. Choreographing a dance for the concert gave me the opportunity to create something that an audience would see. It gave me the opportunity to stretch my artistry and to work through creative blocks. As I conducted rehearsal each week I grew as a person and an artist because I am not a natural leader. I am shy in nature and have an initial difficulty making decisions. Although I felt uncomfortable at times because of the growth that was taking place, I realized that through the semester I gained confidence in not only my choreographic abilities, but in my ability to make decisions. I feel that the next time I go into a choreographic process, I will be equipped with experience and confidence that will help me become better and better at this craft.
Describe any unexpected or unanticipated outcomes, including an explanation of the series of events that contributed to these outcomes.
One of the unanticipated outcomes of creating my dance actually occurred when it was performed on stage with an audience. My dance had a lot to do with lighting, so there were quite a few lighting cues that the stage manager had to cue to the light board manager. On a few of the nights, the stage manager missed some of the lighting cues, which gave my dance a completely different look.
Deliverables
At the end of my project I will provide a copy of the concert program, a DVD/youtube upload of pictures and short clips of the choreographic experience, both personally and as a group.