Allison Mathis

EDGE Final Reflection

 

     My initial motivation for choosing to choreograph for the student dance concert for my EDGE Project came from my desire to improve my skills in my chosen field of study. Choreography is a craft and it isn’t something that can simply be learned by lectures or reading alone; it is something that is learned by doing and by experience. I couldn’t have thought of a better way and time to gain this experience than while I was working on my undergraduate degree here at Southern Utah University. The time and circumstances were perfect for me to be able to experiment and better understand the ways in which I create and choreograph. I was provided with everything I needed to be successful. I had willing dancers, a rehearsal space, a venue to have my choreography performed, a costume designer, a lighting designer, a tech crew, the works! It is rare to come by all of these things so freely in the competitive world of art and dance. Once I step outside of college and am pursuing freelance choreography, all the things I listed above that were at my fingertips for this project, will be much harder to come by, and much more expensive. Not taking advantage of this valuable opportunity and project choreographing while here at SUU would have been senseless. What I gained from this project and experience are invaluable.

     

     There were several steps that were required in order for me to complete my project. First I had to present my choreographic ideas to the dance faculty in an interview/audition type setting near the end of spring semester 2016. Based on what the dance faculty saw, and the potential they felt the ideas and choreography had, they then selected the pieces that would be able to move forward and be a part of the student dance concert that would be held at the end of fall semester 2016. Because my piece was selected, I was able to move forward with my ideas and continue to work towards a finished product.

     

     At the beginning of fall semester 2016, the choreographers whose ideas were selected held auditions to select dancers to be in their pieces. I selected three talented dancers, and from that point forward held weekly rehearsals leading up to the concert. Each week I prepared for rehearsal by coming up with choreography, or ideas that I could work on with my dancers to come up with choreography collaboratively.

     

     As the semester progressed and we neared the concert, we began holding weekly production meetings with all the choreographers and with some of the designers for the concert. In these meetings we discussed where our pieces were with their progress, lighting ideas, music, costuming etc. We would then be given assignments and requirements of what we would need to have done by the next meeting.

     

     The couple of weeks leading up to the concert we had several rehearsals at the Randall Jones Theater. We started out with light overs so that we could work with the lighting designers to work out the lighting we had envisioned for our pieces. We then moved on to tech rehearsals to make sure the sound and the lighting were all working together. Lastly we did dress rehearsals to make sure that everything was what it was supposed to be with the lighting, the sound and the costumes. Finally the concert opened to the public and lasted for five nights with one matinee.

     

     My overall goal was to gain experience and better understand who I am as a dancer and choreographer. I definitely feel that I achieved my goal because no matter the results of my end product, I learned so much through the process and expanded on the skills that I have been learning throughout my undergraduate studies as a dance performance major. I learned about my tendencies as an artist and how I work as a leader. I know better how to prepare for rehearsals and how to manage rehearsal time efficiently. I feel more confident and excited about creating and I don’t worry so much about what other people may think. Most importantly I gained experience that can be gained no other way than through choreographing, the result of which was a performed choreographic work with lighting, costuming and music, all of which I excitingly saw come to pass each step along the way.

     

     I believe SUU required an experiential learning project because being involved in projects and going above and beyond what is required is a great way to set SUU students apart from other graduates. I believe that is what the metaphor in EDGE means in that it gives SUU students an edge as they graduate and seek out employment. Being involved in experiential projects is also a great head start for many people as they enter in their chosen careers. Organizing and being part of projects, having deadlines to meet, and the professionalism required in the process are all very valuable skills to have acquired as an undergraduate student, all of which the EDGE Program facilitates through its course.

     

     Overall completing an EDGE project has been a very stretching, time consuming, growth filled experience. It has allowed me to push myself far out of my comfort zone and learn things I would not have been able to learn otherwise. I will forever be grateful for the many valuable skills I strengthened and developed during this time.