Create a dance around a single focal point. Explore directional movement as a means of indicating the relationship of the dancer to the focal point. Allow the relationship to change throughout the piece by using changes in direction (and everything else you’ve learned!)
Esther Hwang: Direction
Reaching for a focal point that is outward towards the audience, I work on diagonals and building tension and energy through bending. Directions included in this choreography are backward, sideways, diagonal, upward, and downward (but not forward!).
Zoë Whittle: Direction
In this study, I envisioned myself at a center point, first trying to pull away from it, then spinning away out of control and being drawn back. Most of my movement was to the diagonals from the center, and then I added a crazy, out-of-control path when I went to the upstage right corner. I look to the side at the end to try to break the power of the center point.
Emily: Direction
I used an emotional experience to choreograph this with strong inspiration from the stage direction in Pearl Primus’s “Strange Fruit”. The theme of this experience center’s around addiction and my experience with those in my life who struggle with addiction.
Joel Choi: Let Me In
I imagined that the space in the middle was a black hole, a repelling force, and a comfortable space. It was fun thinking about how my relationship with this point affected the moves I decided to perform. Also, this choreography got me thinking about how my facial expressions affect it as well!
Charlotte Jones!
I loved using a focal point, I though it added a real storyline and clear structure for my dance! I used the space above me as my focal point, so my direction was mostly vertical shifts, lying down/ being pushed by an upward force. I tried to create a cyclical Beginning, Middle, End, and sort of End where I started with a similar phrase, but with more power and stronger at the end. I also enjoyed working with Chip so much and found the music gave me new intentions and purpose!
Noah
I used center stage as my focal point. I imagined that the focal point was concentrated with warmth, from which I could draw movement. I worked outward from this central point never straying too far. I tried to use diagonal lines coupled with wispy arm movements when moving away from the focal point along with more concentrated straight-line pushing arm movements to illustrate my return to the focal point. I found the klezmer music that Chip played helped me to create a rhythm.
Obuchi: Direction
This dance is also inspired The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
Naiya/ Direction
In this study I was inspired by birth, rebirth, evolution and life! Focusing on direction was something foreign to me but after this I understand the ways that having a focus point (or maybe prop) can make a piece more powerful.
