Kalie Dickman Analysis

The light shine down and the music surrounds her as she dance into the air and across the stage. The audience yells and clap for her as the curtain close. It’s the end of another work week for Jane Onwuegbuchu. Jane comes from a very huge family of 8, where it’s very hard for her to be at the center of attention, especially being the 5th child. Jane was born in Houston, Texas on June 22, 1987 to Rosaline and James Onwuegbuchu. She started dancing at the young age of 3 with Elite dancers and fell in love with dancing since then. “Growing up as a child, Jane was a very good child, she loved dancing and just seeing her dance melt my heart. She was a part of a lot of dance organization, church, youth dance team etc… You name it and she was there,”

Title of exhibition: “Circle of Dance,” Name of curator: Cécile R. Ganteaume; Artists/Exhibit Designers: Gerry Breen, Susan Stieff.

When the show actually began, it started with a digital green timer on the wall counting by the second, accompanied by Mr. Jones sitting at a desk with a desk lamp. He began to read a story as a single dancer in a pink long sleeved top danced beside him. This dancer was definitely the most memorable mover of the company due to her exquisite fluidity within her movement, as well as the desirable synchronization between her movements and the words of Mr. Jones’s voice throughout the piece. As the performance carried on, the other dancers performed various solos, duets, and quartets, of modern movement while Mr. Jones’s stories carried on.

My overall response to the dance concert is spectacular because each dance piece was moving, remarkable, and motivational. Each dance had an astounding affect on me and allowed to me repelled into the performance. These impressions came from me analyzing the dance pieces, “A Brief Study of Recent History and “One Heart, Two Worlds”, for the Spring 2016 Studio 115 Dance Concert Series at USM’s Dance and Theatre Building on May 4th. The first performance, “A Brief Study of Recent History” was choreographed by Elizabeth Lentz-Hill and introduced by the dancers Jennifer Alafat, Megan Bradberry, Shaquille Hayes, etc. While the second piece, “One Heart, Two Worlds”, was choreographed by Dejonelle Gleeton and the performers were Brittain Allgood,

The light in the stage was very clear. This helped the audience see every movement with clarity. The dancer’s costumes seemed very well put with the dance. The dance “stamping” has a lot to do with the feet, but

On May 18 2016, I attended the La Costa Canyon Dance Recital, “A Night At The Movies”. The show was performed by the school’s dance team, Dance Mavs, and was well executed and rehearsed. The show provided an interesting interpretation of famous movies and their impact on the audience. Famous dances and themes were portrayed throughout the night, allowing for not only an entertaining experience, but an extremely memorable one. The amount of work put into the show was evident and allowed the audience to appreciate each dance with more respect and admiration. It is obvious these shows can take a toll on those performing, so it must be all the more rewarding when it turns out as great as the recital did.

With extended legs and pointed toes, graceful movements seized the stage of Texas Tech University’s Presidential Lecture and Performance Series which presented Complexions Contemporary Ballet on April 1st, 2016. The event took place in the Texas Tech Allen Theatre at 7:00 PM. The founding artistic directors of the dance company are Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. The dance company consisted of about 13 people, with a mixture of males and females. The entire performance was a contemporary ballet, but included modern dance style as well. The performances were comprised of solos, duets, male or female sections, and a mixture of couple interaction. Before the ballet, the lights were dim and there were only a few lights directed towards the stage. The lighting and set design varied for each performance and used spotlights to bring the audience’s attention to particular dancers. Although the atmosphere was relatively quiet, the audience was respectful, enthusiastic, and seemed to be intrigued by the performances. Complexions Contemporary Ballet projected intense passion into each performance which contributed to an emotion-evoking experience and a sense of synchronization between each dance.

Watching this performance was the most inspirational and admiring show that I have ever seen. The amount of work each and everyone of this students put into their work was unexplainable. Each dance told a story. Two of my favorites were “Sistas of Sorrow “ and “527”. They both expressed a powerful story that was just breath taking. With their customs that perfectly gave you feel of the time that the story was taking place.

Our Publisher Will Jones stepped into the patrol car with Officer Kelly Kressler, on a rainy day, the tape recorder on, and not knowing what to expect. The ride along was not the typical you see on television or filled with high-speed chases but an officer on the beat who loves her job with an intense passion. She takes every opportunity to encourage and inspire others that there is more to life than committing a crime.

I believe that the director was trying to show that people deserve a second chance at something and anything they do. This is evident with Sixto Rodriguez and the narrator Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman. For Rodriguez, he was a talented musician that didn’t make it big in America but he did in South Africa. So, he stopped that career path and moved on to construction to make his living. Shortly later he was found and went to South Africa to preform, living his life he might have had in America, giving him that second chance to see what life would have been like. For Segerman, he was initially a jeweler for his career path but then he moved on to selling records at a music store. Giving him a second chance to find his preferred career pathway. The

This trio of unlimited talent gathered on Cornelia’s stage to play standards in such a way that I felt I could stay there all night listening to them.

With my heart pounding, I tip toe through darkness onto the stage. I pose and wait, thinking about the hours I invested into rehearsing for this three minute dance. Anticipation and anxiety overwhelm me as I stand on stage, waiting for the music to start. Worries run laps around my brain: do not fall, do not forget the choreography, and most importantly, tell a story. The thoughts make my head hurt, or maybe my tight bun is simply pulling on my hair too much. I am weighted by the expectations I put on myself to perform well. I aim to perform at a level that pleases myself and the audience; I want all the work I put into preparing for this dance to show.

On Friday Novemeber 18,, 2016, I came across the opportunity to see Parsons Dance Company perform in Harbison Theater at Midlands Technical College. Parsons Dance Company, founded by David Parson, is a modern based company resided in New York City. This company is very well known for creating and performing contemporary American Dance and enjoys reaching out to diverse audiences. Parsons Dance Company was founded in 1985 after being known for its energized, athletic, and ensemble work. In addition to David Parson’s artistic choice, the company has collaborated with a variety of iconic artists such as Billy Taylor, Donna Karan, and Alex Katz. Aside the background of the company, Parsons Dance offers summer workshops that last for four weeks along with open rehearsals, studio showcases, and open company classes. Within the performance of Friday night, there were six pieces of art performed known as “Finding Center”, “Hand Dance”, “Swing Shift”, “Kind of Blue”, “Caught”, and “Nascimento” that involved partner work, lighting, props, and costume changes.

Known as one of the oldest of the 30-plus Master of Fine Arts (MFA) dance programs, the Department of Dance presented Confluence on Feb. 25, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m. at Mather Dance Center. The concert included five works in total: three group works choreographed by MFA candidates Ziying Cui and Yidi Lin, a duet choreographed by the chair of the department, Karen Potter, and a solo created by CWRU alumni Christopher Bell. Compared with other three dance performances, 祭 rite 祭 by Ziying Cui and Untitled Chopin Solo by Christopher Bell formulated strong sentiments about life and people. Solemn facial expressions, rapid-changed music rhythms and story-telling plots blended in tensions and dramatics to the performances.

Kirsi Kaulanen's sculpture called Earth's Breath instantly caught my eye. There was something special in this steel sculpture that brilliantly used light as a part of the artwork. Just a few steps away there were grander looking sculptures that filled complete rooms but still this artwork that is smaller by comparison gave me a lot more to think about.