Pre-Performance Critique

My whole life has been of dirty mirrors, old ballet shoes, and ripped tights. I was 5 years old and a beginner at a dance academy. I didn’t quite know what dance was when I got in, I thought it was just a place to spend time in and just enjoy the music they played. Over the years I learned that dance is way more than just a hobby or a place to go when you are bored. It is art, you are the one making art. Your feelings are the story to your dance, and your moves are the music. People will see your pain or happiness through these ways. Dance is not just a hobby, it’s an art, it’s something that you don’t actually have to throw music at when the steps and feelings you add are the music to your dance.

People often think that dancing is just about having to do a routine, but it isn’t. I just don’t dance, I perform, I breath, I count, I see the world slowly fade away. I create my own little place to be safe in. I release my feelings, and thoughts. I tear down the walls that stop me from being happy, and that allows me not to be angry anymore. I lose the pain, and I let go of that girl that is full of hurt, and I smile. It is not just about doing a dance it is much more than that. What I do is something wonderful that I can not find the words to express how amazing it makes me

important foundation in understanding the broader scope of how dance can be seen as a

When you dance a piece, you become one with it and it changes your perspective and you feel like you are actually living the part you are dancing to. Everyone that has danced has been infected and overwhelmed with emotion at some point. Think about the first dance you had with your husband at your wedding, or a father daughter dance, or your first dance in middle school. All of those are just two person dances, but sometime people dance alone or in a big group as a performance, and in order to be a hit, the dancers must become one with the dance. They have to let go and let their bodies take

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,

Dance is defined by Webster as “moving rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps”. However, it can also be used to sway an audience’s judgment or exhibit feelings and emotions that cannot be conveyed by the usage of verbal language. When watching a show, I would like to be able to get something out of it and with this it brought childhood memories and rung my old tomboy ways and made me realize not only is it okay to sometimes still have those tomboyish habits but also to see you don’t always have to be an adult and take everything in life seriously. During this performance two of my favorite pieces were 909 Lamentations and On the surface. I felt as if these were two of the strongest pieces throughout the whole performance.

The second dance I will be critiquing is called “Love and Euphoria”. In Love and Euphoria, the dance was very complex and had many things going on. The theme of this dance is the bliss of being able to spend a special occasion with someone you love

I became a ballet student at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2014. Being a high school student here gave me the opportunity to expand my horizons and take in as much art as I possibly could. During my first fall at UNCSA, I attended the Emerging Choreographers performance and was privileged to see works created by fourth year contemporary majors. These stunning works showed me the possibilities that dance holds to truly convey powerful and meaning messages. One work in particular stood out to me. It was a piece that showcased five dancers all dressed in pedestrian clothing. At first it appeared to be a casual street scene but a the music progressed one girl began making incredible sharp movements as if she was possessed. She made tiny movements of her hands and feet all the while moving a great distance across the stage. The others started going off what she was doing and all moved together as one giant body supporting the girl in the middle. She continued dancing in the most amazing way have many small movements combined with huge movements that made her seem a thousand feet tall. Intrigued I spoke to one of the dancers about the intention of the dance. She told me that the

My personal aesthetic in the terms of dance extends far beyond mentioning what I like and what I dislike. It unfolds the layers of my personality, my style, and my past experiences. I tend to think of aesthetics in the form of a jigsaw puzzle. Within a puzzle there are hundreds of important pieces that fit together to make a grand image and each puzzle piece requires a process of development and self-discovery. My aesthetic puzzle pieces include confidence, vulnerability, dynamic, high energy, illusion, and emotional connection. Most of my aesthetic is initiated by personal preference or a significant event in my life, but I will start with the foundation of my dance training first. I was raised in the dance studio where I regularly practiced ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, and contemporary. I was blessed to have the opportunity to explore multiple genres of dance at a young age and as a result of this, I began my aesthetic development with a very versatile palette of movements and interpretations.

This dance functions as an act of catharsis. Whether the dancers were actually going through struggles in their own lives or imitating emotions, there was a release of energy from the dancers. As an audience member witnessing this piece, I felt a release of energy because I could relate to the scenario these dancers were portraying. I also believe this dance portrays art as understanding. I am not totally positive of the intentions of the choreographer, but it seems the idea behind this piece is personal have been personally experienced. The dancers had a breathtaking portrayal of struggle and the feeling of finally being free from the force that was holding them

I’m getting ready for a choir event on a Thursday. I’m not nervous tonight; I’m just looking forward to performing, and to a reason to do my makeup and blow-dry my hair. I’m in my uniform dress but it’s still a step up from my daily attire. As I put in my pearl earrings, I feel pretty.

No matter how often I get on stage, it still feels like the first time. As I wait for the actually show time, it’s like the hours of that day move slower than creek water. I have to touch everything that is in front of me. I look like that child in the candy aisle. The final 30 minutes is the worst time of my life. As I stalk the people decide come to enjoy their date night. I open a lot for people so I can go unnoticed, I buzz around listening to people to listen to their conversations to understand my crowd. I found myself in the back of the room with tunnel vision. The room goes from be pack with people and everyone in their own little world to a black room with it’s just me and the stage. Originally the music playing, but all

I have always been a planner, ever since I was little. SO when it came to being ready for the talent show, I was a little more invested. A critical step was to change into my talent show costume at the end of class, to ensure that I was ready. I had to pretend to my friends that I would be so embarrassed for everyone to see me in my costume even though I felt excited for the attention on the inside.

This dance provided me with a feeling of separation from the real world almost as if I was in space. Lately, I have been listening to a lot of electronic dance music or EDM. This music style does not contain words and makes you feel free as well as disconnected from your surroundings. I feel as though Kimberly Bartosik’s Etroits sont les vaisseaux does the same. The performance provides an overwhelming sense of calm for me just as EDM does. The piece does this through multiple focuses including: heavy breathing, the floor plan and lighting design, and the constant flow of movement.

When writing I almost always elude back to the power of dance. Dance style may not be the same everywhere in our world but we know what makes us groove. Dance has always been a theme and to be honest I do not know why. I am not good at dancing (and neither is a lot of people) but we still get this urge to let loose. This impulse has always interested me, and I can find it throughout all of my writing. In my first essay I talk about a song called