Structuring Solo / The Power of Expression
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Continuation of the process of structuring solo pieces.
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Students' Reflections
Lindsy E.
I think it is very interesting how we created our movement phrases far before we thought about a song to match it with. Yet, the movements fit our texts so well. I think this speaks to the true creativity that is inside us, and how limiting we can be to ourselves. I often try to "fit" the proper gestures into the role I'm singing. Now, I'm thinking about how motivated and natural my character would be if I created a movement phrase for them instead. If I really take my character outside of his/her typical box, what would I learn about the emotions and range of motion I can bring to the character? It would also be informative to see how the movement phrases we already created would change slightly in motivation, when done to different songs or poems. I have really enjoyed being challenged this semester to think about who I am as an artist and I know there's more here for me to discover.
Hannah G.
Thank you for sharing your story and your performance with us! It helps me see one end goal of what we are doing and how we can incorporate it into a performance. Your performance was very moving and I can easily see you reaching a wide audience! After this we worked on our own solo projects. I'm using the poem "Hope" by Emily Dickinson. It was challenging to add the words to the movements but I started making connections to which movement goes to each word or phrase.
Yuan G.
In this class, I was so impressed by our professor's performance. Professor Morejon tells the stories through the dance movement, which is very expressive. We also reviewed the phrases we created before.
Guillermo O.
In this class it was very impactful to see you perform to give us an example of what someone can do with little to no objects. It was very interesting to see how you connected us with the story through movement, spoken voice, singing, and mainly through letting yourself be present.
The challenge for myself is to accept my own voice as an expressive element. I think at this point I feel that I can connect with my movements a little better, but the voice in this case is a harder task. As you said, our voices tend to be silenced by society.
Thanks for sharing a little bit more of what you do to inspire and challenge us in this process.
Sijia L.
In today's class, I was impressed by our teacher's performance. It was not only a dance, it was telling a story. What a enjoyable experience! When we did exercise to review our two phrases, I was so grateful for my instructor's help, which gave me encouragement and confidence. And I will keep trying on that exercise.
Yudi Z.
The first half of the class was relaxing. I am glad that we walked at the labyrinth where is one of my favorite places on campus. The meditation-walk allowed me to focus on myself, I felt the world was muted, but also loud at the same time since I was able to hear the wind blowing the tree, the leaves, and the birds' whispering, the music from the other side of the lake. It felt longer than the actual 20 mins we did. It is a great place and way to do when your boundaries were reached. Everyone needs it.
The second half of the class was very impressive. I was amazed by our teacher's solo performance. To me, it was not just a dance, it was more like a musical. The teacher is the story teller, who does not care about where he is, who are watching, he was fully engaged in the performance, this concentration is what we are seeking for as the musicians, or music tellers. Then we reviewed the cube and emotions. Looking forward to the next week. Thank you!
Zaria M.
In the first half of the class, we went over to the labyrinth and walked the winding path. I appreciated this exercise because it allowed me to be in the most relaxed state that I have been in all day. It gave me time to reflect and work on feeling more at peace towards the end of my day.
In the second half, we revisited the eight movements that we came up with earlier in the semester. I could not remember what I came up with so I did what any artist would do, create another set of movements. I decided that I want to pair my movements to the art song "Minstrel Man" by Margaret Bonds. I choose this piece because it was composed by a black woman. Additionally, I can somehow relate to the text that was written by Langton Hughes. This art song is a part of my rep, so I would like to use these movements to help get me out of my comfort zone. Also, while working on the movements in class I am starting to feel more present in my performance and not focusing on what others are thinking of me. I am looking forward to finishing choreographing my movements for the final project and getting to perform it.
Callie R.
Today in class I was moved when Jorge preformed for us his story of pain and trauma, but also a story of hope. I wanted to take the time to thank you for your vulnerability and artistry. It was incredibly inspiring and helpful for me as I continue to work towards my final project. I was able to remember most of the emotion phrase but had a little trouble remembering the cube phrase, so I made a new one up and recorded both to keep them the same from now on. I also did a little bit of adding the voice into the movements, however, no one else was so I did not feel bold enough to "sing out, Louise!" as I probably should have. I feel excited though for next week, to continue shaping this project and mirrorism of my artistry. Thank you, Jorge!
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