Name:  Nicole Holt

Email:  colesimkins22@gmail.com

Phone:  (385)-219-9658

 

 

Title of Project:  The Tale of Three

 

Abstract of Project

            For this EDGE project, I have decided to take everything I have learned thus far in my major and put it into a dance.  I am going to choreograph this dance for the spring dance concert this school year.  I am a dance major, and most of my classes are technique classes, or classes about the choreographic process.  I have not been too comfortable choreographing in the past, so I feel this project will push me personally, but also help me in my field of study.  I want to take a weakness of mine and something I don’t feel the most confident in, and really push myself to create something truly meaningful to me, and something that will be worth performing.  I plan on taking a story from a book, and putting movement to it.  Not in the way that we would see in a movie, but through dance, and music.  I don’t want it to be a literal word for word interpretation of the story, but something that will be abstract, and intriguing to the audience that watches it.

 

Larger Purpose

            This project will help me feel more comfortable choreographing and showing my work to the public. I am a very self-conscious person, and I am usually afraid of what people around me and strangers might think of me. In the dance world there is a lot of competition as well as unneeded judgement. I have come accustomed to judge myself quite harshly, and shy away from opportunities. I believe that by doing this project, and choreographing this dance, I can take one of my weaknesses, and work with it, and turn it into a strength. I feel that this project will help me after I graduate as well, when I start working I can feel more comfortable creating movement for other dancers in a studio, or at a school.

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Project Goal

            The goal for this project was to take one of my weaknesses and turn it into a strength, to turn a story from a book into a dance.

            One of my weaknesses is being too hard on myself and worrying about what others think.  This made it hard sometimes to work with my mentor.  Some of their critique was either harsh or unclear, leaving me unsure of what to do next.  Each time I would have to refocus and tweak my dance.  I changed songs a couple of times, with the last change being only a few weeks before performance.  While it was slightly inconvenient for my group, I felt the final music told the story better than the music I chose at the beginning.

            I’m also not the best at confrontation, but at one point I had to tell a dancer he was no longer a part of my piece.  He had decided to join another school group and miss most of the concert.  I knew I couldn’t keep him in and needed someone else who would be committed to performing my piece.  It went well and he understood why I kicked him out.

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Outcomes

            I went through the choreographic process and found out what works for me and what doesn't, and I created a piece of art that is truly beautiful. I learned a new skill, became more comfortable showing my work, and became more organized. I also gained a better appreciation for my major, and the joy of creating art.

            I definitely am more comfortable showing my work.  Having gone through the process of creating a dance, I gained a much larger appreciation for the teachers I’ve had previously.  I know the work that I put into my dance, and I can’t imagine what happens in Patty Meredith’s head as she choreographs 5 or more pieces every concert.  Part of the joy of presenting my piece was knowing how much work went into it.

            Organization was key for this process.  I invested in a planner for this school year knowing I would need as much planned as I could have.  I had a spot each day so when I held rehearsal, I was able to write my own thoughts, and also the critiques from my mentor teacher.  It helped so much!

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Deliverables

I plan on filming the rehearsals I have of the dancers learning the dance, and to show the process of creating a dance. I will also be keeping a journal of my thoughts and how I want the dance to look, and the things I change along the way until the end of the process.