It was awesomeee! Thanks to all!

All done! Our final performance went off great- because I wasn't preparing to perform my solo today, I was able to be part of the crowd of lay-photographers. It was a blast, especially seeing the level of involvement from the audience members! There were people ranging in ages, from the younger siblings of a fellow dancer, to a woman who I've seen at every single show the department's presented, to other students and family members. I was about to ask people to take cameras just before the piece started, but found that they were all already taken- and as I led the way, the were all also used! In the end, only two cameras have gone missing, leaving me with 12 that were used across the performances. Maybe people got attached to theirs and will develop them on their own? I'm looking forward to having the film developed and getting CDs of the images to post here soon! I put labels with instructions and this blog site on it for the audience to find their photos, and I know one woman took the label with her (I hope you find it!) I wonder if we'll recognize our own perspectives...!


After a whole year of working on this project, it's incredible to have seen it come to such a great conclusion. I'll finally let my dancers see this site and reveal the underlying processes I tried not to jabber about too much in rehearsals. And with the great satisfaction of my experience of the piece today, I'm geared up to write about it. I've got a few final papers to write before my undergraduate experience ends, so maybe this is just the spur I need! Journal of Undergraduate Research, get ready! I'll be sending tonight's DVD to them and any who ask to see the piece :)

I also want to include a note of thanks to so many people who've helped me!

Thanks to my performers: To Marissa for being my guinea pig last semester and offering her gifts and sweet energy. To Molly for the same, and her perceptive feedback, questions, and perspective this semester. To Chelsea for sticking with me all year, even after I fumbled through my first semester of choreography, and for offering her willingness to share her beautiful improvisation anew each performance. To Camille for being a brave minor and auditioning and always taking my changes and requests so kindly- I hope you do everything you want to in this program, because you can! To Lydia for enthusiastically joining us with all her interest and willingness to engage!

Thanks to my teachers: To Neta for becoming my USP mentor when I asked a year ago, and for her questions, suggestions, rehearsal visits, extra conversations, and especially for encouraging me when I was afraid to break out of my proposal, but realized that's where it was going! To KO for her support through comp classes and for offering a kind word and genuine advice any time I've asked an opinion. To Andreas, for taking me into your lab and always being so kind and cheerful, for sharing your enthusiasm in my stretching of these two disciplines and offering me a connection to the inside scoop at CSEA.

To my fellow dancers, for accepting me as a pseudo-dance major, and for encouraging me to share myself in my solo, which is what kept me going through the challenges of this project.

Also, always thanks to my parents who encouraged me to dance in the first place and have always assumed I can accomplish anything I want to. Thanks to my friends and congregation members who came to the showcase to see my work!