Morality Remix
February 20, 2019
REVIEW | In an autobiographical, one-woman show which entangled fact and fiction, absolutism and relativism, Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster offered a philosophical contemplation on a man, woman, and duck whose convergent lives catalyze a flood of moral deliberations. The seventy-minute monologue performance was supported by a continuous movement score choreographed by Jo Lloyd. Utterly perplexing, hilarious, and at times paradoxical, Nicola Gunn’s Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster questioned the very nature of bystander intervention and ethical high ground.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
// WORKS IN PROGRESS
SIGNIFICANCE OF DANCE FOR SYMPTOM AMELIORATION AMONG PARKINSON’S PATIENTS
April 11, 2016
Recent studies have suggested that weekly dance classes for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease have the capacity to improve both psychological and physical well being through the incorporation of physical activity, imagery, music, somatosensory input, socialization, aesthetics, and enjoyment. This essay discusses the efficacy of dance as a vital tool for ameliorating symptoms with the intent to spark dialogue and a new approach to Parkinson’s treatment.
EMBODYING BACCHUS: NIETZSCHEAN DERIVATIVES OF RUDOLF VON LABAN'S AUSDRUCKSTANZ
December 02, 2015
Entrenched in global concepts of Nietzscheism, this essay speaks to the nature of Nietzsche’s impact on modern dance during the Weimar Republic, maintaining a fixed emphasis on Rudolf Von Laban’s Ausdruckstanz as an expression of the philosopher's existentialist advocacy for bacchanalian ecstasy. Nietzsche’s appreciation for dance, emphasis on Greek ideals, and call for a more Apollonian/Dionysian-balanced society, led to Laban’s movement choirs, aesthetic of festkulture, and pedagogical formulas – ultimately impacting Mary Wigman and expressionist dance in turn. This essay is an examination of Nietzschean derivatives in the foundations of early Modern dance technique as it manifested in war-torn Germany.
DANCE CRITICISM FOR
Morality Remix
February 20, 2019
In an autobiographical, one-woman show which entangled fact and fiction, absolutism and relativism, Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster offered a philosophical contemplation on a man, woman, and duck whose convergent lives catalyze a flood of moral deliberations. The seventy-minute monologue performance was supported by a continuous movement score choreographed by Jo Lloyd. Utterly perplexing, hilarious, and at times paradoxical, Nicola Gunn’s Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster questioned the very nature of bystander intervention and ethical high ground...
Global Party
November 18, 2018
Alchemy Tap Project and Bailadores de Bronce (Mexican Folk) had the crowd roaring as they busted out complex rhythms in conjunction with smooth technical execution, while the Melody Institute brought graceful, colorful images to the stage with multi-hued silks and shimmering costumes. A one-night-only event on November 9, Global Party was an evening of joy and excitement with successes all around...
PRICEarts Seeks to Break the Silence
October 05, 2018
What ensued for Price was devastating confusion and a drive to learn further about the experience of depression and suicidal ideation among teens. Price began by writing her grief, spilling out poems from the perspective of the mother, the bullet, and the floor. The pieces wrote themselves, and the movement which followed manifested in a similar drive for catharsis––a compulsion not only to reconcile with the loss, but to understand it. Price’s journey eventually led to the creation of Remember Me Young with her art and advocacy company, PRICEarts...
Classic and Comic at Jerome Robbins Fest
September 26, 2018
Robbins’ ability to transition from classically elegant phrase material to satirical comedy and back is a testament to his subtle choreographic nuance and unique contribution to the field; it was this assimilation of technical execution, classical movement, and humor which best describes the experience of watching Jerome Robbins Festival’sProgram B, which featured Circus Polka, Dances at a Gathering, and The Concert...
Success at CDT
November 30, 2017
Cornish Dance Theater, better known as CDT, is Cornish College’s biannual concert performed by dance majors of the arts school. A beautiful mélange of physical images, this season’s CDT at Cornish Playhouse stood out for performance quality amidst a vast, albeit complementary, array of works. With choreography by such diverse artists as Laura Ann Smyth, Stephanie Liapis, Gérard Théorêt, Michele Miller/Catapult Dance, and Bruce McCormick, CDT’s Fall 2017 concert was a true showcase of the college as a contributing force in Seattle’s arts community...
Born To Be Wild
November 20, 2017
Coinciding fortuitously with ACT Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible, choreographer Kaitlin McCarthy’s Eight Abigails wove the emblematic tale about mass hysteria into an evening length movement study on the work’s antagonist. With use of physical imagery and vocalization alongside Marnie Cumings’ complex lighting design and live music composition by Michael Hamm, McCarthy’s latest was dark, psychological, and searingly relevant, offering an alternate throughline in which the clandestine subconscious of Miller’s original antihero was boundless and illuminated...
Emerging Choreographers Set the Stage for RDC's Showcase
September 22, 2016
As an exciting month in the Seattle dance scene nears its busy finale, SeattleDances had the pleasure of reconnecting with Gabrielle Gainor – Co-Founder, Producer, and Choreography Curator for Relay Dance Collective (RDC), whose upcoming production Showcase, is on the books for this coming Sunday. A choreographic spectacle to kick of RDC’s fifth season, the informal production is an excuse to celebrate risk-taking, new voices, and the Collective’s core principles of community and diversity...
Bodies of water Brings Art to All
August 04, 2016
Bodies of water was a groundbreaking event, exoteric and approachable, offering over 1,000 people of all demographics the chance to observe and interact with their community under the pretext of movement. Strangers spoke with one another, danced with one another, became locked in eye contact for moments at a time, and were united, commonly and collectively, as witnesses to a celebration of Seattle and its art...
Graham Company Revitalizes New and Old Works
May 15, 2016
In a much-anticipated return to the Seattle stage, the Martha Graham Dance Company graced Meany Hall as part of the UW World Series on May 5–7, offering a mélange of original Graham repertory and new works by 21st century artists. The tour celebrates the company’s 90th anniversary, commencing yet another decade steeped in the spirit of Graham’s radical transformation of western dance...
Inner Galactic Explores Galaxies of the Heart
November 10, 2015
PREVIEW | Inner Galactic, the highly-anticipated, interdisciplinary collaboration between Seattle artists Maya Soto and Nico Tower, is set to launch this coming weekend, November 13-15, at Velocity Dance Center. An immersive adventure wrought with wonder, Inner Galactic will commence an odyssey into the cerebral supernova with a dash of humor to boot...
Whim W'Him Blossoms at Choreographic Invitational
September 16, 2015
In the hands of artistic director and choreographer Olivier Wevers, Whim W’Him has evolved into one of Seattle’s most successful and renowned companies since its establishment in 2009. The company has performed to critical acclaim in Seattle and beyond, clinching their hold on the local arts scene and setting a precedent for contemporary dance in the Pacific Northwest...
Dancers Shine Bright at SIDF Final Program
July 08, 2015
The three-week Seattle International Dance Festival culminated Saturday, June 27, at the Moore Theatre. The program boasted work by choreographers Alejandro Chávez, Donald Byrd, and Cyrus Khambatta, as well as a substantial audience of dance enthusiasts and artists alike...
RDC3 Brings Joy to Fresh Audiences
April 15, 2015
Relay Dance Collective took to Velocity Dance Center’s stage April 3-5 with refreshing vitality, showcasing their own unique approach to movement performance. The company’s commitment to “building community, fostering diverse expression, and bringing high-caliber performances to life” informed the exuberant and eclectic showcase that was RDC3...
AJNC's Delightful Teatime Comedy
March 11, 2015
If you didn’t find yourself at 12th Avenue Arts this weekend, snickering at the ludicrous kerfufflings of seven tea-drinking, face-making misfits, or puzzling over the ease with which Amy Johnson blends dance and comedy, then you missed one heck of a performance. Believe Me Or Not, which debuted on Friday, March 6, was not your run-of-the-mill date-night show. Instead, it was a kaleidoscope peek into the inner workings of Johnson’s mind—a caffeine-spiked wonderland where 18th century parliament meets the Mad Hatter...
Collaboration Makes its Mark at This Is Not a Table for Three
December 17, 2014
In an epic collaborative trio composed of cellist, dancer, and actor, the performers of This Is Not A Table For Three stunned a modest audience this weekend at The Pocket Theater with their interpretation of the masterful literary work, A Season in Hell. Composed by nineteenth-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud, A Season in Hell may not have provided the most uplifting prose, but Daniel Christensen’s monologue was beautifully dynamic in all of its density—an honest recitation of the narrator’s ramblings and self-pitying proclamations...
Cabin Fever Brings "Home" to Life
December 13, 2014
As part of the In Residence program at Town Hall Seattle, scholar Steve Scher and choreographer Elana Jacobs presented a dual program on Monday, December 8, as part of their ongoing research on the notion of “home.” Scher and Jacobs offered an investigation of the human compulsion for safety, noting the power of interpersonal connectivity and atmospheric familiarity as a means to understanding the notion of home.
