UA Theatre and Dance hosted the first Emerging Choreography Showcase from April 2 to 6, sharing the work of twelve aspiring choreographers.
Choreographers and dancers were able to share their talent and passion for dance on stage in the English building.
Dancers auditioned and were chosen by the choreographers based on what kind of styles and looks the choreographers were going for.
Taylor Griggs, a senior majoring in dance and kinesiology, said that this experience has been exciting and healing. Her inspiration for her dance, “Love You Lots, Bye Bye,” is her late grandmother.
Through the art of dance, Griggs has been able to process the difficult emotions revolving around death and grief.
Her piece combines beautiful movements with moments of stillness that let the audience sit with their emotions.
“So, this piece is my journey through grief and how my faith influenced that while incorporating the dancers’ own journeys. I found the resolution in the community around me and the love that continues for those we remember, while holding on to the hope that there is eternal life promised beyond death,” Griggs wrote.
Griggs also wrote that dance is special to her because it allows her to express emotions that cannot be put into words.
Katelyn Midgett, a junior majoring in dance, choreographed “Beyond the Mirror.”
Midgett’s dance encapsulates the connection between the societal pressures of dance and physical insecurities.
“For the movement, I am very inspired by different dynamics. I feel like if you choreograph it just right with the music even one subtle move can leave such a large impact, and that is what I wanted to do,” Midgett wrote. “I want my dancers to come off very strong in the way they present themselves because as dancers we do go through all these things mentally and on the outside you will never even know because of the way we handle ourselves.”
She combined the songs “Body” by Jordan Suaste and the instrumental version of “What was I Made For” by Bille Eilish to help represent insecurities and move the progressive storyline of breaking down and finding peace along the way.
Kyler Durrence, a senior majoring in dance, said that after opening night he is feeling grateful and proud of his dancers.
His piece, “Behind the Glove,” shows his relationship to the late artist Michael Jackson who inspired his style of dance.
“When I was 7, I found out who MJ was after his death, never having heard of him before that,” Durrence wrote. “When I looked up who he was, I became obsessed. I learned to imitate his movement style, dressed up as him for Halloween, impersonated him across our town at various events, and had an MJ themed birthday party.”
Durrence performed in his dance as a solo act for part of the piece and he had a dancer represent himself in the dance by wearing an “I heart MJ” shirt.
Griggs, Midgett and Durrence all said how blessed they were with their team of dancers and said how hard everyone worked during the eight-month process.
“I love dancing at UA, and I hope to continue dancing after college and many years after,” Midgett wrote. “I could not imagine myself doing anything else. I really believe I have a dire need to dance and perform. It is just a part of me that I cannot see myself without.”
