Dance Magazine: When I first imagined choreographing a dance about the connection between the Grand Canyon and how humans explore the solar system, I figured the idea was a little too “out there” to be taken seriously. And yet, last month, I stood at the rim of the Grand Canyon as the park’s official Astronomer in Residence. Perched on a ledge of Kaibab limestone, I began the first gesture phrase that would describe the canyon’s geologic history—and form the backbone for Chasing Canyons, a modern dance solo I premiered at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim on February 23, 2024.
4 comments:
This is definitely interesting. I don't know exactly what happened here, but I think it was pretty me. I'm Not the biggest fan of interpretive dance, or other stuff like that, where it could be a little bit too abstract to find meaning. however I think that the idea and execution of this piece was pretty decent. It's a really cool concept when you think about an astronomer being able to do this whole piece about the sky and being able to do it in the place she works, and that place being one is awesome as the grand canyon. The Grand Canyon has absolutely gorgeous scenery, and does not provide an excellent background in this dance. Having watched this dance, I think my favorite part of it was the end where she started walking towards the edge of the cliff. it was as if she was just taking in everything that was at her fingertips, and the vastness of it, much like that of the sky.
This article really spoke to me about how humans use dance to communicate ideas. It's a powerful thought that we should keep in mind when designing: how can the spaces and things we create aid or hinder human movement? When a show is primarily about actors, we have to design to let them move freely throughout the space, and really play with all corners of it. Movement is an incredibly important thing to consider when designing. I agree with what she said about the false dichotomy of art and science, and I think that the best designs use science to create art. A good recent example here at CMU is the stage from passage that floated up in the most impactful scene. That was a really great example of both a constraint on movement and a fun way to let a technical achievement shape the art of a piece. It was really fun to watch.
Interpretive dance is something that can go very right, or very wrong(or a mix of both). In this case, I feel like the purpose was interesting and was good, but the execution felt forced and it didn’t emulate with me. It was cool that someone who does both planetary scientist and impact physicist as well as dance it was really cool to be able to connect the two and create a piece of art. I really liked how they were able to physically dance at the great canyon, which is part of what their piece was about. I personally feel like if the grand canyon was a projection or a floor painting, and the solar system was mixed in/on the other wall, and the piece was danced in a closed, traditional space, it would have resonated with me more and would have been more appealing to watch.
What’s even more impressive than a particularly well-put-together artistic piece, or a very impressive scientific thing, is the ability to combine the two in a creative way. This was a really interesting and cool article to read about this scientist/dancer/choreographer who combined her variety of interests into a singular piece in order to tell a story and generate interest. It truly demonstrates how powerful it can be to combine aspects of art and science. Personally, I have never been interested much in the subject of planetary science and impact physics, but reading this article and watching the dance piece lead me to be curious about all the fun facts about canyons and their place in the solar system mentioned in the article. I think that engaging in things like this is a really great way to increase interest, because starting with a bunch of words about impact physics is pretty boring, but starting with a dance is a much more interesting and creative way to draw people’s attention.
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