Research
Howard Gillman Fellowship Recipient, 2016
'Handling' Philosophy, Bartenieff Fundamentals,
and Pedagogy: An Interweaving of
Choreographic Experiences.
Thesis Dissertation, MFA, Jacksonville University
Abstract
I am interested in complex choreography that is underpinned by a sensing body. It is through this interest that my research arises. My research investigates how attending to the Patterns of Total Body Connectivity (PTBC) found in the somatic practice of Bartenieff Fundamentals will emerge new choreographic strands of movement to then be crafted into choreography. By interweaving a choreographic investigation of my pedagogical practice with Heidegger's notion of 'handling,' I am to generate physical movement situated in and from the internal body. This movement will then be further contextualized through attending to the process of change, meaning the movement will undergo changes to the shaping of the body, the effort in which the movement is performed, and the awareness of the space in which the movement is performed. For my choreography to have enough complexity there is a visual, kinesthetic, and auditory element interwoven together to form my choreographic tapestry of movement.
I am interested in complex choreography that is underpinned by a sensing body. It is through this interest that my research arises. My research investigates how attending to the Patterns of Total Body Connectivity (PTBC) found in the somatic practice of Bartenieff Fundamentals will emerge new choreographic strands of movement to then be crafted into choreography. By interweaving a choreographic investigation of my pedagogical practice with Heidegger's notion of 'handling,' I am to generate physical movement situated in and from the internal body. This movement will then be further contextualized through attending to the process of change, meaning the movement will undergo changes to the shaping of the body, the effort in which the movement is performed, and the awareness of the space in which the movement is performed. For my choreography to have enough complexity there is a visual, kinesthetic, and auditory element interwoven together to form my choreographic tapestry of movement.
Autobiographical Embodiment:
Ageism
Fragmentation of Relationships
The question of whether my lived experiences are of value as source material swirls around me indefinitely. Upon reflection I see that many of my works have autobiographical connections, some intentional and others emerged from pure necessity even if I would not embrace this need at the time. As a research artist I must value myself as a source of inspiration. I am finding this to be even more pertinent in quarantine (2020). I find myself reflecting on the effects of isolation in my body and in my relationships. As I struggle to verbalize, I have once again found refuge in movement. At some point this movement research may find its way to a live venue but for now its place is here. What follows are unedited physical experiences as I grapple with what it means to age at a quicker pace in isolation and the fragmentation of human relationships in my personal life.
I have the incredible privilege to be on faculty at Westminster College, located in Salt Lake City. On a particularly challenging day in my personal life I met with my Improv/Comp students virtually and we began the curriculum for the day discussing, reading, writing and engaging with movement research on the topic of endings. The visceral realizations of held trauma in my body underpinned the research task. Three vignettes emerged quickly and I felt inspired to create and capture the physicality. Later that evening I positioned my camera in three different locations and returned to the movement research. The three videos were roughly edited into one and for now it is titled, "So it ends..." The movement doesn't feel as rich as earlier in the day but the focus is on the process. A huge thank you to Michael Wall for supporting artists with his amazing sound scores.
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12/8/2020 - it's interesting returning to this piece today. I've been quarantined in this room for 5 days and this experience has changed me. This piece takes on a new reality for me. I wonder if my life is shifting. I wonder if sharing my embodied knowledge is closing. COVID changes everything. Isolation changes everything.
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