Behind the Scenes: The Art of Creating Dance

Hidden behind the Pyramid is where a department full of innovative dancers, artists, and choreographers can be found.  Within the CSULB department of dance, students are preparing for the annual Contemporary Dance Concert.  This concert displays the works of undergraduate dance majors, like Katie Marshall and Molly Matutat.

            Katie Marshall, 21, a senior dance BFA student has two pieces in the Contemporary Concert; including a tap piece titled “Tappin’ Out” which she co-choreographed with another dance major, Melissa Sennewald, and “The Secret Pond”.  Her piece “The Secret Pond” was inspired by the John Steinbeck novel East of Eden.  Marshall’s choreography portrays the battle between good and evil within people.  She explained, “that once the facade people put up is stripped away we are all just people.”

            The choreographic process for Marshall began as a duet that formed into a group of five dancers.  The phrases of movement that were initially created for two dancers evolved into a completed piece of work including senior BFA dance major Molly Matutat.

            Matutat has the experience of both the performer and the choreographer.  She too has a piece being presented in the Contemporary Concert titled, “Split Sync.” 

Dancers: Nikita Wardanian, 21, Senior dance major

Madison Ligon, 22, senior dance major

Allison Moorefield, 19, sophomore dance major

Jessica Egbert, 20, junior dance major

           As a choreographer, “I am not afraid to ask for what I want,” she explains.  “As a dancer the choreographer is creating their work directly onto you, and it is up to you to manifest their ideas.”  For this reason it is much more nerve racking for her to be the performer.   Matutat understands the choreographer’s point of view, and how important it is for something to be done a certain way. 

            Marshall and Matutat agree that as a choreographer you have more control of the rehearsal process, the movement, and the dancers.  Both seem to agree that as a student choreographer and performer, a lot less intimidation occurs when working with peers. This also means a level of understanding must be kept for the dancers to remain focused and take the choreographer seriously.

            For Matuat, being in a piece choreographed by one of her good friends was “enlightening”.  During the process she was able to grow to closer with Marshall through portraying what the choreographer wanted to express. She felt honored.

      

As a dancer and choreographer different challenges arise during the creative, rehearsal, and performance process.  As a choreographer Matutat worried about creating enough material, explaining movement in a way that her dancers would understand and hitting what she called “the choreographer’s version of writers block”.

Choreographer Molly Matutat overlooks dancers
 Jessica Egbert and Allison Moorefield during rehearsals for
“Split Sync”

Both Marshall and Matutat believe that as the dancer, the greatest challenges are the physical and performance aspects along with conveying the choreographer’s movement.

 

The dancer is also able to experience the frustration of the choreographer during the editing process.  Matutat described the editing process as, “a painter trying to paint a certain color but the paint is not the color that they want.  [As a dancer] you have to find a way to match the color that they want.”

The overall creative process that goes into a dance piece differs from person to person.  Matutat was inspired by music and life circumstances.  Marshall was inspired by concepts and characters from her favorite novel; but once the choreographic process is complete the creative process is not over. 

Before performing on stage both student choreographers must meet up with lighting designer Andrew Milhan and costume designer Liz Carpenter.  The lighting and costume design process both begin the same.  The choreographer explains what they want to portray onstage.  Then begins the process of communication between the choreographer and the designers, and once all agree the final product is presented onstage for the audience to enjoy.  

CSULB Dance in Concert

On Saturday April 27, 2013 the CSULB dance department showed original pieces of choreography from faculty members Lorin Johnson, Sophie Monat, Gerald Casel, Keith Johnson, and Andrew Vaca. Each piece was very different from the others, which made for an exciting and well-rounded show of dance.

CSULB Dance in Concert performance poster. Courtesy of the CSULB dance website.

The opening piece was Social Domain by Lorin Johnson. Johnson incorporated simple costumes, a huge projector which displayed different things off the internet, and plain lighting. The pictures and images that were being displayed on the screen were reflected by the dancers’ different movements by either reacting to the visuals or completely mirroring it. The piece was comical at times, but also had a dark meaning within. The dance could have been interpreted as a comment on social media. Megan Guise was portrayed as the victim of what seemed to be cyber bullying. At one point she should on the edge of the stage with the spotlight down on her and it looked as if she was going to jump and commit suicide. The movement quality was very smooth and balletic. It was not strictly ballet technique because there was a lot of rolling on the floor. Overall, the piece developed quite well, made a statement about social media, and was interesting to watch.

             

Following was a duet titled Then and Now by Sophie Monat. Molly Matutat and Jobel Medina were absolutely breath taking in this piece. From start to end the dance was mesmerizing and the energy level never dropped. The lighting was simple and so were the costumes. The dancers were connected with each other throughout the piece whether or not they were physically touching. The music was beautifully played by CSULB grad student Minna Im, she performed onstage with the dancers, which added another element. The dance was definitely balletic and both dancers were wearing ballet shoes. It was interesting because the partnering was not a typical pas de deux. The piece was abstract and seemed to be only about movement and the relationship between the two dancers.

             

To close up the first act was The Humans by Gerald Casel. The 25 minute piece opened with video close ups of three dancers faces, heavy breathing, and their dancing. It then went into the first portion of the piece. The cast dressed in many different beige and brown outfits began to accumulate on stage. The movement got progressively more chaotic, until another video clip appeared with more dancers moving frantically and birds flying around. The second half of the dance was much different than the first. It was very dramatic, with many lifts, a chair, singing, unique lighting and lots of chaos. The style was definitely modern, and required some acting. The piece could be interpreted as the way humans react with one another. How they feel and respond to one another or how they might want to respond but don’t. This piece was the most abstract piece of the night. Aesthetically there was so much going on, onstage but it was not overwhelming to the audience.

            

Following intermission was Happy Come Home by Keith Johnson. The dancers had bright facial expressions for the most part, and the costumes looked like normal clothes. The movement depicted what the lyrics of the song were saying. The space between the dancers was close, they seemed like a group of friends spending time together and having fun. The piece was split into different sections that portrayed friendship, sexuality, gender, animals, and hardships. The movement was modern technique, and the story was a narrative depicting the song lyrics.

             

The final piece was Going Forward: more dances about cities and people by Andrew Vaca. This piece was a strong one to finish out the show. It was jazz technique without a doubt and all of the dancers were very strong. The costumes and hair all made a bold statement. The lighting was spectacular, and went perfectly with all of the music changes. The piece seemed to describe traveling, moving on, and seeing new places. The aesthetic of the dance was very formation based. The lines of all the dancers were clean and the movements were sharp. It was overall very musical, and a wonderful way to end the night of well-rounded dancing.

For more information regarding the CSULB department of dance degree programs and upcoming shows visit their website at http://www.csulb.edu/depts/dance/.

Exxopolis at CSULB

California State University, Long Beach campus was brightened up this past week with the southern California debut of Architects of Air's luminaria, Exxopolis.  The luminaria was placed next to the pyramid and the CSULB dance department Aprill 11 through the 14.  The Exxopolis presented on campus was free to all CSULB students.

The Tree located within the center of the Exxopolis.

  

The luminaria called Exxopolis was handmade by several different arts groups, and was inspired by the Eggopolis luminarium that was built in Nottingham.  Exxopolis itself took nearly 6 months to create, and was inspired by "natural geometry and Islamic architect" according to the Exxopolis website.  All the light and vibrant colors inside were created by pure sunlight.  With that being the case Exxopolis was only open from noon to 6 pm to ensure  the best experience for all onlookers.  

The Cupola walls adorned with "stained glass".

CSULB student's and the general public alike were amazed with their experience.  "My overall experience in Exxopolis was amazing. I felt like I had entered this small alternate world and was so inspired by the beautiful colors and atmosphere that this seemingly familiar structure created," said Jessica Egbert, a second year dance major. "I think it's great that Exxopolis came to CSULB, it was certainly something that many students and locals alike found interesting and it definitely was something that I will personally never forget."

A glimpse into the Blue Dome.

For more information about Exxopolis and other luminarias visit the Architects of Air website.  And for more information about the creation of Exxopolis take a look at the Architects of Air windows project.  

A Sculpted Campus

CSULB's 320 acre campus is not only filled with trees and classrooms, but also 21 different sculptures created by 21 different distinguished artists.

The creation of these beautifully designed pieces began in 1965, after the creation of the Long Beach Sculpture Symposium.  This symposium was the first of its kind in the United States, and was created after similar European projects.

Nine out of the 21 sculptures were created in 1965 as part of the CSULB Monumental Sculpture Collection.  Later on the rest of the sculptures were eventually added throughout campus, and became apart of the University Art Museum.

The sculpture "U" as a Set located in front of the Macintosh building.  Photo Courtesy of UAM website.

The UAM now presents a virtual tour of all of these sculptures online, a self guided walking tour, or a tour with the help of a UAM guide.  Guided tour reservations can be made via the internet on the University Art Museum website, there you can also find a map of the 21 different sculptures found throughout campus.

A map of the self guided walking tour.  Photo courtesy of UAM website. 

Many students are unaware of the pieces of art scattered throughout campus.  Demi Boyd, a junior studying both Dance and Comparative World Literature, is awestruck about the number of sculptures located around campus.  "I love having sculptures around because it's not often that you get to be inspired by art everyday." 

For more information about the many sculptures located around campus, along with a tour map visit the University Art Museum website at http://www.csulb.edu/org/uam/COLLECTIONSsculpture.html. 



     

A Night Full of Dancing and Suprises

CSULB Department of Dance put forth a performance entitled Shadows and Echoes over the weekend of March 14-16.   
  
Shadows and Echoes was unique because it showcases the choreography of Dance MFA students. The show consisted of four very different pieces and an intermission.

MFA Spring 2013 dance concert, Echoes and Shadows poster.  Courtesy of CSULB Dept. of Dance website.

The first piece entitled "The Wrecking Project" was a project that all of the current MFA students worked on and performed.  The MFA students took choreography that dance faculty member, Gerald Casel, had previously created.  They broke it down, rearranged it, and made it their own.  This created a unique dance full of unexpected performance choices.  The most memorable aspect of this piece was that the dancers made noises, spoke words, and even screamed at points throughout the ten minute dance.

Following, was a trio choreographed by Alison Hart entitled, "Panties and Pathologies".  The piece was set to the famously known song "Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer.  The opening began with one dancer on stage in her bra and underwear dancing about the space.  Underwear then slowly begins to fall from the sky as the other two dancers enter (also in bra and underwear) and they start moving together in a diagonal movement phrase that consists of partnering and floor work. The dance progresses and more underwear falls from the sky.  The three dancers start layering by putting more and more pairs of underwear on.  After they have almost every single pair of underwear on they begin the diagonal movement phrase again and the piece ends.  This piece was enjoyable to watch, and was kind of funny in the sense that some of the movements the dancers did were movements that women secretly do everyday while getting ready in the morning.  Like shaking your legs, trying to decide what pair of underwear to wear, and checking yourself out in a mirror.

After a 15 minutes intermission a piece choreographed by MFA student Liz Curtis entitled, "Enso" was presented.  Liz had a strong cast of dancers that presented smooth repeated movements that were circular and endless.  The six dancers did not move in unison but in a way that was still very connected.  Liz did an excellent job of choreographing multiple things onstage at once, but it was not too overwhelming to the audience.  The partnering was very intertwined, nonstop, and smooth.  The movement had a sense of being into the ground, which gave the dancers more stability.  As a viewer you could watch this dance over and over again and never get bored because there were so many layers and movements within the piece that you could focus on.  Overall very enjoyable, beautiful, and pleasing to the eye.

The final piece by choreographer Maggie Phillips is entitled "As One".  This piece had a large female cast that moved in complete unison or like the title "as one".  The feeling the audience gets from this piece is almost eerie in a sense due to the fact the dancers all had black veils covering their faces.  As the dance progresses the whole cast runs onto the stage and lifts the veils for a final section of strong unified dancing.  The ending section of the dance was very entertaining to the viewer.  One of Maggie's dancers Meghan Magoun, a third year dance major, really enjoyed working with Maggie Phillips and performing her choreography.  "I like the adrenaline of knowing anything can happen at any moment but you have to keep going," she says happily recalling her performance experience.  "It's all worth it in the end."

For more information about CSULB's Department of Dance and upcoming performances visit their website at  http://www.csulb.edu/depts/dance/. 

                   

Layering and Light

The University Art Museum on campus at CSULB currently has two art exhibitions that showcase works from regional artists.

Art exhibition Chockablock showcases the work of sixteen different artists portraying modern day art practices.

Lisa Tchakmakian and Devon Tsuno are two modern day artists on display that contribute pieces of artwork that are eye catching with interesting concepts.

Tchakmakian has two pieces of art on display in the UAM.  Both similarly play with the concept of sensory awareness, fluorescent lighting and vivid colors.  Tchakmakian's piece Untitled displays a bright pink box. Tchakmakian used acrylic, plaster, resin, and fluorescent lighting to create her piece of art.

Tchakmakian's Untitled work that uses light and vivid colors.(Photo courtesy of Lisa Tchakmakian's blog)

                                           
 Devon Tsuno also went about creating his art in a unique way.  He gained inspiration from the landscape and non-native foliage all over LA.  He portrays his artwork in an interesting way using spray paint and acrylic on handmade Washi paper.  He layers his work and peels back the paint to give the allusion of depth.   This allusion in his piece of work titled Agglomerate Vegetation caught the eye of fellow CSULB student. "I really liked the colorful painting with layers of paint and how it created the effect of depth by peeling away portions of the paint," says Molly Matutat, a third year dance major. "The art museum is a great distraction from the busy environment of the campus."   

Devon Tsuno's Agglomerate Vegetation (Photo courtesy  of Devon Tsuno's website)

  

The art exhibition Chockablock along with another exhibition Significant Ordinaries both showcase unique works that can be viewed free of cost by any CSULB student.  The two art exhibitions run from January 26 to April 14, 2013.  More information is available online at http://www.csulb.edu/org/uam/index.html.