Student choreographers sought human connection through dance at the Dance Performance Project’s “Movement Shifting.”

The performance was held Wednesday and Thursday, March 25 to 26 in Pottle Auditorium.

“We basically told them to pick a topic that deals with humanity and the human condition, and to dive deep inside in their hearts, souls, emotions and then pull it out and relive it, recaptivate it, with every moment on the stage,” said Skip Costa instructor of dance and artistic director for “Movement Shifting.”

According to Dr. Martie Fellom, professor of ballet, dance history and dance on camera, choreographers were asked to step outside of their comfort zones to create an original piece, unlike any other.

Each piece delivered a personal message drawing from the feelings and experiences of the choreographer. The performance began with “Where We Belong,” choreographed by Christa Clement Sevin, which lamented the loss of American soldiers during wars, the cost of being free. “Time,” choreographed by Faith Allen, began as a narrative with dancing intermixed as an instrument to explain strong emotions about the loss of her grandmother.  “Ascension,” choreographed by Jaquan Warren, was dedicated to Warren’s two uncles who died from cancer. Dancers struggled to complete even the most basic movements in the beginning of the dance, but moved gracefully toward the end, signifying the release from pain and suffering that death brings. “Why I Hate School but Love Education,” choreographed by Joseph Matherne, was a commentary on profit-driven academic institutions, student tracking and curriculums which set the standard for all students rather than allowing them to nurture their intellectual strengths. The performance ended with Costa’s “Courage, Hope, Strength,” in which Costa defined humanity as “having the Courage to find the Hope to remain Strong.”

Choreographer Lindsy Brown’s piece, “The Book of Life,” utilized journals and emotional interactions among dancers to say that no one is alone, and that everyone has someone who cares for them. The piece was inspired by Brown’s own diary entries from when she was bullied in high school, and she required each dancer to write their own “Book of Life” to use during the performance.

“Some people don’t really have the chance to realize that there’s somebody there caring for them, and say it could lead to suicide,” said Brown. “They don’t realize how great their life is to somebody. It could be one person or millions, and they would never know.”
“Movement Shifting” was also performed at a dance conference, the American College Dance Association festival in Tennessee. The performance placed in the top eight among 31 performances.

“We offer a general studies degree with a dance concentration or a dance minor, but the caliber of universities that were there offered a BA in dance,” said Costa. “We were coming in with a minor program in dance and still placing in the top eight. That’s pretty astonishing.”

For more information on upcoming performances from the Dance Performance Project, contact Costa at [email protected].