No Pain, No Gain

My world has been a little crazy lately, so I apologize for the delay in posting. I have a feeling this is what it's going to be like throughout my contract with D2. I've been spending 7-8 hours a day commuting to and dancing with Philadanco while also working in the mornings. Situations like this stress the importance of enough sleep, stamina, and a healthy diet. I drink a lot of water while I dance, and if I don't drink enough, usually my body will let me know by giving me a headache or fatigue. I've also been experimenting with what kinds of snacks and how much works best for a long night of dancing.

Basically, since I've last posted we've had 2 weeks of ballet and are currently in our Horton week. Last Wednesday we had our first performance (which is the reason why this post is titled "No Pain, No Gain"). But first, let's talk about ballet. It's interesting how 2 people could be teaching the same exact style of dance, but their classes are so different. That's what happened when we had 2 teachers for ballet 2 weeks in a row. The first teacher spent a lot of time at the barre and a lot of time talking about the objective and the anatomy of what we were doing. His barre exercises would switch back and forth from one side to the other without stopping, whereas with the other teacher we would do one side and then pause before the other side. The teacher for the second week didn't talk as much as the first; He would give corrections here and there, but it was mainly about enhancing our technique by doing.

Some tidbits I learned in ballet the past 2 weeks:

• Everything at the barre prepares you for the center.
• Keep breathing (I tend to forget this a lot).
• Ballet is not a tense, held, statue-like position. It is a living, breathing thing.
• The center of gravity in ballet is your solar plexus (the center part at the top of your ribs).
• Turn out even more when you let go of the barre for a balance.
• Where you are in space is part of the step; It's not only how it's executed, but where it travels.

I talked about "Concerto" in my last post, and that was the dance that I performed at City Hall last Wednesday. "Concerto" is the hardest dance I've ever done. It feels like I'm having an asthma attack by the end of it. I am in every section of the piece and I'm constantly going on and off stage. But every time I rehearsed it full out, I felt my stamina growing a tiny bit. Donald always reminded us to breathe in rehearsal. I think it's funny that we have to be reminded of that, but when you're focused on getting through a piece and doing it well, you forget about breathing! He also told us to pace ourselves, which was great advice. Most of us were trying to go all out and give it our all throughout the whole piece because that's what we're taught, but then by the 3rd section we're so tired that we can barely get through it and that's visible to the audience. Since we want the whole dance to look good, he told us to conserve our energy and find places where we could hold back a little bit. I think that's good for any strenuous dance. Also, the stage we performed on was outdoors and it didn't have wings, so we had to look presentable while we were waiting for our cue and running backstage, despite the fact that we were dripping with sweat and couldn't catch our breath.

You would think that being outdoors would cause less than perfect conditions for dancing, but it couldn't have been more perfect! The stage was set up in the center of City Hall and it was huge with brand new marley floor. The weather was beautiful, we were in the shade, and the turn out was amazing (pun intended). The bleachers were filled as soon as we started rehearsing an hour before the show! We had great support and a wonderful reaction from the audience members. They even clapped for us after we marked through the dances during rehearsal. Donald is very hard on us during rehearsal; The movement and the spacing always has to be perfect. So performing for the first time was very, very nerve-racking. Not only do I want to live up to the high standards, but I had just been thrown into this piece less than a week before. At one point when I was off stage I almost forgot where I had to go next, but everything went off without a hitch.

Here are all of the photos that my mom took of the rehearsal and performance:

https://plus.google.com/photos/113627323652062854299/albums/5769533525495221441

No pain, no gain is like the motto of dancing for many reasons. It refers to physical pain as well as mental and emotional challenges. There was physical pain at the performance because of the texture of the brand new floor. Since we dance with bare feet, by the end of our rehearsal I had bubbles and blisters all of the bottom of my feet. One girl even had a blister that split open and started bleeding. When we performed, every time I went off stage and came back to reality for a second, I realized that my feet felt like they were on fire. The floor was beautiful and we're so grateful that we had an amazing stage like that, but the point is, the show must go on no matter what happens. I already mentioned the emotional challenge of being nervous and trying to dance up to high standards. Your stomach might be in knots before a performance, but all you can do is try your best and if you truly believe everything will go well, it will. A mental challenge that I constantly have as a "newbie" in the company is remembering so much choreography. Since our performance we've been working on 3 other pieces for future shows; 2 of them were performed last Wednesday, and the newbies are just getting caught up because Donald wants to add us to them. The third piece is called "Bound" and we had to learn that one off of a tape. This seemed like a daunting task at first because you can't slow down a tape and you have to reverse everything. But, I found out that I am really good at picking up choreography quickly that way :)

As I said earlier, we are currently taking Horton with the one and only, Milton Myers. Milton is a resident teacher and choreographer at Philadanco, and a master of the Horton technique. Horton is probably my favorite style of modern, and I think it's because I like the challenge. I always leave a Horton class sweating and tired, not to mention extremely sore the next day. We do something called laterals where you take your entire torso from side to side, so my abs and sides are killing me! This technique has a lot to do with the torso either bending forward in a flat back, to the side in laterals, or twisting in a spiral. During all of these exercises your legs and pelvis stay stationary and your torso is isolated. That's why a Horton class is such a good workout. The Horton technique is very strong, sharp, and linear, although it may have some other qualities in choreography. It is the foundational technique for modern companies such as Philadanco and Alvin Ailey (Philadanco's sister company). I look forward to building upon what I already know and growing even more in the next 2 classes.

Next week we have modern/contemporary, then Dunham. D2 also has another performance coming up on August 17th, so stay tuned!

Getting Into the Swing of Things: My First Week as a D2 Member

Monday, July 9th began the newest chapter of my life. As you probably know, I received a contract to be a part of Philadanco's second company, D2. The contract lasts one year and begins with the six week summer intensive. The summer intensive includes an evening class Monday-Friday, followed by rehearsal Monday-Thursday for D2 members. This week's classes were Graham technique taught by Mary Barnett, a graduate of the Juilliard school and a master of this technique.

Since we only have Ms. Barnett for five days and it is an intensive setting, we got a broad overview of the basic Graham technique. This is not to say that she rushed through the exercises to get everything accomplished. On the contrary, she took her time teaching us the foundational concepts and combinations so we truly knew them and felt them in our bodies. Her class structure was about starting with the basics and building upon that to gain a better understanding of the technique, because as she always says, "Learning is accumulative."

Ms. Barnett treated the technique class like academic-type class. On the second day she brought in a huge notepad, tore off a piece of paper, taped it to the mirror, and wrote down all of the basic concepts and exercises that we learned on the first day. Each day we reviewed the list and added to it. As the week went on, we were expected to remember every exercise and do it in sequence so we could move through the class at a faster pace. Each combination was like a pop quiz; She asked us if this was a test, would you pass? These teaching techniques truly benefited me because when we reviewed the concepts everyday, I learned the combinations faster, and the added pressure of being expected to know the sequence always helps me "get on my game". Not only did I memorize the combinations well, but I truly understand what it's supposed to look like and how it's supposed to feel. There were always some members of the professional company who would demonstrate for Ms. Barnett, so she would break it down and show us how every little detail should be.

The Graham technique is based on contractions, which is where you hollow out your middle and let your chest and head relax. It's like making a C shape with your torso, and you have to keep your shoulders over your hips. The opposite of the contraction is when you straighten up and stretch the sides of your body, then you look up to the ceiling and open your chest and throat. The exercises involve both closing and opening the torso, so they counterbalance each other. This technique is especially about alignment, so you always have to be aware of where your body is in space. The first part of the class is done sitting, and most people like to sit with their torso forward from their hips; It's just more comfortable that way. But you have to push back so you're sitting directly on your sits bones and your back is straight, or as Ms. Barnett would say, "Get on your legs!"

Another element of Graham is spirals through the body. There are spirals of the shoulders and head, which is just a partial spiral, but there is also full spirals, which start with the pelvis, then middle, then shoulders, then the head is last. It's like you're a human barber shop pole! With all of these elements to think about, you also have to remember to breathe. You would think that comes naturally, but when you're working so hard, sometimes it can be forgotten. The breath is what moves the body. For example, you start a contraction by breathing in, and when you release the breath, that's what makes the abdomen contract. Even though we spent a lot of time on the floor and the movement seems simple, it was very challenging and requires a lot of strength and focus. The muscles should always be engaged no matter what you're doing. That's why I was extremely sore the next day even though we barely went across the floor! One of my favorite things that Ms. Barnett said was to surrender to the movement. She told us that if you surrender to the movement and also practice surrendering in daily life, everything will become easier. There is no point in fighting what is. Embrace it no matter what, and you will find life to be effortless and free. I could not agree more :)

As I said before, the second part of our evening is rehearsal. I don't really know how to describe the rehearsal process other than crazy, challenging, demanding, exhausting, and possibly the hardest thing I've ever done. They don't mess around here at Philadanco! Within the first night, the "newbies" (There are five new members including myself) were learning multiple sections to a piece called "Concerto". This piece is danced to music by Vivaldi, and it is contemporary ballet with a modern flair. The piece has three sections and is probably over 5 minutes long, but I can't say for sure because I've only actually seen bits and pieces. What I can say is that it's A LOT of choreography to learn in such a short amount of time. I learned the entire piece in 3 rehearsals. Not to mention that I was assigned as a swing, which means that I have to learn everyone's part for every dance. We learn either by watching a tape or asking one of the senior members who already know it. Freaked out, overwhelmed, frazzled, and confused does not even describe how I felt in the middle of the week. At one point the newbies had to show Donald (our company director) what we knew from the piece, and after we were done I was still shaking from nerves.

I think this week was so challenging because the majority of the company has already been there for at least a year, so they know some of the choreography like the back of their hand, and they don't slow down just because some of us are new. We had to get caught up immediately and get on their level. Despite this challenge of working our way into the already established group, I had a breakthrough yesterday. The day before I was a mess because I literally had no clue what I was doing and I have never felt like that before. But yesterday I worked my butt off to get caught up by taking initiative and asking everyone I could for help. For almost the entire 3 hours, I was reviewing everything that we have learned. I did it over and over and over again in order to remember it the best I could. We also wrote down the order of the sections because remembering the sequence was probably the hardest part. So, things are finally coming along and we're definitely making progress.

It has only been 4 days and I already feel like I'm transforming into a better and smarter dancer. Company work is unlike anything I have ever experienced, and I'm so grateful that I get this opportunity to challenge myself. Someone once told me that when you feel uncomfortable like a fish out of water, that's when the growing is taking place. I found that to be true this week. On Wednesday I felt like giving up during rehearsal, but instead, I did my homework and tried even harder the next day, and I came out of it stronger. I can feel my technique and body being enhanced, as well as my mind being more focused on the task at hand. Conquering the hurdle of the first week has inspired and motivated me to keep growing and overcoming those obstacles.

Philadanco Spring Series

The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia is Philadanco's home base for performances. Whenever they aren't touring the country or the world, they are performing there for a packed theatre of enthusiastic and supportive dance lovers. This Spring Series performance is a special one because it is during the Kimmel Center's 10 year anniversary season.

Seeing a Philadanco performance never, ever disappoints me. They are one of the best modern companies that this area has to offer. What I love so much about their work is that their dancers and choreography is so versatile, and they always give the audience a taste of everything within one performance. Every single show that I've seen has many different elements and a wide variety of styles, not only in the dancing, but the music choices as well.

The performance consisted of 4 separate and unique pieces of choreography. The first called, "Gatekeepers" was about soldiers walking towards Heaven while searching for the wounded and creating a pathway for others to follow. They used various lighting cues to represent the different paths and the force that was guiding them to their ultimate destination. At the end of the piece, they were in a horizontal line looking towards a light that was coming from the side of the stage. It was as if the gates of Heaven had opened, and the light was inviting them in. The dancing for this piece was very modern and African inspired, which involved loose limbs and heavy, relaxed feet stomping into the floor. The music is not what you would expect for this mood and style because it was upbeat and at one point evolved into techno. But, I really enjoyed the music and how it lifted the energy of the piece.

The next dance titled, "Tribute" celebrated the soulful music of Philadelphia International Records. The mood and time period had completely changed to a joyous, groovy celebration of culture and music. The movement style reminded me in some ways of how people would be dancing in a club or any type of social gathering. It was fun, exciting, and sensual all at the same time. This piece was choreographed by Dwight Rhoden, who I mentioned in my last post about Complexions, and it was outstanding. It was a dance that made the audience want to dance. There was intricate dancing in unison, the women dancing together, men dancing together, and a series of partnering duets involving interesting lifts and connections between the 2 dancers.

"Suite en Bleu" was choreographed by Gene Hill Sagan in Israel, and it was a contemporary ballet piece. I love contemporary ballet with its gorgeous lines and fluid movement. The music was classical, so there were classical elements in the choreography, but there were also contemporary elements such as the floor work that the dancers did. They were all wearing ballet slippers, and their costumes were a beautiful yet simple royal blue color. The girls' skirts were down to their ankles so they looked very pretty when the dancers spun, although, I would have liked to see more of their legs and feet. One girl got her foot caught in the material a couple times and my heart skipped a beat every time because I thought she was going to fall. But, she saved it, and the dance went on without a hitch.

The last dance was called "Wake Up" and it was another complete turn around from the piece before it. It was about the birth of hip hop, and based on the dancers' costumes and the backdrop, I believe this dance took place in the 70s. The mood changed throughout the piece because it started off slow and almost solemn, with one of the men getting shot, collapsing on the ground, and coughing and gasping for air. Then all of a sudden, he gets up, the music changes, and we're taken to the streets where hip hop began. Everyone was happy and having a good time. The movement was free and organic because hip hop was not made with a formula or technique. The dancers were just feeling the movement and expressing it through their bodies. One of the best parts of this dance for me was looking around and seeing people in the audience jammin' and dancing along with the music! Everyone was so into it and completely taken over by the fun, high energy. It's really special when dancers connect to their audience that way because there is a feeling of inspiration and unity in everyone. As always, at the end of the performance, the dancers of Philadanco got a well-deserved standing ovation from the entire theatre.

So, it went from African-inspired modern dance, to a soulful and funky dance party, to precise and polished ballet, to fun and groovy hip hop. Philadanco always satisfies the interests of every audience member because they have such a wide variety of styles in their performances. They are a well-rounded company that proves that they are not just one-trick ponies. I leave their performances feeling happy, inspired, and ready to dance every time.

Philadanco has auditions coming up this June, and it's a great opportunity! They have auditions for the company, the apprentice company (D2), and the summer intensive training program. I plan on auditioning for D2, which I got into last year, but was not able to attend. I would love the chance to take advantage of that opportunity. Here is a link to the flyer.

The Art of the Audition

I'm a few days late, but I wanted to write about my incredible auditioning experience with Philadanco this past Sunday! I've written about this company a couple times so you're probably familiar with them, but if not...They are a professional modern company located in the city of Philadelphia.

I ventured out to the city to visit their studio for the first time. This was also my first time auditioning for anything that is not affiliated with my school or dance studio; this is a professional company! I'll be honest, I was a little stunned by it all, but it was such an interesting and educational day for me. We walk into the small and extremely crowded lobby of the building where dancers and parents are covering every square inch of the floor space. Everyone is trying to fill out their paper work and grab their audition numbers without bumping into someone else. Once this task was accomplished, the dancers were sent into a, once again, small and crowded studio on the ground floor to warm up. I was auditioning for the apprentice company/training program (there are three companies associated with Philadanco), and as I scanned the room full of dancers trying out for the same position, I felt a little intimidated at first. I sat down in my five foot wide area of space and began to stretch as I continued to check out the competition. It felt like an enternity before the artistic director came in to bring us upstairs a couple minutes after noon.

This was it. My first big audition! As we were introduced to all the people in the room, including the judges, I could feel my excitement and anticipation building. Then, we were introduced to our teacher for the class, Milton Myers. This is when I realized how important this was. Milton Myers is the residential choreographer at Philadanco and he is one of the best, most saught after Horton modern teachers in the country. You can read more about him here. We took a basic Horton modern class since that is one of the main styles that Philadanco performs. Horton is a technique that requires great strength, stamina, and power. Luckily, I knew what I was doing because I had the honor of taking Horton classes with Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell at Towson. Miss Linda was a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey company and her classes made us both sweat profusely and feel extremely sore the next day.

Once the hour and a half technique class was over, the director of D2 (the apprentice company I auditioned for) called out the numbers of the dancers who would follow him upstairs to his office to discuss being a part of the company. The very first number he called was 9. The very first thought to go through my head: "Oh my God. That's MY number!" I was beyond excited. Me and about nine other dancers followed him upstairs and anxiously awaited what we had all been hoping for. He wanted us to be a part of the company :) He got down to business right away. We talked about who lived in Philly and who didn't, whether we had planned living accommodations for our time in the city, what our plans for the summer were, etc. To be in the company, you are required to attend the six week summer intensive that begins on July 5th. This consists of classes for an hour and a half each day, Monday-Friday. Unfortunately, since I don't have a place to live and I have multiple obligations over that six week time period, I told the director that I wouldn't be able to join this fall and the audition was for my own experience.

Truthfully, I was just as ecstatic as if I had actually joined the company. Let me tell you why. This audition proved to me that I can do it. Not only did they want me to be in their company, but my number was called first! I think that's a good sign. This was a huge confidence boost for me; I got such a rush from being in a new place where I didn't know anyone, and then also from being successful in my pursuits. This was a life-changing learning experience for me as well. It was like audition practice and I learned a lot from being in that situation and watching other people. So, I wanted to share some of my valuable lessons.

• You can never be too prepared. You should have a fully stocked dance bag at all times, especially for an audition. I didn't think to bring extra hair supplies with me since my hair was in a pony tail. When I got there, most of the girls were wearing buns and it definitely looks more professional for a ballet or modern audition. Also, bring all of your dance shoes and even multiple outfits. You could show up at a try out wearing something that is not appropriate for the style of dance you are doing, or you could be dancing multiple genres unexpectedly. YOU NEVER KNOW.
• Warm up like it's your job. Technically, if you're a dancer, that is part of your job. By that I mean, don't worry about the amount of space you have or what anyone else thinks. Only you know how to prepare your body properly and you should be completely in the zone. Your body plays the most important part in the auditioning process, but your mind has a role in it too. I was so focused on not getting in anyone's way since the studio was small, and I feel like I could've warmed up a lot better. I think bringing your ipod is essential if that helps you focus, and pretend like you are teaching a warm up class so you get your blood flowing as well as stretch.
• Be aggressive. Be, be aggressive. Sorry; cheesy cheerleader moment. Anyways, don't be scared to stand up front! When you act confident, you feel confident, and it truly shows when the judges look at you. 100% of the time when people are looking for dancers, they want someone with a strong presence who captures them with their dancing. You can make your presence known by standing up front. I struggle with this sometimes because I'm naturally reserved. But the only thing I can tell myself and give as advice to others is to let go of that fear that comes from not knowing what other people are going to say or think about you. It's called competition for a reason, and those other people will be more than happy to take your spot in the front. You can not control anyone's actions but your own, so don't waste your energy worrying about their opinions when you could be using it to wow the judges. Take charge of your destiny.

Philadanco At Its Finest

This past weekend my mom and I took a trip up to Philadelphia to see The Philadelphia Dance Company perform at The Kimmel Center for their Spring Concert Series. I hope these trips become a tradtion because I love seeing this company's work. We had a great time aside from the awful blisters I got from my new patent high heeled shoes that apparently need to be broken in. Although, it was probably pretty comical for anyone walking down the Avenue of the Arts that night who saw me trudging down the dirty, city streets barefoot.

This performance included four amazing pieces that were all so completely different and interesting. There was lyrical dancing, modern, intense contemporary, hip hop, and some good comedy thrown in. The first dance was called, "Violin Concerto" by Milton Myers. The first song in this piece was slow and peaceful, as was the dancing. I felt entranced by the gorgeous lines and extensions of all the dancers, especially the lead who wore a beautiful flowing dress that moved with her as she danced across the stage. The first half was very calm and almost innocent, whereas the second part of the dance picked up the pace and grew in strength. The movement in this piece was based entirely on the music selected and I could see the focus on the change of pitch, speed, and intensity in the violins.

Next was "Cottonwool", which had a little bit of everything. The music was very interesting because at some points it would just be odd, electronic sounds, and other times there were soft lyrics with a background beat. The music tended to be kind of random, and this added to the humor that was involved in the dance when at one point the dancers were yelling out and asking each other questions on stage. The piece was about going beyond our limits and exploring new horizons. The program says, "In life sometimes we go too far with the hopes of landing softly - like on cottonwool." The curtain goes up and the stage is illuminated by five slender spotlights that create individual squares on the ground. It had sort of an eerie effect because the beams of the spotlight were fogged by dust floating through the air. Then, a dancer occupied each spotlight and they were doing off balance movement on one leg as if the spotlight was a barrier and they weren't sure if they should break through it. Once the whole stage was lit and the dancers started to travel and expand, it seemed to represent unfamiliar territory that they were exploring. After all, if we don't take any chances, how will we find out about all of life's opportunities?

The next number was definitely my favorite of the whole show. It was based off of the 1967 film, "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner". The film was about a girl who brings her fiancé home to meet her parents, but her family is white and his is black. The only connection I could tell between the movie and the dance was the obvious one, which was the prop: a very large table. I could also tell by the movement that there was some tension between the dancers and this shows the relationship between the two families in the movie. This dance was powerful, energetic, and strong. It had me on the edge of my seat, partly because I was scared someone was going to fall off the table. There were multiple moments when the whole audience gasped and broke out into applause because of some of the daring stunts the dancers performed. There was a moment where one of the women was balancing and turning on the table, then all of a sudden she goes soaring into the air in a straddle split and lands full force into one of the men's arms. Now, you have to picture this with a table that's at least four feet tall, so it was quite a jump! There were different sections with the whole group dancing together, a section with the men where the theme seemed to be strength and agression, a section with the women dancing seductively around the table, and a woman's solo. I liked the solo the best because the stage was dark and the table was illuminated with the dancer looking trapped underneath. It was very quirky and different and I could tell she was very paranoid about something.

The last dance was a great show closer since it was a fun hip hop number. I wasn't sure about it at first because it started off slow and the slideshow displayed on the back drop was a little distracting to me. But this dance was about the city of Philadelphia and the dancers mimicked the energy, rhythms, movements, and speed of city life. The style of dance was more like an African/hip hop blend, so it was a chance for the dancers to let loose and show their true personalities. There were moments throughout the piece where different people were featured and got to do their own thing, so it reminded me of a freestyle session in a way. After the dance was over and they took their bows, one of the dancers came back on stage and suddenly the beat picked up again. Before we knew it, all of the dancers were back on stage giving us an encore. I love the feeling when the energy and excitement of the performers and the audience come together to make an uplifting atmosphere filled with people on their feet cheering and clapping. This is something I will always enjoy experiencing as both an audience member and a dancer.

An image posted in the New York Times from Ray Mercer's, "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" performed by the dancers of Philadanco.



The Strive For Perfection

See for yourself:

http://video.whyy.org/video/1127085819/

Philadanco is a dance company that I am very interested in as an artist. I have seen them perform live in the past and they were absolutely phenomenal. I would love to audition for this company sometime after I graduate from college. This video that I found shows a dance (between 3 minutes and 22 seconds and 6 minutes and 45 seconds) performed by 6 women of the company and it is a contemporary modern piece. It is titled "From Dawn Till Dusk" and it is choreographed by Christopher Huggins. As the dance begins, I feel like the dancers are struggling with a self esteem and confidence issue. Maybe someone in their lives has insulted them or brought them down somehow, or maybe for some of them it is a self-inflicted battle over how to look and how to act. This is a large problem in today’s society because there is such a strong pressure to be perfect and look like the models and celebrities you see in the media. Everywhere you look, you are seeing images of beautiful people supposedly living the life that you yourself should want to live. This includes stick-thin models in magazines, gorgeous celebrities in movies and on television, and millionaires who seem to have the ultimate lifestyle. As the dance evolves, the women find love and support through one another and they seem to make it through this tough time in their lives together. When I watch this piece, I sense acceptance within this group and I can imagine them all being close friends who see past the exterior appearance of a person. I can completely relate to this because as a typical American girl who read plenty of beauty magazines, I always longed to be like what I read about or what I saw in the pictures. This problem has lessened since I stopped reading magazines all together.


The lights come up and the dancers are all lying with their arms crossed in a straight, horizontal line facing the audience. One by one, they roll over so they are kneeling, but they keep their heads ducked down towards the floor for a moment like they are ashamed or scared of something. In unison, they rub the floor and slowly roll up through every vertebra of the spine, finally making eye contact with the audience. They then swipe their hands in front of their face and hide under their arms, once again showing insecurity and fear. They bring both arms over their head in a curved shape, protecting their faces. When they bring their arms back down, they do it with quick force and then suddenly bring their hands in front of their faces once more. Even though the speed of this movement in quick, they do it with such caution and grace. At different times, the dancers move their hands slightly, which really accentuates the face and seems to represent beauty. This may be ironic in the beginning because the dancers do not seem to recognize their own beauty at first. They all wave their hand delicately in front of them as if they are waving to someone in the distance. They end the phrase by rolling their heads around to one side and around to the back. This looks to me as if they are figuring out who they really are as people. These movements happen from 3 minutes and 22 seconds till 3 minutes and 50 seconds, which is the very start of the piece. All of these gestures accentuate the face and outer beauty. The shame and fear I get from the movement shows that these dancers are not satisfied with either the way that they look or the way that they are as people. This is a common feeling among people in our culture, especially young women who are pressured by society.


As the dance goes on, acceptance is found from others and within the individual dancers themselves. It is a journey to find true peace and inner happiness, a journey that I seem to be on myself. This dance not only seems to be about insecurity and beauty, but I also see the value of true friendship. There is a section starting at 4 minutes and 30 seconds and ending at 4 minutes and 48 seconds where two of the dancers perform a duet together. This reminds me of best friends because as the rest of the dancers exit stage left, they begin dancing together while holding hands. They hop and sway side to side, traveling horizontally to the right like they are little kids again playing together on the playground. This movement makes me feel like the dancers are happy and secure with each other and with themselves. This is a big change from what I saw in the beginning of the piece. When they let go of hands, they turn around each other and spin freely. Then, they move in a circle around themselves pointing their feet towards the ground and bending and extending one leg. This step adds to the playful and carefree feel that the duet started out with. The duet ends with the dancers reaching their legs up high in a light and airy kick to the front, then to the back. The dance moves on to have two more dancers join them and they continue with the partner work and supporting each other to help keep everyone’s’ spirits up. The movement in this section is quite beautiful just like it was in the beginning of the dance, but this time you can tell that the dancers can see the beauty for themselves.