Analysis has been an eye-opening course. As I have danced for the majority of my lifetime, it is hard to see past the eight-counts and specific movement choices which I am used to. My knowledge of dynamics and style were never analyzed or identified, yet now, in this course, I am learning the “backstage secrets” to the way we talk about dance. Concepts such as Effort and Motif Scales have led me to expand my perspective on dance and movement. Furthermore, these concepts have led me to make interesting choices in both my Analysis studies and additional work inside and outside of the Department.
Category: Experiences
Untapped Potential
“From technique to performance to simple appearance, I lacked the ability to find self-approval. Up
until my senior year of high school, I had let these characteristic consume me, determining my eating habits, my friendships, and ultimately hurting the passion for dance that had been 15 years in the making.”
Summer Whirlwind
It is a generally understood idea that college brings about various levels and versions of growth. Whether that is emotional, physical, or intellectual, I find that it rings incredibly true and that this past summer, I experienced an immense amount of growth in all senses of the word.
Reflecting on Freshman Year
In a person’s Freshman year of college, it often common that they find a group of close friends – possibly two or four people whom they can confide in, laugh with, and simply love being around. These are the people you hope to see everyday and cannot wait to share your experiences with. Every time you see them, it is like you have been apart forever and you are immediately filled with joy. However, in my Freshman year, I have found this in 33 people: my BFA Class of 2019.
A Joyful Department Debut
This semester, I had the honor of being cast in Eddie Taketa’s original work “Onionskins, Opaques, Ox Bloods, and Pearls” for the Department’s Spring Concert (April 7 – 9, 2016). With a cast of twelve dancers including myself, rehearsals began at the start of the semester. A mixture of grades and training backgrounds, we entered into the studio with essentially nothing. We were starting from scratch with the intention of creating something as a group.
From The Inside Out
As a Freshman in The Ohio State University Department of Dance, I have gained so much from just these past two semesters. With fresh eyes and an open mind, I have learned from both faculty and my peers and have developed the tools to further myself as a technician, as an artist, and as a person. It has been a whirlwind, but one that I will always remember and would never trade for anything.
Allowing Landscape to Influence Movement
As a result of Spring Fever, we have begun working with the idea of landscapes in Composition I. Prior to Spring Break, we were broken up into to groups and assigned to develop our own landscape and to use such landscape in order to create a compositional score. Our landscape (to the Left), drawn by Hazel Black, was that of a country road: black road, power lines, grass, hills, blue sky – exactly what you would see when looking out your window on a long road trip.
In our study, we attempted to use the ideas of motion and time, showing the juxtaposition between a still photo and the moving image that it captures.
Deriving Inspiration from Photography
In February, our Composition I class with Daniel Roberts studied what it meant to derive inspiration and movement from still portraits and photographs. Of the many studies that we experimented with and performed, this particular duet which I performed with Alize Raptou sticks out to me as a moment which I began to find some new movement vocabulary.
Our Honor Defend – A Dance Team Documentary
In addition to being a Dance Major here at The Ohio State University, I have had the immense honor of dancing on The Ohio State University Dance Team (Ohio State Athletics). Aside from keeping me busy, this “double-dance opportunity” has helped to shape both my artistry and style in ways that I never would have expected. In taking technique classes through my major and increasing my performance opportunities through the team, I have been able to study both foundational movement practices while also delving into the commercial side of the dance world. As someone who is largely interested in the commercial dance field, this has helped me to grow physically and clear up the pathway which I would like to continue my studies in.
When we were assigned to create a Documentary, my team and I had just recently returned from UDA College Dance Nationals in Disney World. Immediately, I was determined to focus my Documentary on not only the Nationals experience, but my team experience as a whole.
Continue reading “Our Honor Defend – A Dance Team Documentary”
Analyzing Film
As I would consider myself and amateur videographer, I am always impressed to view pieces such as “Gravity of Center.” I find myself not only drawn into the movement and artistry of the dancers, but also focused on the camera angles and the “magic” which they create.
Specifically speaking to this film, I think the videographer was able to draw the viewer into the film through the use of close-ups. Often, these close-up shots would result in a change of either dancer or setting. Through zooming in on one particular area, a seamless transition was made, almost as if some sort of “trick” had been performed. In doing this, the zoom became a theme and, as a viewer, I was able to pick up on this. I knew to pay close attention when the camera was zoomed because I was eager to see whether or not another interesting change such as this would occur.
Paige St. John 
