Meet the Choreographers-Joe, Rachel, and Maddy

Joe Svihel (Junior)

Can you share with our readers any concepts, ideas, or images you are exploring in your piece?

I’m exploring ideas related to parallel realities and alternate universes. The work follows one woman through the lenses of 4 alternate paths of her life based on choices she makes. I explore how simple tasks like getting dressed and putting on make-up can be purposeful and ritualistic. The piece examines the impact choices have on our lives-from every day decisions to alternative lifestyle preferences.

What movement qualities are you working with (style), and how does it support your ideas?

I am working in the lyrical/contemporary style. For a lot of my movement I would try and shift between direct accented movement and airy light movement. I hope this contrast conveys a reality where the people inside are making distinct and clear shifts of perspective. I used the idea of shifts in both the tempo of movement and by the shift of directional facings. These differences in shifts support my idea of existing on different planes of reality-the dancers exists in the same continuum (space) but vary in time (location).

How has this creative process helped you grow as an individual and an artist?

I found this process to be challenging and yet enlightening at the same time. I was very influenced by my music selections and have been very ambitious in my exploration. It has been a challenge to trim away the unnecessary information to get into the essence of the piece. As an individual, I have learned how to communicate and articulate my thoughts in a more efficient way and improved my collaborative skills. As an artist, I feel I have grown more certain of my creative desires and movement truths-things that will help me in the design of future works.

What do you hope the audience gains from viewing your work?

I hope the audience feels more connected to their inner selves and has an enjoyable audiovisual experience. I find my work aesthetically pleasing and full of exciting movement-I hope the audience is able to explore the movement and connect with it on a personal level.

Photo: Bill Rowe

Rachel Karcher (Junior)

Can you share with our readers any concepts, ideas, or images you are exploring in your piece?

I wanted to explore the idea of relationships evolving through time. I want to show the contrast between fast and slow movements between each dancer. I also explored the different ways a group of five dancers could break off into different solos, duets, and trios. Throughout the dance, each person experiences moments of solo work and group work. My goal is to create a dance that is visually appealing and contains moments that any audience member could connect with and love.

What experiences in your life inspire you and how do you bring that inspiration into your creative process?

I drew my inspiration from nature. During the summer, when I started to think about my Afterimages dance, I would walk around in Schmeeckle and look around at the earth. By finding the beauty in the world around me, it inspired me to create something just as wonderful. This also inspired me to incorporate flower petals into my dance. I think by adding the petals, it adds another level of wonder to the dance and immediately connects the audience to the concept.

           

What are some choreographic strategies you use during a typical rehearsal?

One idea I played with was direction-and how using different facings with the same phrase material effects the viewing experience. I found that by doing this, not only did it make the choreography look more complicated, but it also helped to amplify the space. Since stage design was for a thrust, I tried my best to have each section of the dance have a different facing. This way the entire audience felt connected to the movement, and it help add contrast each group of dancers when they faced different directions.

What do you hope the audience gains from viewing your work?

I hope the audience can simply relax and enjoy the dance. I want people to feel a sense of happiness after viewing my piece. I hope my dance leaves people with an excitement for dance. I have really enjoyed working on this piece and I hope that the audience members enjoy my dance as much as I do.

Maddy Blotz (Junior)

Can you share with our readers any concepts, ideas, or images you are exploring in your piece?

In my piece I am exploring the concept of depression and when you realize you are in trouble and need help. The second part of the concept is that depression comes in waves, or at least it does for me, and that you can drown in your depression even if you try to fight it. I wanted my cast to physically represent waves while metaphorically representing ebb and flow of depression.

What experiences in your life inspire you and how do you bring that inspiration into your creative process?

I am drawing heavily from my own experiences with battling depression. It took me a long time before I even recognized that I was depressed. I wanted the dance to reflect that depression can sneak up on you and start to control you without you or others realizing it. I am also a firm believer in fighting for yourself, so I wanted the dance to explore how seeking help is a proactive choice.

What movement qualities are you working with (style), and how does it support your ideas?

I am working with rounded movement and curves. Most of my dancers are waves at different points in the piece and waves are not sharp or straight. Waves especially have a classic curve and rolling motion when they crash on the shoreline or further out at sea, so I have choreographed a lot of curves in movement and formation.

How has this creative process helped you grow as an individual and an artist?

This creative process has helped me grow in confidence, as I know now that I can lead a group of my peers successfully. It has also helped me grow stronger as a person since the piece is so personal to me. Working on this piece, for me, has allowed me to gain strength because I have had to open up and be honest about mental health, which is a topic that some people may not be comfortable discussing. Being an artist has helped me to learn how to work in a group setting and bounce ideas off of my cast and work with them. Sometimes they ask questions about something that I haven’t thought of and it gives me a new direction or interpretation to go in or build off of that makes the piece that much stronger or powerful.

What do you hope the audience gains from viewing your work?

I hope the audience gains a better understanding of when it is time to ask for help with mental illness. For everyone it is different, and I hope that that came across in the work. I want the audience to leave and have an open dialogue about mental health and what it means to them and their lives.