Creativity

About the Piece

I began this piece two years ago, in the Fall of 2019, in a Choreography Class. I started by working on the Winter Section with four dancers. For this piece, I wanted to try to work with the abstract idea of the seasons as opposed to the human emotions associated with them. This was a new way of working and presented many opportunities and new challenges.

Following the Choreography Class, I adapted the piece for a larger group and began working on the remaining three seasons. The piece was set to be performed in the Spring of 2020 as part of a dance concert. Once Covid lockdowns began, the concert was cancelled. Throughout lockdown, this piece was always in the back of my mind. I wanted to finish it or do something with it. Since the piece is about the seasons, I decided that I would try to film the dance outside in each of the seasons. Initially, I thought I would get in touch with the dancers I’d been working with and continue to set the piece on them and perform outside. However, even outside, the risk of Covid was too high for me, so I ended up adapting it as a solo.

I filmed the Fall section in October of 2020 as part of our Artistic Praxis I Course. I had some of this section choreographed already, but I faced a major creative block while trying to create more of the movement. This was surprising, as Fall is my favorite season and I thought it would be easy. I think the creative block was mostly due to not dancing or creating much in Covid times. Luckily, my good friend and mentor was willing and able to help me (and also assist me with filming). After the filming, I began editing, which was pretty much new to me. I tried to use the editing to enhance the choreography.

Because I had the opportunity to create this piece outside, I also wanted to feature the beautiful seasons of the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

Of course, Winter in Minnesota presented a challenge. I waited for the deep freeze to pass and we filmed on what ended up being the last snowy day in March of 2021. Thankfully it was warm enough to dance, but it was a long tiring day.

Like Fall, I had a choreographic block for Spring. I had already choreographed this section for my group piece, but I didn’t particularly like what I had created, so I decided to change all of it. I was also very busy in the Spring, so filming was delayed and I ended up filming in July when it was 90 degrees and humid. But, it ended up being ok and I think that the film ended up looking like Spring.

Finally, I decided to film Summer on the shore of a lake, since I felt that represented the true ethos of a Minnesota summer. It was, again, a new challenge, dancing in water and sand.

Now, for this class, I’ve finished editing the piece and put all of the sections together. It was a great learning experience teaching myself to edit the videos. Even though this project was very challenging at times, I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to complete it during what has been a very challenging two years.

Process

Below are videos of the previous versions of the Winter section of the piece. For more insight into the creative process of this work, please click here.

Winter

This is the original version of the Winter section, choreographed in Fall of 2019 for four dancers.

Winter

This is the Winter section of the piece, adapted for seven dancers in rehearsal, March 2020.