Performance Archives
While studying at University of Michigan for my BFA in Interarts Performance, I had the joy of working with many other artists of various disciplines, to bring performances to life.
Music and Dance Collaboration
Lighting Designer, 2015
Erika Boysen, a flutist completing her PhD in Music, tapped me as lighting designer for her year-long project, which manifested as a series of recitals dedicated to interdisciplinary collaborations with music, literature, visual arts and media, and dance. This solo flute recital is the culmination of that project. These are two of the six pieces featured in the recital which I designed lighting for. More information can be found at Erika's page.
Tangible Things: Dances Made for the Camera
Tech director and lighting designer, 2015
Marcus White, a Dance MFA candidate, and I worked together to execute two dances made for the screen for his thesis project. As tech director and lighting designer, I created lighting looks in the video studio, maintained contact with all performers and camera operators, and organized contact lists, schedules, and scene breakdowns. The dances were presented at a screening in May 2015 in Ann Arbor.
“Smoke” looks at what happens when the moving body is under surveillance.
How do issues of power and loss arise? Where does one find solace? This work is coupled with “Mirrors” but can be screened independently.
“Mirrors” looks at what happens when one reveals themselves.
Issues of “realness” and passing arise for the five dancers within this narrative screendance. This work is coupled with “Smoke” but can be screened independently.
The Waves, The Conch, and the Kid
Collaborator, 2014
In the collaborative class Dance and the Related Arts, we split into small groups to create original multidisciplinary performances. I worked with Isaac Levine (Performing Arts Technology), Kasia Reilly (Dance), Lucas Grant (Composition), and Nicole Patrick (Percussion). Our process was a lot of fun, since we started our first meetings outside of class at a local thrift store. The creative energy between us was electric, and our styles fit together harmoniously.
We explored the theme of cycles, using fans and waves as motifs. Each member except me was in charge of the generation and direction of each section, while my role was more of a stage-managerial, tech direction, and visual consulting role. The piece was about 15 minutes long and moved between four sections.
The first section is set up as a poor quality, awkward, community broadcast style talk show interview with a fan (yes, literally)
The sound of the fan morphs into beach-like sounds using live sound processing, which transitions the piece into an abstract and minimal movement section.
Then a young character has a conversation with the fan, and the fan responds via three people's movement while nonsensical language is projected behind.
We end with a simple, touching children’s story time about time-out, that ties everything together. It's illustrated using an overhead projector and shadow-puppet-like animation elements by hand, scored by more toy piano.
Presented alongside other performance works created in the Dance and the Related Arts class
Poster photographed and designed by me
"As each work moved from detailed scene to scene, it seemed that legibility was not an important goal of any of the work. Each performance seemed to rely instead on a well crafted internal logic to convey a sense that there was meaning to be made, without explicitly pointing to any meaning. Nothing was apparently conveyed, instead each work relied on creating a gestalt born of whimsy and senselessness."
-Charles Gushue, in an academic review of the whole show
What the Tide Brought in
Lighting designer and tech coordinator, 2014
Carisa Bledsoe's thesis performance at the University of Michigan. I coordinated the volunteer camera operators and house managers, double checked every logistical detail for performances, and designed the lights for the production.
Images courtesy of Chris Ford and Nicholas Williams.
