| Description |
This project follows a journey in learning how to portray a queer female experience on a ballet stage in a way that both produces emotional resonance and dissuades ostracization. Through the process of creative research, I choreographed a fiveminute- long contemporary ballet duet entitled "HeartStrung" that displayed the narrative of a queer female love story, without labeling it as such. The movement research for this work surrounds gesture study, eye contact, the duality of style, observing strangers, and collaborating with my dancers. Also included are transcripts from the dancers' interviews that narrate their relationship with the work and how they choose to embody the story. The positive reception of the work was a bold indicator of its success, but also a key factor in altering the definition of success. Audiences may not completely understand the choreographic intent, but that does not necessarily detract from the level of impact the work has on the viewer. "HeartStrung" shows that one audience member may watch a lesbian love story, while another viewer sees an intimate female friendship, but both leave the theater with the same feeling of inclusion from watching an emotional and intimate moment on stage. |
