Date of Award

12-17-2010

Access Restriction

Campus Access only Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Dance

School or College

College of Communication and Fine Arts

First Advisor

Paige Porter

Abstract

Quiet Evolution: A Performance Study is a performance thesis. It is my journey through performance and self-analysis. With my desire and curiosity on how a performer transforms I explored my experiences as a performer on and off the stage. I was interested in how our mental state affects our physical state. Through my journey I have discovered how I have evolved as a performer and dancer.

I chose the title Quiet Evolution because it explains the transformation I have experienced through my college career. Evolution can be defined as a gradual development in which something changes into a different, more complex, or better form. In my case it is the development in which I have become a different, better form of dancer and performer. Quiet is used to describe the negative mental battle I keep hidden from the external world. In mapping out every college dance class I have taken, each year is full of different memories. Through my quiet evolution as a performer it is imperative to recognize and remember the steps I have taken that led me to my place today.

I started out participating in writing a journal. In each journal I wrote down my thoughts, good, bad, or indifferent. I filmed my performances to self-analyze how the connection between my mental state and physical state influences my performance quality. I then began to use primary and secondary methods of research and dialogue with other dancers about their mental states. More specifically I asked them about how they perceive and handle rejection, judgment, and failure. Through research and interviews I have found just how deep a performer's mental state is in connection to their physical body. The power of a dancer's mind is fascinating. It has become evident through my research, observations, and self-analysis that each dancer experiences a quiet evolution to some extent.

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