Hey Dancers,Thanks for attending and being part of the graduate symposium this afternoon. What information did you find most valuable? What will you take away from this afternoons presentation? What did you think of the different presentation styles and topics of research?
Louis
24 comments:
All of the presentations were fantastic and very interesting. I loved that they were all so different from each other. As for the information that was most "applicable" I would say that Jamie's presentation on collegiate dancer nutrition was very beneficial to me personally. I've also had all of you for teachers now, so the topics of the different presentations fitted each of your personalities very well. I could relate well to all of them as well. I wasn't necessarily "paying attention" to Louis's because I was participating in it. However I did end up having the best contact improvisation jam experience I've ever had. I think it was because I had my eyes closed the entire time so there really was no way to force any movement but after the improv I had felt so relaxed and centered that I was really able to connect to the presentation. They were all really good presentations and I enjoyed all of them very much, in fact I had multiple conversations with classmates about them afterwards. Good job!
I really enjoyed the graduate symposium as I found all of the presentations very interesting. They were each about very different topics and all of them were pretty intriguing. Personally, the first presentation about dancer nutrition was probably the most valuable to me, but only because I can easily relate it to my own life. The information that I obtained from it can help me make better healthy choices in the food I eat to become a successful dancer. On the other hand, the presentation that really caught my attention the most was Louis’s on contact improvisation. This is because it’s a topic that I am heavily interested in now as we have been focusing on it in class for the past week or so. I really enjoyed actually watching the students in my class participate in the contact improvisation exercises in front of the audience. The past few times in class, I have been the one doing the contact improvisation, usually with my eyes closed, so I have never really seen what it looks like for the entire class to be doing it. It was really captivating to watch my classmates have an experience like that. I could really see it in their movements and facial expressions when they were having a true moment with their partner in the contact improvisation. I really liked seeing that. All in all, the presentations were very well done and I’m glad I got to attend!
I only was able to attend the first presentation, however, I found it interesting what dancers had to say about their nutrition. One of the strangest things I think that she found was how several of the causes of good nutrition were the same as the causes for bad nutrition. Some examples she gave were the idea of having the dancers body. This either caused dancers to work hard to eat right or it caused them to have eating disorders in order to live up to the standard. Another one was how she said that some dancers were influenced to eat right by their friends and family while others were the opposite. I think the environment you are brought up in has a lot to do with your diet and activities later in life so this was interesting to me. Her tips to eating healthier were also very valuable to me as a dancer because I often do not have "just in case" food and I now think that I will try to carry it with me in the future.
I feel like I really only heard two presentations because while doing the contact improv., I wasn't really focused on the actual presentation itself. I thought Elizabeth's (was that her name?) presentation on nutrition was highly informative. The way she gave the information was more conversation-like, which made her seem more in tune with her subject (and subjects), carrying the slightly delicate information across very well. I liked how she suggested herself as a mentor at the end, I thought that was a good way to conclude. Her information definitely made me think, not only about the way that I eat, but about the existence and range of body image and eating disorders in the dance community. I was extremely captivated my Catherine's presentation, mostly because she's such a good speaker. Her research work was incredibly thorough and was experience-founded which I thought was very cool. All in all, I really enjoyed watching the two and "listening" (no pun intended) during the last one, the most prominent piece of information from which I took was the fact that there are "Contact Imporv. Jams," I'm extremely excited about that.
All of the presentations today were very informative and interesting. I think that the information that I found most valuable was that dance evolves and it is what you make of it, whether there is speaking, lighting, costumes, make-up, etc, it is what you want it to be and how it makes you feel is so powerful. I related most to the nutrition presentation because I have danced my whole life and it was something that I could easily relate to. However, the presentation on the spiritual practice of contact improvisation was powerful as well because we have been practicing it in class, and putting a defined and whole idea to the concept formally was interesting. I really enjoyed the second presentation on contrasting Martha Graham. It really opened my eyes as to the evolution of dance with women's rights and gender in dance.
I really thought that the research presentations were really cool. I really like Jaime's presentation about nutrition. I liked learning about health and food and the influence it has on dancers. I think this presentation brought to light my eating habits. Also I thought it was super cool because I participated in Jaime's research in the summer so being able to hear the stats and her conclusions was pretty sweet.
As for the styles, I really thought that your presentation went the smoothest and was the most captivating. I thought it was cool that u moved around and had dancers as props. It allowed the presentation to be a little more relaxed and it was fun to hear!
Honestly I think that the best way to really answer this blog is in three parts:
1. I loved Jamie's presentation. I thought she was very well spoken and articulate and that her topic was relatable and extremely useful for its audience. However, I think she could have used a larger research sample and interviewed more dancers to gain a more accurate image of the diversity in dancers and to further empower her theories of dancers and their nutrition.
2. Catherine's presentation on the dance styles and techniques of Graham and Wigman was unexpected but very personal to me. Although I did not know of either women before the presentation, I found the topic and examples of the two subjects to be empowering and uplifting. As a dancer I want to be able to make political statements through my movement, but I was never able to understand how to express that through my body. Catherine's introduction to me to those women was inspiring. I especially liked the quote at the end...
3. I was participating in your presentation so it was difficult to focus on your words, but just in knowing the topic I could understand what you meant to say...In my CHID class we were talking about time and its relativeness to an individual as well as space and movement in its relation to outward body experiences and I spoke out about dance as a form of achieving an out of body experience. Even before contact improv I have found myself losing the connection to my body in dance. It is those moments that have strengthened my love with dance and its many styles and forms and has motivated me to finding that disconnection (which really is a super connection) in any type of dance I undertake. Contact improv is perfect for that experience because it sets up a space for relaxation and giving up of the body to another person and to your surroundings.
All in all, I really enjoyed each of the presentations especially since they were all so diverse and covered a range of topics that I find important to my personal life.
Good job!
-Shanna Dulin
Jamie's presentation was very informative. I love nutrition! Relating nutrition with dancers is a fantastic subject. Nutrition is extremely important to the health of dancers and the fact that many dancers are not educated in this subject.. is dangerous! Jamie's approach to the presentation was interactive; like we were in a discussion.
Catherine's presentation was very engaging. Her voice attracted us ALL. The subject matter could be useless to someone completely oblivious to her subject but her presentation tactics were extremely captivating and fun. I enjoyed it very much! Her knowledge on the subject was very impressive.
As we were introduced to contact improvisation in class, I felt somewhat related to your presentation. It related our experience and practice with concrete details. The use of dancers flowed very well and had everyone connected to the presenter, dancer, and presentation; all at once.
I really enjoyed Catherine's presentation on Mary and Martha(not from the bible ha)I think that Martha Graham was one of the first modern dancers to really inspire me. I have always loved her style and esthetic! I remember learning about Mary Wigman some years ago and being very inspired by her work so it was a great reminder for me. I felt that Catherine did an excellent job of research, organization and presentation of the material. I was dancing in Louis' presentation but it was kinda funny because I felt like I was almost moving to the rhythm of his words and the energy he was putting forward in the presentation. I literally felt his presentation and was moved! (I know I am cheesy). But really I did like Louis' topic and thought it was a really great idea to have the dancers demonstrate. It seems like that was the best way to actually communicate the idea since spiritual experiences can't always be put into words.
I really enjoyed all of the presentations, and the fact that they varied greatly in topic. I learned some great tips about nutrition from Jamie that I will try to implement into my daily life. It really just made me realize what I am already eating everyday, and what needs to be added or taken away from that to be successful and energized. Catherine's presentation was also very interesting to me, and her presentation style also caught my attention as it was a contrast from Jamie's. I did not know about these specific gender topics in dance before, so I really enjoyed learning about it. Louis' presentation was great to watch, especially because I haven't really been able to watch my classmates do contact improv, and also the information discovered through his research really matched how I felt even the one time I went to a contact jam. I feel that it is definitely a spiritual journey, and I hope to continue doing it in the future!
It was surprisingly fun and interesting to listen to all the different speeches. The speech about nutrition had more of an affect on me because it dealt with present issues about obesity and eating right. I didn't think we would need a different diet than any other athlete because I always considered dancing as a sport, but when you think about it, dancing is more about artistic movement. The speech about the two choreographers and their different dance styles really opened my eyes to what dancing is really about. They saw it as a chance to explore with the body and its movements. Even though their styles were completely different, they both had that same goal for dancing. Your speech was completely different than the other two. The others were informative while yours was more of a visual experience. I never thought of contact improvisation as a spiritual experience and while I was demonstrating, the thought of having a spiritual experience really changed contact improve for me.
I thought the differences in the speech was quite funny. The first one was about healthy foods and she took surveys of other dancers and how they feel about healthy foods. Even the clothes that she wore were in direct contrast to the next speaker. She wore loose colorful clothing while the speaker after here wore a suit with her hair severely pulled back. Her speech required research about the past and looking into the abstractness of the choreography. Your speech wasn't about facts like the other two, but about the experience contact improvisation can give. It required more understanding than the other two speeches.
Usually I never enjoyed listening to speeches, but listening to speakers who talked about dance related subjects was quite interesting.
All of the presentations were good. I especially liked the presentation by Catherine. I have long been an admirer of Martha Graham, but had never heard of Mary Wigman. It was interesting to know that she was the forerunner for such companies as Momix and Pilobolus Dance Theater. I find the different shapes that can be created using the human body fascinating. I enjoyed the fact that Mary Wigman took gender out and focused more on the movement and the creation of movement.
Doing the "touch" presentation was also interesting. In class, there was no audience, so it felt different performing it in front of an audience. My goal is to perform with my heart, because only in that way can you really touch people. Paricipating in the "touch" presentation gave me a chance to open up more and to take the audience with me on a journey. It felt good. I thought Jaime presented some good information about nutrition
In addition to the vastly different topics, I loved the diversity of styles in which the research projects were presented. Presentation to presentation was like changes of scenery that were that were pleasing in their own way and re-catching my attention anew. I enjoyed learning about contact improvisation more and about what it means to different people and what they get out of it. I was really enthralled by Catherine's presentation, as it gave me new information about some of the history of dance and social issues that went along with it. And I found very useful Jamie's research on nutrition for dancers. I have always wanted to know more about it, because I seem to not eat enough nutrients, and find it hard to get around. But all the issues I was interested in, concerning wholesome nutrition and how to achieve it, were discussed by Jamie and I found it very valuable.
- Alisa Popova
The presentations were quite interesting, though I find that I am biased as I enjoyed yours best because I got to dance in it!!! :D
I think I learned the most applicable information from Jamie's and yours. Catherine's was an interesting research, but knowing Martha Graham's and Mary Wigwam's history doesn't necessarily inspire me to change my life that much. Jamie's information was insightful and immediately applicable to my daily lifestyle. I totally understood what she was talking about when she cited families for a huge reason for eating habits, since it's hard to make changes when your family doesn't feel the need. It was also interesting to hear about eating disorders, since people talk about dance being a place where disorders are rampant, but I haven't experienced it yet in this community.
Your piece was nice because it put into words what we've been studying during class, and it was interesting to hear the definitions of contact improvisation stages. I don't think I've done contact improvisation long enough to understand how each stage plays out during contact improv., but it was nice to hear about and to know what to expect in the future.
I enjoyed Jamie's presentation the most because I could relate to it. I thought she presented some interesting facts about the UW dance community that I was not aware of (being a freshman and new to the dance department here). Good, healthy nutrition is such an important aspect of life that I think does not get enough attention and is overlooked by many, so I think it was very wise of her to get it more out in the open, especially in the dance community. She also gave some good tips.
Catherine's voice was very captivating. She immediately drew in the audience with her confidence and stage-presence. Her topic was interesting as well, as it is something I don't know very much about. Her presentation made me want to learn more about Martha Graham.
As for Louis', it was really cool to be able to watch my classmates doing what we have been doing in class. Usually I am participating in the exercises and am focused on what I am doing, as well as my partner, so this was a unique chance to be able to watch the exercises being done by others. It was so cool to see! Everything was so raw; you're very vulnerable doing these exercises and I think it is awesome that we are able to do this. I don't think that just anyone can do stuff like contact improv. You really have to let go and just be present, it seems like there's like a state of mind you have to get into. For a while, especially at the beginning of the year, I think a lot of us didn't really know how to get into that, and it was cool to see how you guys who participated can now just snap into that place. Nice job all of you!
I really enjoyed the graduate symposium and learned a lot from the presentations. The first presentation on nutrition was the one I got the most out of because it taught me a lot about what factors motivate good nutrition and what factors result in bad nutrition. It was interesting how the dancers physique was a motivational factor for good nutrition but also caused bad nutrition such as eating disorders. I like how she included some tips for healthy eating such as "just in case" food and buying whole foods instead of pre-made products that contain a lot of preservatives. I thought she did a really good job presenting the information. The second presentation was also entertaining. I found it very interesting and it was on a topic I never really thought about before so it was really enjoyable to hear. I didn't participate in the contact improv presentation and it was really cool to be on the outside looking in. It was fun to see what it actually looked like and I found myself so engaged by it. I wanted to get up and do it too and I think a lot of the audience felt the same way because the dancers that participated looked so happy and relaxed. It was really fun to watch!
I really enjoyed listening to all of the presentations. This was the second graduate symposium I have attended and again I was very impressed. Jamie's presentation was particularly interesting to me because I think it is really important that a dialogue is started between dancers about disordered eating. Although some of the information presented seemed to be information that has already been discussed a lot like eating healthier options etc.. Some of it was also very interesting to hear personal examples from dancers here. I wish I would have been able to listen to your presentation more but was more focused on my partner and doing the excersises we were doing. Catherine's presentation was truly captivating in my opinoin. It was so rich with detail and was really an in depth look into the subject matter. It was very well presented as well and it was really easy for me to be engaged in what she was saying. Overall I was really glad to attend and loved feeling more connected to the dance department and what the students, in this case grad students, are up to and what they are working on.
The three presentations were very interesting to me, all covering issues that I've spent time thinking about recently (contact improv as I've learned about it in class) or over my career as a performer (nutrition/health and issues of gender and feminism). I was most intrigued by the discussion of gender transcendence and felt it presented me with the most information and analysis to provoke thought and understanding. I was not familiar with the works or motivations of either choreographer/dancer discussed, but I could see how their influence relates to experiences I've had as a performer. My aerial troupe has followed the path of Graham's approach to gender, emphasizing femininity and power simultaneously. We have always felt strongly that we are able to embody feminism, and we enjoy ourselves a lot in doing so, but we have taken criticism from others who seem to require the Wigman approach to female empowerment. Seeing the history of this debate has given me an excellent framework to understand and reflect on these issues.
The dancer nutrition presentation was incredibly helpful for someone like me who has trouble understanding the right way to eat. It is extremely important as dancers that we all know how our diets should be. There seriously doesn't seem to be enough education on this subject. When Jaime mentioned mentoring I realized I should talk to her more in depth about her presentation. However, I think if she used more diverse subjects for her study, the facts could have been more accurate. I seriously am looking forward to registering for her Dancer Nutrition course in the Spring Quarter 2009.
Well first, all of the presentations were really interesting and presented me with things I'd never thought about. Jamie's presentation was eye-opening to me, just because I don't really think about what I eat. It made me think that being smart about how and what you eat isn't just about weight but so much more about nutrition, especially if your career requires a very physically fit body. I'll hopefully start packing some "just in case" food.
Catherine's presentation was so amazingly interesting and thought provoking. She did something that I feel isn't being done a lot and that is recognize that art has a very real and strong affect on the changes in everyday society. I came away from her presentation feeling reaffirmed in the fact that dance is so much more than 'just dance' and that our art form is limitless and powerful.
And your presentation Louise was also really amazing. The fact that contact improvisation is a spiritual thing for some many people is very interesting to me. Like I said I've always felt dance is so much more than 'just dance' and to go as far as to say that it can possibly even reach the height of a spiritual practice is very intriguing. I feel like this is going to be a constant in my mind for a very long time. Thank you for opening my eyes to this.
All in all, amazing, insightful, well delivered presentations.
Thank you all for this great feedback. I will pass it on to the other grads and to Juliet McMains, our advisor.
Thank you all for this great feedback. I will pass it on to the other grads and to Juliet McMains, our advisor.
Unfortunately I was not there :(.
Post a Comment