How have you grown?

I have grown in so many ways, but especially in the way I connect thoughts with my movement. Megan has been having our cast journal before we begin moving which helps me to find intention to the piece before we even begin to dance. Megan does a good job of expressing how her movement relates to the story of the piece and even how some movements or songs have a backstory to them. It is really interesting to go through and has given me the opportunity to grow throughout the process.

• How have your expectations for this process been affirmed or challenged?

My expectations have been affirmed in many ways during this process. This process has given me the opportunity to work close with my peers who I do not connect with outside of my classes in a very intimately way. A lot of our movement is very partner oriented which is a muscle that I do not get to flex often in my physical practice courses and I really enjoy getting to work closely with others.

Video clip from rehearsal that matters to you & why

The video clip from rehearsal I chose is part of a section we created together as a group and it was a great opportunity to work together to "frankienstein" as megan would say the parts together. It turned out to be very cohesive and we all said we wonder if a person did not know that we pieced different peoples choreography together would they notice.

Photo, gif, or publicly sourced video that connects to the piece/your experience & why/how it does

Personally created or sourced song, poem, drawing, or excerpt from a piece of writing that connects to the piece/your experience & why/how it does

What has been challenging for you in this process?

• Something that has been challenging for me in the process is trusting myself as a performer. I have not performed in a concert space before, like the Brockett. The intimacy of the space is a little scary because it is a short amount of time to learn and understand the piece that I am apart of. 

What has been a delight for you in this process?

• A delight for me in this process is becoming so close with my cast. We have gotten really close discussing our families and traditions as well as getting to know each other on a deeper level. I am so glad that I gained so many new connections in this process. 

What have you learned from someone else in your cast and/or the choreographer/creative leaders of your project?

• I have learned so much but one thing particular I have learned from Megan is to trust yourself and others more. Megan truly has trusted her gut and our cast to bring her ideas into fruition without trying to control everything and I admire it so much. 

What connections are you making between this experience and other life experiences you are having?

• I have made connections with my family a lot more throughout this process. The main idea of my piece is the legacy that I will carry on and the traditions I hold dear to myself. I have recognized those traditions with my family and explained how much they mean to me. This process has brought me closer to them and how much they have an impact on how I will carry out my future. 

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Personally created or sourced song, poem, drawing, or excerpt from a piece of writing that connects to the piece/your experience & why/how it does

• the lyrics "planting seeds in a garden you'll never get to see" from The World was Wide Enough from Hamilton, is a phrase Megan had me foucs on to create a phrase for myself. I liked how it connceted to the idea of legacy and how you can create your own legacy and not just take from things you have had passed down.

Photo, gif, or publicly sourced video that connects to the piece/your experience & why/how it does

• The community aspect of everyone hugging and embracing eachother reminds me of the beginning of the dance where we all dance together and just feel the energy between other groups. Sometimes this can result in just hugging eachother.

What has been a delight for you in this process?

• Something that has been a delight for myself in this process is getting to grow in the department and the connections I have made in the department. I have grown in my vulnerability in the way I move with other people through trust and confidence I built with my cast. These women in this cast have taught me such confidence and dependability on a group. They are emotional, sincere, and respectful. They are a delight to be around, it never felt like a burden to be around them. 

What have you learned from someone else in your cast and/or the choreographer/creative leaders of your project?

• I have learned so much from my peer Ari. Ari has taught me to see positivity and beauty in every single person. She loves wholeheartedly and it truly shows in the way she regards others in the department. She remains positive and cares so deeply about others, especially Megan and her process. She kept the morale so high throughout the rehearsal process and remained a rock for the cast going through this process. She taught me so any things about learning to work with a group. 

How have your expectations for this process been affirmed or challenged? 

• My expectations for this process were a little low going into tech. By the end of the first show, the expectations changed. I had a totally different view on the show and what we were doing for the audience. Cyphers truly brought so many people together and if I could do it all over again I would. I wanted to cry after finishing every performance because of the overwhelming excitement and gratitude I felt for being in such an amazing process with such an amazing cast. It was something I had never experienced before and I felt so grateful that I got to experience it.

What connections are you making between this experience and other life experiences you are having?

• This summer I had something very personal happen in my family that caused me to do a lot of reflection on the legacy I want to carry on and what sticks with me and what I can leave behind to start fresh on. I think Megan's process came to me truly at the time I needed it most. Dance is one of the easiest ways for me to process things going on in my life and I felt that her ideas she had coming into the piece was just what I needed at the time. This process truly changed my life for the better.