PDPR Reflection by Andrea Orta

Takeaways from auditions

andreaorta101 — 2023-08-24 20:49:46 UTC

I really enjoyed all the combos and exercises we did inn each audition for each choreographer/s.
With that being said, my top one that I like the most was Gesel’s. i was fully invested in what the message of the piece was about. It gave me something to think about as I was doing auditioning process. I would absolutely love to do that piece.
Another piece that stood out to me was aysha’s. The concept being her piece I find really interesting and I would love to learn a little more about it.

Monday reflections

andreaorta101 — 2023-08-24 20:58:13 UTC

I talked to Ivy Camille about being mentally present in future rehearsals. I tend to space out or think of other things that I need to get stuff done and I’m not 100% evoked to the time in rehearsal which is something I would need to work on not only for PDPR but for the rest of my dancing life.
I also talked about how I would love to be in two dances just so that I can have one last time on the stage since this is my senior year and last time being in PDPR. i have been in two dances before so it is possible for me to do it.
If for some reason I only get to do one dance, I wold LOVE to be a part of the dance seminar. especially since I am a graduating senior and I feel like it’s important to know these things in an academic field of dance. It’ll hopefully be one of the main classes for the BFA or BA dance curriculum in the future but since i will no longer be here, I would love to be the guinea pig.

What has been challenging for you in the process?

andreaorta101 — 2023-09-29 19:34:49 UTC

• I would say it’s more so finding the energy to keep going for Gesel’s piece. Everything is happening so fast that it’s hard to catch my breath most of the time. All of can agree that this dance is very hard physically and emotionally but it’s a challenge I'm willing to eventually achieve.
• For Aysha’s piece it's more so on the body percussion aspect of it. It's hard to sound as one when every one is trying to figure it out themselves.

What has been a delight for you in the process?

andreaorta101 — 2023-09-29 19:41:21 UTC

•for Gesel’s piece a delight for me is to be able to meet with other teachers to provide some help for us to get through and prepare for the dance.
• for Aysha’s piece a delight forme is to be able to with her. She's such an incredible human being and process is so much fun!!!

How have I grown?

andreaorta101 — 2023-09-29 19:41:42 UTC

• In Gesel’s piece, I've been able to get an understanding of the intension of the movement. in a sense where I'm imputing the technique to the movement.
• In Aysha’s piece, I'm been getting the hang of the body percussion aspect of the dance. it takes a while for me to understand where my body is.

What's next for you in this process? What do you want to continue doing or manifest anew?

andreaorta101 — 2023-09-29 20:24:04 UTC

• Gesel’s: what's next for me to start thinking about the meaning of the piece. Really trying to understand why this piece is important to show to the public.
• Aysha’s: what's next for me in this process is to start thinking of other ways to incorporate the vocalization in the piece. Not repeating the same phrases and sounds.

What have you taught yourself?

andreaorta101 — 2023-09-29 21:47:29 UTC

• Gesel’s: I taught myself that I'm willing to get through this dance by still being able to have the same intention.
• Aysha’s: I taught myself that I'm able to have this idea of work. How to get through it but still be in it.

What have you contributed to the piece and to the realization of a creative community of caring, kickass artists?

andreaorta101 — 2023-09-29 21:53:02 UTC

• Gesel’s: what I contributed to the piece as also being RA, is that I'm able to set everyone including myself to understand what next choreography wise.
• Aysha’s: what I contributed to the piece is more clarity. I'm Willing to help with others remember what comes next and have more clarification on specific movements.

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

andreaorta101 — 2023-09-29 21:57:07 UTC

• Gesel’s: what I learned from the other cast members dancing in this piece is that we all have different qualities in our movement that we can each take from when we get to do our own runs.
• Aysha’s: what I learned from this Aysha is the ability to imitate her vision for this piece.

Developments on the process

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-02 21:31:40 UTC

G: this process have been different than other processes I've been a part of. Mainly because we had finished learning the choreo the first two weeks of the semester. From then on out, it's mostly just corrections on spacing, movement qualities, etc. I actually prefer something like this, rather than having to redo a piece and change things last minute.

A: this process was so much fun to be a part of!!! I felt so comfortable being around Aysha and my fellow cast members that were in this piece. I'm just glad we were able to finish this piece on time and still have some wiggle room to adjust some things w/o it being overwhelming and anxiety inducing.

My growth

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-02 21:31:52 UTC

G: my growth for this piece has definitely evolved. My stamina & endurance for this piece and overall my dancing have significantly improved. I don't get as tired as I do, I feel stronger while I dance, and I'm capable of putting more effort into the movements w/o tiring out so easily.

A: my growth for this piece has also changed for the better. I feel more outspoken and more likely to get into the movement. Aysha has been a great asset in explaining things that make it easier for us to understand. I've gained a sense of courage and bravery whenever I do this dance because this is the most vocal I've ever been in a piece.

Challenges

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-02 21:32:00 UTC

G: a challenge for me was if i'm capable of finishing this dance without passing out or losing my breath so early on in the piece. I had to navigate how much effort I'll be putting in throughout certain sections of the piece.

A: for Aysha, it's really hard to find a challenge for myself that I needed to work on. Maybe as a whole group, we have to keep looking for that unison that we can all achieve during the snowflake section. We also have to elaborate the hell out of our movement and make it very dynamic which can be a tiring thing to accomplish.

Discoveries and/or clarifying moments that happened after the showing on Friday

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-02 21:32:16 UTC

G: after the showing on Friday, we all had a sense of where we are performance-wise since this was the first time doing it in front of people other than each other. We got great feedback from our friends and faculty that gave us a sense of 'that was a great run'.

A: excluding the technical difficulties with the music, we had so much fun doing it. All of our friends who were watching the show looked like they really enjoyed it which is a great thing for us dancers. Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves when watching this piece.

Plans for how you'll successfully navigate the performance and tech process

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-02 21:32:40 UTC

G: for tech, I don't think I'll get a run in until my first show which is on the 9th which is alright. for the two performances that I'll be doing the main solo, I'm gonna try my best to give it my all at the same time of not being as tired.

A: for tech and the performances, I'm just gonna have the time of my life and have fun dancing not caring what other people are gonna think/say.

Anything else you'd like to reflect on

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-02 21:33:14 UTC

> nah im good

after performing...

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-27 21:58:25 UTC

It was such a bittersweet moment for both pieces that I was in to end my PDPR experience here at UT. I'm glad I was able to finally work with Gesel as well as with someone new in the department, aka Ayshsa. So many great memories will stick by me as I continue my dance journey post-grad.

Feedback from the dances

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-27 22:03:57 UTC

G: I definitely made some people cry when I danced this one. Even after my runs, some people would come to me to see if I was alright, and I would always tell them, Yeah, it's part of the piece. I even made my own dad cry, and he's not much of a crier. People felt something as I did this dance, which was a goal of mine that I set for myself.

A: so many people enjoyed the fact that this dance was wayyyy different from the other pieces. Mostly because it was more rhythmical and very joyful to watch. My friends and family were saying phrases that were in the piece and it just felt so nice that they were just enjoying themselves as they were watching it.

one thing to takeaway with me

andreaorta101 — 2023-11-27 22:12:17 UTC

The one thing that I would take with me having been a part of this production since my sophomore year in college is to enjoy the process as well as the people you're with. It's so weird to think that my 5 credits of PDPR are complete, and now having some more time to myself to integrate what I have learned in all these processes into my dance journey post-grad is definitely an eye-opener. I just want to say thank you to those who have been apart of this awesome experience here at UT, and thank you to the choreographers that highlight the talent the students at UT have to offer!!!!!!