BFA Thesis Review

    On April 9^th, 2015 at 7:30pm I attended Venture at Evans Auditorium at Texas State University. Venture was the thesis concert highlighting five graduating seniors’ works from the Division of Dance. The concert was political, multi-cultural, and diverse in many ways; there were themes including gender equality, issues with immigration, and an exploration of relationships. My experiences differed drastically throughout the concert; at times I was grief-stricken, and occasionally I was disappointed with the lack of emotions I observed within myself. With this concert being the culmination of these students’ undergraduate education there were high expectations, although most works lived up to these expectations, some fell short.

   The issues that are concerned with gender equality are very present in our modern day society; one topic that is specifically associated with this issue is the gender stereotypes society places on women and men. See.Hear.Speak. was choreographed by Rachael Hodge with music by Jerry Martin, Balmorhea, and text by Emma Watson. Hodge’s work was a direct representation of gender stereotypes. The work had a beginning section that included four dancers, two male and two females. These dancers signified specific gender roles in a 1950’s era, with dresses past the knees for the women and dress suit attire for the men. The female dancers created a suchness of the ideal housewife that stays at home cooking and cleaning for the men; all the while the male dancers played the part of the dominate and controlled man of the household. As the work progressed, there was a shift within the characters when a single female became saddened and possibly angry, appearing to attempt to break free of her stereotype. This concept of a character transitioning from a housewife to a modern day woman was a strong choreographic choice for the choreographer; however, the concept was not thoroughly successful due to a lack of character portrayal from the dancer. As a result of this transition, a new section began that included an addition of a third female dancer. This section’s music had powerful speech about gender equality from Emma Watson; the theme was centered on the idea of men and women being individuals but equal at the same time. The storyline within this piece was powerful but it lacked depth. The movement language was absent of any metaphorical meanings that tied back into the theme; technique class combinations are not always successful within a performance setting. In regards to the title, See.Hear.Speak., it did not have any initial effect on my perspective until days after; upon further reflection of this title I understood that it could mean being presently aware of a negative issue and speaking out about it. At the conclusion of the work, I did not feel empowered as I assumed I would had, due to me being a woman and the nature of the work. I do feel this concept being translated into a dance is necessary, but the exploration needs to be furthered within this piece to make it whole.

   Eileene Vicencio is deserving of an immense amount of gratitude for her solo, La Bestia, el Coyote, y el American Dream; with music by Max Richter and film/editing in collaboration with Olivia Barto. Vicencio’s creation was a response to the struggle of immigrants trying to cross the American border, and more often than not, dying along the way. While watching this solo there were multiple moments that occurred center stage when Vicencio would crawl without the use of her arms; this movement language created an environment of internal struggle. I experienced imagery of this internal struggle that occurs within a person when they are reaching out for a dream and cannot quite grasp it; this dream for immigrants is reaching this utopian life that they hope to live here in America. At the beginning of the piece the title, La Bestia, el Coyote, y el American Dream, had no influence on me because I cannot speak or read Spanish, thus I could not create any connections with it. Afterwards, when I was able to translate the meaning the title still did not open up any more insight to me. At the conclusion of this work, I was more deeply curious about these issues that arise from immigration. Due to ignorance within myself, I was not completely aware of the laws surrounding immigration, why these laws were necessary, and why it upset a large population of people. Although, my opinion of open borders has not changed, Vicencio’s work of art pushed me to further research multiple perspectives on this political issue.

   The multiple themes that arose within this concert were challenging and significant to society. Being able to face sensitive subjects, such as immigration, allowed the audience to have the opportunity for a broader perspective; regardless of whether a person’s political stances were changed, they were still exposed to it. This type of exposure is necessary within the art and dance community because it allows for society to progress.