Project Title: Finding my artistic identity in dance and theatre.
Essential Question(s): How can I utilize theatre and dance to create a performance piece that explores my artistic identity? What is my artistic identity?
Statement of Purpose: I want to work on choreographing a dance, directing a skit and acting in a skit all in the festival of plays. These will help me understand my authenticity through the arts.
Overview:
For my senior project, I want to focus on dancing and acting. This project will help me answer these questions: How can I utilize theatre and dance to create a performance piece that explores my artistic identity? Sub question: What is my artistic identity? I want to work on choreographing a dance, directing a skit and acting in a skit all in the festival of plays. I want to do this because I am very passionate about dancing and acting and I want to grow my theatre and dance skills before I go to college where I want to pursue these fields.
For the main question, I will prepare for these performances by taking many dance classes throughout the week, meeting with the people in the festival of plays, working on my dance and interviewing people in these fields. All of these things will allow me to explore who I am as an artist and allow me to make a piece that showcases my authenticity. Also, this will help me learn what messages I want to put in my performance whether it is political, cultural or more. For the interviews I will talk with Jess, Joan and my previous dance teachers either to interview them or people they may know. Also I have a family friend who choreographed many hip hop dance videos who I could speak to. The interviews will allow me to understand how other dancers and actors understood what they wanted to say through their performances. Also I want to take dance classes throughout the week and meet with others in the festival of plays to understand who I am as an artist.
For the sub question, I want to explore my artisory as a whole. I already know that I like to dance hip hop and work on comedic acting skits but this will help me further understand what type of artist I am. I will not only focus on what I am used to. I want once a week to do something outside of my comfort zone whether it is going to an art museum, going to a clowning class, going to improv class, going to a dance battle or more. I will reflect on these questions in the senior project evening.
For the dance, I want to work with Jess and her friend who works in the lower school. I will meet with both of them bi- weekly. For the skits I want to work with other people who are in the festival of plays and Joan. I am hoping to learn about how to choreograph a dance piece and direct skits because I have only made one dance before and never directed skits. I will perform this either online or in person. There are many ways I can do it, depending on what is possible. By the way things are looking now, I believe it would be best to perform in school and to film and then post online. But it is very possible to do everything online or all in person.
How will you measure your success?
-Work on dance and acting skills
-Learn about the lives of dancers and actors/directors
-Learn about what artistic identity is
-Learn about your authenticity/message in dance and theatre
-Learn how to make dancing and acting pieces
Resource List
The festival of plays, places the offer dance classes (Broadway dance center, Peridance and steps on broadway) and Jess and Joan.
Daily Plan & Schedule
Every day take a dance class, work on the dance and skits (somedays conduct interviews).
Week one:
Reach out to Jermaine Brown and other dancers/ actors
Take many dance classes
Work on dance by myself
Work on skits in the festival of plays (choose which skits to act in and direct and start practicing)
Post to slideshow
Do something out of comfort zone
Week Two:
Start conducting interviews
Take many dance classes
Work on dance and show to Jessica or her friend
Work on skits in festival of plays
Post to slideshow
Do something out of comfort zone
Week three:
Finish Interviews
Take many dance classes
Work on dance and show to Jessica or her friend
Work on skits in festival of plays
Start reflecting on essential questions
Post to slideshow
Do something out of comfort zone
Week four:
Take many dance classes
Work on dance and show to Jessica and her friend
Work on skits in festival of plays
Reflect on essential questions
Post to slideshow
Week five:
Take many dance classes
Work on dance and show to Jessica and her friend
Work on skits in festival of plays
Reflect on essential questions
Post to slideshow
Do something out of comfort zone
Week six:
Take many dance classes
Work on dance and show to Jessica and her friend
Work on skits in festival of plays
Reflect on essential questions
Work on blog posts
Do something out of comfort zone
Documentation Plan
I will document my work on a slideshow. I chose to do a slideshow as I can upload pictures and videos to the slideshow such as my dance and my theatre projects. I will then upload these to my blog. Also it would be easy to scroll through the presentation and look back to find a conclusion to my essential questions. I will upload multiple slides in one week.
Material Needs
Action Item: Dance classes
Area: Timeline/Materials/Space/Connections/Budget/Research/Other: I can buy dance classes through Broadway Dance Center, Peridance and Steps on Broadway.
Reason for Item: Classes will help me make a successful dance.
Resolution: Get at least 10 dance classes a week
Action Item Area: Find People to interview
Timeline/Materials/Space/Connections/Budget/Research/Other: Reach out to Jermaine Brown and ask Joan and Jessica about people they know.
Reason for Item: Conducting interviews will allow me to compare the experiences of dancers and actors and help me answer my essential question.
Resolution: Reach out to these people.
Action Item Area: Scripts
Timeline/Materials/Space/Connections/Budget/Research/Other: Find scripts for our scenes.
Reason for Item: It is essential to putting on skits.
Resolution: Talk to Joan about which skits to work on and then get scripts.
Action Item Area: Art that isn’t based on my project
Timeline/Materials/Space/Connections/Budget/Research/Other: Find improv classes, get tickets to an art museum, find a dance battle and/or a clowning class.
Reason for Item: To answer my question about my artistic identity.
Resolution: Each week find something that pushes me out of my comfort zone.
Backup Plan
I can do this online and in person.
This sounds like a great project! Will you choreograph a dance piece for yourself? Or will you involve others? I think it would be very cool if you could find a group of dancers to perform a piece that you choreographed.