ChloeBetts

NatalieGotter

Ballet1010

November,2017

Thegrayspacebetween

SeventeenstudentchoreographersshowcasedtheiroriginalworksNovember

16thattheMarriottCenterforDanceattheUniversityofUtahduringtheballet

studentshowcase,grayspace.Theshowcasewasarollercoasterofstyleand

emotion...withanabundanceofsocks.Thisshowmadevisiblethedepartments

affinityfordancinginsocks(7/17ofthepiecesfeatureddancersinsockscomparedto

3/17ofthepiecesfeatureddancersinpointeshoes).Therewerepiecesthatfeltasif

professionalcompanieswereperformingthemandpiecesthatfeltliketheybelonged

inahighschoolauditorium.However,gr ayspacewasanexhibitoflearning.After

all,theperformancewasastudentshowcaseandvariationistobeexpectedandtobe

embraced.

Oftheseventeenpieces,twostoodouttome.Thefirst,TheySettheStandard,

waschoreographedbyLexieCheyne.Thesecond,LUV2DANCE,waschoreographed

byKyleCunningham.

TheySettheStandards toodoutforitsexceptionaluseofspaceandmusicality

aswellasitsintenselighting.Thepiecefeaturedfourincrediblystrongdancersand

wastheonlypiecefeaturingbothmaleandfemaledancers.Dancersworeblueshorts,

greylongsleeveshirtsandsocks.Thecostumesdidnotdistractfromthemovement
andallowedforfullrangeofmotion.Thelightingdesignaddedtotheintensityofthe

performance.Themostpowerfulmomentofthepiecewasstrengthenedbytheuseof

movement.Sixspotsoriginallyfillingtheentirestagewerefocusedontosmall

intensebeamsoflightcreatinganeffectnotseeninanyotherpiece.Asidefrom

technicalaspects,thepiecealsostoodoutforitschoreographicelements.Thedancers

interactedwiththespacebeautifullydivingandpiercingunderutilizedstagespace.

TheySettheStandardfeltexpansiveandmadethestageseeminfinite.Thiswas

accomplishedbyfrequentlychangingthedancersspacialrelationshiptooneanother

dancersweavedbetweendifferentduets,trios,andensemblemoments.The

movementwassuspensefulandhighlightedthemusic.Thetwofemaledancersbegan

thepiecebyfollowingthedownbeatofthemusicwithheavy,direct,andsustained

movement.Themaledancersenteredupstagerightwithslow,indirect,andsustained

movementthatcontrastedboththemusicandtheotherduet.Asthepieceevolved

theseelementsremainedbutthedancersperformingtheseeffortschanged.This

dynamickepttheaudienceengaged.

However,themusicalitywasnottheonlythingkeepingtheaudienceonthe

edgeoftheirseats.Thechoreographerwasabletoallowtheaudiencetoexpandtheir

preconceivednotionsofwhatispossibleforeveryindividual(schoolofdance

2017).Thechoreographerdeconstructedtheconventionalgenderrolesfoundin

traditionalballetandcreatedlivelyrelationshipsbetweenallofthedancerswith

male:maleandfemale:femaleduets.Thispiecechallengedthegenderdivideindance

andshowcasedthepowerthatexistsineachdancerregardlessofsex.Thispiecehad
anaudibleeffectoftheaudience.Assoonasthepiecewasoveracollectivemurmur

escapedfromthecrowdasaudiencemembersexpressedtheirthoughtsonthepiece.

Itwasapieceyoucouldn'thelpbuttalkabout.

IdidnotknowwhattoexpectforthesecondpiecetitledL
UV2DANCE.I

certainlywasn'texpectingclassicalballet.Howeverassoonasthelightscameon

that'sexactlywhatIsawtwelvesetsofpointeshoeswithmatchingtutusbeganto

chanacrossthestageinthreeperfectrows.Thepiecedidnothaveflashylightingor

challengegenderconstructs(orsocks),itwaspurelyballet.Thedancerscreated

elegantspiralingpatternsacrossthestage.Theensembleglidedthroughthespace

withlightandsustainedmovementsbringingtheaudienceintotheirworld.The

audiencewasimmersedinthebeautyandenjoymentofthedancers.Howeverdespite

theobviousenjoymentforthemovement,thetitleremainedamysterytomeuntilthe

lastsecondsofthedance.Asthedancerscircledaroundoneanothereachdancer

openedtheirarmsastheycrossedthecenteruntilthefinalthreedancers.Thefinal

threeburstoutintoasecondfullofsillyjazzyhiphopinspiredmovesrightbefore

gettingbackupenpointeandfinishingthepiece.

Thismomentmadethetitlecleartotheaudience.Thesewerenotdancers,

thesewerejustpeoplewholuv2dance.Byincorporatingthissillymomentthe

choreographernotonlyshowcasedthepersonalityofthedancers,butallowedthe

audiencetorelatetothemaspeopleratherthanasobjectsdancingonastage.

Becausethiswasthefinalpiece,theaudienceleftwithsmilesontheirfaces.
 Overall,thevariationinmood,style,andtechnicalelementsmadeforanight

wellspent.Eachoftheseventeenpiecesperformedhaduniqueelements,however

twopiecesthatshoneabovetherest.Whetherconfrontingsocialconstructsorsimply

enjoyingmovement,thesedancerswereabletotaketheaudienceonajourney.Each

pieceplayedwithideasofgrowth,identity,diversityandthegrayspacesinbetween.

 Workscited

BalletProgramStudentsPresentGrayspace.SchoolofDance,UniversityofUtah

www.dance.utah.edu/aboutus/newsannouncements/item/683balletprogramstudent

spresentgrayspace.