Thesis (M.A.)--San Francisco State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-102). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Arizona University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-147).

Thesis (M.A.)--San Francisco State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-102).

x, 78 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / My research identifies critical thinking as an essential component of dance training for students of all ages and abilities, particularly students K-12. This project strategizes ways in which the studio dance teacher can create opportunities for critical thinking in the classroom and reveals ways in which learning dance can enhance critical thinking. Special consideration is placed on how critical thinking, as a skill, relates to the unique curiosities and objectives of the discipline. Within the qualitative and experiential research design, theoretical questions are proposed and practical pedagogical applications are developed. Insights from interviews with experts in the field of dance education are interwoven with practical applications from teaching two summer dance programs for distinct youth populations, a college-preparatory program for "talented and gifted" students and an open class for homeless youth living in ShelterCare housing communities. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Jenifer Craig, Chair; Rita Honka; Walter Kennedy

Currently, across dance studies, choreographies are usually discussed as representational of the choreographer, with little attention focused on the dancers who also bring the work into being. As well as devaluing the contribution that the dancer makes to the choreographic process, the dancer’s elision from mainstream discourse deprives the art form of a rich source of insight into the incorporating practices of dance. This practice-based research offers a new perspective on choreographic process through the experiential viewpoint of the participating dancer. It involves encounters with contemporary choreographers Rosemary Butcher (UK), John Jasperse (US), Jodi Melnick (US) and Liz Roche (Ire). Utilizing a mixed-mode research structure, it covers the creative process and performance of three solo dance pieces in Dublin in 2008, as well as an especially composed movement treatise, all of which are documented on the attached DVD. The main hypothesis presented is that the dancer possesses a moving identity which is a composite of past dance experience, anatomical structures and conditioned human movement. This is supported by explorations into critical theory on embodiment, including Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of ‘the habitus’. The moving identity is identified as accumulative, altering through encounters with new choreographic movement patterns in independent contemporary dance practice. The interior space of the dancer’s embodied experience is made explicit in chapter 3, through four discussions that outline the dancer’s creative labour in producing each choreographic work. Through adopting a postmodern critical perspective on human subjectivity, supported by Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari and Alain Badiou, among others, the thesis addresses the inherent challenges which face independent contemporary dancers within their multiple embodiments as they move between different choreographic processes. In identifying an emergent paradigmatic shift in the role of dancer within dance- making practices, this research forges a new direction that invites further dancer-led initiatives in practice-based research.

In this collection of choreographic and performative work, I aim to investigate themes of femininity, feminine identity and the navigation of power within socially constructed gender rules. I investigate these broader themes across three separate artistic works, wherein each piece offers an alternative perspective from which to confront relevant theoretical questions and challenges. Commencing with studio-based movement research, I rely on rehearsal processes and performances to provide particular and contrastive contexts of looking at issues relating to feminine identity and female ownership of power. My research consists of three separate group, trio, and solo works. Within the group work, I pose questions of voice, agency and representation as a female artist within a male-choreographed and idealized experience. I investigate the implications of accepting androgynous artistic roles as a performer who is committed to understanding feminine performance. Connotations of "strong women" are explored in the trio. Not only does the cast consist wholly of women, but the movement explores themes of athleticism and physical power as they relate to female bodies. My solo allows for a more personal exploration of feminine identity, incorporating past and current representations of my own woman-bodied experience while examining the contradictions that surround femininity and womanhood. In this excerpt I aim to unpack the conflicting experiences of obtaining and maintaining power as a woman, and whether or not the manipulation of the sexualization of women for the regain of power signifies freedom or traps women in the social constructs of womanhood. These assembled works serve as an assortment of perspectives and contexts from which I view the complexities of what it means to exist in the female/feminine narrative—not only as a display of my own performance but as a performance of universal and multifaceted femininity.

Steadfast is an expression of dance as an emotional and spiritual experience, as well as an exploration of the deep connections that may be fostered through the art form of dance. My personal experience, which will function as inspiration for this choreographic piece and performance, has led me to see dance as a means to connect with God when used as worship and a way to connect with other people and form meaningful relationships. Through the production and execution of this performing art, I hope to explore and experience these aspects of dance as well as my own personal journey. I learned a vast measure about myself in my four years of college that led to the development of who I am today. This composition is meant to mirror some of the emotions that I experienced in my time of growth; however, I don’t want my piece to try to tell a story or follow a sequence of events. Instead, I hope this dance provides the audience with more of a deep, emotional, and spiritual dive into the places that my heart and soul went during this time-period. Steadfast means so much to me, and as the culminating artistic presentation in my college career, I want to use my growth as an artist and individual to display an array of emotions to the audience. The dance is a cry for help and surrender, but it also expresses the feelings of joy, love, and hope that one might feel when they make it through a valley and find themselves standing on a mountaintop. This ensuing written work is a narrative of the choreographic process and explanation of the inspiration behind the production of my thesis, Steadfast.

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abstract: The piece WAKE UP BREATHING holds personal significance as an investigation of thought-provoking issues of breathing through film installation, video and live performance. This research specifically addressed how breath training exercises enhance dance performance and improve a dancer’s control of their body, as well as how these exercises can function as material for choreographic inquiry. During the creation of the concert, the choreographer employed breath building exercises and applied different breath techniques with a cast of nine dancers. The choreographer and dancers worked collaboratively to develop creative material, enhance performance and help members of the audience understand why breathing in dance is so meaningful. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Dance 2019

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