Austin's Kinesphere

Well, I found out today that I will receive a grant to do a new work of choreography from the 'Scholarly and Creative Opportunities Program.' Not only will I receive the grant, but one of the committee members said that this was his number one priority for funding!!!!!
WOW!!!!!

I am overwhelmed with joy, and a little bit nervous about what this will mean (as far as the intense amount of work that I will be putting into this) for my summer!

Not only will this allow me an otherwise unachievable opportunity, but it will serve as my Senior Capstone piece, my submission to the Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research, and my submission to the National Conference of Undergraduate Research!!

This is the purpose statement for my presentation, and the outline of what I will be doing

As a continuation and expansion of my research concerning self expression of minority social groups (which was accepted to UCUR and NCUR 2009), I would like to choreograph a new work that explores society’s views of self expression; especially those of the human body and the hyper sexualization thereof. I will submit this work to both UCUR and NCUR, and will use this as the launching point for the culmination of my studies as a BFA: Ballet Major at UVU as it encompasses dance research, writing, choreography, and performance. The piece will be presented during the UVU Dance Department Senior Showcase. Through my choreographic process, research of written sources, and creative collaboration between the dancer’s involved, I will answer the following questions concerning self and sexual expression through dance and society’s views of that expression.

1.What are society’s views on the human body, morality, and sexuality?

2.How do these views reflect those of the past?

3.How do these views allow for discrepancies, for example, young women performing, and encouraged to perform, sexually charged Jazz or Ballroom choreography, while serious art is often deemed inappropriate or obscene?

4.Does presenting sexual expression through the guise of fun and entertainment allow us to indulge our appetite for expression as a society by allowing a personal disconnection from the performance?

5.Does this disconnect cause us to refrain from questioning and discussing important relevant social issues?

6.When and how does dance remove itself from the realm of “acceptable” self expression, and into the vague, blurred, or even hard line of “obscenity?”

7.How can dance reveal, discuss, and open new dialogue concerning society’s issues around the human body, sexuality, and those of self worth and expression?