Moving Portraits, a senior thesis concert directed and produced by Ellie Harrison and Emily Jones, was a creative combination of movement and music. It was performed Friday evening, February the 9th in Mallinckrodt 207. Aaron Hock did lighting and Bonnie Kruger and the Performing Arts Department provided many of the costumes. The performance itself consisted of seven short dance works of differing lengths and varying styles.
Ellie Harrison choreographed the first piece, "Quartet +1." She and five other dancers performed to the music of Bela Fleck. The women were outfitted in orange bodices with matching satin skirts. The background lights were of a similar color, dull reddish orange. The music had a playful overtone, and was danced out with lots of large circular movements, pseudo-child games and smiling.
"Misplaced Piece," choreographed and performed by Emily Jones, had a more somber feel to it. The lighting was a solemn blue lending a distinct upset aura to the piece.
President Harrison visits Santa Ana, 1891
Mrs. F.B. Harrison (LOC)
Hungry Like the WolfJones danced to a voiceover of Georges Perec and Elizabeth Bishop, reacting as the text described how a lost puzzle piece means nothing, but one fit in with its neighbors disappears and ceases to exist as a piece. I did not enjoy this piece as much, its pessimism took away some of the pleasure in watching it.
The third piece was a rendition of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. It was well done and I found this piece especially enjoyable. The two dancers were outfitted simply, wearing white shirts and dark slacks. Ellie Harrison choreographed the dance to Frank Sinatra's famous baritone voice. Harrison started the piece off with a playful hide-and-seek game between herself and Johnson, the other dancer. The lights were bright and optimistic until Harrison falls to the floor at which point Johnson symbolically carries her away. The red lights...