In an attempt to summarize two years worth of work in one hundred and fiftywords... This reflection oriented document categorizes my project, “category FIVE”, into chapters of development and actualization. Accounting for the collaborative nature of the project, I advise that this specific document is only half of what the entire work saw through the eyes of Isabella Lepp. Beginning with background information, moving into making the work, and ending with production and reflection of the work, this document follows a mostly chronological timeline in telling the process of making, “category FIVE”, an immersive dance experience. Enjoy.

Global occurrences from the past and present such as colonization and globalization play a part in current realities. With the advent of such events, a false belief seems to have been created that in order to be modern, relatable to the present trend and global, it is mandatory to be Westernized and/or Americanized. This document focuses on the issues behind some Indians’ perception of their own culture(s), its traditions and values and how that perception might impact their everyday life. It aims to create an awareness that such a false belief seems to exist and wants to encourage the youth of India to develop their own preferred ways of connecting with their culture and its traditions. It requests and encourages every individual to question and inquire into traditions, practices, rituals, stories, songs, etc.Since India has diverse philosophies, practices, values and principles and approaches to life to offer, and coming from South India, my first two steps to be a part of this futuristic movement involve 1) studying initial works under Saiva Siddhantham - a philosophy that is unpopular, about 800 years old and believes in godliness as an energy-oriented existence, experience and way of life rather than a worship of form-based mythological characters solitarily, and 2) decoding and analyzing/interpreting characters and stories from mythologies, to understand if and how they might relate to the contemporary world. Bharatanatyam and oral storytelling have been used as artforms to represent issues, and shine an interpretative rather than mystical perspective on historical mythologies. The question “What is True to you at this Moment?” is also sought after as a way of honoring multiple ways of living and epistemologies.

The Bharata-Natyam student in the United States (US) is challenged by how to effectively translate their dance into contemporary lived experiences. Research reveals that this dilemma is sometimes addressed by transplanting learnt choreographies into a new theme, sometimes adding verbal text to connect learnt choreography to contemporary issues, or sometimes simply giving up the dance form. Years of training in prevalent Bharata-Natyam education methods make students proficient in re-producing choreography but leave them without the tools to create. This is due to emphasis on guarding traditions and leaving interpretation for later stages that never arrive or get interrupted, because students leave their spaces of Indian-ness for college or a job. This work considers how Bharata-Natyam teachers in the US might support students in finding agency in their dance practice, using it to explore their lived experiences outside dance class, and engaging meaningfully with it beyond the Indian diaspora. The desire for agency is not a discarding of tradition; rather, it is a desire to dance better. This work reinforces the ancient Indian tradition of inquiry to seek knowledge by implementing the principles of Bharata-Nrityam, somatics and engaged pedagogy through the use of creative tools. This took place in three stages: (i) lessons in the Bharata-Nrityam studio, (ii) making Kriti with non-Bharata-Natyam dancers, and (iii) designing a collaborative action dance project between senior Bharata-Natyam students and community partners who are survivors of sexual/domestic violence.
The results, in each case, demonstrated that the use of creative tools based in the principles above enriched the teaching-learning process through deeper investigation and greater investment for both student and teacher. Students in the early stages of learning thrived, while senior students expressed that having these tools earlier would have been valuable to their practice. These results suggest that when Bharata-Natyam education in the US is refocused through the lenses of Bharata-Nrityam, somatics and engaged pedagogy, teachers can access tools to empower their students in their practice of Bharata-Natyam not only within the context of the Indian diaspora but also beyond.

“Her Brown Body Is Glory: A Legacy of Healing Forged Through Sisterhood and

Dance” fondly captures the process of creating the evening length dance project, Her

Brown Body Is Glory (HBBIG). This document addresses many themes, such as

liminality, rites of passage, trauma in the African American community (like the effects

of Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary’s “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS) theory), and

provides a perspective of healing rooted in dance, rituals, and community. This research

focuses on dance being the source of intervention to create sisterhood among African

American women of many shades. Throughout the creation of this dance project, the

choreographer and dancers collaboratively generated experiences to cultivate a space of

trust, vulnerability, sisterhood, and growth. The use of written, verbal, and movement

reflection supported this creative process as the main source of ritual to check in with

self, building community amongst the dancers, and generating choreography. The

insertion of these sisterhood rituals into the production became the necessary element of

witness for the audience to experience an authentic and moving performance of Her

Brown Body Is Glory.

The goal of this thesis is to explore and present a range of approaches to “algorithmic choreography.” In the context of this thesis, algorithmic choreography is defined as choreography with computational influence or elements. Traditionally, algorithmic choreography, despite containing works that use computation in a variety of ways, has been used as an umbrella term for all works that involve computation.
This thesis intends to show that the diversity of algorithmic choreography can be reduced into more specific categories. As algorithmic choreography is fundamentally intertwined with the concept of computation, it is natural to propose that algorithmic choreography works be separated based on a spectrum that is defined by the extent of the involvement of computation within each piece.
This thesis seeks to specifically outline three primary categories that algorithmic works can fall into: pieces that involve minimal computational influence, entirely computationally generated pieces, and pieces that lie in between. Three original works were created to reflect each of these categories. These works provide examples of the various methods by which computation can influence and enhance choreography.
The first piece, entitled Rαinwater, displays a minimal amount of computational influence. The use of space in the piece was limited to random, computationally generated paths. The dancers extracted a narrative element from the random paths. This iteration resulted in a piece that explores the dancers’ emotional interaction within the context of a rainy environment. The second piece, entitled Mymec, utilizes an intermediary amount of computation. The piece sees a dancer interact with a projected display of an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm. The dancer is to take direct inspiration from the movement of the virtual ants and embody the visualization of the algorithm. The final piece, entitled nSkeleton, exhibited maximal computational influence. Kinect position data was manipulated using iterative methods from computational mathematics to create computer-generated movement to be performed by a dancer on-stage.
Each original piece was originally intended to be presented to the public as part of an evening-length show. However, due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, all public campus events have been canceled and the government has recommended that gatherings with more than 10 people be entirely avoided. Thus, the pieces will instead be presented in the form of a video published online. This video will encompass information about the creation of each piece as well as clips of choreography.

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.

According to a survey conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, 32% of adults in the United States participated in social dancing in 2012, more than any other form of art-making and art-sharing. Partnership dance styles including Ballroom, Latin, and Swing are the most commonly practiced forms of social dancing. T.V. shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" have piqued the interest of local high schools in partnership dance. Arizona State University's (ASU) School of Film, Dance and Theatre (SoFDT) is uniquely positioned to leverage the large partnership dance program and the vibrant Phoenix Metro partnership dance community to address this interest. The School of Film Dance and Theatre should implement a course teaching partnership dance in local high schools. The class will be modeled after existing student teaching programs with changes made to reflect the requirements of teaching partnership dance. Specifically, ASU students will spend one day a week teaching a partnership module in a local high school and one day a week developing pedagogical skills in a lecture and discussion group format. High school students will learn the basic steps of 3 dances and perform a partnership dance showcase. ASU students will get hands-on experience teaching as part of a team in high school settings. This program fulfils ASU and SoFDT goals by making dance accessible to new audiences and engaging students in the local community. This proposed program benefits current undergraduate students by developing a functional understanding of teaching partnership dance in a group setting. Beyond ASU, it stands to give high school students a chance to learn a cost-prohibitive art and teach them a lifelong skill.

Exploration of Practice in Partnering is a curriculum-based, research thesis, focused on the investigation of the potential impact of studying multiple forms of dance partnering through a constructivist learning lens. The primary goal was to discover concepts and practices that underlie effective dance partnering. The study was conducted in a 15-week university dance course that provided a survey of partnering dance forms taught by the researcher who is versed in the chosen forms. In addition to professional knowledge and experience, the researcher includes theory and pedagogy from his graduate coursework. Teaching frameworks and learning experiences for the study were informed by somatics and constructivist pedagogy; a student-centered approach to learning in which students might find knowledge and meaning through experience.

The research documented in this thesis may be methodologically described as a case study and the data collection methods were qualitative. Due to IRB limitations, the data set draws only from biweekly journal entries from a class of eleven students, in addition to the researcher’s observation of students. Data streams from student journal entries were analyzed and interpreted using common protocols. Guiding questions for the research study included: How do students currently understand and perceive partnering? How do leader and follower roles play a part in dance partnering? What commonalities of partnering exist between different dance forms? Data gathered from the research revealed that each individual student’s understanding and definition of dance partnering changed over the course of the semester and students found increased meaning in their partnering interactions.

"beautiful secrets," a movement art piece engaging the audience in the art-making, exists in the in-between, an indeterminable place, fluid like the water of Kiwanis Lake. The performers sang, danced and built an architectural environment with the help of the audience to create a transformational place betwixt here and there, day and night, death and life; an in-between land where the language is mystical and symbolic, and the water of Kiwanis Lake served as a symbol of transformation. Beneath the art was a method called Somatic Yoga Dance in which the performers trained in preparation for the performance. Below the method was a blessing in which beautiful secrets took root --- a prayer for peace.

What is driving my applied project are questions derived from lived and observed experiences as an African American female born and raised in Los Angeles California to a non-native of twelve years in Arizona. I recognize situations I have gone through may not have happened if I was not a person of color and a woman. This is also true for Hispanics, Latinos, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Asians and other immigrants. The history of America as taught in public, secondary and post-secondary institutions speaks to this truth and raises the questions that I will explore in this document in relation to the process of creating my performance work Movement Speaks.