Liessa Son
School of Dance – Alumnx – Dance
Collaborators: Jayde Kief (Performer)
What would it look like if conversations appeared as shapes in motions? In this particular visual narrative, it attempts to visually portray a sharp, assertive kind of manner. In the performer’s perspective, she was “having a conversation with the two halves” of herself. One of her halves is “caught in these cycles of thoughts and thinking traps, saying the same things to myself, repeating negative phrases that have been told to me, given to me…“ and there’s the other half, the “healthier half that is emotioned, but holds these emotions with stability, and strength. She asserts what I know is true, calls out bullshit of what is untrue, what is my voice/what has been given to me.” Though it is a certain kind of interaction, these gestural movements explore the dynamics of its own range.
Initially, I edited solely based on my interpretation of her gestural expression, without any knowledge of her own personal perspective. This was my attempt to emphasize the expressions through a third person point of view. Although I wasn’t specifically aware of her thought process, I felt her sense of assertion, the feeling she had meant to express. I was glad to confirm that despite our slightly different interpretations, we were heading to a similar direction. Next time, I am planning to edit more variations that incorporate her full thought process (as well as her music suggestions) to create a more collaborative result.