PolypHony, Opus 42. A Dance Concert

Abstract

ABSTRACT PolypHony, Opus 42 is a concert displaying motion as the integral force of life. It is an effort to convey, through motion, community and human belonging in flux within a world that is both complex and harmonious. Aristotle of the 4th century BCE wrote, “In all things which have a plurality of parts, and which are not a total aggregate, but a whole of some sort distinct from the parts,..” He touches on the idea of identity as a whole entity being something other than just the sum of its parts. I apply this concept to community, that though we are all distinct individuals, there is a unique singular identity formed by coming together. By deriving inspiration from movement patterns in eco-systems, and abstracting patterns found in nature, such as the fibonacci sequence, I created a choreographic work to capture and highlight the relationship of interdependent and interweaving individuals creating a distinctive whole. All nine members of my cast open this four part series beginning with an a cappella body percussive section eluding to spontaneous generation. Then, supported by three Baroque orchestral pieces by Bach, Vitali, and Beethoven, the dancers develop ideas of creative ignition, growth, community, singularity, and connection through artistic kinesis. The choreographic process, the interplay between choreographer and dancers in the activity of movement creation is an integral part of my thesis work equal to the product itself. This is the documentation of that work, "Polyphony, Opus 42." which debuted in the Earle Ernst Lab at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa on February 26th 2020. It is written in autobiographical format and arranged into three parts: the original thesis proposal, my choreographic process, and the culminating production.