The Loraxian Effect

Abstract

In fulfillment of the MFA in Dance Thesis Concert requirement, I presented The Loraxian Effect in the Spring Footholds Concert April 26-30, 2017 at University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. The full work was 21 minutes, consisting of four dance pieces and ten dancers (including myself): 32” Perspective, From What’s Left, Causal Sequence, and Fallible. Based on Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax and intertwined with a “Tim Burton-esque” twist, the intention was to maintain a real message about the affects of climate change and human impacts on forest health. Much of my research while pursuing my MFA has dealt with using dance as a platform for environmental activism and using the theories of ecocriticism to create and analyze dance work. This choreography kinetically articulates my research. I intend for future iterations of this work to be performed in schools as an environmental educational tool. However, for this initial thesis presentation, the piece was created for an adult audience in a university theatre setting.