Tag: Steven Chatfield

American Sign Language As a Choreographic Inspiration and Directive for Dance

Presenter: Alyssa Gentry, Dance

Panel: Art & Popular Culture

Mentor: Steven Chatfield, Dance

Time: 1:15pm – 2:15pm

Location: Alsea Room

American Sign Language for ‘journey’ has the dominant hand with the index and middle fingers slightly bent, moving forward from the signer in an ‘s’ shaped pathway. I have created a dance work exploring this concept of ‘journey’ that finds inspiration in the singular source of American Sign Language. ASL and Dance are intricately connected through their use of abstract movement as a means of communication and the strong influence of emotions on movement quality. This piece has been derived from ASL for the formations of the dancers, their pathways in space, their individual and group movement, and their emotional output.

To interpret and abstract sign movements to the full body and then to a larger group of dancers was challenging. Using improvisation, I explored the movement of signs like ‘journey,’ a wandering side to side pattern, that could be interpreted in an ‘s’ shaped pathway, a formation of dancers, or a movement contained within the body, like the ribs swaying from side to side. After finding movement, I built a piece where each dancer has a different pathway, coming together at certain moments and then parting, like the comings and goings in life. ASL mimics life, just as art mimics life, and this piece was given focus, opportunity, and a realism through its incorporation, which allows viewers to connect with the piece. Like the sum that is greater than its parts, this piece is more meaningful and cohesive through the incorporation of ASL.

Rehabilitation of Injured Dancers with a Transition Dance Class

Presenter: Elizabeth Foster, Dance, Human Physiology

Panel: Strategies for Support & Recovery

Mentor: Steven Chatfield, Dance

Time: 1:15pm – 2:15pm

Location: Century A

Huge demands are placed on the bodies of dancers who often push through pain and injury to continue pursuing their art. Most dancers have to retire by the age of 30 due to injuries and premature physical deterioration. Standard rehabilitation practices are not specific to the needs of injured dancers. This research incorporates physical therapy into a dance class as a transition dance class for injured dancers, allowing the dancers to be able to apply everything they learn in the class directly to dance. It not only retrains dancers in their technique and alignment but it also allows them to continue being artists in a time when they might not be able to otherwise. The class curriculum is designed from the physiological goals of the exercises that an athletic trainer would recommend to the participants. The participants are UofO dancers with persistent low back pain that requires them to modify their dance activity. Upon entering the study they took a survey asking them subjective questions concerning their injuries and when they leave the study they will be asked to complete a post-survey concerning their injuries and their views on the effectiveness of the study. There is a strong focus on refining alignment and dance technique. This research is currently in progress; preliminary results will be ready by May 12th. Human Subjects approval has been acquired and the first cohort is currently being worked with.