Reflections on The Imagined City

"We have decided on all the elements for our final show and now know exactly what we will be doing for the Winter Festival. We are beginning to take time to make choices and perfect each piece now. It is very satisfying to pull in work from way back in September and place it beside something we created today! Everyone is beginning to familiarize themselves with the emotional journey the dances take them on. We have an idea of the sensations each piece evokes so students are really letting themselves sink into the performance aspect of the project. Throughout this process, watching these youth artists' sincerity as they work has been such a gift for me.

Today we experimented with the last new idea - our mirror line. This is really exciting and although it is simple and not very "dancey" everyone is really excited for it! The amazing thing about this work is that it can mean something different to you everyday. As Matthew Cumbie , visiting artist, said: what happens to us "out there" lives in our dancing. The way one performs something is a creative act in itself. Watching our group grow and push each other as performers is amazing. The piece is about reflection. How do we see others? How do we see ourself in others? We are working out ways to use mirrors as props and tools for to share and explore this idea with the audience during our dance."

Mary Tuescher
Teaching Artist