Composition: Special Topics
Self Portrait
Cross-Over Project
Choreography and Dancing by Nancy Morcos and Sutton Coffey
Autobiographical Solo
Choreography and Dancing by Sutton Coffey
With this project, we were given a set of parameters and prompts from which to create a work that would be telling of and represent ourselves. I started mapping as the layout of my home in Tennessee where I grew up for my whole life. Then, with descriptions of my self portrait, I made a set of choreography to be set within the framework of my "house". After that, we were given the prompt to put in our family tree to create more choreography and spoken word. I chose to specifically draw from my siblings and my mother to develop the choreography that was already there.
What made this piece about me was that I tried to incorporate imagery and other aspects from my life that I enjoyed. For example, the song, "Which Will" by Nick Drake I chose solely because it makes me feel happy, and the all-denim outfit is something that I would normally choose to wear. As for the choreography, I made choices that felt natural to my body, but I do think that the repetition was too excessive, especially seeing the video afterward. I think that this was because I tried to keep my chunks of movement isolated to each room in the map while also maintaining their original integrity, so it limited me in that way. This wasn't necessarily negative, but I wish that I had made the sections less precise and more unpredictable.
From the process and feedback that I received, I think that I could communicate what I needed with my body where my speech was lacking, I believe that I accomplished this through the combination of costume, music, imagery, and textures. From my peers, I found that they read a lot more into my background than I did. I wonder still how this piece would have been read if the audience had not known of my southern roots. As much as I had tried to stray from movements that I thought would hint at them, they inevitably read that way to my audience. Still, it makes me question the nature of my movement, and how my own character is reflected in it.
In this project, I wanted to find a way that elderly and retired dancers could perform again on the concert stage. I think that peoples' histories are important and that we have a lot to learn from our forebears' lives. That is why I helped to create this choreography in collaboration with Nancy Morcos, and I think that it has been an enjoyable experience for the both of us. Because Nancy was a former professional Ballet Dancer, I wanted to showcase her talents in her field of expertise. That is why I wanted to set a Ballet piece on her.
During this process, since I do no have a strong background in Ballet technique, Nancy informed my decisions and challenged me to think more about the art form I was working with. For me, this was educational as much as it was a creative process, and I believe that I learned a lot more about patience, teaching, bodies, and the Ballet vocabulary.