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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
- Creators: Jackson, Naomi
- Status: Published
Description
This six month IRB approved qualitative study was held at Arizona State University to see how a group of seven university dancers' body appreciation and body perception would be affected by introduction and familiarized with Bartenieff Fundamentals and other somatic practices. During this process the individuals gained knowledge about their own bodies through somatic movement activities, journal writings, group discussions, and personal interviews. Movers then used this knowledge to create movement phrases that represented their own personal journeys with body image struggles, doubts, and insecurities. These movement phrases were then linked together in a 40-minute expressive movement piece that represented the journey the group of movers had made and was still making together.
ContributorsRodgers, Patricia (Author) / Jackson, Naomi (Thesis advisor) / Britt, Melissa (Committee member) / Vissicaro, Pegge (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Bisexuality is a unique kind of sexual identity, as a gray area between heterosexuality and homosexuality. The piece You made up the Story and I Played with all the Parts explores bisexuality as a lived artistic experience based on my sexual journey within a society that advocates heterosexuality. The piece includes movement phrases and text derived from conversations with intimate partners, characters based on former partners, storytelling, a 1950s-style sex education video parody, and audience participation via dialogue. The creation of movement and dialogue manipulated heteronormative social stigmas into a canny social acceptance of bisexuality. The multifaceted nature of the piece provokes viewers to consider how sexuality is constructed socially through my own interpretation. As a result, the work suggests that bisexuality is a legitimate sexual identity and represents a culture within American society.
ContributorsBedford, Crystal (Author) / Corey, Frederick (Thesis advisor) / Dove, Simon (Thesis advisor) / Jackson, Naomi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Accessing the centre: complementary conditioning & somatic wellness for competitive Irish step dance
Description
This thesis examines the integration of somatic principles into Irish Step Dancing. The researcher conducted a twelve week case study that explored how utilizing the Centre-line Support System in training competitive Irish Step Dancers, through integrating Alexander Technique and Bartenieff Fundamentals of Total Body Connectivity can generate increased height and efficiency in jumping and an improvement in upper-body carriage, while longitudinally reducing the occurrence of over-use injuries. Research occurred between January and March 2012 in Tucson, Arizona and Dublin, Ireland. Additional research and reflection occurred in Belfast, Glasgow, and London, United Kingdom; Limerick, Cork, and Galway, Ireland; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Chicago, Illinois; Phoenix, Arizona; and Los Angeles, California.
ContributorsBuck, Helen (Author) / Vissicaro, Pegge (Thesis advisor) / Hoffner, Kristin (Committee member) / Jackson, Naomi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Purple World was a choreographic project that investigated improvisational, compositional, design, and technological experiments to research movement possibilities in interdisciplinary and interactive settings. In developing the work, the dancers exchanged different individual perspectives through "movement recall." This movement recall was inspired by the sensations associated with their physical memories from childhood, conditioned movement patterns, and the ways dancers can use their bodies to creatively problem-solve the philosophical questions in their lives. The work united dance, interactive work, structured improvisation, props, and installation. The intersection of discussion with collaborators, creative methods inspired by other artists, and the elements described above provided a structure for the artist to investigate his choreographic artistic identity by cultivating individual movement vocabulary in himself and his dancers.
ContributorsKikuchi, Fumihiro (Author) / Fitzgerald, Mary (Thesis advisor) / Jackson, Naomi (Committee member) / Kim, Marianne (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The piece WAKE UP BREATHING holds personal significance as an investigation of thought-provoking issues of breathing through film installation, video and live performance. This research specifically addressed how breath training exercises enhance dance performance and improve a dancer’s control of their body, as well as how these exercises can function as material for choreographic inquiry. During the creation of the concert, the choreographer employed breath building exercises and applied different breath techniques with a cast of nine dancers. The choreographer and dancers worked collaboratively to develop creative material, enhance performance and help members of the audience understand why breathing in dance is so meaningful.
ContributorsKong, Zijia (Author) / Jackson, Naomi (Thesis advisor) / Kaplan, Robert (Committee member) / Kim, Marianne (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Today's prison industrial complex in the United States often dehumanizes inmates simply because they are criminals. Members of the free society are generally too far removed from the inside of prisons that most people do not see the harsh and cruel conditions for and treatment of prisoners. As a Dance and Justice Studies major at Arizona State University, I was curious about how to intertwine my interests in dance and justice. This paper chronicles my exploration of adding a human rights issue to my dance practice through choreographing a solo dance performance based on Cleve Foster's unusual experience on death row. Research on theories of prison and punishment in American society combined with physical research in the dance studio enabled me to create a solo performance that shed light on the inhumane conditions for and treatment of prison inmates in today's society. Through the process, I found that some elements of my dance practice stayed the same, while others changed. This informed me of what continuously remains important to me, while allowing me to expand my personal dance practice. I ultimately discovered a bridge between my two passions, dance and justice, and learned a meaningful way to convey a contemporary social justice issue to the general public.
ContributorsKerr, Elena Marie (Author) / Schupp, Karen (Thesis director) / Vissicaro, Pegge (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This project explores the dimensions that affect the success of a nonprofit organizations' web presence by using a dance and health nonprofit website as the foundation of the research and redesign. This report includes literature and design research, analysis, recommendations and a journal of the web design process. Through research, three categories were identified as the primary dimensions affecting the success of a website: content, technical adequacy and appearance. Furthermore, website success is influenced by how the strength of individual categories relies on one another. To improve the web design of Dancers and Health Together Inc., content implementations and redesign elements were both research and personal preference-based. The redesigned website can be found at www.collaydennis.com and will become inactive after May 31, 2015.
ContributorsDennis, Collay Carole (Author) / Coleman, Grisha (Thesis director) / Hosmer, Anthony Ryan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This project, which consists of a review article and an applied creative project, proposes mirror neurons as being a physiological mechanism for motor imagery. The review article highlights similarities between motor imagery research and research on mirror neurons. The research is roughly divided into three types of studies: neuroimaging studies, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography (EMG) studies, and electroencephalography (EEG) studies. The review also discusses the associative hypothesis of mirror neuron origin as support for the hypothesis and concludes with an assessment of conflicting research and the limitations of the hypothesis. The applied creative project is an instructional brochure, aimed at anyone who teaches motor skills, such as dance teachers or sports coaches. The brochure takes the academic content of the review and presents it in a visually pleasing, reader-friendly fashion in an effort to educate the intended audience and make the research more accessible. The brochure also prescribes research-based suggestions for how to use motor imagery during teaching sessions and how to get the best benefits from it.
ContributorsNgai, Valerie Christina (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Dance studios often have a high tuition rates, which makes learning technique from a dance school difficult to attain. For AZ Hype Hip Hop Squad no circumstance can keep them from dancing. This 14-year-old team has made their mark in dance competitions nationwide. The only problem is: this nationally ranked team lingers unrecognized. AZ Hype is a non-profit dance team that practices wherever they can find a space. They practice anywhere from school cafeterias to driveways, parks to backyards and parking lots. What gives this team their competitive edge is that nothing keeps them from dancing and they draw inspiration from outside of the walls of a studio. The team consists of 18 to 30 dancers each year and is divided into two age groups; a junior and senior team. The dancers range from six to 25 years of age. The team has one coach, one stereo and a room full of trophies and championship banners. The coach, Tara Delgado, is a 5th grade history teacher who has been coaching AZ Hype for 14 consecutive years. She continues to teach and inspire kids in the Valley. Though years go by her personal dance skills and creativity to choreograph and mix music strengthens and improves. She is more than just a dance coach to the kids who make her house their home. A public relations campaign for AZ Hype Hip Hop Squad was created to benefit the team in many ways. For the duration of the team's existence, they did not have a website, social media management, community support, sponsors, practice space, or any news media connections. The goal of the campaign is to gain exposure but also gather sponsors to lift the burdening costs of competitions, uniforms and practice spaces. The plan would serve as an outline to utilize social media, reach out to local media and contact various dance and youth supporters. In this campaign, testimonials have been gathered to uncover the true need and impact of the dance team. Without schools teaching dance or other performing arts, many youths lose out on the opportunity to ever learn. In addition to research, collateral material will be made and used for marketing and information as well as a strategic fundraising and branding plan. This plan will encourage and help implement the transition from a group of dancers to a 501c(3) nonprofit.
ContributorsAhmadpour, Shirin Jose (Author) / Hultsman, Wendy (Thesis director) / Delgado, Tara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Armenia is a radiant and unique country, known primarily for its vast history, delicious food, and traditional folklore dance. Although Armenia was constantly ravaged by invading armies, the nation was strong enough to retain its own identity and culture. The rich dance heritage remained a living tradition into the 20th century, when the Turks tried to destroy the dance heritage and left fragments of the dances. Even though many of these fragments were lost due to urbanization, the dance techniques are still continuously studied by scholars and people all around the world. For my creative project, I chose to perform an Armenian Folk Dance, as dance is an immense part of Armenian’s lives, and is an essential part of the Armenian cultural heritage. Dance is one of the primary ways by which one can observe and gain understanding of the Armenian people, their identity and culture. Dance is a way for Armenians to express themselves, as it is a form of art which combines elements of their rich culture, event-filled past, and their spiritual nature. The folklore dance has always sustained a leading role throughout Armenian history, as it runs through the blood of Armenians, being passed down from generation to generation. The Armenian people have survived and endured various historical challenges, but they have been able to preserve their unique dance elements and forms. To this day, Armenians continue to use dance to keep their culture and identity alive. It is a way to express freedom, and celebrate that even though we as a nation have faced many hardships, us Armenians have survived, and will always continue to survive with our faith, passion, determination, and strong will.
ContributorsKaprelian, Daniella Mary (Author) / McILwraith, Heide (Thesis director) / Alford, Eddie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05