Matching Items (31)
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Educed Play is a performance installation that investigates spontaneity and the invisible communication that can exist in improvisation and collaborative play. The work unites the mediums of dance, drawing, music, and video through improvisational performances. The multimedia installation entitled Educed Play was presented in the fall of 2012. Inspiration came

Educed Play is a performance installation that investigates spontaneity and the invisible communication that can exist in improvisation and collaborative play. The work unites the mediums of dance, drawing, music, and video through improvisational performances. The multimedia installation entitled Educed Play was presented in the fall of 2012. Inspiration came from the idea of relics created by ephemeral interactions, using improvisation as a means to performance, and working within a genuine collaboration. This document encompasses an overview of the project.
ContributorsLing, Amanda (Author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Standley, Eileen (Committee member) / Pittsley, Janice (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
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This ethnographic research focuses on the specific creative processes of one dance-maker who worked collaboratively with seven dancers, a sound designer, a costume designer, and a narrative speaker. Together they created an evening-length dance work entitled "The Now Creature." Throughout the creative process, the dance-maker was interested in noticing attachments,

This ethnographic research focuses on the specific creative processes of one dance-maker who worked collaboratively with seven dancers, a sound designer, a costume designer, and a narrative speaker. Together they created an evening-length dance work entitled "The Now Creature." Throughout the creative process, the dance-maker was interested in noticing attachments, finding freedom from these attachments, and being aware of how the work was affected by the choice to detach or remain attached to certain ideas. This interest stemmed from the dance-maker/researcher's interest in Buddhist philosophy and a system of decision-making she had been developing since childhood. The creative process for "The Now Creature" began with experiments in chance procedures as a method of non-attachment. After the first public showing of the piece, the process shifted to include intuition and aesthetic integration. "Embodied nowness," or the awareness of one's physical and mental sensations in the present moment, played an important role in rehearsals and in the overall process of letting go of attachments. All collaborators kept journals and were usually given specific prompts about which to write. The researcher/dance-maker also conducted one-on-one verbal interviews and group discussions with the collaborators. These data informed the development of the work presented on January 31-February 2 at Arizona State University, Findings from this research can be applied to any kind of creative process, or any life situation that includes decision-making.
ContributorsStein, Denise A (Author) / Vissicaro, Pegge (Thesis advisor) / Kaplan, Robert (Committee member) / Fonow, Mary Margaret (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Transformation Is... is an arts practice-led research in Dance and Design, embodying and materializing concepts of structure, leadership and agency and their role in bringing about desired social transformation. My personal experiences as a foreign student interested in transformative experiences gave origin to this arts practice-led research. An auto-ethnographic approach

Transformation Is... is an arts practice-led research in Dance and Design, embodying and materializing concepts of structure, leadership and agency and their role in bringing about desired social transformation. My personal experiences as a foreign student interested in transformative experiences gave origin to this arts practice-led research. An auto-ethnographic approach informed by grounded theory methods shaped this creative inquiry in which dance was looked at as data and rehearsals became research fields. Within the context of social choreography, a transformational leadership style was applied to promote agency using improvisational movement scores to shape individual and collective creative explorations. These explorations gave birth to a flexible and transformable dance installation that served as a metaphor for social structure. Transformation revealed itself in this research as a sequence of process and product oriented stages that resulted in a final performance piece in which a site-specific interactive installation was built before the audience's eyes. This work became a metaphor of how individual actions and interactions effect the construction of social reality and how inner-transformation and collaboration are key in the process of designing and building new egalitarian social structures.
ContributorsSibauste Bermudez, Janelle (Author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Britt, Melissa (Committee member) / Standley, Eileen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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The Mormon Plan of Salvation explains that people originate in a heavenly state and are sent to Earth in a physical form, where they aspire to lead good lives and gain wisdom in order to reach glory in the afterlife. The dance piece "From There to Here to There: Whose

The Mormon Plan of Salvation explains that people originate in a heavenly state and are sent to Earth in a physical form, where they aspire to lead good lives and gain wisdom in order to reach glory in the afterlife. The dance piece "From There to Here to There: Whose Journey is it Anyway?" explores each stage in the Plan of Salvation at a different location, requiring dancers and audience to travel both metaphorically and physically. The piece incorporates several kinds of journeys: the collective journey of humankind based on the Plan of Salvation, the dancers' own journeys, and audience's journey as they watch the piece, and my journey as an artist. In the process of making this piece, I refined my identity as a 21st century Mormon artist interested in conveying religious messages through the traditionally secular art form of postmodern dance.
ContributorsFrost, Randi (Author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Daughtrey, Doe (Committee member) / Schupp, Karen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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The purpose of this case study is to observe how social dance combined with somatic practices can encourage internal, physical perception and experiences of the body perceived from within for an adolescent boy with high functioning autism and dyspraxia; an impairment or immaturity of the organization of movement (Boon 7).

The purpose of this case study is to observe how social dance combined with somatic practices can encourage internal, physical perception and experiences of the body perceived from within for an adolescent boy with high functioning autism and dyspraxia; an impairment or immaturity of the organization of movement (Boon 7). More specifically, this research seeks to observe the impact that social dance instruction can have on an individual’s kinesthetic responsiveness, such as efficiency in movement patterning through increased movement awareness and somatic facilitation. In addition, this study seeks to observe the impact that social dance lessons could have on the participant’s communication and listening skills; attentiveness; initiation of movement, such as taking the role of a leader and lead patterns; organization of movements, such as performing movements within a specific order; and performance of movements that might lead to personal and social growth. Finally, this study investigates exercises from Alexander Technique and ways to incorporate them into pedagogical practices for adolescents with psychological limitations.
ContributorsPeltcs, Diona (Author) / Dyer, Rebecca (Thesis advisor) / Kaplan, Robert (Committee member) / Caves, Larry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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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

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
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Psychology and dance both shed light on the question: how do our personal, life experiences affect our movement? This document introduces elements from psychology and dance through associative learning, attachment styles, muscle patterning, and partner improvisation as ways of exploring this question. It aims to briefly introduce these theories

Psychology and dance both shed light on the question: how do our personal, life experiences affect our movement? This document introduces elements from psychology and dance through associative learning, attachment styles, muscle patterning, and partner improvisation as ways of exploring this question. It aims to briefly introduce these theories and explain how they had a role in the research of the creative project. It also documents the inception, creation, and production of Lullabye, a dance work intended to be accessible to an audience with little to no experience viewing concert dance, with the target audience specifically being the writer’s mother. It has three sections, each featuring a different element of dance, storytelling, and individuality. It starts a conversation on how emotions and thoughts related to personal experiences can affect our movement.
ContributorsTello Solano, Carlos (Co-author, Co-author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis director) / Montoya, Yvonne (Committee member) / Schupp, Karen (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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This paper serves to identify, explore, and discover my personal creative process. I utilized Rosemarie Anderson's Intuitive Inquiry method, focusing on the change that would occur across all five cycles of my research experience. I conducted interviews of those who have had an impact in my growth, as well as

This paper serves to identify, explore, and discover my personal creative process. I utilized Rosemarie Anderson's Intuitive Inquiry method, focusing on the change that would occur across all five cycles of my research experience. I conducted interviews of those who have had an impact in my growth, as well as understanding of my creative process or the elements which make it. I logged personal journal entries, to emphasize the daily experience I have with my process, outside of a written paper. This paper is written from the perspective of one woman's personal experience, and thus contains both formal research articles and informal and personal journal entries. Journal entries are interspersed with academic writing, to affirm the simultaneous personal nature and academic relevancy of the topic. I began my research with five themes to guide me in various directions, with the hope I would uncover more information along the way, leading to more paths to follow. During the course of study, three new themes were uncovered, reaction, relation, and restoration, and juxtaposed with other research and personal reflection. I then, based off these later themes and further research, developed a set of instructions for use beyond my undergraduate experience, specifically for places where I must act without the guidance of instructors. The three new themes that emerged had much in common with the themes from previous cycles. This leads me to believe that I have been aware of my process all along, and had yet to put it into words. This in itself is a remarkable light bulb moment, as is knowing that I may be more aware of my habits than I realize, if only I am to write them down and purposefully acknowledge them for what they are.
ContributorsWalls, Emma Jane (Author) / Roses-Thema, Cynthia (Thesis director) / Kaplan, Robert (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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A Personal Journey Through Physical Fitness chronicles one individual's academic and physical journey through fitness. An ex college gymnast after exiting formal sports looks to academics for the answers to accomplish the goal of working out one hour a day and feeling as well as being physically fit as a

A Personal Journey Through Physical Fitness chronicles one individual's academic and physical journey through fitness. An ex college gymnast after exiting formal sports looks to academics for the answers to accomplish the goal of working out one hour a day and feeling as well as being physically fit as a result. This research resulted in finding the five pillars of physical fitness; which are Endurance, Flexibility, Strength, Balance, and Agility. After determining that these were the five primary pillars of physical fitness a workout plan was made based on and focused on improving them. This work out plan included running and hiking for endurance, high intensity interval training for agility, endurance and strength, stretching at the end of every work out, and a weightlifting program that utilized push, pull, and lower body days. It also utilized yoga for flexibility, recovery, and balance. Additionally, gymnastic ring strength was included to help develop balance and strength. Then a four-week trial period was executed taking measurements at the beginning and end of the plan. The results of the five-pillar plan were quantified using physical metrics. There was improvement in all of the pillars: Endurance, Flexibility, Strength, Balance, and Agility. However it should be noted there was not a direct measure for balance making its improvement much more subjective and qualitative than quantitative. In addition to having physical metrics of health and increased fitness there were mental side effects such as of feeling good and more relaxed throughout the process. At the end of each week of the four-week workout trial mental and physical feelings were recorded and included in the study. The method and plan were successful and created in a way that others could follow this four-week plan to improve their own physical health.
ContributorsVlastos, Joseph Nicholas (Author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis director) / Roses-Thema, Cynthia (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Sustainability is intrinsically interdisciplinary, but the implementation of nontraditional pedagogy in this area is in its infancy. I aim to show that music can be a model to demonstrate the protean systems that consistently involve each of us. The connection between systems thinking and musical improvisation is evident in musical

Sustainability is intrinsically interdisciplinary, but the implementation of nontraditional pedagogy in this area is in its infancy. I aim to show that music can be a model to demonstrate the protean systems that consistently involve each of us. The connection between systems thinking and musical improvisation is evident in musical improvisation ensembles; it is a system unto itself with individual players connected through their musical composition. Musical improvisation allows the players to learn about systems and system behaviors. Such ability to identify and understand the underlying dynamics involved in complex social-ecological systems is fundamental to taking advantage of leverage points and working towards a sustainable future. I use music and musical improvisation to demonstrate the three concept groups of the systems thinking competency: 1) Variables, structures and functions 2) Resilience, self-organization and hierarchy and 3) Scales and domains. These parts constitute complex systems and are made easier with the analogy of music that provides a more representative language for discussing them in an intuitive way. Furthermore, improvisation activities provide a method and space for these future practitioners to rehearse working with systems. From accepting the nature of systems, one is accepting of their role in the system, which enables them to make changes. Musical improvisation is a valuable method to systems thinking because it requires future practitioners to engage in mindfulness, because it demands remaining in an intuitive stance so to be able to respond (not react) thoughtfully. My thesis will explore how the practice of musical improvisation can enhance the understanding of the three systems thinking content groups and to argue that such practice is unique and necessary as it provides opportunities to rehearse being effective change agents.
ContributorsEller, Maria Sara (Author) / Jianguo, Wu (Thesis director) / Kaplan, Robert (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12