VISUAL ART
VISUAL ART
Media Molds
This visual arts piece is a multimedia film photography project focused on portraying the impact that the media we consume as children has on our adult lives. Through four subjects, it follows their relationship with the media that they loved as children, and how the messages in those films have influenced them today. Children are like sponges, and through the films we watch we gain perspectives on life that follow us well into adulthood, whether it be morals we abide by, ideas of self, or a pursuit or passion. Each subject was shot on 35mm film and assembled through mixed materials.
CREATOR: Megan Diaz
In a Director’s Studio
In a Director’s Studio is a photography piece that examines the frequency with which male directors treat female actresses as props, rather than as artists themselves. The series is an exploration of how the female body is regularly used as a medium for male creators to impose and execute their creative visions, and interprets cinematic tradition to be a consistent (and concrete) manifestation of “the male gaze.” By specifically approaching films in which male protagonists exert alarming degrees of power on their female counterparts, In a Director’s Studio understands these problematic narratives to be extensions of misogynistic directorial practices, as well as evidence of male artistry being repeatedly achieved through female exploitation.
CREATOR: Nina Schmidt
PERFORMANCE PIECES
PERFORMANCE PIECES
Were You Silent, or Were You Silenced
CREATOR: Rachael Odebumni
This piece delves into the enigmatic world of the silent film era. While often perceived as glamorous, the actors of “Old Hollywood,” particularly in the 1910s and 1920s, faced exploitative working conditions and an overwhelming lack of respect. With the working title “Were you silent or were you silenced?” - Oprah, the piece will explore the forced silence imposed upon these actors, as a result of both technological limits and the relentless demands of the industry through contemporary dance.
CAST:
Sakura Amano
Tara Aghaian
Michelle Cheng
Lilah Horton
Maile Hanoian
Kylee Miller
Roaring
The Roaring 20s era is revered and celebrated as a huge achievement in the industry of media and romanticized across the globe; however, many people discount the fact that the dark age of the exploitation of performers really began to flourish in Hollywood during the emergence of the film industry. Inspired by the movie Babylon and the series Peaky Blinders, we hope you notice the disturbing imagery behind the glitz and glamor of this work. Through the collision of cast-aside starlets and an up-and-coming new actress, the mysterious red right hand manipulates the script of these interactions behind the scenes.
Cast
Victoria Viveiros
Mikayla Knestrick
CREATOR: Madison Hart and Augustus Ahn
Madison Hart
Arden Emhoff
Kata(型)
CREATOR: Elena Bruce
The term Kata refers to a sequence of movements that display usage and technique within martial arts.
“Kata” takes a contemporary perspective on the word and pays homage to a variety of different martial arts techniques, practitioners, and timeless MA films. Utilizing the intensity and excitement from famous fight scenes such as “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”, “IP Man”, and “Enter the Dragon”, this piece combines contemporary dance performance and martial arts techniques for live enjoyment.
Cast
Maddie Skowronek
Juniper Dorado
Alexis Masseyrado
Erin Co
Aysha Cunningham
Claire Hayashi
Angie Eng
Brianna Gianetto
Elena Bruce
Robbie Button
Another Day of Sun
CREATOR: Stephanie Singh
Cast
Natalie Garay
Stephanie Singh
This fusion of Musical Theater and Tap dance channels joy, gratitude, and optimism through a high energy production inspired by the film La La Land. Another Day of Sun is a farewell to the past and glimpse into the future, a manifestation of only bright days to come.
Miranda Kotero
Kyla Kramer
Tica Harris
Mis Trenzas
CREATOR: Jovahna Solalindez Rivas
In addition to the art installation in the art gallery, this short piece is a simple highlight of a common hairstyle many wear all throughout Latin and Hispanic cultures in the making process. Surrounded by hair accessories like ribbons, flowers, hair ties, brushes, and combs. This piece is a brief representation of two long braids. Each strand individually is weak but when joined it signifies strength and unity.
Cast
Quinn Wynacht
Alexis Massey
Growing Into, Holding Onto
CREATOR: Ellianna Pascua
“Growing Into, Holding Onto” is a choreographic exploration of the distinction between actor and character, between reality and construct; a boundary made literal by means of red curtain. Using the notorious cinematic story of characters finding true love, this work illustrates the inevitable and unbreakable cohesion of who an actor portrays, and who the actor is beyond the curtain. As individuals, partnerships, and collectives, performers often invest themselves so thoroughly that their identity becomes indistinguishable from their work... an intimate concept worth discovering, nurturing, and holding.
Cast
Claire Ciserella
Ellianna Pascua
Juniper Dorado
Vanessa Dreyer
Iyonna Bridges
Myles Mawa
Marcella Thile
Maile Hanoian
through & through
CREATOR: Bianca Yen
through & through is an improvisational piece that seeks to metaphorically unravel layers of identity, emphasizing parallels between the creation of garments and the construction of selfhood. Drawing inspiration from Asian and queer directors like 王家卫 (Wong Kar-Wai) and 蔡明亮(Tsai Ming-Liang), the performance aims to deconstruct the intricate relationship between identity and clothing through the mediums of animation dance, threading, modern movement, and clothing creation.
Cast
Vatsal Jalan
Quinn Wynacht
Bianca Yen
Party of the Times
CREATOR: Aryeal Lands & Joy Arreola
Myles Mawa
Jae Hall
Megan Diaz
Lazayah Lannigan
Jovahna Rivas
Party of the Times is a street dance piece that journeys through the evolution of street dance representation on television. Featuring styles such as Hip-Hop, Popping, and Locking, the lively choreography pays homage to the Black and Brown artists that created these forms and celebrates the shows and films that gave them a platform to spread their craft.
Cast
Joy Arreola
Aryeal Lands
Seongbin Park
Simon Chernow
Intermission
Mass
CREATOR: Abhishek Krishnan
“Mass” is a warm welcome into the world of music and dance within Indian Cinema. Immerse yourself in the exhilarating experience of Indian films, where passionate movement and captivating music come together.
Cast
Simon Chernow
Natalie Garay
Kanchan Raju
Abhishek Krishnan
Richa Kota
Stephanie Singh
Whispering Dolls
CREATOR: Claire Ciserella
Cast
Claire Ciserella
Quinn Wynacht
Arden Emhoff
Victoria Viveiros
Abrianna Herring
Angelina Williams
Inspired by the horror genre, Whispering Dolls navigates a collection of dolls that come to life and taunt the audience with awkward bends and eerie smiles. Using the stage as their “box,” they come alive when it’s dark out.
My Eyes
CREATOR: Cameron Kao
Romantic comedies. There’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing two characters fall in love. Friends, enemies, and strangers to lovers. These tropes all give us such a romanticized lens of finding love…but how does it feel once you shut off the rom-com and see reality?
Cast
Cammie Kao
Mikayla Knestrick
Jordan Rivero
Robbie Button
Michelle Cheng
Dana Worrell
Jae Hall
Nikhil Bathula
Lenny Chen
Fantasy, Fixation, and Futility
CREATOR: Alexis Massey
Cast
Rhea Gill
Elena Bruce
Miranda Kotero
Vanessa Dreyer
Erin Co
Alexis Massey
Sakura Amano
Fantasy, Fixation, and Futility is a piece that explores how excessive film/media stimulation can impact our disposition. If we fill ourselves only on empty entertainment and buy into the satisfaction it falsely promises, we can be left feeling discontent about our own lives. When our thoughts and our hearts are fixated on the fantasies of the screen, there is the temptation to desire falsehood and despise reality. Essentially, we can become blinded to the smaller, everyday joys that have been graciously provided to us. Only once the illusory veil is removed are we able to see the beauty in life and recognize the love that has been supporting us all along.
What's All The Buzz About Danceline?
CREATORS: Reba Thomas & Kylee Miller
Cast
Reba Thomas
Kylee Miller
Kyla Kramer
Angelina Williams
Abrianna Herring
Aryeal Lands
Inspired by Beyonce’s HOMECOMING, this piece explores and incorporates HBCU culture and danceline. It delves into the significance of integrating danceline and Black culture into spaces that have historically not been built for us, reflecting on their impact on the educational experience for Black Americans. This performance celebrates the cultural legacy of danceline, and provides a platform for Black students to express their identity.
Note to Self: She is Beauty, She is Grace!
Cast
Marcella Thile
Lilah Horton
Maddie Skowronek
CREATORS: Lilah Horton and Marcella Thile
Ellianna Pascua
Megan Diaz
Note to Self: She is Beauty, She is Grace! revolves around exploring the cinematic portrayal of female characters, and how that translates to the societal expectations for how women “should be” from the perspective of those who dominate the media. In both introspective and ordinary conversations with ourselves, we contradict the concept of the one-dimensional female persona, drawing on the Bechdel Test and its principles for evaluating film. Ironic in its methods for dismantling the notion of feminine inferiority, the piece performs an extreme contrast by using a hyper-masculine lens—the choreography acting as the antithesis to the image women are expected to uphold. Through the use Hip Hop vocabulary, we reference the disparities women experience within the Street Dance community and the larger dance industry, as it continues to be challenging for both women to enter this space, and for men to make room for female artistic expression.