Awareness and Assurance

Arts and Humanities Event #3

On Thursday I attended the It Gets Better benefit concert and found myself in a cozy theater being serenaded by a multitude of Elon’s talented artists. Apparently, this event has been held before, considering my suitemates were all very excited to see it again. I had never been before but was very intrigued and I was not disappointed. The show began with an introduction by the two students who presumably coordinated the event and a video discussing the importance of the event and the awareness it raises. Then, performers appeared on either side of the theater and began singing “Live It With Love.” The rest of the night passed with groups and soloists performing their renditions of songs that gave a positive message about self-image and accepting others. I especially enjoyed the original poem that was performed and the routine by Elon’s Finest.

I must admit that I was actually slightly confused throughout the event. I don’t think that the actual reason for the event or the It Gets Better project was ever specifically stated. I had no prior experience with the project and consequently didn't really know what they were specifically trying to raise awareness for.  By the end of the show, I think I understood. Considering that it was an event meant to raise awareness, I wish it had been explained more clearly so that people not completely aware of the social context were not excluded.

What I found most incredible about this event was the way everyone was working toward a common cause. A cappella groups that constantly seem to be in competition were working together on equal grounds to entertain and spread awareness. Students from different departments were gathered as one group to share their collective views. I was also intrigued by the songs that were chosen for the concert. I think that the songs were personally chosen and some of them are very popular and familiar. I did not usually consider them in the context of bullying or LGBT issues, but the artists clearly did. It helped me see the different perceptions people have in relation to art. It all depends on where one has been personal experience and understanding of relevant contexts. In some cases, the meanings of the songs changed because of the context they were placed in. 

Nicole Ivan - Dancing in the Black Box

         From November 7-9, Elon Dance Company held its annual fall concert, Dancing in the Black Box. It was a show filled with works by faculty, guest artists, and even students. The pieces selected for the show may have ranged drastically in style and meaning, however, they all shared the commonality of being performed passionately, with both great precision and intention.

            One of the pieces that really resonated with me was titled, “Letting Go” choreographed by Jane Wellford. This piece began in a very unexpected manner as each dancer recited a phrase regarding what the idea of “letting go” meant to them. Each phrase was unique and individualized and in my opinion, very powerful. I felt it was an effective way to begin the piece due to the fact that right from the start anyone in the audience could understand what the piece was about and what the basis for it was. The dancers took on specific characters with each processing and dealing with their own crisis as the dance progressed and developed. From this point on the piece continued to impress as the movement portion of the dance began. The movement vocabulary of this piece was very simple initially and appeared to be very reflective. In other words, the movement of this piece was more thoughtful as opposed to physical. It consisted of more than just intense, physical movement sequences and this was a nice change for once. Overall this piece kept a consistent theme of using basic elements to allow the message to really shine through and it was both well-choreographed and well performed..

Another one of the pieces entitled “Broken Record,” choreographed by Katie Baker drew me in as well. Right from the start, this piece dove into non-stop, intricate, and innovative choreography. The piece began with movement that had strong focus and became more erratic as the piece continued on. There was never a calm portion of this dance however, as the end was significantly crazier than the beginning with the dancer becoming significantly more obsessive and frustrated as the piece continued on. Throughout the piece, the dancer was attempting to draw the audience in to the way she felt which was crazed, frustrated, and obsessive over everything. This piece was not one in which the audience merely observed nice lines, shapes, or aesthetically pleasing sequences of choreography, but one that engaged the mind and made you wonder about what could be going on in the dancer’s mind as she completed the movement and what the choreographer’s exact intent with the piece was.

            Throughout this entire concert, the artistry and commitment of the performers was very evident. Every performer was very dedicated to their individual dances and this paid off as none of the pieces disappointed. At some point throughout the course of the show, someone had said that watching shows in the Black Box Theater was their favorite because the close proximity to the dancers makes them feel as if they are a part of the action. I feel the same way as I was drawn in and enraptured by every piece and every performance. Observing and analyzing the various different elements of the pieces, such as lighting and costumes, and their roles in the overall perception of the piece, as well as determining their individual themes kept me intellectually engaged for the entirety of the show. 

Jessica Francis Kane Reading

Last week I attended a reading by Jessica Francis Kane, a critically acclaimed author of two short story books and one novel.  During the reading she read from her latest book of short stories, “This Close.”

While we had been reading her book in class it was a completely new experience having the story “The Essentials of Acceleration” read aloud to us. Hearing her read her own work out loud was so much different than reading it to myself. Essentially it served to cut away the middleman of my own mind and hear the work in it’s truest voice. 

While Kane has a very unique writing style, it is often easy to let our own interpretations and mindsets color what we’re reading.  While this is not a bad thing, in fact it’s often what makes reading so special and personal to us, I also realized how important tone and voice are in writing.  If you as a writer want a piece to be read a certain way, you have to put in the extra effort needed to make that happen in the reader’s mind.  It would be interesting to compare different reading styles to how the author writes and see if the author has written in such a way that there is no need to add anything extra to the piece.  I think probably it would be hard to read your own piece and not add inflections where you would like to change things, but I bet some of the greatest writers are able to read from their work as is without any added variations whatsoever.

Elon’s Quasquicentennial Historical Exhibit

Last weekend I was asked to attend at least one Elon 125^th Homecoming event by my Media Writing class and report on it.  I picked Elon’s Quasquicentennial Historical Exhibit, not really knowing what to expect.  However, when I walked in I realized that Elon had decided to tell its tale through pictures. 

All four walls were covered in pictures that depicted important events that transpired at Elon University.  I found myself drawn in by the story told by a combination of pictures and short commentary beneath each of them.  Elon catalogued not only its successes, such as the first woman and African American to graduate from the university, but also it’s challenges.  Using powerful pictures taken during crises such as the fire that burned down most of the newly built school, the outbreak of Spanish Influenza following World War I, and 9/11, the Historical Exhibit  ended up making a very noticeable effect on me.

By using pictures, the artists helped me to relate to things that happened over a hundred years ago.  I realized that I was part of an institution that had grown over the years thanks to students like me that had lived through completely different things then I’ve ever had to face in my life.  Simple historical pictures, I realized, were able to not only tell a story, but also helped me connect to the greater community of Elon.