First Impressions

As this is my first season with Ann Arbor Dance Works, I really didn’t know what to expect coming in. I also joined the dance program a semester late, so I didn’t even get to take Composition 1 with Jessica. I really love the calligraphic choreography. It naturally lends to sweeping motions as you picture the huge letters you’re writing in the air, and it makes the choreography very easy to remember – if you know the words you’re writing, you know the choreography! I’ve also been excited to learn more about the controversy surrounding wind energy. Jessica has asked us to read and watch several articles and videos on the topic, and I feel it’s really enriched the rehearsal process. One of my favorite articles that we read is from the New Yorks Times. What I took away most from the article is that while many object to the very development of wind farms because of their threat to birds and bats, the threat can be diminished very simply by raising the speed of wind turbines so that flying animals will be less likely to fly near the turbines (in order to avoid the wind speed). I also especially liked the article in Detroit News that Jessica asked us to read. I wasn’t previously aware that wind turbines caused sound pollution. It also reminded me that the real-world outcomes of these large-scale, moral, and philosophical questions about energy and the environment always come down to policy-making, and more often than not, local policy-making. I’d like to end this post by outlining the individual goals in this project that I’ve set for myself. First, I’d like to work on my partnering – I feel I need to be better at relating physically with those I’m dancing with. Second, I’d like to discover how it feels to embody the imagery and non-physical concepts we’ve been talking in a tangible, real way. I want to really feel the wind inside me as opposed to imagining it there. I’m really excited about how much I’ll learn from Jessica and the other dancers in the project this year!


Alayna Baron