Kristin
Brockman
I chose to become a
dancer because I love and appreciate the art of dance my entire life. With each moment of dance, I am given the
opportunity to grow. Dance is a form
that I can constantly improve upon while appreciating my personal moments of
greatness. I love setting small goals
that I can mentally and physically reach through hard work and deep
investigation. I can investigate my innermost thoughts and desires through
dance. When I work this way I learn more about
myself each day.
I hope to learn more about
myself as a performer throughout this semester's Danstage rehearsal process.
I am cast in two diverse works, and am thrilled to be a part of each
one. I am interested in combining my performance style through the lens of each
choreographer's work. I am excited to
collaborate with choreographers and the dancers to create something exciting!
Rehearsals give me a time to open up my body and
mind and dig deeply into the choreography.
Each rehearsal I am given the opportunity to express myself, work on my
technique and perform. As a dancer in a group work, it’s great to discover my
individual presence as well as my ensemble relationship with other dancers.
Hannah
Carlson
The first time I placed my hand on the ballet barre at the young
age of seven I had no idea what it would later mean to be a dancer, or that
dance would later influence nearly every decision I make as a young adult. My
first pliés were merely a median to glittery costumes and luscious false
eyelashes once a year. I began to dance because I wanted to dress up and play
make-believe. I am forever grateful that my parents had faith in me and invested
thousands of dollars in a child playing dress up in an effort to nurture my
imagination.
I’ve grow to appreciate and love the communicative power of
movement. Working with Melinda Myers has given me the opportunity to work in a
choreographic method that was not familiar to me. head and tail plays with the
factor of chance; it is vital to know all the movement material inside and out,
and to be able to perform it in any direction, with any other cast members, at
varying times. This has been both physically and intellectually challenging and
has left me with a richer understanding of the cause and effect of movement.
Every Thursday the rehearsal for head and tail is directed by
the eight cast members without faculty guidance. I enjoy these rehearsals
because they give the cast a chance to collaborate and practice, apply our
individual strengths and work through a rehearsal like a professional
company.
Kayla Dziak
I began my dance career at the age of five at
Forthcoming Danspace in Stevens Point and am pursuing a dance major at the
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. I
chose to become a dancer because it has been a passion of mine since I was
young. When I started college I was an
education major and a dance minor until I thought about what job I would
actually like to pursue when I graduated; the answer was dance. What better way to spend the rest of my life
than doing something that I love?
This is my first year working with Michael Estanich. I
am very curious about how he creates his work and the creative process that he uses. It is interesting to work with a new
choreographer during my final year at UWSP.
The aspect that I like most about rehearsal is getting to know the cast
and choreographer more personally, in ways that cannot be reached solely in the
classroom.
Emma
Fitzsimmons
Does anyone really
choose to dance? When I was young and first started to dance, I was intrigued
by the mystery of dance. There were so many questions left unanswered and I
knew there were millions of questions that never even crossed my mind. The only
thing I ever knew for sure was that my body loved and desired to dance. I kept
chasing after the answers even as new questions kept appearing faster than I
could solve them. In the large scheme of things, nothing has changed since I
was young. So I keep dancing.
It’s incredibly strange and fun to witness someone trying to
create reality from an idea they have in their head. I hope to gain a better
understanding of this process while rehearsing for Danstage.
What I like most about rehearsals is learning new movement! It’s
the first time to see and learn what the choreographer is trying to do through
their work. Beginnings are so exciting, I never know what to expect. It feels
like opening a highly anticipated present!
Amanda Knutson
I began training in dance at the age of four
at the Dance Connection under the direction of Melissa Grannis, where I trained
in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, pointe and hip hop. In high school I began
training in modern technique and was a member of our studio’s Modern Company
under the direction of Christina Morris. I performed in High School Musical and Cats
the Musical. At UWSP I am double majoring in dance and arts management and
developing my artistry beyond the training I had growing up. This is my last
semester at UWSP, and I’m excited to dig deeply into Michael Estanich's
choreography and learn from his movement approach. This will be my fourth time
working with Michael in Danstage and every year I am able to learn something
new about movement and performance. I am involved in an awesome rehearsal
process knowing this is my last chance to collaborate with Michael and all my
wonderful colleagues as a student. I am continually learning from the other dancers
and discovering the artist within me. I am very grateful to have this
opportunity and look forward to sharing the work with our audiences in April!
Angelina
Wilson
I am a senior Communicative Disorders major, Dance
major, and Psychology minor. After graduating I plan to work as a
Speech-Language Pathologist in a school system.
Last semester I was the Afterimages 2012 production manager. I am also president of the UWSP Chapter of the National Honor Society,
Omicron Delta Kappa, and I am the public relations officer for the National
Student Speech-Language Hearing Association chapter here at UWSP. I was
recently hired to begin teaching Zumba classes at the Anytime Fitness in Stevens
Point. I just absolutely love being a Zumba instructor.
I think of dancing is an expression and extension of myself.
I truly enjoy dancing and believe I was meant to have it as an important part
of my life. My Mom first enrolled me in dance lessons when I was five years old
and I never gave them up. Dancing has become a potential future profession, but
it will never be just a job to me. Dance is another way for me to communicate, to
make a difference in the lives of others, and to be a part of something bigger
than myself.
In Danstage 2013
I am in Michael Estanich’s cast. I am excited to be working with Michael once
again. I was able to perform in his 2011 work, “A Classical Dance I”. Since then
I have grown to become a more confident dancer. I feel, know and understand my
body more deeply. This growth allows me to look at my dancing and see it as beautiful.
Attending
college in general is challenging, and juggling two demanding majors,
leadership roles in student organizations, a job, and still having time to
accurately complete my homework and spend time relaxing with my friends is a
process. It’s a process I’m still mastering and one I have come to accept,
enjoy, and take delight and fulfillment from. With each day I am a new person
and honored by this constant renewal. I am also honored to be working with
Michael again, this time as a more mature dancer and artist, and thrilled to contribute
to his choreographic ideas as he articulately creates this detailed new work.
Rehearsals are demanding, fast paced and require our
full and focused attention. Rehearsals are also an extremely fun way to
collaborate. It’s awesome to be in this heightened atmosphere and to be a part
of a creative journey once again.
