Drifting
Circles
“Drifting Circles” is inspired by the inferiority black women face when navigating social atmospheres that dismiss their cultural identity.​
“Whiteness manifests itself in practice through instructor demeanor, which, in turn, affects classroom dynamics and overall tenor of the learning environment. Likewise, an instructor can select content that defaults to Whiteness to maintain a curriculum that is a universalized standard—further perpetuating the Anglo-Saxon norm. In dance, this occurs when Black and Brown dancing bodies are left out, either through omission or by relegating them to separate chapters in dance history. When operating from this norm, content becomes an endorsement to dismiss certain ideas, positions, or groups because they do not fit into dominant approaches to teaching dance history. Such are entrenched in a Eurocentric paradigm—whitewashing content and teaching methodology in the process. In the United States, racism marked Black and Brown bodies as inferior, and White bodies as superior.”
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McCarthy-Brown, Nyama.
Albright, Ann Cooper
“Unlike most other cultural productions, dance relies on the physical body to enact its own representation. But at the very moment the dancing body is creating a representation, it is also in the process of actually forming that body. Put more simply, dancing bodies simultaneously produce and are produced by their own dancing. This double moment of dancing in front of an audience is one in which the dancer negotiates between objectivity and subjectivity--between seeing and being seen, experiencing and being experienced, moving end being moved-- thus creating an interesting shift of representational codes that pushes us to rethink the experience of the body within performance.”
“Context plays a vital role in the imposter syndrome as women are looking to others to determine what characteristics make one an authentic academic or professional. In comparing themselves to whom they deem as authentic academics or professionals, women notice differences and begin to feel like counterfeits. This feeling activates the dangerous cycle of women attempting to forecast others’ perception of them and then performing behaviors based on those assumed perceptions.”
Edwards, Callie Womble.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
Intro: True Love
The solo that begins Drifting Circles was inspired by Nina Simones "Black is the color of my true loves hair. The empathy in her voice aligns with the empathy a black women must embody in communities that continuously oppress them.
Phase II: The Pulse
The group section of Drifting Circles was inspired by Anne Muller's "Drifting Circles". The pulsating rhythms highlighted the continuity of pathways and societal norms on college campuses. This track also inspired the title of the work.
The Finale: Sunshine before Retrograde
The final section of Drifting Circles was inspired by Roy Ayers' Everybody Loves the Sunshine. The carefree summer vibes in this track highlights the underlying individuality that lies within everyone despite their subconscious behaviors that fit the mold of the spaces they navigate daily.
Scene Design
Fun Fact: The human brain can generate enough energy to light up a small light bulb (about 12-25 watts).
The hanging lightbulbs in Drifting Circles represent three spaces. The stage left light represents a personal space in which one feels they can express themselves free from judgement. The center light represents a shared space and the way we subconsciously run from our individuality to fit the mold of society. The stage right light represents a judgement free zone where we can express our authentic individuality.
Costume Design
Studies show that wearing a suit can increase your self confidence by allowing you to come off as professional and confident.
The pants suits worn by the dancers in Drifting Circles is a visual representation of how educational settings shape people to "come off" as professional and confident, while dismissing their identity and emotions, thus resulting in the imposter phenomenon.
Mood Board
This is an image of the original mood board created for Drifting Circles. The natural earth tones represent the individuality in the dancers by highlighting the range of skin tones.