Baldwin Wallace Conservatory students collaborated with the Department of Sociology to present fyoo zh en 15: New Music + Dance. This year, inspired by Dr. Carol Gregory, the performers presented The Warriors’ Journey.
This project was based on a violence prevention program created by Dr. Gregory, to analyze how the United State Marine Corps operates, and how it is currently affecting peoples lives.
“For fyoo zh en 15, we were all really excited for a change of pace; that’s exactly what Dr. Gregory and her research brought for us. Sure, we may not have been able to directly relate to the issue, but it was definitely easy to emote and empathize with the problems surrounding PTSD. The piece became much more conducive; it was something we could relate to,” Alanna Grafius, junior, said.
The Warriors’ Journey was explained through three movements, The Battlefield, Home, and Synthesis. There were 11 choreographers and 11 composers that were given the freedom to come up with their ideas for their pieces.
“The theme I chose to go with for my piece, in Battlefield, was the group versus the individual. I want to show the struggle and the strength of being a part of a group and yet how that suppresses individuality but in the end when you’re stripped of the group you’re left to being only that same individual that you were before but with the experiences of having the group,” Gabriella Martinez, junior choreographer, said.
Many of the students from the Department of Theater and Dance and the Dance Program participated in fyoo zh en 15. They worked closely with the Conservatory of Music to compose this year’s show.
“The whole idea of student composers and choreographers was very interesting to me. The two pieces I danced in were in the section called Synthesis-which was focused around the minds and emotions of those who were once at battle. Both pieces required an emotion that I had never felt while dancing. The dances I love to perform are the ones that not only impact an audience but the dancers as well” Sabrina Jaffe, freshman, explained.
“As an out of state freshman I went into this blindly. All I knew is that dance is my life and my future career and I needed to act upon the opportunity to get audition experience and perform…I was so excited and went through rehearsals learning more about myself as a dancer and a team player and working with amazing choreographers to awesome music,” Rebecca Montague, freshman said.
This was the first year that fyoo zh en incorporated the Theater and Dance Technical Theater Program. Chris Meyers, BW senior, used fyoo zh en 15’ as his Capstone Project for lighting and design, in collaboration with Professor Jeff Herrmann.
BW students, Molly Huey, Abi Scott and Nick Lynch designed the costumes for fyoo zh en 15, in collaboration with Professor Charlotte Yetmen.
“It took a lot of the time, but it was a really wonderful experience,” Martinez said.