ZION;
the delicate and the unstoppable

May 2000

Performances:
PURCHASE COLLEGE:
Conservatory of Dance, Thesis Concert

Stanford Dance Division:
Thesis Concert, June 2001

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Music : Rachel Grimes

Costumes : Brittany Brown Ceres

Dancers:
Donna Ahmadi, Kathryn Alter, Colleen Cintron, Julie Cretaro, Jeffery Crumrine, Antoine Gadpaille, Jennifer Mills, Lynn Peterson, Roel Seeber

Duration : 15 minutes

Captured Video Still of the Purchase College Performance

As it is historical by name, the pilgrimage of the chosen people of Israel up to their promiseland of Mt. Zion is the initial image that the piece grew from.  It is an ascent upwards: literally up a mountain, or a metaphorical escalation towards a higher state of being. This idea of ascent is continually associated with enlightenment and different rites of passage.  My choreographic plan was to illuminate the necessity of daily commitment through continuous practice, awareness and the trail and error that a journey of this kind requires.

There are infinite numbers of paths that one could choose to follow and each fit a unique individual. The lighting plot of three concentric rings that was designed for the piece illustrated the inter-connection of each journey to the greater community.  The concentric circles were also used as a metaphor for enlightenment and the upward spiral of its attainment.  Zion; the delicate and the unstoppable is a variation of these ideas. The movement material all stems from a duet phrase that begins on the ground and slowly escalates to the air as the piece progresses. Physical touch symbolizes a connection and becomes more frequent at the dance progresses. Three duets separate the group sections, while theme and variation techniques develop one duet into the next.
This piece was my MFA thesis project in New York and was set on a new cast in San Francisco in 2000.