three pages refelction free-writing paper

Nature and human, environmental awareness

the location(on water, Nature and human), Time, Music, Costume (nylon pick and yellow with flutter fabric), choreography-the movement (Nature and human)

Below is a reference sample paper from my classmate:

Invisible River, Visible Beauty

Dance classes at Drexel always require students to watch at least one live performance per term in order to help students have better understanding of being a dancer by experiencing performance as an audience first. I have taken a lot of dance classes at Drexel and also participated as a member of dance ensemble. However I have always went to either FreshDance or Dance Ensemble show at Drexel because it is the most convenient show I can reach to due to my busy schedule. Instead of going to a Drexel dance show, my two classmates and I actually went to see a live show outside of campus. And I can say it is by far the most special dance performance I have ever experienced in my life.

It is unique in a lot of ways but the first I want to write about is definitely the location. Instead of having the performance on a traditional stage, Invisible River dance piece was actually performed live outdoor on the river. Before the performance started, two dancers climbed up into the inner part of the bridge right beneath the bridge surface. They were all tied with tools on their body, which helps them to move up and down in the air. The other two dancers started the performance on a small boat. As of the audiences, everyone was sitting along the riverside on the glass. Some of the audiences brought picnic mats and chairs. The whole environment was very relaxing and enjoyable before the show started. Honestly I really loved the informal style of the show because it brought the audiences closer to the performers. Usually shows in the theaters are very serious and formal, and I think sometimes it scares audiences away because people prefer a more easygoing show that they can dress in jeans and t-shirts instead of dressed up with high heels and suits.

Because of the outdoor location, the lighting is another interesting factor of the whole show. The dance started around 7:30, which is the exact time for sunset. The sun shined on the river with all the sparkly reflections, the shadow of the trees also reflected on the river that add in a little romantic element into the whole show atmosphere. And as the surrounding gets darker and darker, there was no need of controlling the professional lightings on the stage; the nature does its wonder. And all we had to do was to appreciate the beauty of nature’s creation. The only technology used was the speaker for music, since the show was performed outdoor; the music has to play out louder than usual in order for all the audience to hear the music clearly, because the sound went away quickly and absorbed fast by the surrounding. The background music choice was more towards modern style of music with no lyrics nor singing. However the music fit very well with the whole performance.

Costumes are always a huge deal when it comes to the performance. It is not only a piece of clothing that covers the dancers body, but also the spirit of the whole dance piece. The costumes helps to get the audiences quickly into the story, it is a very important part of the storytelling. For this particular show, the dancers wore a very bright pink outfit, and there were gold shinny decorations on the side of the dance costumes. I think the costume designers did a great job because unlike the traditional stage performance, outdoors performance lack of spotlights and other professional lighting. Therefore choosing a bright color costume will help draw the focus from the audiences to the dancers. There was a key feature I love the most about the costume, which are the sleeves. Dancers rolled up the very long sleeves around their arms and as they slowly came down to the river surface from the bridge, the dancers extended the sleeves as if they had wings. It was such an enjoyable moment as an audience to watch it.

Lastly I want to express my opinions as a dancer for the whole show. I really enjoyed watching the show because it was very unique compare to all the all performances I have been to. The performance was very challenging skill wise because the dancers were hung very high up in the air by the strings. The show is more like a combination of the dance and acrobatics; the dancers did countless of spins and turns. And it is hard to think that the dancers were only protected by the thin string. I enjoy the level change particularly for this show, the performer were up high in the air, or dancing in a boat. The choreographer did a great job combing the natural elements with performing arts. However there was only one thing I thought it could be better which is the storyline of the dance. It was kind of hard to follow along the dance piece. I wasn’t sure of the main idea of the show, however as an audience I would prefer to not just look at a pretty view but also understanding the emotions behind body language. Besides that I really enjoy the entire performance it was very special.