The Environment Shapes Who We Will Become
The environment that we are exposed to shapes who we are and how we view things. On Tuesday, April 12 at the Granoff Creative Arts Center, Lara Kramer presented her piece, “Native Girl Syndrome” which was inspired by the difficulties her Grandmother endured when she assimilated from a first nation community into a new unfamiliar world. Assimilation can cause someone to feel isolated, helpless, persecuted and impoverished. “Native Girl Syndrome” explores the difficulties of assimilation through a unique and free form of modern dance. By using props, lighting and sound Kramer was able to choreograph a piece that makes you feel the same pains of persecution, helplessness, isolation and suffering that …show more content…
The movements that each dancer conducted was motivated by the hardships of assimilation. In order to cope with the pains of assimilation the two dancers reverted to alcohol and drug consumption, alcohol represses both depression and pain. Both dancers were sipping on beer periodically throughout the dance in hopes of conquering the hopeless isolation of assimilation. Most modern dances are happy and uplifting, “Native Girl Syndrome” was not, it felt like watching an absence of life. Even though the dance seemed more like a skit than a dance it was a perfect example of modern dance; “a free, expressive style of dance.” Each movement made by the dancers could have been interpreted as sad and hopeless. Both dancers continuously fell throughout the dance, got up and fell again planting the idea that they were drunk and …show more content…
From the beginning to the end of the dance the two dancers were drunk, they stumbled around slowly, fell, slept, got up, nervously spasmed out, stripped naked and tried to end the pain. Each of these qualities is caused by the isolation of assimilation. The two dancers portrayed these qualities throughout the dance. The dancers moved slowly and groggily, due to the consumption of alcohol which they hoped would rid the pains of assimilation. The dancers also continuously fell, got up and fell again. I interpreted the act of falling as a way to portray how hard it is just to make it through one day. You feel as if today is the day, you get up… And sadly something bigger than you knocks you down. Instead of getting back up on their two feet immediately, the dancers continuously seemed to accept defeat by withering into a deep sleep. Sometimes they slept on their carriages, sometimes on the floor and other times against each other. I interpreted the excessive amount of sleep as a loss of hope. The two dancers chose to sleep rather than waking up and making the next day better. When Kramer’s grandmother assimilated she clearly dealt with issues of poverty, and discomfort. The two dancers also portrayed the assimilative hardships of poverty through the clothing they wore and the belongings they owned. Each dancer had a baby carriage filled with a
The environment that we are exposed to shapes who we are and how we view things. On Tuesday, April 12 at the Granoff Creative Arts Center, Lara Kramer presented her piece, “Native Girl Syndrome” which was inspired by the difficulties her Grandmother endured when she assimilated from a first nation community into a new unfamiliar world. Assimilation can cause someone to feel isolated, helpless, persecuted and impoverished. “Native Girl Syndrome” explores the difficulties of assimilation through a unique and free form of modern dance. By using props, lighting and sound Kramer was able to choreograph a piece that makes you feel the same pains of persecution, helplessness, isolation and suffering that …show more content…
The movements that each dancer conducted was motivated by the hardships of assimilation. In order to cope with the pains of assimilation the two dancers reverted to alcohol and drug consumption, alcohol represses both depression and pain. Both dancers were sipping on beer periodically throughout the dance in hopes of conquering the hopeless isolation of assimilation. Most modern dances are happy and uplifting, “Native Girl Syndrome” was not, it felt like watching an absence of life. Even though the dance seemed more like a skit than a dance it was a perfect example of modern dance; “a free, expressive style of dance.” Each movement made by the dancers could have been interpreted as sad and hopeless. Both dancers continuously fell throughout the dance, got up and fell again planting the idea that they were drunk and …show more content…
From the beginning to the end of the dance the two dancers were drunk, they stumbled around slowly, fell, slept, got up, nervously spasmed out, stripped naked and tried to end the pain. Each of these qualities is caused by the isolation of assimilation. The two dancers portrayed these qualities throughout the dance. The dancers moved slowly and groggily, due to the consumption of alcohol which they hoped would rid the pains of assimilation. The dancers also continuously fell, got up and fell again. I interpreted the act of falling as a way to portray how hard it is just to make it through one day. You feel as if today is the day, you get up… And sadly something bigger than you knocks you down. Instead of getting back up on their two feet immediately, the dancers continuously seemed to accept defeat by withering into a deep sleep. Sometimes they slept on their carriages, sometimes on the floor and other times against each other. I interpreted the excessive amount of sleep as a loss of hope. The two dancers chose to sleep rather than waking up and making the next day better. When Kramer’s grandmother assimilated she clearly dealt with issues of poverty, and discomfort. The two dancers also portrayed the assimilative hardships of poverty through the clothing they wore and the belongings they owned. Each dancer had a baby carriage filled with a