Virginia VanLieshout

DANCE 323

Kaufmann

00001410465

Engaged Learning: Main Stage

The Main Stage performance gave me the opportunity to develop my professional and

intellectual knowledge of dance. Since Ive come to Loyola, the program has emphasized

strong ties to social justice which was something I am very passionate about, but had never

directly molded with my dance education. The piece I was cast in, the Varshavianka, helped me

connect to the mission statement by comparing new and old social justice topics.

Jennifer Sprowls restaged piece, the Varshavianka, is a particularly good example of

connections between old and new social justice issues. The Varshavianka, which was originally

choreographed by Isadora Duncan in 1924, was a dedication to the massacre victims in the 1905

Polish Revolution. The dance portrays a brigade of soldiers whose members are killed in battle

while passing a flag from person to person that represents the spirit of the revolution. As the last

soldier dies and lays on the ground with the others, the first dead soldier arises, taking the flag

from the last dying soldier and calls all of his dead comrades to stand and fight for the

revolution.

The 1905 Polish Revolution was part of the Russian revolution that eventually led to the

overthrowing of the Russian tsar. In Poland it started among the educated class who were

unhappy that they had to speak only Russian and study Russian culture in their classes. As the

movement grew in popularity, it became more of a peasant strike against working conditions and
low pay in factory jobs. This bloody revolution eventually led to the rise of the communist

system and the overthrowing for the Tsar.

Being an apart of this piece really gave me a new outlook onto a bystanders role in social

justice movements. Duncan was not a Russian citizen nor was she impacted by the plight of the

Russian government. She had no reason to choreograph a piece like this to alert the rest of the

world to the brutality in Russia. Even though Russian peasant uprisings were vastly unpopular in

the home country of the United State due to promotion of communism, Duncan still made a

piece that would evoke sympathy for the Russian people among the rest of the world. This is this

closely aligns with the mission statement in that it provides us with a new way to present

information. So many people seen dance as just entertainment but it can do so much more.

Duncan communicated the distress of an entire country to the rest of the globe and there is

something that can be learnt about the power of dance from that. I think its especially important

to note that Duncan had no obligation to get involved in the Russian revolution, she could have

remained a neutral bystander, she could have avoided the conflict, but she didnt. She dove head

first into the problem and vocally talked about it despite the fact that it was a very unpopular

opinion. As a school that prides ourselves on our involvement in social justice, we could stand to

learn a lesson or two from Duncan. We should be just as eager to jump into problem that dont

directly impact us. We have to be a voice for people who dont have one.

Participating in Main Stage also impacted my professional development by teaching me

to work with an ensemble, injury care and prevention and synthesis through performance.

Being able to work with an ensemble in one of the most important and useful skills for a

dancer and the only way to become proficient in it is lots and lots of practice. Almost every

dancer whose feet have touched a stage as been part of an ensemble at some point. Being a part
of these groups teach team work and how to preform as a unit. Since no one dancer should stand

out more than another in an ensemble dancer has to learn to dance in a cohesive fashion that is

still true to themselves.

Over the course of Main Stage rehearsals and performances I learnt how to care for my

body. There are many different things that a dancer has to do to preserve their health. Injury

prevention is key. There are many ways to prevent injuries besides just generally being careful.

Warming up is the best prevention during long rehearsals. Dancing while the muscles are still

cold is an accident waiting to happen which is why we had at least an hour of class to warm up

our muscles and work through the range of motions wed be needing for the performance.

Beyond warming up, nutrition is also very important. Performers need to be very conscious

about what theyre putting into their bodies because it impacts their ability to dance. Foods high

in protein are needed for sustained energy. Foods that dont provide carbs, protein or

macro/micro nutrients should be consumed in low quantities since they dont benefit the body

and can make the dancer feel more sluggish, increasing the probability of injury.

Another vital skill that I learnt through preparation for Main Stage was synthesis through

performance. Synthesis through performance includes a lot of different skills including

application of technique and musicality. Rehearsal and performance allows a dancer to apply the

technical information they learn in their pieces to other settings. In Varshavianka, we were

taught to initiate all of our movement from the solar plexus and even though thats not were

movements come from in ballet, it made me very conscious of my core during ballet classes

which has benefited me greatly. Performance also teaches the importance of musicality,

something that doesnt always come out in class. Our classes often have a smaller need for

musicality, instead serving as a lab where we get corrections and then apply them. This can lead
to forgetfulness when following the music. However, in a performance, there is no choice but to

learn the musicality. You have to be able to count the music, follow the rhythms, understand how

much time you have for each section of choreography, and know your cues. A sequences timing

can completely change, depending on the music.

Overall Main Stage was a great experience that opportunity to develop my professional

and intellectual knowledge of dance and social justice through Duncans philosophy, working

with an ensemble, injury care and prevention, and synthesis through performance.