Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Breakthrough

As a social work major, I have found a passion in foster care and how individuals are treated in the system. Often, siblings are separated and are to never see each other again until they age out. My choreographic research shows what would happen if siblings were ripped apart and can’t do anything about the separation, which can grab attention and give a visual on fear of separation. This piece shows two loving sisters that comes together in the beginning to share a memory. As the piece goes on, the two sisters get pulled their separate ways, which leads to an argument. Dynamics of the movement start small and work their way up to heavier movement to communicate aggression and tension. These dynamics show how their bond is drastically changing. In the end, they find that an imaginary barrier separates them, and they must find a way to forgive one another to break the barrier and come back together. Throughout the process of this piece, my dancers have read several foster care excerpts and came up with a phrase based on what they read, which helped with the connection of the sibling connection and separation.