Dance students showcase talents, friendship in 'Cusp'
by Paloma McGregor
Emily Johnson and Carisa Armstrong traveled different paths to discover their love of dance. Johnson began studying ballet at age 4; Armstrong did not start until she was a sophomore in high school.
The two, both from Texas, met at a dance team workshop in their teens. They then became close friends when they studied dance at Southwest Texas State University. Three years ago, they set out together on the most intense artistic journey of their young lives as they entered CWRU's graduate dance program.
Johnson
and Armstrong said navigating the demands of the program has taught them
as much about their commitment to one another as it has about dance.
Johnson and Armstrong said navigating the demands of the program has taught them as much about their commitment to one another as it has about dance.
The result of their journey is a joint dance concert, the final step toward fulfilling the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree in the Mather Dance Program. The concert, On the Cusp, will be presented Feb. 21-24 at Mather Dance Center.
The concert fully explores the range of Johnson and Armstrong's abilities as conceptual, creative and performing artists.
"The Web" is a solo delving into Johnson's journey toward self-individualization, for which an original score was created by composer Matthew Apanius.
The two also will perform "Tides and Solitudes," which is choreographed by Sally Wallace, an alumna of CWRU's graduate dance program. It involves six dancers sailing through space using a pole prop; the dance is adapted from a choreographic study Wallace created while at CWRU.
Johnson and Armstrong co-choreographed "Mutual Path," another dimension of the concert, which explores the many facets of their friendship and artistic collaboration. For "Fallen," Armstrong pulls triple duty as the choreographer, dancer and costume designer. The latter is a skill she has honed while in the program.
The dancers said one of the joys of this collaborative process has been the discoveries they have made about themselves and the dances along the way.
"You can guide choreography along and nurture it in a particular direction, but you can never be certain what the end product will be," said Armstrong, who is 26. "It is similar to raising a child. You can nurture and love that child as it grows, but you will not find out what type person they are until they have matured."
The collaboration was a natural outgrowth of their deepening friendship and similar visions.
"We both appreciate work that is disciplined, well-crafted, reflects training and has both integrity and conscious choice," said Johnson, 27.
And though compromise was sometimes challenging, neither said they would have traded working together on this project.
"The joys are much more vibrant than the challenges," Johnson said. "Working in collaboration allows for a continuous outside eye, a constant shoulder of support and a continuous influx of creative input. We recharge each other cyclically, creating combustion of creative energy."
Concert tickets are $9 for general admission, $7 for seniors or CWRU employees and $5 for students. For information, call 368-6262.
