CAST MEMBER: Andrew Farris
Hi there. So I’ve never blogged before, but here is my first attempt:
I wasn’t sure what I was in for when I signed up to be in this video production. I’ve never performed anything in my life, let alone a dance piece. Dancing has never been a skill of mine, and in fact I’ve always been very shy when it comes to dancing. If the occasion to dance comes up at a party, I am very shy and try to avoid getting involved. I know that participating in this project won’t completely change my timidity related to dancing, but I can say that our most recent rehearsal was quite a different experience for me than the first. After the first rehearsal, I felt like crying. I felt so out of place and unsure of my body as I was moving around the floor. Even more terrifying than actually doing the steps was the fear of being judged by the others in the room. I was sure that everyone noticed how awful I was. But recently, I’ve been feeling much less scared of the whole process; I’m feeling more at ease with how I move. I still don’t think I’ll be a professional anytime soon (or ever), and the butterflies don’t go away entirely. But it’s getting easier and more enjoyable each time. One of the hardest parts of the process is creating my own movement. Inventing my own dance steps is a struggle simply because I’ve never done it before and don’t know how my body can move. I’ve not experimented with my creativity in this way before. I’m unsure what the final product will look like, but I hope that it will be something I can be proud of.
Get your tickets at framedance.org/boxoffice.
Lydia Hance is a recipient of an Individual Artist Grant Award. This grant is funded by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. Frame Dance Productions’ Framing Bodies is funded in part by the Puffin Foundation. Frame Dance Productions is a recipient of a Rice University Dance Program Space Grant.
Uncategorized
wow, Andrew. I had no idea that this was your first experience in a movement medium. I couldn’t tell. Good for you for throwing yourself into it!