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This paper illustrates the motivation for my graduate production, Come and Go, which I produced with my classmate, Kuei-Ling Chang. I will introduce the methods of learning the dance choreography, summarize my process, and discuss how my studies at Taipei National University of the Arts have influenced me. In this paper, I will use theoretical texts to analyze the dances to reveal the choreographer’s intended meanings. I will also explain how, as the performer, I was able to interpret the meanings the choreographer hoped to convey to audiences. I will integrate theoretical discourses stemming from Rudolph Laban’s (1879-1958) Movement Analysis and research from Challenge for the Actor by Uta Hagen (1919-2004). I will analyze aspects of each dance that I performed to understand the deeper meanings that the choreographer sought. In addition to researching the dance pieces, I documented each rehearsal through journaling and I supplemented my daily dairy with questions I had previously prepared. The purpose of my note-taking process was for me to examine myself as a dance performer and to unearth important meanings from the dance work itself. In chapter one, I will summarize my motivation for the production, my process of learning the dances, and how these elements influenced me personally while impacting my graduate studies. Then, I will introduce the production process and illustrate the impetus for selecting the dance repertoire from my personal experience and rehearsal process. I will narrate the workflow of my graduate production, Come and Go, including difficulties encountered when collaborating across disciplines and the pain and satisfaction of trying to overcome such obstacles. Also, I will introduce the theories and methodologies that were applied throughout this project. In chapter two, I will analyze the dance entitled Echo in the Ditches, and reveal myself through documenting the rehearsal process. Chapter three will deconstruct Encounter, to analyze the changing of mental states of the performer by asking and answering questions of myself. In chapter four, I will analyze Come and Go, and discuss the inner self-awareness as a performer. Chapter five will summarize and review the content of this paper and discuss method for self-improvement. In conclusion, I will provide suggestions for future performers as a result of my personal experiences.
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