This week we interviewed Sophia Andreyev. Sophia is a senior working on her second piece for Raw Edges. Raw Edges is our next show on May 6-8.
What is the overall idea/ concept behind your piece?
I’m choreographing as
part of my capstone project which is on multimedia performance. I wanted to
find a concept that would support this concept well. I decided to create a
piece about two people who are at the end of a relationship, who are struggling
to leave and are looking back on the beginning. In addition to the live dancers
there will be a projected video of the same dancers, which will serve as a
window into their memories.
What inspired your idea for this piece?
As a said before, I
was looking for something where I could utilize several different ways of story
telling to create the piece. I also have a tendency to lean to nostalgic
concepts in my choreography. These two elements mixed with some personal
experiences led to the concept.
How do you choose the different aspects of your piece:
music, dancers, costuming, lighting, etc?
I actually struggled
with finding music for the piece for quite a while. I was also having a hard
time coming up with choreography while searching for the song, but when I heard
it, all the pieces fell together so easily. I chose the dancers that I did
because I knew that they would understand the feelings behind the piece and be
able to capture and project the right intentions. I also chose them because I
knew that they would be willing to experiment and play around with different
ideas.
How do you approach choreographing a piece?
First I usually work
on a couple pieces of choreography that I can use as a source to draw on for
the rest of the piece. Then once I am in the studio with my dancers, I use both
the phrases I created and some new movement in the same style. Most of the
movement comes pretty spontaneously which I like the feel of. I think that way
it also has some room to evolve on the dancers and so then looks more natural.
What is the most exciting part about choreographing?
I think my two
favorite parts about choreographing are both coming up with the initial
material and then watching as my cast members make it their own.
How much time do you spend in the studio, both on your own
and with the dancers in your piece, to determine your choreography?
For this piece I
haven’t spent that much time in the studio. I have about three hours a week to
set the choreography on my dancers, besides a few minutes here and there to
work some things out, that’s pretty much all I use.
How is the process different this year when choreographing
for your capstone versus last year when you choreographed for Raw Edges?
Last year I felt as if I hadn’t fully
developed the concept behind the piece and it was lacking for that. This year I
am much more confident in the work. For the most part because I have been
living with it for the better part of a year.
If you could offer insight as to how the capstone is
completed with choreography?
I think it is really
important to find a general idea for your capstone that you are really
passionate about. I would recommend that you find that before you really think
of an idea for your piece. Because you also have to write a research paper on
your topic, it allows for a really deep and complex piece if you put the work
into it. Once you have put in all the grunt work, the ideas about the actual
piece evolve so much more easily.
