By: Solana Temple
I am excited to introduce the Senior Production 2015 Calendar! I have been counting down the days until the release date, and it is now just a weekend away. Each year, as a fundraiser, the senior class tackles the challenge of developing a calendar before the first semester is over. Many steps had to be taken before we could have the final, tangible product, such as finding a photographer, choosing a date that would work with each class member’s individual schedule, negotiating a theme and agreeing on a clothing look. This year my class collaborated with the photographer Matthu Placek, who was introduced to the class by our very own classmate Austin Goodwin. Through collaboration with Matthu, the class came to decide upon the theme of colors. We found a powder pigment, which is essentially colored cornstarch. The colors have been arranged in a spectrum, to break down the year’s seasons into 12 months, with each month having a color to correspond with the season and the feelings that come with it. Once the decisions were made, we were on track to shoot the calendar, on a Tuesday afternoon.
In order to prepare for Tuesday’s photo shoot, Monday night was committed to setting up the space. Due to the nature of our theme, and because none of us had ever used the pigments, the entire space had to be covered by a tarp in order to prevent staining of the walls and the marley floor. Initially, we only covered the area we knew the powder would be in contact with. After taking a few photos the reality of the powder kicked in. We were throwing it in the air, the powder particles float and travel, and were settling on everything that was in the room, including the entire floor, barrés, bags and camera equipment. Somehow at this point, because of class scheduling, I was one of the only people around and began to have a slight panic attack. I started moving my classmate’s belongings out of the room while some others began to sweep the space. Sweeping just wasn’t cutting it, so we cut open trash bags, transformed them into tarps, and attempted to cover the rest of the room. Once that small episode had passed, we all relaxed and just to be safe, told Risa Steinberg she was not allowed to go in the room until the shoot was over. Risa is our mentor for the project and we were a little concerned she would flip if she saw how the space looked midway through the process, especially because at the end of the night we were not allowed to leave school until the space contained zero remains of the pigment.
Despite the necessity of attending to the practical elements of the photo shoot, as a dancer, the day was awesome! The class was broken up into 12 groups and each group decided on what kind of movement they thought would best encompass the month’s weather, color and feeling. It was exhilarating to dance in the midst of such vibrant colors. It was fun seeing how the once “normal” dance movement transformed into something magical once powder was involved. I was in awe the first time I saw Matthu’s prints, a week after the shoot; they turned out to be even more stunning than I imagined possible.
Another highlight from that day was that my classmate Blake Kraples decided to bring his video camera, and filmed some of the experience. Little did I know, he had a greater intention; and, with the help of classmates has created a compilation video of the photo shoot, which has become a trailer for the calendar. If you have not seen it yet please click here to watch it. I have probably seen it twenty times by now, and I still smile every time I watch it.
I am just so proud of my class for pulling off the first half of this fundraising feat. Learning how important it is to communicate and be prompt in responding to emails has made the process smoother, since this is such a time-sensitive project. Now, in order to complete the second half of our fundraiser, we need your help! Calendars will be on sale during the run of New Dances, December 10th-14th, in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater lobby. If you are unable to make the performances, visit here, for more information on how to purchase a calendar. Make sure you purchase one before we sell out!
Despite the necessity of attending to the practical elements of the photo shoot, as a dancer, the day was awesome! The class was broken up into 12 groups and each group decided on what kind of movement they thought would best encompass the month’s weather, color and feeling. It was exhilarating to dance in the midst of such vibrant colors. It was fun seeing how the once “normal” dance movement transformed into something magical once powder was involved. I was in awe the first time I saw Matthu’s prints, a week after the shoot; they turned out to be even more stunning than I imagined possible.
Another highlight from that day was that my classmate Blake Kraples decided to bring his video camera, and filmed some of the experience. Little did I know, he had a greater intention; and, with the help of classmates has created a compilation video of the photo shoot, which has become a trailer for the calendar. If you have not seen it yet please click here to watch it. I have probably seen it twenty times by now, and I still smile every time I watch it.
I am just so proud of my class for pulling off the first half of this fundraising feat. Learning how important it is to communicate and be prompt in responding to emails has made the process smoother, since this is such a time-sensitive project. Now, in order to complete the second half of our fundraiser, we need your help! Calendars will be on sale during the run of New Dances, December 10th-14th, in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater lobby. If you are unable to make the performances, visit here, for more information on how to purchase a calendar. Make sure you purchase one before we sell out!