INTERVIEW WITH CHOREOGRAPHER RICKY DASHNER

 

Ricky Dashner is an ACC Dance Major enrolled in the Choreography/Composition class. He has truly enjoyed this class and says that creating this evening-length piece titled, Why We Still Believe in Magic,  has been a new and fun experience. He has always been a part of groups that have pre-set choreography, so having the opportunity to move with his own ideas has been amazing. This process has helped him learn the different ways that he can dance while expressing emotions and tell an audience a story about what he is feeling through movement. He experienced several group assignments & activities that opened up his own personal boundaries with movement. The activities personally helped him to be more vulnerable and open with the other dancers.  This class has helped him to explore different styles and create a dance with authenticity. Ricky’s section of the piece relates to the loss of his grandpa and also a very close friend. He explains, “Moving those emotions not only from my mind but through my body as well helped create the choreography for his section.”.  He says that the story he is attempting to tell onstage may not reflect identically to what he was feeling as he was creating his choreography.  He expresses that there may be a difference in perspective and experience in the piece that allows the audience to leave with their own personal feeling about what they may have just seen. This is the art of Modern Dance.