Trilogy: Translating into Movement the Exploration of a Personal Identity in the Context of a Divided Relationship Open Access

Abstract

Dance is an art form that allows infinite possibilities for self-expression and communication. It is an ideal medium through which I can explore my personal identity in depth without reservation or concerns. Through this research of choreography and performance, I hope to signify my personal attempt to reconcile my conflicted identity in relation to the current political environment between Beijing and Hong Kong. The evening-long work is divided into three sections: a nineteen-minute long group piece, a six-and-a-half-minute duet, and a seven-minute solo.

Before I started choreographing, I examined the political relationship between the cities of Beijing and Hong Kong in the past century. In December 2016, I traveled to Hong Kong and took photos of the city. For my artistic research, I surveyed three Chinese modern dance choreographers' works to look at how Chinese choreographers have used modern dance and its Western ideology to create artwork that is truly authentic and representative of Chinese culture.

The choreographic process is focused around two major "struggles": Hong Kong's struggle to hold onto its identity after its return to China, and my own struggle about to what extent I identify with that conflict. The two struggles are not exactly linear and parallel, but intertwined. Some common themes between the two, which I explored in my choreography, include multiculturalism, self-expression, identity searching, access to information, conflict, and memory.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction 1
Historical Research 5
Personal Research 7
Artistic Research 22
Who you see is not who we are 28
Two in one encounter 39
Missing pieces 45
Audience Feedback 51
Conclusion 54
Appendix A: Promotional Flyer 56
Appendix B: Concert Program 57
Appendix C: Post-Concert Survey 59
Appendix D: ACDA South Regional Conference 2017 Gala Selections 61
Appendix E: Performance Photographs 62
References 70

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Dance and Movement Studies
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Dance
Keyword	dance and movement studies translation identity
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Catellier, Gregory, Emory University
Committee Members	Staib, George, Emory University Rohrer, Judith, Emory University

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