Embodying foma: dancing to investigate themes in Cat's Cradle Público
Briggs, Laura (Spring 2019)
Published
Abstract
Kurt Vonnegut is one of the most prolific and celebrated writers of the 20th century. In this project, I created an intertwined series of solos based on his seminal 1963 novel Cat’s Cradle, which explores themes of religion, science, and the meaninglessness of human existence. However, Vonnegut tackles these topics with humor and grace, allowing for a childlike curiosity and hope in the midst of despair. The primary goals of this project were to embody the style of Kurt Vonnegut’s writing through movement, to speak to the major themes in Cat’s Cradle through dance, and to create a work that leaves the audience feeling the same way the book makes the reader feel—futility, nihilism, and blind hope for the future.
Table of Contents
Introduction (8)
8 The canary in the coal mine
10 Unethical scientists, untrue saints
13 How to write with style
14 A shared language
15 The solo: a self-examination
Process (16)
16 Double translation
19 Muddling the literary and the personal
23 Sinookas: crafting intertwined solos
34 Amplifying voices
About the work (35)
35 Structure: cascades and explosions
38 Otherworldly light
40 Irony and emotion through sound
40 Shared symbolism in costuming
Performance & evaluation (42)
42 No chaos too chaotic
44 Hope and loneliness: audience perspective
46 Empathy and exhaustion: dancer perspective
Conclusion (50)
Appendices (50)
Bibliography (62)
About this Honors Thesis
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Primary PDF
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Embodying foma: dancing to investigate themes in Cat's Cradle () | 2019-05-10 12:49:03 -0400 |
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