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03.04.09

Contacts: Creativity & Arts at Emory, Jessica Moore, jkmoore@emory.edu, 404-727-1687

Release written by Caitlin Yuhas and Ellen Lyle

Complex Relationships Explored Through Dance Event March 26-27

Ellen Lyle and Caitlin Yuhas, Emory College seniors, present “Hostile Harbors,” a collaborative dance concert featuring original and reconstructed choreography that serves as the culmination of their honors thesis projects on Mar. 26-27, 2009 at 8 p.m. in the Dance Studio of Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, 1700 N. Decatur Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322. This evening-length concert, which is free and open to the public, showcases the research efforts of Lyle and Yuhas in the areas of choreography and performance respectively.

Lyle’s choreographic research – in the form of two large-group works and one duet – takes on an autobiographical perspective, looking at relationships from the viewpoint of the individual. For the first of her group pieces, Lyle re-stages “Heartstitching,” a contemporary work from 2007 created in memory of her mother, Laberta C. Lyle. Set to the music of Henryk Górecki, the work reflects Ellen’s emotional reactions to losing her mother. The work is inspired by elements of her mother’s life that are now constant reminders of her love and generosity.

Lyle’s newest group piece, “in the back of a NY apartment at midnight with twinkies,” playfully investigates literal and emotional accessibility. Through a series of eccentric vignettes, Lyle turns the most basic “Hi, my name is…” into an exploration of what it means to share our personalities and our experiences, (essentially “ourselves”), with others.

For her performance project, Yuhas delves into the theme of antagonism. In a set of four works she aims to embody emotional hostility and translate it into diverse physical interpretations. In the first piece, a new trio by Atlanta choreographer and Emory College alum Blake Beckham, Yuhas explores the danger of “loving something to death.” The movement shifts from supportive to oppressive and back again, blurring the line between comrade and foe.

After a first performance in the Fall 2008 Emory Dance Company Concert, Yuhas revisits “Little Ease,” a signature 1985 work by renowned choreographer Elizabeth Streb. Here, the “antagonist” is the environment of the piece – an open-faced, coffin-sized box meant to restrict normal movement. Yuhas utilizes Streb’s aggressive choreography to challenge the seemingly narrow confines of the space.

“To the Victor, A Saucer of Milk,” a comical duet re-staged by faculty member George Staib, magnifies the nuances of a first-class catfight. Here, Yuhas dons the persona of ultimate “mean girl.” As she takes a break from pulling her opponent’s hair to reapply her lip gloss and flirt with audience members, we are reminded of the well-groomed bullying that often occurs among females.

In keeping with the collaborative nature of their work, Lyle and Yuhas will present a final “crossover piece” – a duet choreographed by Lyle and performed by both students. The work, titled “You Away/Soutiens-Moi,” is a personal account of inner antagonism in a friendship. Aside from the openness of this relationship, there is also a battle between wanting and needing to ask for support and the fear of rejection or distancing from one another. The students’ work collides to reveal the complexities of their emotional interactions, as developed over the span of their undergraduate careers.

For information call the Arts at Emory box office at 404-727-5050, or visit www.arts.emory.edu.

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CALENDAR LISTING:

“Hostile Harbors,” Senior Dance Thesis Concert , March 26-27, 2009, 8 p.m., Dance Studio, Schwartz Center, 1700 N. Decatur Rd., 30322, 404-727-5050, www.arts.emory.edu, free. College seniors Ellen Lyle and Caitlin Yuhas will present a collaborative dance concert showcasing their research efforts in the areas of choreography and performance. The program includes “Little Ease,” a signature 1985 work by Elizabeth Streb, as well as works by Atlanta choreographers Blake Beckham and George Staib.

EMORY DANCE PROGRAM
The mission of the Emory Dance Program is to provide a curriculum that interweaves both the practical and theoretical to foster students' creative, intellectual, and communicative powers in the field of dance. We seek to develop skilled and uniquely expressive individuals who move and act with intelligence and sensitivity, think independently, and value original thought and diversity.

ARTS AT EMORY
Emory University provides a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment for the study, creation, and presentation of the arts.

EDITORS NOTE: Photographs available upon request.

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