The Ebb of a Heart's Progression

The Ebb of a Heart’s Progression

We went to dance festival this last week, and it was a week filled with visual culture. Centenary’s own, Anna Maris was chosen to perform in the gala, a supreme honor that is awarded to the best ten pieces of the festival. These top ten are chosen out of about 70 pieces of dance. Anna’s piece is particularly beautiful not only because I know Anna and I know that Anna is almost perfect inside and out, but because it brought with it a beautiful story.

The piece opened up with a rain noise; Anna is center stage with wet hair and a blue dress. There is an umbrella downstage right. Beautiful piano music picks up, and Anna dances a movement that seems to be a struggle between her and the umbrella. She approached the umbrella several times as if to get under it out of the rain but hurries off each time. At the end of the piece, the rain returns, and Anna slowly begins to walk towards the umbrella wringing out her dress as she goes. She does not entirely reach the umbrella before the lights go down, leaving some to the viewers’ imagination.

The meaning of the dance of course is to each his own, but Anna, of course, designed a specific meaning. The umbrella is a representation of God, and Anna had gotten out into the real world and had experienced some unpleasant things (the rain). She knew that the answer to her problems was to get under the umbrella, to seek God, but like all sinners, she had a hard time recommitting to the umbrella. In the end she walks towards the umbrella in acceptance of what is necessary, in humbleness. It’s a beautiful highly symbolic dance, and I could not be more proud of my sweet Anna Banana.