"Trivial Pursuits"

Leslie is currently working on a dance which explores trivial or mundane activities that provide fulfillment.

Progress so far:

Leslie is questioning how people choose to use their time by investigating the trivial activities they take part in. She has observed that productive activities (homework, chores, etc.) often suffer by our spending too much time on these trivial activities.

thumb|right|300px|Feb 9thFebruary 9th

To create movement, Leslie and her dancer have each thought of 8 trivial or mundane activities they take part in regularly but also bring some kind of fulfillment (even if it isn’t considered productive by most people). Based on these ideas, they produced movements or gestures which were later melded or changed to connect together in a series (or phrase).

thumb|right|300px|Feb 23rdFebruary 23rd

Leslie is considering the boundary between enjoyment/disgust and productivity/time-wasting. She has asked her dancer to think of tasks which she finds both enjoyable and embarrassing or a waste of time. She has tried to incorporate the props into the main focus of the dance so they are not disconnected from the movement. Rather than retaining the storyline format of the first video the dance has become more of an abstraction around a central idea. This abstraction and change in music contributes to the altered mood.

For future rehearsals: 

Leslie is planning on integrating these two extremes: enjoyment/indulgence and annoyance/wasted time, in order to create more continuous movement. This movement will be bombarded by the props. While Leslie has a particular trivial activity she uses for inspiration, at present, it is more important to her that audiences relate to the movement from their own experiences.

Program Information:


 * Choreographer: Leslie Conner
 * Dancers: Hanna Moore
 * Music: "Bolero" by Ravel (first video) & "Mad Rush" by Phillip Glass (second video)

Questions to Consider:
 * 1) What trivial activities come to mind when watching the movement? What moments in the dance elicit this association?
 * 2) What would you like to see the choreographer address that she hasn't so far? What changes would you like to see made?

Click to add a response: Audience Response Page