Our Hour: Cancer Research Through Dance Community

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Date

2016-05

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The Ohio State University

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Abstract

"Dance is a nearly universal behavior with a history as old as humanity itself," states Judith Lynne Hanna. This art form brings communities together and acts as a visual and kinesthetic outlet for catharsis. The work of Bill T. Jones has attempted to integrate the arts and the sciences for embodied research, but there still remains a deficit in this field of study. This project stems from my four years of genetic cancer research in Dr. Gustavo Leone's lab and my degree in dance. The goal is to provide a gateway for more intersection between the two fields. My interests lie in how science becomes the impetus for choreography, which then takes on a visceral meaning. This project, funded through Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellowship Program, explores embodied research through choreographic process in collaboration with nine dancers and three cancer patients. The rehearsal process becomes our time to form a community. The piece lacks a narrative; this is not a cancer survivor's story. Instead, I aim to create an abstract contemporary piece that allows for multiple entry points into the world of cancer. My piece will be showcased in the Dance Department's Spring Concert on April 7-9, 2016. This process supports the idea that dance has the ability to profoundly affect both the dancers and the viewers of movement. Dance ultimately creates a community in which people can come together and help one another.

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2nd Place at The Denman Undergraduate Research Forum 2016
Alternative to American College Dance Association Nationals 2016

Keywords

Cancer Research Through Dance, Dance Community, Art and Science Integration

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