Sukhmani Grewal
DANCE 171
Reflective Essay
May 8, 2019
Before taking this class, I was not aware about what this class would offer. I was definitely
surprised when I first watched the dances in this classroom, because it was very different to what
I am used to watching. I was a little skeptical before taking this course, but I definitely am glad I
did; I was able to expose myself to another part of the dance world that I wasn’t aware of before.
I personally have always been interested in Indian dance, it’s something I have grown watching.
Therefore, this class was definitely a cultural shock for me because the choreography was
completely different from the Indian choreography. My viewpoints on dance theatre changed
over the course of this semester, I was pleasantly surprised that some of the choreography we
watched appealed to me. I was able to understand the meaning behind every move within the
choreographies we watched. One dance that I was able to really connect with was “Lamentation”
by Martha Graham; this choreography and concept really stuck with me. I was able to see the
pain and struggle in the dance and was able to relate to it. My interpretation of this choreography
was that the woman was trying to escape from this piece of fabric that has her trapped within it.
The movements within this dance were so beautifully done, because the dancer was really able to
show the struggle of escaping. Streb is another choreographer that intrigued me through her
vision on dance. Her concept on the human form being able to fly and dancing in mid-air is
visually so beautiful to watch. From all the dances we watched over the semester her dances
appealed to me the most. There is something about making the human body fly that is really
interesting and something very symbolic. I would love to continue watching dance performances
if they ever play in Fresno. Watching dance performances live was so mesmerizing to watch, the
live experience is so much better than watching it on video. I would definitely like to watch more
performances, because dance is something that has always interested me. I’m glad I was able to
be a part of this class and am taking with me a lot of knowledge on the concept of dance theatre.