Senior Madeline Trigilio has always expressed herself through movement. After receiving a Rhoades Research and Choreography Grant, Trigilio is processing and expressing her emotions through dance — while also presenting her research.
Through three performances of the Rhoades Grant Dance Concert from March 15 to 16, Trigilio and senior Jessica Werfel will explore their respective research topics through dance in Roberts Studio Theatre.
There are over a dozen students performing in and helping run the concert, including senior Madi Boyer.
“Most of us here volunteered because we believe in Madi, we believe in Jessica, we believe in their art,” Boyer said. “That's why we want to be part of it.”
Boyer has been dancing with Trigilio since their freshman year and said seeing the concert come together has been fulfilling.
“It's just crazy the evolution of not only us as friends … but also being able to tell the story, because in this piece, we're all storytellers,” Boyer said.
Trigilio’s project, titled “The Matriarchy: Stories of Womankind” explores female stereotypes in children’s media and their impact through five vignettes: “A Glamoured Façade,” “Female Fragility,” “Vilify,” “In His Shadow” and “Mistake or Design?”
Werfel’s project is titled “Movement Unscripted: The Art of Improvisation” and — with the exception of the music and lighting cues — is entirely improvised.
Sophomore Brooke Goldstein, who is a performer in “Movement Unscripted,” said the piece was inspired by three core concepts of healing, care and community. She said she hopes attendees are able to feel the bond the performers have developed and the way they are able to perform as their authentic selves through the piece.
“The passion and work that they put into their art, and Madi and Jessica's vision coming alive, is just so inspiring to me and makes me want to make art too,” Goldstein said.
Goldstein said the nature of Werfel’s improvised project and the theater’s tennis-style seating arrangement — where attendees can watch from either side of the stage — means every show will be a different experience.
There will be three performances of the Rhoades Grant Concert, 7:30 p.m. on March 15 and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on March 16 in Roberts Studio Theatre. The March 15 performance is currently sold out, but tickets are free and can be reserved online for the remaining performances. According to the ticketing page, the dance concert has a 90-minute run time.