Reviving the Dead Zone: The Creation and Development of ambiguous gaps

Abstract

After identifying a pattern of creating product-driven work and feeling deeply dissatisfied and limited as a result, dance artist Jen Graham committed herself to releasing habit, following her instincts, and trusting the process of unfolding to find a new creative process and create her Master’s thesis work, ambiguous gaps. Launching an investigation into the physical relationships between people through an exploration of the intersections of dance improvisation, jazz dance values, and the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System, Graham endeavored to illuminate the physical and metaphoric gaps which must be navigated to create, shift, and maintain connection. This text details her journey through inspiration, research, creation, performance, and reflection.