Engaging with Modern Dance

Marisa Bianan, a 2018 graduate of Western Michigan University’s Dance program (BFA), was named the Associate Artistic Director of Kalamazoo’s own Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers in 2021. She has presented choreographic works at the 2019 Midwest RADFest, Inaside Chicago Dance’s Summer 2020 concert, and the 2021 Maggie Allesee Choreography competition. Recently, she was commissioned to create a new work, which premiered in February 2022, for Western Michigan’s First Year Performance class. She was also selected to participate in the 2023 Detroit Dance City Festival’s Choreographers Showcase. During this ARTBreak talk, Bianan discusses how to observe, engage with, process, and analyze modern dance. In addition to offering tips for viewing modern dance, Bianan includes insights into her own choreographic process, as well as a discussion of important elements of choreographic theory.