What Do You See When You Look At Me? : An Exploration of Identity, Personal Stories, Perceptions of Others and Looking Beyond the Surface
Date of Award
5-2022
Document Type
MSU-Only Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
College/School
College of the Arts
Department/Program
Theatre and Dance
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Stefanie Batten Bland
Committee Member
Lauren Grant
Committee Member
Kyle deCamp
Abstract
What Do You See When You Look At Me? is an inclusive dance theatre experience that weaves together storytelling and personal expression through movement and text, while also addressing implicit bias. As a dance professional and educator who has worked with various ages and abilities in different settings, I have seen how movement can bring people from all walks of life together. In this written thesis, I share portions of my interviews with individuals who identify within various communities (queer, disabled, elderly, survivor, biracial, LatinX, and African American to name a few) as well as foundational research on disability, gender, age, and storytelling within the scope of dance. I lay out the creative processes and impact of bringing an inclusive and accessible performance to the public, and I reflect on the process and culminating performance event. What Do You See When You Look At Me? challenges the notions of who gets to perform, removes the elitism in the field, and opens the doors for others to share their stories.
File Format
MP4
Recommended Citation
Friedman-Kats, Lara, "What Do You See When You Look At Me? : An Exploration of Identity, Personal Stories, Perceptions of Others and Looking Beyond the Surface" (2022). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1037.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1037
PDF file of written thesis
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Comments
The performance video is restricted to the Montclair State University community but the PDF file of the thesis, which is located at the bottom of the screen, is available to anyone interested in reading it.