Through special permission granted from the Doris Humphrey Foundation for Dance, Dr. Gretchen McLaine is reconstructing Humphrey’s iconic work, “Soaring.” Using a written system of movement analysis known as Labanotation, McLaine’s reconstruction sustains the legacy of the artist, preserves a written system of recording movement, and supports our dance history and heritage.Senior Dance Minor Abigael Malcom explains how working with scarf has been a rather unique experience. “It is the first time I have been in a piece that requires me to manipulate an object throughout the entire performance,” states Malcolm. “I quickly realized that every one of my actions affects the scarf, and it has made me a more conscientious dancer as a result.”Dr. McLaine hopes that the audience sees the beauty in simplicity. “I want the audience to think that the manipulation of the scarf was easy, because the dancers made it look that way. I would also love for the audience to recognize the importance of sustaining our art.”Sophomore Dance Major Jordan BentonSenior Dance Major Sylvie Lexow serves as the movement analyst for the piece. McLaine states that working with Sylvie has enriched the process greatly, and she is thrilled that they are continuing to shine light on dance heritage.Senior Dance Major Ashleigh Smith
