Teaching and Learning Pages

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Wonders of Glass Community Day: “Dancing Glass: Reflection of Art through Dance,”






 

Piece:Target
Carol Kaminsky and Jorge Luis Morejón (Faculty)
Dance Program/Vocal Performance/Frost School of Music
“Dancing Glass: Reflection of Art through Dance,” Research Project. (CREATE Grant)
Lowe Art Museum's Glass Community Day
Photographer: Maydelaine Rodriguez Castillo
 
Audience Members' Reviews
I attended the Frost School of Music’s “Dancing Glass” performance in the Lowe Art Museum this past weekend. I absolutely loved it and enjoyed every minute of the performance! It was not at all what I expected, and I was pleasantly surprised. This performance consisted of six different acts, and each group of dancers was assigned a work of art to inspire an improvisational dance piece. The dancers were from the improvisation class within the dance department at UM. My favorite piece was definitely the one inspired by Head #4 by Beril Vallien (1996). Although the dance was a little creepy at first, I thought it was incredibly creative. Additionally, I loved watching the “on the spot” improvisation performance by Carol Kaminsky and Jorge Luis Morejón. I could only imagine how nervous you might have been, I know I would have been! I think it was really beautiful and symbolic of Target by Janusz Walentynowicz (1997). I came to the show with a friend, and when you asked the audience what the Target piece might symbolize or look like, my friend told me that “It looks like it means that you are a target everywhere, no matter where you are” because there are faces in all frames of the piece, not just on the bulls eye. I thought this was really insightful and wanted to share. I think this performance related to our course obviously because it was a dance performance, but also because it allowed the dancers to express themselves and use symbolism to tell a story about an art piece. I think this was really beautiful and could potentially be therapeutic. Karina Lutfey


I attended the event that took place on 1st December at the Lowe Museum that was performed by University of Miami dance students and Frost School of music students. The reason that I chose this event to write a response paper was that this show was the most related event to our dance class. The most impressive dance among all the movements is the improvisation creation for the art piece named Target. The movements are very challenging as the dancers use action to depict the original work of art. However, the dancers skillfully exerted the distance to show the connection and separation from the original art piece. The exact facial expression and proper tool assistance help audience perfectly refine the work of art-Target.The improvisation movement is quite similar from what we have done in the class since the purpose of the course is to bring the techniques of dance therapy to dancers. Movements in the dance are the essential combination to treat patients from dance therapy. The movements remind me of the Laban effort action and how it can enhance individual’s movements’ preference. In addition, the specific movements enhance people’s following emotions: anger, fear, happiness and sadness. Yukun Zhang

Dancing Glass: Reflections of Art through Dance was a performance put on by DAN 190 Improvisation students, where they had to pick out a piece of art from the Lowe Art Museum and make a dance routine to it. The dance routine had to start from improvisation and then develop into a routine. There were 6 dances in total, in response to 5 pieces of art. My two favorite performances were in response to the work “Spiral Neon”. Both of these dances did a great job of representing the colorful, connected spirals that were the focus of the piece. The colorful wigs and the colorful tassels brought out the colors from the spirals, and then the dancers held hands and moved in circular motions to represent the circular spiral shapes and the connectedness of the artwork. This was the first time that I had seen art portrayed through dance and I could definitely see the Spiral Neon in each of the two dances. The performers did a great job of bringing this structure to life. The other performances were to “Head #4”,“Target”, “Resurrection Angel”, and “Dancers”. Of these performances, I liked the representation of “Head #4” and “Target” the most. In “Head #4” the dancers all wore white masks to match the head in the figure and they did a great job of making the figure into a dance. It was very cool to look for certain things like the fact that the tallest girl had the box on top of her head, which I connected to the sculpture because the head was at the top of the podium and it had the box on the very top. I found myself really trying to connect the sculptures to the dances and I was very happy when I could see a clear connection. Christian Brown

 

 

Thursday, November 15, 2018

COISO: International Dance Competition 2018


University of Miami international students founded the Council of International Students and Organizations (COISO) in 1967 with the intent to promote and defend the interests of all international students and organizations; to integrate international students with campus life and the community where possible, to provide cultural and social activities for all students; to name and nominate official representatives of this council to all University of Miami committees as requested; to assist all international students and organizations on campus that so request it, in coordinating and harmonizing their campus activities; to help interested international groups to organize and become registered as approved organizations at the University of Miami; to provide services and information to the University and the student body and to refrain from sponsoring any political ideas or activates emanating from outside campus issues.

On Thursday, November 15th, at 9:00 PM, at the Rock, COISO hosted the International Dance Competition 2018. This annual competition organized by COISO, invited various organizations around campus to show off their culture in a dance battle. This year’s theme was Disney's House of Villains!  Dr. Jorge L. Morejon was invited to judge the competition. Groups such as FSA, Virus, Sugar Canes, Olokun, etc, performed to make a statement about not only villains, but about diversity. The dance and music mediums were a conduit to express students ‘culture and love for the arts. Costumes, make up, music, choreography and stage skills combined to entertained a well attended event with lots of opportunities for student participation. There was food, there were games, there was dance and music and there was fun.
 

 
 

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Round Table: Conga, Bomba and Cha Cha Cha

Michelle Grant Murray's Invitation to MDC Kendall.

 
 
In celebration of October's Hispanic Heritage, the Dance program at Miami Dade College, under the leadership of Michelle Grant-Murray, invited a group of students and academics to create a round table in order to discuss, honor and recognize the contributions of the culture.  The theme of the evening was One Endless Voice: Dance Identity, Power, Politics and it involved important aspects of Caribbean dance and music such as:

  • The derivatives of Cuban Cha-Cha
  • Bomba as a form of identity
  • Politics of teaching linage of Cha-Cha and Bomba
  • Who tells the story
  • How is the story told
  • What is the perspective

Below are the details of the invitation:

One Endless Voice:Dance Identity, Power, Politics


Tuesday, October 9, 2018
 
7:30pm - 8:45pm
 
Miami Dade College Kendall Campus
McCarthy Theatre/Room 6120
11011 SW 104th Street
Miami, Fl 33176

Sunday, October 7, 2018

37th Annual Meeting of the West Indian Literature Conference

                                               Photography Kevin Adonis Browne

Jorge Luis Morejon Shared a panel with Professors Kwynn Johnson and Rachel Moseley-Wood at the 37th Annual Meeting of the West Indian Literature Conference by presenting his paper titled "South Florida Rituals: Unearthing Invisible Traces." Morejon's presentation included the enactment of the areito dance referencing the way  the Taino people of the Caribbean could have probably performed it. Facilitated by Rosie Gordon-Wallace, the presentation started with the re-arrangement of the space, to then ask participants to hold hands and improvise a collective chant, perform a simple step as they rotated together counterclockwise. The dance progressed in crescendo and eventually achieved a climax followed by a release. The presentation took place at the beginning of the session and not at the end as schedule. Ms Gordon-Wallace expressed her satisfation with the opening of the session with a performative presentation and so did Morejon's fellow panelists.

Session 28Multi-Room C
THE EYES HAVE IT: ENVISIONING CARIBBEAN TERRAINS
Chair: Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator
Sheryl C. Gifford, Florida Atlantic University
“Alternate or Altered Reality? Jason de Caires Taylor’s Environmental Art and Caribbean Cultural Consumption”
Kwynn Johnson, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
“Place as Palimpsest / Yon kote tankou Palimpseste”
Rachel Moseley-Wood, University of the West Indies, Mona
“A University of the People?: Visual Education in the British West Indies”
Jorge Luis Morejon, University of Miami
“South Florida’s Rituals:  Unearthing Invisible Traces”

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Linda Bair Dance in Miami at Homestudio, Kendall



September 10th, Linda Bair Dance Company visited the University of Miami, Wellness Center, where Frost School of Music's dance program is hosted, to share their dance experiences with UM students. They visited classes such as Dance Orientation, Dance Movement Therapy and Dance Improvisation taught by Carol Kaminsky and Jorge Luis Morejon.

In the evening couple of dancers met with Linda Bair Dance Company to discuss issues related to dance in South Florida and in their place of origin, Davis, California. Local dancers Jorge Luis Morejon and Katie Brennan, who have shared the staged before, discussed, among other subjects, how to expand the dance dialogue to other communities who do not have access to the art of dance.

Saturday 15th, Linda Hair Dance Company and Jorge Luis Morejon performed at the inauguration of HomeStudio through the celebration of the company's 20th anniversary. Bair and Morejon danced My Hands tug Brazos and showed a work in progress Alma.
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Audience Responses

September 16th

Me quede con ganas de decirte más cosas.... primero Gracias por invitarme, I guess it was my birthday.
El trabajo de Linda es excelente pero eso ya lo sabes, la teatricalidad ( no creo que esto es una palabra 😛) es muy interesante, la integración de teatro-Danza me encantó, Wrong song/right girl me encanta.
Qué bueno que tienes esta colaboración con Linda y su compañía....
El espacio fabuloso.... el patio también divino para hacer una presentación a las 6:30 q comienze afuera y después la gente entra??? Me vinieron muchas ideas (pero es tu espacio no el mío 😊) cuando te animes juntémonos en la mitad ( Ft Lauderdale) y nos tomamos un cafecito.

Elena Garcia
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September 28th


It was amazing Jorge and of course you were amazing! Thank you so much for including us.

Elsa Salvador

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September 24th


Thank YOU for sharing so much of yourself and your art at HomeStudio that night.  It was powerful, challenging, and joyous.

Houston Cypress

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Quiero agradecer por la invitacion el evento artistico de DANZA MODERNA. Un evento que va muy bien con el inicio de la temporada de arte como el prestigioso Art Basel. Me gusto mucho ver de la manera tan maravillosa la expresion del cuerpo, de los rostros y de las manos de manera tan harmoniosa y agil. Fue de verdad un privilegio poder estar, compartir y conversar con personas tan lindas en todo su aspecto. Que energia, que coreografia tan genial! Los invitados con los que logré conversar y que fueron tan amables de conversar con mi madre gracias por su attencion con ella, que personas tan especiales. Un saludo y abrazo para todos, nos veremos de nuevo si es la voluntad de Dios, 

Fabi.

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Felicidades primo, estuvo muy hermoso el espectáculo; yo se lo que cuesta hacerlo; mucha dedicación, tiempo y sacrificio, pero vale la pena; es muy gratificante cuando al final se ven los resultados. Gracias por invitarnos. Felicidades de nuevo!

Nuria

Theater Presentation en Noches con Chicho

Friday, September 7yh, Jorge Luis Morejon was invited to Las Noches Con Chico to present on Cuban Theater. The evening took place in Little Havana at the performance space and gallery Art Emporium.

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Miami Medley Dance Week / July 30th to August 4th


Miami Medley Dance Week is an initiative that promotes cross pollination within the dance community; help new dancers in town gain some footing and get a sense of who is doing what in the community.

 
Workshops taken by Jorge L. Morejon:
 
Nikki Rollason / Faldenkrais
Randy Goblen / Performance Workshop

Rosie Herrera / Brutal Elegance

Hannah Baumgarten / Contemporary Technique
                       
Karen Peterson / Choreographing Difference 






                                 Participants: Gabriel, Britany, Alegra, Laura, Jenna, Daniel, Marisol, Emily, 
                                  Diana Gamboa, Ceci, Destiny, Ishmael, Keisha, Clara, Jorge, Lakeria, Nataly, Melissa



 Recipe to make oneself / Exercise









Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Danza Contacto en Espacio en Blanco

Contact Improvisation Dance Workshop with  Marta Wrzesinska in Espacio en Blanco, C/ Mira el sol, 5-7 local calle 28005 (Madrid) Madrid, from July 9th to 12th, 2018. 

Participants: Hugo, Ivan, David, Jorge, Lea, Maria, Shus, Irma, Isa, Eliza, Tatiana, Martha (leader)



Contact improvisation is a form of dance based on a dialogue between two or more people in movement, who share a point of contact and improvise using some principles from physics such as:  gravity, weight, centrifugal force, momentum and inertia. 

                                             
                    Jorge Luis Morejon and Tatiana in front of Espacio en Blanco, Calle Mira el sol

                                                         
              Jorge Luis Morejon and David (In the background Eliza & Maria, left, Chus & Lea, right)







                                          (From left to right) Jorge Luis Morejon, David, Lea, Chus, Hugo and Irma

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Taller de Titeres Grandes (Big Puppets Workshop)





The Taller de Titeres Grandes (Big Puppets Workshop), hosted by La Tartana Theater from July 2 to 5, at TEATRO LA TARTANA S.L., C/ Camino de labores, 29 Nave 18 (calle interior), 28440 Guadarrama (Madrid). 

La Tartana is directed by Juan Muñoz. In 2017 La Tartana celebrated its 40th anniversary. The workshop was led by Ines Maroto. 


The participantes were Hitos Hurtado from Madrid, Ana Eva Guerra and Moises Gonzalez from Asturias, Jorge Luis Morejon from Cuba via Miami, Alberto Celdran and Ane Celdran from Alicante, and Dani Hernandez from Canarias.


Process:














Door to La Tartana

                              
                                                       Drawing the idea of the puppet


                                   Molding the face in clay



                         Molding the back of the head in clay




Creating a ring around the clay in preparation for the silicone mix



Making silicone mix


      Pouring silicone mix on the clay face and the back of the head




                                Wait for the silicone to dry
Prepare the scayola or yesso mix and pour it on the layer of silicone


  
      The clay is taken out of the scayola and silicone negatives





Washing the silicone negative



         
              Recycling the Clay



















Making glue mix and putting piece of carton fallero inside 








Getting the paper face out of the silicone negative and putting the two halves together.





                            The face is sanded, then painted


                 

                                  Hair is added the head



                                           The workshop


      A handle is installed inside the head and the body is created




              Awarding of the certificates by Elena Munoz and Ines






                      Allow me to introduce you to Garcilazo, El Inca