Umbo suite

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Brenda Pugh Stokes (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Virginia Moomaw

Abstract: The dance Umbo Suite was made for five dancers with the purpose of making spatial design. It was inspired by "Umbo", modular furniture, which comes in molded pieces that are joined by the creator in whatever shapes he wishes to construct. It is molded in the following pieces: curved elbows, straights, T-shaped, corner returns, circular table tops, cylindrical table bases, and molded circular chairs. From the shaped modules and from the word "Umbo" come the thematic material for the dance. Floor patterns and body movements combined with the overall stage design are based on the particular shape used for motivation. No props or set are used. The costumes are white tank top unitards with orange and brown linear designs. Accompaniment is a combination of silence, percussion, and Edgar Varese's "Octandre". Lighting is general with two special overhead spots which raise and lower in intensity throughout the work. In turning subject matter into movement, with the main emphasis on spatial design, the problem of grouping dancers effectively was faced. Group dynamics became the main concern of the choreographer while working within the framework of designing shapes. Kinetic motivation for movement, focus, numbers, and directions were compositional devices that helped the choreography achieve its purpose.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 1973

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