(ANDREW BRAY | The Miami Student)
"Collage Concert: Dancing through Time and Space" was advertised as a collage of the arts including music, dance and graphic design. Violinist Harvey Thurmer, professor of music at Miami University, graphic designer Emily Wait, Miami student of Graphic Design and Violin Performance and dancer and choreographer Julie Mulvihill collaborated to illustrate what they interpreted when they listened to particular pieces of music. While the performers admitted that what they see in the music isn't what everyone might see, the performance usually fit quite nicely with the music. The dancer illustrated her reaction through movement and costume, while images were shown on the large screen behind the performers. The screen enhanced the experience with colors and sometimes shapes that alluded to the musically induced emotions the creators of the performance felt.
Perhaps the most visually striking piece was "Starlight" from Night Time by Sebastian Currier. With only some dots on the screen depicting stars and lines, the music synced up perfectly with the images being displayed to the audience. A single line coming in and out seemed to tangle up in the music. This portrayed the possibility of time travel and what that might look like to a creative mind.
"Sleepless," also from Night Time, pulled in the audience by presenting the story line. Thurmer played an intricate part in the story, playing off the dancer, adding something very interesting that none of the other pieces had: interaction. The two seemed interested in each other, but the dancer almost wanted to get away, while the violinist captured her and played her like a puppet through the music he was producing. Finally, the dancer gave in and became curious of the violinist, touching him in anticipation at the end of the song.
Since this was the only piece that had any kind of interaction, it seemed the lone dancer could do no wrong. Most audience members appreciated the brevity of the show. In 35 minutes, the performance gave the audience a taste of modern art in both a relaxing and awe-striking way. Those who loved modernism were very interested in the movement of the dancer and the significance of the graphic design incorporated in the show. Those who only came to get a slip signed for class still walked away fulfilled by a beautiful evening of music.
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