Maddie Luebkert, Special to The Denisonian—
As a student in a Jazz Dance Class, I have the pleasure of working with modern dance extraordinaire Jay Carlon. Throughout our class, we bit out of an imaginary lemon, pretended we had fish swimming throughout our bodies, and used our wrists, elbows, and shoulders as “antennae” to explore and feel the space around us. Needless to say, Carlon taught us that imagination is a powerful tool.
In one of the exercises, we were told to hold out our hands and imagine that we were holding a lemon wedge. We described the juiciness of the pulp and the bumpy texture of the peel. Though this lemon did not exist, something strange happened when we pretended to take a bite. My mouth began to salivate. Just by imagining this lemon, my body believed it enough to physically respond.
Another exercise we practiced was pretending to submerge ourselves underwater completely. We felt the cool water lapping against our feet, then eventually our waists, shoulders, and all the way over our heads. We moved slowly like the air surrounding us had suddenly turned to molasses. At this point, Imagination is indeed a very powerful tool.
Carlon stressed over and over again that our imagination is real. This concept is an important part of modern dance because since there are no rules, you have to come up with your own. As a dancer used to following a vast array of rules and strict techniques, this concept was very foreign to me. But the beauty of the art resides in the lack of boundaries because modern dance can be used to tell any story our imaginations create.
Not all stories told through dance are imagined, however. In the case of Carlon’s performance on Thursday, the choreography was a reflection of grief endured during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watching this dance felt like I was reading Carlon’s diary. He revealed to the audience that the inspiration for this piece came from the loss of loved ones close to him as well as a long-term relationship coming to an end all near the same time.
When entering Thorsen Studio, I removed my shoes and was greeted by a member of the crew who instructed me to take a flower from the assortment of deep green and purple flowers and to lay one in the circle forming in the center of the marley floor. After that, I was supposed to write the name of an ancestor or loved one whom I wanted to welcome into this space as a means of remembering and honoring them.
The flowers in the center served as an altar but also had a double meaning. Carlon elaborated that wrestling was an important part of his life growing up. In the sport, there is a circle outlined on a large mat. If a wrestler steps out of the circle, it means they went out of bounds. Carlon clarifies that the circle of flowers serves as an altar but also as a wrestling ring. He states that there were times when he felt like he stepped “out of bounds” at this point in his life and used the circle of flowers to represent that.
Along with being an outstanding dancer and ingenious choreographer, Carlon is very kind and down to earth. Before the performance, he invited the audience to stretch and chat with him in the circle. He also talked with us afterward and welcomed any questions about his performance and the balance of mourning but also celebrating those we have lost. At one point, Carlon stated something that has still stuck with me: “Grief is just love that has nowhere to go.” Essentially when we lose someone, they may be gone but that love we have for them stays with us. This showcase was an excellent introduction to the deep, meaningful, beautiful genre that is modern dance.