Jacobs elevates ‘Anne Frank’ opera through dance

By Gino Diminich gdiminic@iu.edu | @GinoDiminichII

To reflect the emotional distress characters in the opera “Anne Frank” feel while in hiding, dancers appear in a powerfully chaotic and moving dance sequence representing Anne Frank’s nightmares. With the help of the Jacobs School of Music ballet theater department, “Anne Frank” transcends traditional storytelling with emotionally meaningful choreography.

“Anne Frank” features original choreography by IU alum Sam Epstein, who is no stranger to choreographing a piece. His senior year at IU he choreographed a full-length story ballet with the help of the ballet department, giving him an appreciation for the collaborative process he would later experience with “Anne Frank.”

“Being a choreographer on the other side of things and a part of those meetings has only increased my admiration for all these incredible artists that work outside the studio every day to get these productions up and running,” Epstein said. Epstein said creating choreography to reflect the emotions surrounding the Holocaust was a challenging task, but he drew inspiration from other artists and their related works on the matter. One resource was Anna Sokolow’s “Dreams,” he said. Inspired by the haunting dance reflecting on the Holocaust, Epstein was able to craft delicately controlled emotional movements. “It was great to watch and just see how other artists have tackled what is just an impossible artistic task to fully achieve,” Epstein said. “It’s honest emotion through movement and it supports the emotional development of the characters, which supports the plot.”

Maddie Tyler, an IU junior, plays the role of Anne Frank’s friend, Liez, in one of two casts. The character was transformed into a reoccurring silent role for a dancer by director Crystal Manich — a move that Tyler believed made the character more of an emotional anchor for Anne. “She’s a character that makes her (Anne) feel some sort of stability and consistency throughout everything that happens to her,” Tyler said.

To convey this relationship, Epstein worked with Tyler to create something distinct which could become a reoccurring motif of movement, changing in meaning with the context of the scene. While different from normal ballet movement, Tyler embraced the challenge, bringing Epstein’s humanistic movement to life.

“It requires more acting than I thought,” Tyler said. “There’s a lot more gestural movement that is more emotional. It’s more aggres- sive and human than classical ballet.”

Tyler saw the blending of dance and singing as a necessary component of “Anne Frank,” believing it to reflect more of Anne’s personal- ity, reminding audiences of the tender humanity at the heart of the production.

“I didn’t realize until we started rehearsals for this how prominent dance was in Anne’s life,” Tyler said.

COLUMN: Unlocking the formula to a perfect brunch

By Leila Faraday lfaraday@iu.edu

As a college student whose weeks can get busy and consuming, there is nothing quite like a slowpaced weekend brunch to satisfy my need for delicious food and quality time with friends. I can’t think of a better way to spend a late morning than poring over the week’s events and drama over steaming coffee and a medley of my favorite breakfast foods. I do not subscribe to the idea of a one dimensional meal — like a simple pancake stack or omelet. A good brunch or breakfast menu will offer some kind of combo meal that includes a little bit of everything, and that is always the best thing to go for. If they don’t offer that, it's essential to stock up on the sides, which you can split with friends to save money.

My perfect brunch is centered around something sweet, like a pancake, french toast or waffle. This treat is the star of the show — the comforting breakfast food of your childhood.

Next come your eggs, an essential yet underappreciated component of a breakfast plate. I always get scrambled eggs at restaurants because they taste much better than anything I’ve ever made at home and are perfectly fluffy and soft every time. If you’re someone who likes to dip your toast, then fried eggs are lovely as well — I like over medium with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Bring on the protein! I typically opt for sausage or turkey bacon, but have nothing against some classic bacon strips either. This element brings a much needed savory flavor to your meal and creates a breakfast harmony with the sweetness of a pancake or french toast.

Hash browns or home fries are optional to me, but for those without a sweet tooth, they can replace your pancake, french toast or waffle component. I person- ally find them to be best enjoyed when stolen from your friend’s plate.

My most important rule is that all your food must be graced by the presence of maple syrup. I know plenty who disagree with this, but I think syrup is the heart and soul of all breakfast food. Don’t underestimate the addition of syrup — especially with your savory components.

Finally, brunch would not be brunch without a fun drink. Most recently I tried the hot chocolate at Runcible Spoon, which whisked me away to childhood snow days and a post-sledding treat. Fun drinks don’t actually need to be elaborate, though, they just need to make you feel fun. Some of my tried and true options are coffee (with plenty of cream), cranberry juice and orange juice. As much as I have emphasized all the food that makes a brunch perfect, it’s important to note that brunch is more a state of mind than it is the food you order. As for the non-edible aspects of a perfect brunch, it is essential to include people you love and some gasp-worthy gossip. A good brunch should have you losing track of time at the table and realizing the day is halfway over by the time your conversation and debrief has wound down.

COLUMN: ‘Honey’ shares an intimate reflection of love

By Marg Barnett margbarn@iu.edu

Samia is no stranger to an agonizing lyric or two, however, she alone will often pair the intense lyrics with a dance beat. The artist’s 2023 indie pop-rock album “Honey” has proven to be no different in this regard. The juxtaposition of her music and writing capture the coexistence of the sorrow and bliss found in loving someone, especially as a young person. “Honey” feels like reading an old journal entry and reliving every detail once again, but there is no doubt that the album can feel heavy at times.

We experience this right away in her lead track “Kill Her Freak Out.” A droning organ solo creates an eerie, almost nightmarish ambiance to kick off the album.

“I’ve never been this bad, can I tell you something? / I’ve never felt so unworthy of loving,” Samia sings over the organ. These lines are sung as if this confession is being pried out of her. Samia noticeably uses details in her writing that make each song feel painfully personal. It feels like intruding on an intimate moment between two people.

“You said when I come on the radio it makes you wanna die. / Well, if I shut up, can I come inside?” the artist writes in her song “Sea Lions.”

This song is an account of a decaying relationship that has no hope of being recovered. Samia admits that she has no intention to try and fix it, but she wants to reminisce about the things that were good.

Among the heaviest of songs on “Honey” is track three, titled “Pink Balloon.” Here, the artist compares her lover to a pink balloon, in which she does not know if she can hold onto anymore. The muted piano bolsters Samia’s sweet vocals in this upsetting recount of a falling out.

“How are you supposed to want to love me any- more?” the artist asks twice in the last two lines.

Samia does not forget to include a few tracks that encourage dancing. Title track “Honey” is a noticeably lighter song compared to other album tracks. In this one, Samia sings of going to the beach with her friends, drinking a beer and dancing in a little black dress through the streets.

“I’m not scared of sharks, I’m not scared to be naked, I’m not scared of anything,” she sings.

Samia sings of what it feels like to be young, especially the good parts. It is quite a contrast from singing about feeling unworthy of loving earlier in the album.

That is exactly what makes this album so special, especially being a listener in their early adult years.

“Honey” expresses what navigating love feels like as a young person, and that is an experience full of contractions in emotions.

Samia ends the album with “Dream Song,” a song

“She loved old Hollywood and dreamed to be like them. We use it to depict her imagination and then also her dreams if she was able to get out.

The Jacobs School of

Music will premiere “Anne Frank” with two casts at 7:30 p.m. on March 3-4 and 9-10 at the Musical Arts Center. Tickets are available through the Jacobs School of Music website.