Dance thesis takes inspiration from sculptures

A thesis was delivered in the form of dance this past Thursday. “Atmospheres and Environments” was held in the Fine Arts Building in Studio A, and was inspired by the sculptural works of Louise Nevelson.

René Neville, the choreographer and director of the production and a second-year graduate student studying theatre, explained her inspiration behind centering the production on Nevelson’s work.

“I first saw her work in a museum in Washington D.C., and they had one of her large sculptural works, the kind that takes up a full-length wall, and it was quite stunning,” Neville said. “I found her work beautiful. She worked in creating her sculptures in black and then she went through a white period and then a bronze period. What I saw was something from her white period, and it was a part of ‘Dawn’s Wedding Feast.’”

Neville also recalled when she found a book on Nevelson’s art in a used bookstore in Ithaca, which inspired the name of the production.

“Atmospheres and Environments” is composed of five acts — “The Voyage Through Woods,” “Moon Garden,” “Civilizations,” “Space and Place” and “Epilogue.” While these separate parts are mesmerizing on their own, when it all came together it created a beautiful and intricate through-line of individuality, harmony and form.

The second act, “Moon Garden,” had an overarching theme of unity that made its presence vivid both in the music and performance aspects. The music reflected a mystical attitude that was prevalent in the dancers’ emotions as well as their synchronous hand movements throughout the act. There was a feeling of liberation in the dancers as they looked upward and held out their hands as if they were reaching for the moon itself.

As the audience continued to watch several different pairs of dancers, there was an intensity in their movements compared to the first act “The Voyage Through Woods,” which was more airy and freeflowing. “Moon Garden” ended with the dancers coming together and all reaching upward in the same direction as the music faded to a close and the lights went dim — leaving the audience with an eerie yet spiritual feeling.

Neville described the process of how she brings these movements to life to emulate Nevelson’s sculptures.

“All of these shapes you see we can do with our bodies,” Neville said. “It’s easy to form a circle with an arm, form a circle with a leg — and the head is a circle itself. It’s starting to translate some of seeing the assemblage into, ‘How can you put it into the body?’

Then the idea of thinking of these dancers as sculptures, pieces of a sculpture and then coming to life and continuing to fill up the space.”

This idea of what space can be was played with during the fourth act “Space and Place,” where space was depicted as having a vital role in the individual’s life and an atmosphere that colors one’s thinking and awareness. The act began with the dancers walking out one by one and the artist, who imitated Nevelson, molding each dancer into the space they occupy. Initially there was no music, which made the scene hauntingly beautiful.

As the last dancer came out and the artist positioned them, there was a sudden burst of energy from each dancer as a bright song immediately began to play and each dancer had their own interpretation of bubbly and swaying movements. There was a carefree sense that was electric.

Stamatia “Tia” Dimitriou, ‘22, described her experience performing.

“I think it’s one of the most unique things I’ve ever experienced,” Dimitriou said. “I feel like it takes a very creative mind to be able to look at somebody else’s creative work and be inspired by that to create your own.”

Another performer, Claire Goldstein, a junior double-majoring in psychology and art and design, agreed with Dimitriou.

“I think it’s been a really great process,” Goldstein said. “I enjoyed learning the dances and getting back into dance. It was fun to be a part of the cast, and I like [Neville’s] ideas and how they came into fruition.”

The “Epilogue” proved to be both an emotional and powerful ending. It featured two dancers who stunningly created a deep connection through their intricate movements, intense expressions of vulnerability toward one another and the way in which they would mirror each other at certain points.

Neville described how during the rehearsal process she had each dancer contribute their own phrase study to the final performance.

“I wanted them to feel that they actually contributed to the story and that was a perfect way,” Neville said. “Obviously for a dancer the best way because you’ve created your own movement piece that gets intertwined and embedded and incorporated.”

As states across the country begin the process of decriminalizing cannabis, it is clear that cannabis culture is here to stay in the United States. While the opening of Downtown Binghamton’s Just Breathe was a sign of the times as New York state was beginning its own legal cannabis sales, so is the monthly Finger Lakes CannaMarket that takes place in Binghamton.

The Finger Lakes CannaMarket is comprised of pop-up markets that have taken place throughout the Finger Lakes region of New York state, with CannaMarket events occurring regularly in Ithaca and Binghamton. Its intention is to create a healthy and safe event to showcase local cannabis businesses and celebrate the growing cannabis community.

The CannaMarket hosted at the Polish Cultural Center this weekend shows how post-legalization cannabis culture began in New York state. Despite the small size of the event space, it can be easy for the average smoker to become overwhelmed. With around 30 different vendors, CannaMarket offers everything a weed enthusiast can imagine and more. Out of the woodwork of upstate New York, artisans of all kinds have applied their craft to marijuana and put it forth on display. This ranges from handcrafted pipes and bongs to homemade cannabis infusions of all kinds — even including actual cannabis growing and cultivating. Whether you smoke it, eat it, drink it, vape it, grow it, buy it or sell it, there is something here for everyone.

Kenneth McLaurin, one of the CannaMarket organizers, shared his thoughts on the event.

“The way we see it, if you can have wine festivals to celebrate and learn more about wine, cannabis enthusiasts should also have a space to come together and talk about the intricacies of cannabis,” McLaurin said. “People are still approaching cannabis in a traditional way. Cannabis is legal, coming together to have a positive cannabis experience is legal.”

Those attending should try and pace themselves as they walk past the tables. Some vendors will have tables with literal pounds of marijuana in plastic bags open for you to look at, accompanied by labels telling you the strain — whether it’s a sativa or indica — and THC percentage. Don’t be afraid to ask for a sniff of “Cheetah Piss.” The vendors you find here will be overwhelmingly nice. While of course, the vendors are trying to sell their products, they also want to share this passion of theirs with you.

One of the most notable tables was the Cannananas General Score, offering homemade Rice Krispies, red velvet cookies and chocolate chip cookies. Besides offering a small sample of their baked goods, the vendor was also open to talking about the process by which she made them. Like most vendors at the CannaMarket, most weed found here is grown locally, so quality and safety are assured.

The people at the CannaMarket aren’t only open about their weed, they are open about anything in the cannabis community.

Not sure how to use resin?

One vendor will walk you step by step on what is their preferred way to smoke it. Never smoked a bong before? Another will tell you what the hole at the side is for. With so much cannabis, there is no room for gatekeeping. This isn’t to say that CannaMarket is some bacchanalian festival of druggy delight. It is truly