Symbolism

Dancers: Amy Symmes, Julie Catton, Noelle Thorley
Choreographer: Meryl McFarland
Music Title: “Self-Portrait Series” Artist: Rachel’s

Symbolism in the actual movement:

-Pulling of the shirt- contemplation: It must have been extremely difficult for Thomas to stay imprisoned, knowing that he could be let out simply by conforming to his family’s Benedictine beliefs. The brown shirts represent the clothing that medieval friars wore, and the pulling of the shirts in my choreography symbolizes the possible contemplation by Thomas of abandoning the Dominican way of life.

-Hitting of the shoulder- Frustration being stuck in a room for that long-Some parts of my dance demonstrate a hint of boredom, but the “shoulder hits” are meant to show the possible anger that Thomas had because of his family’s decision to withdraw support. He demonstrated loyalty to his determination to live a virtuous life, even when his father tried to tempt him with a prostitute.

-Prayer arms- Turning to God, reading/memorizing the bible- Proactively, Thomas made the best out of his tragic situation by memorizing the bible. In a circumstance where many would remain frustrated, or give in to family pressures, Thomas decided to be productive by studying and memorizing the bible. He was a devoted learner. Uthe skills he acquired through memorizing the bible, Thomas graduated from the University of Naples, and also studied at the University of Paris and from Albertus Magnus.


Creativity Project Work Hours:
Choreographing-4
Teaching-2
Movie and Website-5
Paper-4