Dramaturg/Director/Dancer/Musician
Robyn Hood: A New Ballet
Client
Brigham Young University
Year
2022
Location
Provo, UT USA
Casebook
Robyn Hood is a new ballet, created by BYU students and faculty. From the beginning through the end, students have been involved in the shaping and creation of this story. From the dramaturg to the choreographers to the dancers, it has been created by women, pushing for a strong position within the ballet community. With very few ballets created by women and with women protagonists, this one is pushing boundaries and propelling the world of ballet forward.
Workshops
Early on I talked with Hilary about the opportunity to do a workshop with the dancers. She seemed really interested and wanted to be able to help the dancers step more into the world of the performance since many of them aren't used to acting with their facials as much as they are more focused on doing the dances correctly.
We ended up doing a small little potluck and slideshow night. It didn't go quite as I had expected but it happened and the girls that came enjoyed it and had fun.
Production
The whole process of creating a new ballet was fascinating to me. When Hilary, the director, and mastermind behind the production, approached me with the concept I was fascinated but also really intimidated. Being involved from the seed of an idea to seeing it as a fully mounted production was really fulfilling to see how our thoughts and ideas can all come together to create beautiful pieces that people love.
Post-Show
I personally walked out of this post-show discussion both glad but also frustrated. It was quite a challenge to get an audience and production team who were very unfamiliar with dramaturgy to remain seated and quiet for a post-show discussion. However, when we finally did have the discussion those who participated were very grateful and we had a wonderful time.
Program Writeup
With this being a fully original piece I had the freedom to write a few different articles in the program and also on our university dramaturgy blog. Feel free to check those out in my casebook as well as at https://4thwalldramaturgy.byu.edu/emma-rollins
