Semester 1

Arts TRYathlon #1: NextNOW

Event Logistics (Friday, September 6 2024, Dekelboum Concert Hall, Student Entertainment Event, An Evening with Elizabeth Gillies)

#music #performingarts

Seeing Elizabeth Gillies at the Student Entertainment Event gave me a sense of nostalgia. Elizabeth Gillies embodies the world of performing arts. She is an actor, songwriter, singer, and producer. As the article “The Great Debate: What’s Art and What’s Not?" stated, art’s definition is very broad. However, the article writer expressed that art can evoke an emotional response. I grew up watching Victorious and also watched her latest show, Dynasty. Both of these shows elicited a different emotional response in me and many others around the world. Watching Victorious when I was younger made me excited and kept me engaged. Each song that was sung made me feel lively. When I watched Dynasty, I experienced different emotions such as annoyance, laughter, and confusion. Although these shows have ended, the art still lives on because it can be revisited. Currently, people still comment on the show's successes. In the interview, Elizabeth Gillies talked about her background on Broadway, her acting experiences on different shows, and her introduction to producing. She highlighted how she gets to broadcast her creativity through singing and songwriting. The interviewer asked Elizabeth Gillies about any latest projects that she is working on. She mentioned that she is releasing a new song. A song is a form of music, which is a form of artistic expression. I believe that music is also classified as art. Art conveys a message, such as a song or a show does.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Adventure

Event Logistics (Thursday, October 3 2024, Ballroom at Maryland, Newcomer Standard Dance Class - Waltz, Quickstep, Tango)

#dance

During this event, I challenged myself to experience a new type of dance. Although I have engaged in multiple dance styles throughout my life, I wanted to try something new. Ballroom at Maryland (BAM) hosts beginner level dance classes for waltz, quickstep, and tango. Therefore, I decided to join the class. The class helped me break out of my comfort zone or safe space and venture out to a new craft. At first, I was nervous and wanted to leave the class. However, as I stayed, I became more confident in my abilities. In class, we talked about the rules of improvisation. I included “Yes, and”, which is rule one of improv by attending the class, learning new dance steps, and working with partners to showcase those steps. I exhibited rule two, “embrace mistakes” by laughing off my missteps and trying again. I incorporated rule three, “be present in your body,” by understanding the moves I have to make but being aware of what my partner is doing as well. During the waltz, we worked with partners and some steps required working in between or away from each other but sometimes a step would be taken too small or too big. This would cause too much distance between partners. Therefore, I had to be aware of my body and adjust to the steps my partner was taking as they were the lead and I was the follower. Improv helped me gain confidence throughout trying a new dance class for the first time.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Arts Scholars Event

Event Logistics (October 24, 2024, Arts Scholars, Bel Air Lounge, Craft & Chat: Magic with Mehndi)

#visualart

I participated in the Magic with Mehndi Craft & Chat with TA Nivi. At first when I initially intended on participating in this event, I assumed we would be doing henna or that henna would be involved somehow. However, Nivi informed us that Mehndi is the design associated with henna but not the actual henna process itself. The craft and chat consisted of us decorating a tote bag with mehndi stencils. This craft and chat reminded me of one of the wicked questions. It reminded me of the wicked question, how are our own artistic tastes shaped by our social identities and the broader culture? Mehndi is a ceremonial art celebrated in various cultures but mainly in Asian countries such as India, Afghanistan, and more. My great grandmother is from India and I have Indian relatives but I am disconnected from that small part of my culture. Mehndi and Henna were incorporated at my cousin’s wedding symbolizing prosperity and love. The design of Mehndi is complex and intricate but beautifully crafted. The significance of Mehndi is important to Indian and other cultures. Mehndi helps shape the way some cultures view art because it is traditional and symbolic to their own culture but still widely acknowledged. These cultures may view Mehndi as art but may not understand the significance of photography as art.

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