The Body is a Compass (2022) for percussion duo and dance

ca. 5 and a half minutes

The Body is a Compass was conceived as a collaborative work with choreographer Jillian Kramschuster for her senior capstone project at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Jillian began this project by asking her dance cast a series of questions such as, “what do you need to let go of?” Most responded with a need for letting go of perfection. Thus, the work contemplates the ongoing struggle between the artist’s insecurity and the will to create freely. There is an emphasis on endurance in both a physical and emotional sense. In highly rhythmic, turbulent sections, as well as the vulnerable space in the center, the work requires the complete presence of the performers. Awareness of internal and external turmoil leads to honesty in performance and authentic collaboration with one’s own body.