Mind Body Motion at WEST

Last weekend marked the first performance by the ACC Student Dance Company, Mind Body Motion, at the WEST Austin Studio Tour. Directed by Hien Nguyen, five Mind Body Motion company members took to the lawn in front of building 3000 for some fun improvisation. If you missed last weekend, you still have three great showings coming up this weekend, Saturday May 17^th and Sunday May 18^th.

This Saturday at 5:00pm in front of building 3000 on the Rio Grande Campus, Nori Hubert will be collaborating with Mind Body Motion to present a spoken word improv. Nori is a Creative Writing graduate from ACC as well as a published author in ACC’s literary magazine, the Rio Review. Hien will also be directing this performance.

Hien on the right and Nori on the left

Nori will be reading a collection of two poems dedicated to her grandfather. "The inspiration [for the poems] came from having a religious family but not being religious myself. My grandfather was a minister and didn't really get to know me. This is for him," said Nori.

Dancers during last weekend's improv

There are several approaches to a spoken word improv. Some dancers prefer a literal interpretation of the narrative, thinking about the story behind the words as they move. Others take the musicality in the language as a landscape to dance against; feeling a flow as they would if they were listening to a true musical score. For Hien, the connection to the flow of the poem is the inspiration behind her movements. 

One of the spaces Sarah will explore in her piece

Sarah Wingfield will also be presenting a work at 3:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. Her piece will be directed towards exploring the space and letting movements be inspired by the physical canvas of the site. Her site-specific choreography is largely shaped by the urge to find presence in every space; to hear the stories a man-made structure has to offer. "Someone designed each space you ever go into, and if it wasn't a human it was mother nature; either way it deserves examination, appreciation, and to be remembered," Sarah says.

202 (and 203) is ACC's map number for WEST

All three showings are free and open to the public as a part of the WEST Austin Studio Tour. Come watch some dance, shop around the great local art, and paint a square on our community murals. 

Top two pictures by Anne Wharton; third picture by Polly Monear