Year of Graduation
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
MFA: Dance
Directing Professor
Jeffery Bullock
Abstract
This thesis examines the lives and cultural roots of the Five Moons - five Native American ballerinas - and how their example may serve as an ancestorial inspiration for the next generation of dancing youth. Exploring the impact of their tribal heritage on them as dancers, and how the prominence of their professional careers can be connected to the concept of ancestors in Native American culture, is central to this work. Answers are sought as to how the Five Moons make an impact through their legacies on current youth in Oklahoma. This creative manifestation engages in the form of a curatorial collaboration with partners from tribal communities, specifically from the Osage Nation, Peoria Tribe, and Pawnee Tribe.
Recommended Citation
Bearden, Michael, "Rising Moons" (2024). Dance (MFA) Theses, Hollins University. 31.
https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/dancetheses/31
Performance Access Statement
If you wish to see the creative piece or performance that accompanied this thesis, please complete the Request Form, and you should receive a response from the Dance Department within two weeks.