To understand the concept of cognitive dissonance, alumnus Kevin Williamson did not need to think far. The disparity between his religious beliefs and his lifestyle is a perfect example of it ““ Williamson is gay and was raised Catholic.
“Fruit,” which is Williamson’s first evening-length dance show, is an exploration of beliefs, the contrast between faith and the real world, and the act of questioning preconceived notions about the world.
“In December of last year, I started thinking about cognitive dissonance, which is sort of the idea of holding two convictions in your head and living them at the same time,” he said. “Let’s say for instance you take your faith and your sexuality, and sometimes those don’t always coincide.”
Williamson has been dancing since he was 12 years old. He graduated in 2004 from UCLA with a degree in world arts and cultures. It was at university that he received what he considered a life-changing experience through studying philosophy.
“It was actually at UCLA when I first started grappling with my faith because I took “˜Philosophy of Religion,'” he said. “This studying the logic in the scripture makes you think differently and more critically. … Suddenly I realized that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did about the world.”
Maria Gillespie, a graduate student in world arts and cultures and former adjunct professor at UCLA, previously taught with Williamson in her course. It was while he was dancing with her company that she saw his tendency to express his personal feelings through dance.
“Yes, he’s extremely gifted as a dancer, but that’s not the most compelling part,” she said. “He has a soulful presence, and what he is experiencing in his body is something he is really going through in his mind.”
Though “Fruit” is based on Williamson’s own personal experiences, he also wants viewers and other dancers to interpret the material. In response to the question of why the show is called “Fruit,” he responded with a question of his own, “What does it mean to you?”
The central theme that he explores in “Fruit” is the process of questioning prior held beliefs.
“I just love questioning what seems obvious, and (the idea of) fruit to me is something so silly, the word is so silly, that it’s a microcosm for everything you can know and not know about the world,” he said.
For this show, Williamson recruited four other dancers, forming his first dance company, KDUB. One of the company members, Arletta Anderson, has known Williamson for three years, having previously worked with him at the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company.
In working with Williamson, she finds his process to be collaborative, as well as challenging, and unlike any choreographer that she has worked with before.
“I’ve never worked with a choreographer that worked quite like him. He has it mapped out as how I imagined a screenwriter or a playwright might have a play mapped out,” Anderson said.
Like Williamson, she also finds the show relating to her own life. Being raised Jewish, Anderson finds that “Fruit” brings her back to her own experiences.
“There’s been times that I’ve questioned the role of religion. … I think it’s something that everyone encounters,” she said. “It’s coming to the point in your life and realizing the roles of people around you, whether it’s your parents or your friends.”
Yet it is not only dancers that Williamson is hoping to reach, he also wants to inspire dialogue among viewers. The next hope is to tour with the show.
“That’s really the mission. … I’m interested in how people feel about the work and what it means to them and where their questions lie,” he said. “Anytime your perspective can be shifted, you learn so much more about life, and that’s what I’m obsessed with.”
“Fruit” runs Oct. 2-4 at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica.