Monday, February 10, 1997
DANCE:
Dorcas Roman uses current, past experiences to create
‘Acotaciones: Notes in the Margin’ showcaseBy Cheryl Klein
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Perched lithely atop a table in the Dance Building, sporting
bare feet and a ponytail, Dorcas Roman doesn’t fit the typical
picture of a director. Her focus is dance, not film or theater, but
the master of fine arts candidate in world arts and cultures knows
what it takes to bring any creative project together.
In a word, it takes acotaciones.
Roman explains the Spanish word. "They’re like the director’s
notes in a play. Basically when you’re saying a line, like ‘Now she
looks at him,’ or ‘Now the actors should move to the left
side.’"
"Acotaciones: Notes in the Margin" is a seven-piece compilation
of Roman’s choreography which will showcase more than a quarter of
work between Roman and her dancers on Thursday and Friday. The
title of the performance sums up Roman’s method of gathering
material. Rather than reach for the dramatic, she looks at the
everyday side of life and the subtle but telling movements that
highlight bigger issues  the notes in the margin.
"I love to observe and to look at people walking around and take
things from the daily life and put them on stage," Roman says.
She uses what she calls "movement exploration" to make the
dancers’ limbs speak about everything from religion to
relationships to women’s issues. In a piece titled "Zandudianity,"
the traditional symbol of crossing oneself works its way into the
choreography. Roman moves her hand across her chest and brushes it
by her face, but then moves into a more abstract gesture, sweeping
her arm around and leaning backward.
"You end up doing it in a way that people would not necessarily
recognize, but I’m hoping that some of those things are in the back
of their heads," Roman says. "I think I’m trying to send
information more to your psyche than to your consciousness."
She explains that "Zandudianity’s" subject matter comes from her
own background growing up in Puerto Rico. "I grew up in a very
religious family and that has always been a very interesting issue
to me and something I love to discuss with people. When I came
here, I started exploring that and using it as a way of
communicating with dance instead of just talking about it."
Roman’s personal life was also the inspiration for "Quitte Me
Pas?," a duet that parodies the frustrations of a relationship.
When dancing with a friend and fellow graduate student, she says,
"We started playing around and relationships started to come up. We
started talking about relationships and how we behaved and how
neurotic we would get."
Within a month, their conversation evolved into a humorous dance
piece. "It was very funny because we were also making fun of
ourselves being so neurotic and so possessive."
Working so closely has fostered a close relationship between the
choreographer and her dancers, who consist of both graduates and
undergraduates at UCLA. "We are basically a family," Roman says. At
this time, one of her dancers arrives and the two embrace like old
friends. Roman then gives her a friendly reminder. "Now go get
changed. We’re going to start rehearsing soon."
"I respect their opinions; they respect mine," Roman continues,
explaining that she has worked with some of the students for a year
and a half now. "We work in collaboration all the time."
It is this exchange of warmth and ideas that makes "Open
Conclusion" one of Roman’s favorite pieces. "I always call it the
‘woman piece’ because it’s about solidarity and how women get
strength when they are together. … Every time we get together, we
learn more. It’s like the piece keeps growing and I really like the
process with that one."
As the dancers develop, so do the characters they interpret.
Roman says, "I’m not interested in doing dance for the sake of
dance," and relies on her background in theater to bring emotion
and personality to the dance floor. A piece called "Callejeando"
depicts five characters simply "hanging out in the street." A
pregnant woman, a homeless person, a sexily dressed young woman, a
business woman and a tomboy all come together and slowly discover
what they have in common.
"They play with their egos and alter egos, and find out what is
the persona they have inside of them that they want to repress. And
how all of them are showing two faces," Roman explains.
Sometimes the characters are slightly more obscure  in the
case of "In My Feet," the stars are Roman’s own two feet. "It’s a
piece I do just using my feet to show how they communicate with
each other and with the audience. … It’s interesting and it’s a
huge challenge to keep the physicality of the characters in the
feet." Roman points and flexes her feet. They are wrapped in
bandages from hours of jumps and floor work, a promise that
"Acotaciones" will enrapture audiences in even the most marginal
movements.
DANCE: "Acotaciones: Notes in the Margin" takes place Thursday
and Friday in Room 200 of the Dance Building. Tickets are $5 for
students and $8 for general admission. For information: UCLA
Central Ticket Office, 825-2101.