Sitting cross-legged in a dance studio in Kaufman Hall is a gaggle of women, chitchatting and prepping for rehearsals for Angela Jordan’s final master of fine arts performance.
Jordan, a graduate student who teaches African jazz at UCLA, looks on at the group of dancers as they stretch and munch on snacks, a mentor evaluating the preparation for the finale of her graduate studies.
Tonight at 8, the MFA Upstarts Series in the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures will present “Herstories,” an evening of dance theater by Jordan and performers Mayuri Bhandari, Ashley Caldwell, Nayeli Gasca, Erin Jackson, Jun Okamoto, Angela Soong and Elizabeth Terschuur. The event takes place at the Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater.
The wordplay on the aptly titled “Herstories” parallels the feminist message behind the stories of power and emotion in the performances of the all-female cast.
Jordan said that each of the individual stories is a personal, emotional release by her dancers, with a commonality that connects the stories.
She said that she was inspired by the stories of women from different walks of life and various backgrounds.
“There’s going to be pieces dealing with struggle, empowerment, triumph of the human spirit, and it’s going to be told in a solo, a duet and a group piece,” Jordan said.
The pieces will consist of interpretative dance as well as dance theater and will not only touch upon personal moments of struggle, but also delve into the female psyche.
For instance, the solo by Jackson will touch upon the theme of struggle and eventual empowerment.
“The solo has to do with a struggle with people putting you down and knowing how to stand up, and it was an empowered choice to choose Erin,” Jordan said.
The show has serious tones, but funny bits of lighthearted fair will sneak into the performance, such as a piece that hints at Jordan’s admitted shoe weakness, with the dancers strutting and kicking up their heels like models.
“The show features a fixation on objects, and there is a funny piece about a fixation on shoes, me and shoes,” Jordan said.
Angelia Leung, chair of the WAC department, said she admires the diversity and vivaciousness of Jordan’s show, as well as her ability to create community among her dancers.
“She has a very vibrant, passionate approach in dance and is very engaged and energetic. The work varies in approach with stories of women and creates a theatric evening … that provides variety and contrast,” Leung said. “She’s been a teaching assistant for the department, and she’s contributed in a way that she’s essentially teaching in a community.”
Jordan continues to add to this idea of community, melding together a group of dancers from both UCLA and the nearby Santa Monica College, where Jordan also teaches dance.
Caldwell, a health sciences student from Santa Monica College, said that she was honored to be asked to dance in Jordan’s performance.
“I said I would love to work with her on dance theater pieces. … It has been very enjoyable dancing with Angela for her performance,” Caldwell said.
The camaraderie between Jordan and the group of dancers is evident by their girlish banter during their rehearsals.
Third-year world arts and cultures students Gasca and Soong, who will both participate in the group dance, playfully sparred while describing preparations for the final performance.
“We’ve been practicing since January, February, and we’ve all made a connection in the group,” Soong said.
This connection between the dancers is similar to the connection between the stories in the group dance, which will be featured prominently in the final performance.
“It’s going to be dance theater with high energy with a group dance with four small vignettes, which all connect in small different elements that form a connecting bond,” Gasca said.
This being Jordan’s final master’s performance, she said she hopes the tone of the show communicates more of the celebration of the human spirit.
“I feel like it’s going to be a cathartic experience,” Jordan said. “And there are going to be private moments celebrated in the public.”