Lila Hodgin, an IU senior and contemporary dance and biology double major performed, directed and choreographed her independent project, “Not Now, Not Ever,” which premiered Friday and will be performed again at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Studio Theatre at the Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center.
The production features 13 IU undergraduate dancers and includes six pieces of original work, all choreographed by Hodgin.
The pieces explore a range of themes, including hope, growth and despair, with several pieces drawn from Hodgin’s childhood and experiences. The performance examines how these emotions are expressed through movement.
While the idea for the project began forming last spring, the deeper creative process for the performance officially started in September last year. Hodgin described the independent project as the culmination of her growth throughout the BFA dance program and an opportunity to fully step into her own creative voice while applying all the skills she has developed.
“I yearned for a little bit more agency over an entire production,” said Hodgin. “Having not just one piece of the puzzle, but making the whole thing, and it’s uniquely mine.”
The production was entirely student-led, with dancers contributing their time outside of class to bring the work to life. BFA contemporary dance senior Kylie Furlong said collaborating with friends brought a unique energy to the process and fostered support and teamwork among the group.
“It's really fun, because these are my friends, too, which is a special opportunity,” said Furlong. “I'm not doing this for credit or a class, but for the passion of dance and to help bring my friend's vision to life.”
The freedom of the independent project also gave dancers a rare chance to experiment and explore ideas, outside the normal limits of contemporary dance such as testing new approaches to movement and pushing boundaries on chorography focusing on group movement highlighting the connection among the dancers, including sustained floor work or intertwined transitions.
BFA contemporary dance junior Katie Rankin said this structure made the process feel especially collaborative.
“I think there's a little bit more comfortability working with a student choreographer and almost like more comfortability sharing your own ideas,” Rankin said.
BFA contemporary dance sophomore Isabel Matson highlighted the project’s wide range of emotions, from playful, whimsical moments to more serious, somber ones, all expressed through movement.
The piece she performed explored what a younger version of oneself might feel when looking at who they are now, conveyed though grounded, raw choreography.
"Getting to see emotions and story through movement is such an interesting way to comprehend a story," Matson said. "You don't need anything but your sight. It allows anyone in the audience to interpret it in their own way, experiencing it through their own body and perspective.”
After the performance, Hodgin invited the audience to linger and engage in a conversation about her creative process and approaches.
Audience members, including IU freshman Beatrice Chalkey, said the project stood out for creativity and authenticity, adding that independent projects foster more induvial expression, and that shined through for this project.
“It was very interpretive,” Chalkey said. “I feel like it was a lot more creative than I expected, I really could feel the story being told.”
