In My Shadow

Charlotte B. Um – School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Collaborators: Jack Randel, Vaughn Melborne, Nya Johnson, Henry Conner – School of Music, Theatre & Dance; Anthony Short – LSA; Johnathan Rickard – Education

In My Shadow highlights the intersectionality of movement and poetry in order to reflect the human condition in a raw, genuine, heart-touching way. The original voice-over poetry will be the “music” that each dancer moves to. Moreover, different dance styles will be seamlessly choreographed to show the lightness of a relationship and also the pains that come with it. Playing with heavy shadows and light work, we are dealing with the human emotion in an artistic way that allows the audience member to reflect deeply on their own personal mental health journies and relationships where self-worth was questioned. In this original piece, we will grapple with depression, anxiety and how that affects body image and distorted eating through the lens of a caucasian male and Korean-American female relationship. Moreover, it will deal with the effects of mental health through a white and Asian lens.

This digital piece will be shared with the community in order to increase awareness of eating disorders and mental health so that each individual will be able to resonate with the piece in some way or another. I am looking forward to an inclusive environment that will encourage every single person working on In My Shadow to work hard with play.