(from L) Ariann & Sorelle performing "Out of My Mind"

By Marcia E. Gawecki

“Out of My Mind, Back in Five Minutes,” was the title of Ariann’s choreographed dance piece at Idyllwild Arts Academy last year.

It could have been stated by any one of her fellow classmates after an ACT, SAT or TOEFL test. Yet, this clever title showcased young inmates dancing at an insane aslyum. While Ariann and the others danced, in torn straight jackets to techno music, an oversized duck ran around them.

The show was a hit, especially with the young ones.

“Every time Bonnie Carpenter’s son sees me, and he’s three years old, he shouts, ‘Duck!'” Ariann said. “No one has forgotten that show.”

Ariann got a grant to choreograph her own show

Maybe because the subject matter, insanity, ties neatly into common feelings at this arts boarding school where only the best young artists, actors, singers, musicians and dancers are accepted. They carry a full schedule, have night rehearsals and classes on weekends. Yet, it pays off when they get accepted to the top colleges in the country.

“I knew then that I wanted to be a choreographer,” Ariann said, after her “Out of My Mind” piece.

Now, just after three intense days of working with choreographer Chad Hall, who taught a Master Class at Idyllwild Arts, Ariann was exhausted, but happy.

She was looking forward to choreographing her own show.

leva as an insane person

She received a grant from the Transatlantic Arts Consortium (which is a collaboration between CalArts, The Dartington Hall Trust and Idyllwild Arts Academy) to perform dances to the ‘Seven Deadly Sins.’ It’s the second one-man show of its kind at the school since Cyndi choreographed ‘SiJi,’ (which means ‘Four Seasons’) about Chinese dance in 2010 (see blog post, ‘SiJi: A Night of Chinese Dance,’ from May 20,2010).

Ariann said that she asked the Transatlantic Arts Consortium for $5,000, but received half. But she’s happy and will work within that budget. Most of the grant money will go towards creating costumes, props and original music.

The  “Seven Deadly Sins” include pride, greed, envy, lust, sloth, anger and gluttony, and Ariann will portray them in nine different numbers. One of them will have as many as 20 dancers.

“I’m ready for the challenge,” Ariann said.

Bonnie Carpenter's son remembers the large duck

For the past few months, she’s been working with her friend, Axel, from Mexico, who is creating the original music for her ‘Deadly Sins’ performance.

“They (the grant people) told me to work with musicians at the school,” Ariann said. “But it’s too late. I’ve already begun working with Axel, and his music is great.”

Axel’s techo music is comprised of a guitar, drum and bass, Ariann explained. The beats are strong and fast, and they’re easy to dance to. But Axel also mixes this music with words.

This jibberish-and-music combo came out of a miscue from her “Out of My Mind, Back in Five Minutes” dance piece.

“Halfway through the piece, the music stopped. A nightmare for any choreographer,” Ariann recalled. “But the dancers didn’t stop. One-by-one, they each started talking jibberish. They saved the show, and no one in the audience was the wiser.”

Now, Ariann and Axel think the combination will work well for her ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ show.

A lot of the dances are forming in her head now, but she needs to get them down on paper. In the past, she performs the dances by herself until she worked them out.

“I get a lot of energy from the other dancers,” Ariann said. “I cannot wait until it all comes together!”

Her “Seven Deadly Sins” show is set for the spring, after student choreography, she said. No date has been set, but the work continues.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

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