Discovery of Self, taking place this weekend, is a Dance Honors Project providing an extraordinary combination of visual arts and dance. Sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance, The Discovery of Self is Jordan Bergman’s senior honor project.
For Senior Jordan Bergman, Art Studio and Dance major, The Discovery of Self allows her to display both of her passions. Thematically based around the discovery of oneself, the show is about finding who you are under the layers of what society expects.
Heavily inspired by her own “dance drawings” and those of other artists, Bergman wanted to use herself through dance with paint for a project.
She submitted the idea as her Honors project. Wanting the show to be in an intimate space providing a real close-up of the entirety of the show, Bergman ultimately picked the Black Box as her desired location. Rehearsals for the show begun in February.
The overall look wasn’t that hard to create, her biggest concern has been quality control. In addition, she and crew had to make sure there will be enough supplies for three shows and where things, like the paint, need to be around stage. Bergman spoke to the true importance the show holds for her and her hopes for what it will hold for the audience.
“This entire project is really about finding yourself and being true to one’s self, and discovering movements themselves that correlate with each individual. I hope this provides more confidence towards creating things. Whether it’s through the process of visual arts, dance, or a combination of both, I hope the show presents a greater confidence of having the ability to do that,” Bergman stated.
Just as the paint will represent who Bergman is, so will the paint represent the two other dancers accompaning her. Alongside Bergman in performance is sophomore Dance Major Sami Heggem and junior Dance major Maggie Kennedy.
For Heggem, this is her first official year in the dance department and for that matter the experience and family has contributed a lot for her. After hearing that Jordan needed dancers, Heggem was the second to approach her after Maggie, now having worked on such a project and with Bergman, Heggem shared how the experience has been.
“The entire show has been interesting. It came together very suddenly, yet naturally. More than anything else, this project has provided confidence for me, as you have to be super confident for the project. Ultimately the show brings out who we are and says that everyone should let their true colors show. When I came and saw the very first dance performance here, while I was in high school, [Bergman} has really stuck with me. I’d say she’s almost my remodel when it comes to dancing. Her confidence has always shone through and I’m really glad I got to be a part of such a project,” Sami stated.
For Sophomore Kate Dudley, Dance and Accounting Major, being stage manager for the project has been a worthwhile experience. As a part of the dance department for the past two years, Dudley has had an amazing experience being part of the team.
Initially, hearing from Jordan that she needed a manager for the stage and lighting, Dudley was happy to offer help right off the bat after being assistant stage manager for the Importance of Being Earnest.
Dudley was also willing to offer help since Jordan was one of the first dancers to really stick out to her when first arriving at Gustauvs. Speaking about the new experiences she was able to face by being manager and working with Bergman, Dudley shared her thoughts on the entire experience.
“I firsthand got to be involved with making sure Jordan had everything she needed for the show. In addition, for the first time, I got to man and work with the lighting and soundboard. It was really interesting when we had to find stage hands, as we really didn’t want to disrupt the performance. I think this show really portrays the entire being that Jordan is, and, in addition, I believe it also shows who Maggie and Sami are,” Dudley stated.
Presenting a unique blend of dance and visual arts, the dancers explore the concept of self by becoming the brush, sweeping the paint across the dance floor canvas, The Discovery of Self is one student performance on campus that shouldn’t be missed.
The half an hour show will be shown May 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. and May 3 at 2 p.m. in the Black Box-Fine Art Center. Tickets are available to order on gustavustickets.com and at the CAO desk. Students and faculty are able to receive one free ticket, while tickets will be $4 for non-students/faculty.

-Dan Vruno