Dancer Music
  • About
  • Contact
  • About
  • Contact
Choreography and Concert DanceDancerMusic ExclusiveMusic for Choreography

Sole and Souls: Ashley Deran Tells Us About Project Bound Dance’s ‘Imprint’

October 16, 2017 October 27, 2017 Kristi Licera

Soul and soles. If you’re wondering what those two things have to do with one another, just ask Project Bound Dance Co-Artistic Director, Ashley Deran. Well, we asked, and got some answers that made us want to ask a hundred more questions. In collaboration with vocalist Jazelle Morriss, Project Bound Dance will premiere ‘Imprint’ at Hamlin Park Field House Theater October 19 + 20. DancerMusic’s Kristi Licera took some time with Ashley to find out more:

Kristi: ‘Imprint’ explores “soul and soles while addressing the impact of social status and material worth.” What sparked your need to explore this idea?

My co-director, Ericka Vaughn and I discussed why women in particular feel compelled to step into certain expectations about how they should look and act.

Ashley: My co-director, Ericka Vaughn and I discussed why women in particular feel compelled to step into certain expectations about how they should look and act. We further discussed stepping into certain roles: the role of a mother, the role of a significant other, the role of a boss, etc. We realized those titles are just different hats we wear (or in the case of ‘Imprint’, the shoes!) and while they add texture to your personality, they don’t define you. We ran with that and ended up with 42 different shoes featured in one exciting evening of dance!

Kristi: How did Jazelle Morriss become part of ‘Imprint’?

Ashley: Jazelle Morriss, whose acting credits include Chicago Children’s Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company, is a personal friend of co-director Ericka Vaughn. She attended one of our performances last season and was really moved by the work we presented. Jazelle approached us about possibly collaborating in the future and at the time we hadn’t locked down any specific concepts for our third season. We kindly asked her to join the Project Bound family and with her help we began creating a blueprint for “Imprint.”

Kristi: How did Jazelle’s time with you and the dance artists affect the choreographic development of ‘Imprint’?

Ericka and I are very musical and rhythmic with our choreography and were heavily inspired by the cadence of Jazelle’s voice, her pauses and inflections.

Ashley: For our two biggest sections, the Prologue and Imprint finale, Jazelle was a huge influence in how we structured our choreography. Both of these sections are set only to her voice — a slam style story that serves as a thematic thread throughout the piece. Ericka and I are very musical and rhythmic with our choreography and were heavily inspired by the cadence of Jazelle’s voice, her pauses and inflections. While Ericka and I are used to collaborating together, it was such an adventure to add a third voice (literally) to the mix. Jazelle was open and honest with her ideas and we were able to give feedback on specific things we wanted. The dancers’ movement and her lyrics are co-dependent, which has created a dynamic and exciting energy in the studio that we cannot wait to share.

The dancers’ movement and her lyrics are co-dependent, which has created a dynamic and exciting energy in the studio that we cannot wait to share.

Kristi: What came first: sound or movement?

Ashley: This show in particular was tricky because the work is broken up into short vignettes. I would say for the most part we generated a lot of movement ideas, themes, and phrases without music and then reassembled those thoughts once we found a sound score that fit our concept for the specific section.

_____________________________________________________________

‘Imprint’ features six dancers, one vocalist, three original spoken word pieces, and 42 pairs of shoes. The evening will also feature seven selected works from Bound’s One Hour Project, which offered artists the unique opportunity to collaborate and create a 60 second dance for film in just 60 minutes. Catch ‘Imprint’ at the Hamlin Park Field House Theater October 19 + 20 by purchasing tickets at www.projectbounddance.brownpapertickets.com.

Photographs by Ashley Deran

Artists featured in photographs:

Image 1: Alix Schillaci – Image 2: Project Bound Dance with Jazelle Morriss – Image 3 (L to R): Kathryn Hetrick, Alix Schillaci, and Co-director Ericka Vaughn – Image 4: Stephanie Toland

4PHOTOSAshley DeranchicagoChicago Dance CommunitychoreographyConcert DanceEricka VaughnHamlin Park Field HouseImprintJazelle MorrissKristi LiceraProject Bound DanceSpoken Word
Kristi LiceraOctober 16, 2017
Kristi Licera

Kristi Licera

Kristi Licera is DancerMusic's Dance Editor. A professional dancer based out of Chicago, IL, she began her dance training at age 8 in her hometown, Rancho Cucamonga, Kristi graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Dance from California State University, Fullerton. Upon graduation, she joined Keshet Dance Company (Albuquerque, NM). Since relocating to Chicago, Kristi has had the honor of performing works with Thodos Dance Chicago, Noumenon Dance Ensemble, South Chicago Dance Theater, Movement Revolution Dance Company, and has worked with a number of independent artists. Kristi actively teaches youth and adult dance classes throughout the Chicagoland area and is a company artist with Chicago Dance Crash.

Here's more ...

4PHOTOS: Twenty Years of New Dances, With Jeff Hancock, Joshua Manculich and Amy Wilkinson

October 16, 2017 October 27, 2017

5 Questions With Composer David Jennings About Music, the Art of Collaboration and L-Theory Collective

October 16, 2017 October 27, 2017

A Dancer’s Quarantine: Finding Hope and Moving Forward with Kristi Licera

October 16, 2017 October 27, 2017

Featured Stories

4PHOTOS: Twenty Years of New Dances, With Jeff Hancock, Joshua Manculich and Amy Wilkinson

June 18, 2020 June 19, 2020

5 Questions With Composer David Jennings About Music, the Art of Collaboration and L-Theory Collective

June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

A Dancer’s Quarantine: Finding Hope and Moving Forward with Kristi Licera

May 11, 2020 October 13, 2020

More Stories About Dance and Choreography

4PHOTOS: Twenty Years of New Dances, With Jeff Hancock, Joshua Manculich and Amy Wilkinson

June 18, 2020 June 19, 2020

5 Questions With Composer David Jennings About Music, the Art of Collaboration and L-Theory Collective

June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

A Dancer’s Quarantine: Finding Hope and Moving Forward with Kristi Licera

May 11, 2020 October 13, 2020

The Real Story: Movement Revolution Dance Crew presents “Opposites Attract” with Artistic Director Monte Rezell

March 10, 2020 March 10, 2020

The Real Story: Hedwig Dances’ Founding Artistic Director Jan Bartoszek on “LIGHT PLAY”

March 10, 2020 March 10, 2020

More Stories About Music

5 Questions With Composer David Jennings About Music, the Art of Collaboration and L-Theory Collective

June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

The Real Story: Trinity Irish Dance Company at The Auditorium Theatre with Chelsea Hoy

February 24, 2020 February 25, 2020

INSIDE: Zachary Whittenburg on “Floor Show”—a production inspired by the sound and vision of David Bowie

February 11, 2020 February 25, 2020
The Big Muddy Dance Company (Photo Courtesy of The Big Muddy Dance Company)

The Real Story: Inside The Big Muddy Dance Company’s “Beat Ballads” With Choreographer Shannon Alvis

January 21, 2020 January 21, 2020

5 Questions With Wilfredo Rivera About America, Americans and Cerqua Rivera’s 20th

September 20, 2019 September 30, 2019

#FINDINGMUSIC

If you're looking for music from artists you might not know (but just might love), look here. If you're looking for music for your next Choreography project, that's here too.

Just click on whatever style you want to listen to, and you'll be #FindingMusic in no time.

HOUSE & TRANCE
BEATS
COOL ROCK
COUNTRY
CLASSICAL & SOUNDTRACK
JAZZ & BLUES
THROWBACKS

Copyright 2010-2019 DancerMusic