Never alone: Three aspects of self, creation, therapy and art

Three dances, presented in the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theatre at California State University, Long Beach, were choreographed with distinct, yet unrelated conceptual motivations that subsequently and therapeutically enhanced the choreographer's self-esteem: Que es un Fantasma ( What is a Ghost?), 12 minutes; When Kept in the Dark, 14 minutes, and Stepping Into Solitude, 14 minutes. Each work was performed in one of three separate Graduate Dance Concerts: the first work appeared in February 2003, the second in October 2004, and the last in February 2004.; Que es un Fantasma (2003) was a large piece, inspired and motivated by the Hispanic urban legend, La Llorona. When Kept in the Dark (2004) grappled with personal experiences of sexual harassment and rape. Stepping Into Solitude (2004) was an exploration of the difference between solitude and loneliness, a contemplation of the different emotions that surround these two words. The conception and process of these dances were documented and analyzed in this project report.