Final Reflection

 

1 

Transcending Theory

Yue Wang

This semester has completely transformed my understanding of physical movement in singing. Initially,
I viewed movement as an external expression—proper posture, clear stage positioning, and “correct” hand gestures. Through contrast exercises between large and small movements, navigating different levels and directions within limited space, and simple daily warm-ups, I began to feel a rhythmic flow emanating from within. I discovered that rapid, large movements often intensified physical tension, while focused slow movements helped me relax, perceive my breath, and maintain stability. When practicing fast combinations, I became more aware that overthinking stiffens the body. By listening to my body, planning movements in advance, and practicing consistently, I improved both the fluidity and accuracy of my actions. These discoveries confirmed my belief: physical preparation and movement are not optional extras, but the very foundation of emotional expression.

This course also helped expand my movement vocabulary and cultural awareness. Learning Tai Chi in class allowed me to rediscover the subtlety of continuous, traceable movements—no action arises in isolation, each building upon the previous one. In Tai Chi partner exercises, we mirrored each other's motions, sensing energy flow between us. This shifted my focus from isolated form to connection and responsiveness. In contrast, African traditional dance emphasizes earth-rooted rhythms, collective consciousness, and repetitive movements. I didn't mechanically mimic steps but connected them toreal-life meaning. Through these practices, I grasped two core principles: “restraint” needn't equate to rigidity, nor does “flow” imply looseness—both require clear intent. Asymmetry often unlocks richer expressive possibilities than perfect symmetry, which, while visually clean, may constrain emotional expression.

 This course directly relates to my work as a singer and my future goals. Breath-based walking and pausing exercises revealed that inhalation, exhalation, and stillness not only support the voice but also carry dramatic meaning. I now understand that movement imagery—such as imagining myself inside a box, embodying an animal, or drawing from the textures of Tai Chi and African dance—helps me connect more deeply to my opera roles. The knowledge gained in this class transcends theory, integrating practical insights into a singer's performance. Emotionally, the course guided me beyond awkwardness toward curiosity and joy; each time I allowed myself to embrace imperfection, I discovered progress in bodily movement. Moving forward, I will incorporate these physical practices into my personal studio work and ultimately bring them into my teaching, encouraging students to listen not only to their minds but also to their bodies—allowing movement, breath, and voice to mutually support one another.

 

 

2

 The  Places Where Art Begins

By Junchen Li

 

This semester’s dance course has been one of the most unexpected and transformative parts of my experience at Frost. As a musician, I entered the class thinking movement would simply complement my stage work, but throughout these months I discovered something deeper: the body remembers, the body speaks, and the body reveals truths that the voice sometimes hides.

1. What I learned: movement as context, structure, and intention

From the early classes on context, text, and subtext, I learned how intention shapes movement. Understanding the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” made me realize that even a simple gesture carries layers of meaning. The lessons on compositional forms such as ABA, Rondo, and Narrative helped me understand movement not as isolated steps but as emotional architecture.

The exercise with the scarf was a turning point. When the scarf connected my movements, tension dissolved and my body suddenly found freedom; yet when it was removed, some of the old tightness returned. That contrast taught me how much external elements such as objects, clothing, the space, and the imagined audience shape our expression. As musicians, when we wear concert attire, we unconsciously adopt certain behaviors; when the stage lights come on, our bodies react. Dance made me aware of these invisible forces.

Another lesson I found deeply meaningful was your repeated reminder:
“Don’t look in the mirror. Don’t criticize yourself.”
As a musician, I constantly re-watch my performances, trying to correct every imperfection. I enjoy being onstage, yet I never shared any of my performances publicly for a long time because I never felt “good enough.” Hearing your words made me recognize how often I interrupt my own expression with judgment.

2. What I felt: uncovering the parts I don’t often show

This class brought me into contact with parts of myself I rarely reveal. Movement allowed emotions to surface in a way that felt honest and vulnerable. I realized I don’t stay in one emotion; instead, my body shifts through hesitation, release, tension, softness, and unexpected joy.

Performing my final solo, The Place I Left Behind, was the first time I let some of these inner parts appear openly. In the piece, the chair represented a place where I stayed too long, and the scarf represented someone or a memory I once held onto. Through approaching, holding, being pulled, and letting go, I found myself expressing something that words or even singing could not carry on their own.

For the first time, I wasn’t performing to please, impress, or “fix” something. I was simply expressing myself.

3. What I will carry forward: movement as freedom, not judgment

Dance reminded me that expression doesn’t belong only to dancers, just as singing doesn’t belong only to singers. Your words stay with me:
“You don’t have to be a singer to sing, and you don’t have to be a dancer to dance. We are all stronger and braver than we think.”

As a musician, this course taught me to trust my body as much as my voice, to let movement support my singing instead of restricting it, and to stop relying on the mirror, literal or internal, to validate my work. I want to bring this freedom into rehearsals, performances, and my daily life.

Most importantly, I want to continue exploring the parts of myself I once hid: the shifting, emotional, imperfect, searching parts. Those are the places where art begins.

This class didn’t just teach me how to move. It taught me how to listen to my body, my emotions, and the stories that live quietly underneath the surface.

And for that, I’m truly grateful.
Thank you, Dr. Morejon.

 

 

3

 

 A Space Where I Didn’t Need to Judge Myself

 

 

Yuhao Sun

What I learned: This semester helped me understand my body in ways I honestly didn’t expect. We worked with low, middle, and high levels, different directions, chair solo work, fast and slow movement, walking with breath, bound and free flow, and all kinds of body relationships. Little by little, I started to notice how my body reacts, where it holds tension, and how much I can change simply by paying attention. Creating my own solo was a big moment for me. I used it in the final exam and brought all the ideas from the semester into that piece. It felt good to see everything come together and to realize that I could make something that actually has a story and feels like mine. Our ensemble piece “Boy Band” also taught me a lot. Working with my classmates, figuring out timing together, trying things that felt silly at first but eventually worked, all of that created a kind of trust that I really enjoyed.

What I felt: I really had fun in this class. Every week I learned something new, and I felt myself becoming a little braver. I stopped thinking so much about whether a movement looked right or whether I was doing things “correctly.” Instead, I just allowed myself to move. That was a big change for me. It felt good to have a space where I didn’t need to judge myself all the time.

What I will carry forward: As a voice student and an opera performer, I rely on my body more than I realized. When we performed The Consul this semester, I noticed that I moved with more confidence than before. I was willing to take bigger physical risks, and what felt big to me onstage actually looked completely normal from the audience. That was a great reminder that I need to trust my body more. Wang Yue was also in the show, and I think she would say the same thing about how helpful this class was. In the future, I want to keep practicing what I learned here. I want to release tension more easily, move with more freedom, and use my body in ways that support my singing and my characters instead of holding me back. Thank you, Dr. Morejon, for everything this semester. I will keep these lessons with me, both in my work and in the stories I try to tell onstage. And thank you for the performance in our last class. I really loved it.

 

 

 

4

 

 

 The Expression Felt Closer to Who I Truly Am

 

Zhedong Ren

Throughout this course, I found myself gradually opening to a new way of understanding performance. At first, I approached Embodied Movement Practices with a singer’s mindset, always thinking about breath, resonance, posture and technique. But as the semester unfolded, I realized that the work was not simply about moving the body. It was an invitation to listen to what the body remembers, to allow sensations to lead expression, and to acknowledge that physical awareness is inseparable from emotional truth.

As a classical singer with a rather winding journey, this class touched me more deeply than I expected. In the past few years, I have gone through many challenges: confusion about my vocal identity, others’ doubts, and the feeling of repeatedly falling and forcing myself to stand again. Those experiences shaped me, but they also taught me to guard myself emotionally. In this course, however, I was encouraged to soften. When I paid attention to the weight of my steps, the expansion of the rib-cage, or the release of tension in the neck, I realized how much emotion I had been holding silently. Movement helped me recognize that vulnerability is not something to hide. It is a source of artistic strength.

This embodied work also connected to my own music making. When I prepared my solo piece Borrowed Moonlight, I found myself returning to the feelings of distance, longing, and solitude that come from studying far away from home. Instead of relying only on vocal technique to express that homesickness, I allowed my physical sensations to guide me. The softness in the spine, the gentle sway of the torso, and the quiet stretch of the chest helped me access the emotional landscape more honestly. It changed how I sang the piece. The sound felt freer, and the expression felt closer to who I truly am.

One of the most important things I learned is that the body does not lie. When I try too hard to control, my movements become stiff and my singing loses sincerity. When I allow myself to breathe, ground, and stay present, something more genuine appears. This is especially meaningful to me because I have always had a strong emotional response to music. I cry easily when something touches me, but I often struggle to transform that sensitivity into performance. This course gave me tools to bridge that gap. It taught me that the path to emotional authenticity begins not with forcing expression, but with listening to subtle sensations and letting the body respond naturally.

Moving forward in my DMA studies, I will carry these practices with me. Whether I am working on Rodolfo, Elvino, or Nemorino, I want to build characters not only through vocal choices but also through embodied imagination. I hope to allow each role to inhabit my body differently, so that the physical life of the character supports the emotional and musical interpretation. On stage, I aspire to share not only beautiful sound but also truthful presence, something that invites the audience into my inner world.

This course reminded me that growth does not happen through control alone. It happens when discipline meets openness, when technique meets feeling, and when the body and heart finally move in the same direction. I leave with a deeper understanding of myself as an artist, and with gratitude for an experience that helped me reconnect with the core of why I sing.

 

 

5 

 A Lived Understanding of How  Movement, Sensation, and Imagination Integrate 

Chris Melton

This semester’s dance class reshaped my understanding of how movement can inform artistic expression far beyond technique. At the beginning, I approached dance much as I once approached performance—focusing on outward correctness, the precision of lines, and the clarity of each gesture. But as we explored contrasts between expansive and contained motions, experimented with shifting levels in limited space, and incorporated grounding warm-ups into our routine, I started to perceive movement as something generated internally rather than imposed externally. Larger, faster motions revealed my tendency to tense under pressure, while slower, intentional phrasing allowed me to notice my breath, release unnecessary effort, and find a steadier center. I became aware that mental over-control often restricts the body, and that true fluidity comes from preparation, mindful repetition, and trust in embodied knowledge.

The variety of movement traditions studied in the course also deepened my sense of cultural context and expressive possibility. Learning Tai Chi helped me recognize the continuity between actions—how no motion is isolated, and how each gesture carries traces of what came before. Partner work emphasized sensitivity, requiring me to listen with my body and respond to energy rather than shape alone. In contrast, African dance introduced me to rhythmic groundedness, community-driven movement, and the meaning behind repeated patterns. Instead of copying steps, I learned to anchor them in stories and emotional resonance. These experiences illuminated two essential truths: restraint can hold power without rigidity, and flowing movement still demands clarity of intention. I found that embracing asymmetry often invited more authentic emotional nuance than striving for perfect form.

Ultimately, this course connected physical practice directly to my broader artistic goals. Breath-oriented walking and pausing exercises reminded me that inhalation, release, and stillness shape expression just as much as they support technique. Imagery-based movement—imagining boundaries, embodying creatures, or drawing from the textures of Tai Chi and African dance—opened new pathways into character work and emotional authenticity. What I gained was not merely theoretical; it became a lived understanding of how movement, sensation, and imagination integrate into performance. On a personal level, the class moved me from self-consciousness toward curiosity, and from hesitation toward genuine enjoyment. In future practice and teaching, I intend to weave these discoveries into my work, encouraging students to honor the intelligence of their bodies and to let movement, breath, and artistic intention inform one another in a unified, expressive whole.

 

 

 

6

 

 Producing Sound with Ease and Expressivity

 

Rey Sunglao

In the Embodied Movements course, I discovered how movement can exist on different levels—high, medium, and low—and how shifting between these levels creates dynamic expression. I learned to explore shapes with my body, recognizing how posture and form can communicate meaning beyond words. The contrast between flowing and abrupt movements taught me how rhythm and energy can transform the same gesture into something entirely new. Afro-based movements introduced me to cultural traditions that emphasize groundedness, rhythm, and community, expanding my understanding of dance as both art and heritage. Finally, experimenting with different ways to salsa showed me how even familiar forms can be re-imagined with creativity and personal style.

Throughout the course, I felt myself becoming more confident in my body and the way I move. At first, I was hesitant, but as I practiced, I began to trust my instincts and embrace the freedom of expression. I also made a few meaningful connections with others, which reminded me that movement can be a shared language that brings people together. This openness encouraged me to explore movements I might not have tried before, breaking away from rigid expectations. Overall, the experience left me feeling empowered, curious, and more willing to take risks in how I express myself physically.

From this course, I will carry forward the idea that movement can be a tool for freedom and creativity in both teaching and performance. I plan to integrate these new learnings into my curriculum for the early childhood program at Frost, encouraging young learners to explore movement as a way of expressing themselves. By introducing concepts like levels, shapes, and flow, I can help children develop body awareness and confidence in their own unique styles. These lessons also connect directly to my performance practice on the double bass, where physical awareness, posture, and flow are essential to producing sound with ease and expressivity. Ultimately, I will use these practices to inspire students to move with joy, curiosity, and authenticity, while modeling how embodied movement enriches both education and musical performance.

 

7

 A Healthier Relationship with Practice and Movement

Nathaniel Holman  

 

For me, as a percussionist, I have taken a lot of alexander technique and movement classes before. So in some concepts, I felt very comfortable and free. But there were several new concepts that really struck me as we worked together. This first was how to incorporate other cultural traditions of dance into my practice. For example, the way that the dances from Africa had me move really opened up several possibilities for my own comfort and artistry behind the instruments I play. The second idea was how different body arts forms, like Tai Chi, can also help me feel more grounded and peaceful behind my instrument. They actually helped my overall playing movement on marimba throughout the semester. Finally, I learned to let go of several of the self-made insecurities I convinced myself I had. By being more free in class and experimenting with lots of different ideas instead of feeling embarrassed of how I moved or sounded, I grew a lot.

At first in the semester, I felt very stiff and awkward. There was not much I would do without thinking of what other people thought. But as class went on, I started to be more comfortable with myself and with being ok with being free. From there, I felt very ‘myself’ in a way that allowed to experiment the most with movement and find the ways of moving, dancing, and using my voice that felt most natural. 

For me, I will carry on the ideas of flow, dance forms, and body movement art forms as pedagogical tools for my instrument. Since movement is what defines a percussionists sound, having multiple new avenues of teaching movement is a fantastic tool at my disposal. Not only will I use it to continue to help my own playing (both for my expressiveness and for my longevity), but I will pass it on to my students as they seek to find their own artistic voice. I believe that it will help both me and them be the most honest versions of ourself in the practice room and on stage. I will also carry on how to not care so much of what other people think of my practice as I am in pursuit of enhancing my artistry. This class showed me how to be confident in exploring very new ideas in front of many people who I had never met before - that confidence will certainly be with me for many years and help me guide myself and my students towards a healthier relationship with practice and movement.

 

 

 8

We Just Must Follow our Body's Feelings

Yoojin Lee

Through this semester, I have learned many; many of creative approaches to performance, many of different views from the audience, many of contents and thoughts that I can apply to my major performance and many of movements. I am a singer but at the same time I am a dancer and also actress. So that was the reason why I was interested in this class and registered. I have learned not only how to use the body but also how to create the performance in a academical way. Dr. Jorge mentioned that we have to have our own documents of our performance and let the body move, don't think. These two are impressive in my mind throughout this entire course. Also, I can be more familiar with the dancer's life which I am told from Dr. Jorge, which is really important to know as a singer. The body warm up that we did every class together with the words from Dr. Jorge always says that we just do our thing that what we have to do before the performance. These are what I learned from this course which I cannot be more happy to have taken this class and I cannot learn them anywhere else. 

I have felt that eventually, the art / creation is all the same, which means that as a dancer, singer, instrumentalist or any other artistic ability, we have to all go through the same process. We cannot follow the head but the body. Of course, we have to learn and research about our things, but when we are on stage, on rehearsal, in the lesson, or even in the practice room, we cannot read the words while we are making art. We just must follow our body's feelings and that is how the art is being created. 

Everything I learned in this class was worth and valuable to apply to the singer's life. I felt that singer and dancer are pretty similar and we do have things to share together that would be improving one another. I wrote multiple times in the daily reflection about the sphere that would be really helpful when I am on stage. I was always struggling feeling grounded on stage. Because there are many obstacles when we are in the new stage. I have to check the resonance, sound mirroring, reflecting, distance with the audience and so on. But If I can just fine my own sphere, whatever type of stage or hall does not matter for me. Thus, I can make every where same feeling as if I were in my practice room. I am really happy that I can bring this to my own career and I am excited to  use this tool on the huge world's stage.

 

 

9

 My Body is an  Extension of my Voice

Cassidy Holmes

I learned how to be more free in my movements while performing. As a singer, I didn’t spend much time thinking about the places I hold tension and how they affect me while I am performing. I’ve started moving my body before I begin singing, and the results have been incredible. Even just taking a few minutes to stretch and check in with my body before I begin singing completely changes the way I sound. I also learned that breath can play such an important role in the movements we create. I enjoyed the class were we played with our breath and tried to incorporate the way we were breathing into our movements. From that class, I learned that the way we as performers use breath on stage can also be a tool. I had never thought about the fact that the best performers can make what they do on stage look effortless and the audience should not be aware of how hard you are working on stage.

When the course first started, I felt unsure of my movements and I felt uncomfortable because I was not familiar with what we were doing in class. As the semester progressed, I felt my confidence increase and I felt more comfortable attemping new things in class. I’m proud of the way I gave everything we did in class my best effort, even if I felt awkward and unsure when we began. I think the thing I struggled with the most was the tai chi. I am a very fast paced person, most of my natural movements tend to be quick and sharp, so moving slowly while still maintaining the intention of the movement was difficult for me at first. I liked that the tai chi challenged me to slow myself down and focus on chaneling my energy. 

One of my biggest takeaways from this course is that every movement, no matter how slow or small has to have intention behind it. Another huge takeaway for me is now knowing how important it is to start every day by stretching and warming up. I bike to school in the mornings and there is a very noticeable difference on days I take the time to stretch before I go and days I wake up and bike to school without thinking about warming up my body. I would never jump into a performance or practice session without taking the time to properly warm up my voice, and this course has taught me that my body is an instrument that is just as important. I have been forced to ask myself why I wouldn’t treat my body the same way I treat my voice, especially considering my body is an extension of my voice.  I feel like the work we did in class also changed the way I carry myself on stage. Before I walk onto a stage now, I do a quick check in with every part of my body and it helps me to feel more grounded and secure before I go out to sing. I have definitely been projecting more confidence on stage because I am holding less tension in my neck and shoulders.

 

10 

 My Approach to My  Artistry as a Whole

Miguel Misa  

 

 

We covered a very wide range of topics in the class, for the most part about the relationship between our bodily movements, the space we inhabit during performance, and how the relationship between these two impacts an audience and ourselves while performing. I learned about the many different parameters and ways of thinking about dance and movement, and we learned about these primarily just doing it and incorporating the different ways of moving into dance phrases. We also explored a diverse range of dance cultures from around the world. Professor Morejon imparted the importance of freedom of movement in whatever kind of performance we do, along with the importance of deeper intention behind the movements we make as we perform. 

The class was always a fun time for me, the way we always learned through exploration was playful, and the environment encouraged acceptance and creativity. I always felt that whatever I was learning in the class would be of some benefit to me in ways that I would only find out later on, and some things definitely made more immediate impacts to my approach to my artistry as a whole. I enjoyed working with others and it was overall just a good time. It never felt like much work and more something that was of a healthy benefit to my life, while also happening to expand my knowledge and artistry further, particularly in regards to how to use my body as a performer even if I may not be strictly dancing in whatever it is that I do.

I think that in many ways, I have already become more aware of my bodily movements as I play my instrument, and have leaned more into a new-found freedom of movement as I play. I feel much more immersed into my performances now approaching it with a more holistic sense of myself as a performer, incorporating my whole body into my playing instead of focusing only on what my hands and arms are doing. I think this kind of immersion is felt by the audience and helps for them to feel immersed as well, and because of this class I think I've gained a better sense of what performing for an audience actually means, which is ironically not discussed enough in classical music education despite it possibly being one of the most important things in regards to performing successfully whether it is for a concert audience or for an audition.

 

12 

 

 

A grounding, energizing start to each day

 

 

 Braden Rymer

My greatest take-away from Embodied Movement Practices is the understanding that, in order to be truly free as a vocalist and conductor, the entire body must be free. Throughout the course, I gained a stronger sense of ownership over my body and discovered the vast range of movement available to me. I was reminded that the experience you gain from a course is directly connected to the effort you put
into it. It was interesting—and at times disappointing—to see attendance and participation decline among some classmates. Despite that, I did my best to stay committed in being present, punctual, and fully engaged, and as a result, I felt my experience was overwhelmingly positive and full of growth.

In my field, I can apply these practices directly to conducting. I’ve gained a wider palette of physical possibilities that will enhance my conducting gestures. As I create more freedom in my body, I’ll also create more control and clarity, allowing me to express the music more fully. As a vocalist, I now feel even more capable of expressive, embodied singing without the pressure to remain still. As an actor, this work helped me open up emotionally and physically, and as someone who loves dance, I enjoyed exploring movements that I’ve long admired in dancers.

I truly loved this class. The movement and stretching noticeably improved my mental health and provided a grounding, energizing start to each day. Learning from Jorge was a gift—he brought immense grace, kindness, and expertise to our learning environment. I only wish more students had taken the class seriously; it was discouraging to see some stop attending or participating. As graduate students, I believe we have the responsibility and privilege to approach new experiences with curiosity rather than closed-mindedness. Maintaining a growth mindset is one of my personal goals, and this course reinforced the value of that commitment.

 

 

 

 

 13

 

 The sound that emanates from my body

 

 Seongwoo Jeong

This experience was incredibly beneficial to me. While dance and music aren't directly related, I realized they share many similarities. I discovered that performances require numerous rehearsals, and this process allows me to refine my skills and master a variety of movements. By learning various dance techniques, I gained a more concrete understanding of the various ways I want to express myself, and this process allowed me to further develop myself. The group lessons, in particular, reminded me of a book I once read about a ballerina. Under the title, "Many Breathe as One," the idea of each person breathing together and sharing their thoughts for a unified music and art is crucial for us classical music majors. Since it's difficult to make a living solely through solo music, I believe the process of integrating multiple sounds into a single sound through chamber music or orchestral group art is similar. Every dance movement doesn't just come out of nowhere; I must prepare by listening to the sound that emanates from my body. I truly understood the profound meaning my professors placed on teaching me how dance operates within my field. I found this class incredibly beneficial and will recommend it to many of my friends. Thank you.

It wasn’t easy at first. However, after each class, I was amazed and happy to see myself improving. At first, even stretching was difficult, but as time passed, my body gained balance and energy, and as a result, my dancing skills improved noticeably. This class was not just a fun dance class, but an important time to balance my mind and body.

I am a student majoring in viola in classical music. In class, I learned various movements and dances from various countries, but among them, breathing and internal centering were especially important. This helped me a lot in controlling the tension on stage and the rapid breathing when performing. Also, through the various movements of techniques learned in class, I realized that what I wanted to express was similar in musical terms. This helped me to study and help my major more deeply, and I was able to gain a new perspective on musical expression.

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

 

 "Because I feel like it"

Cristina Morales

I learned that movement has so many planes. I knew this from conducting, but I didn't apply it to this class until we purposely focused on those elements. The lesson that captured me the most was Laban's cube and the different angles and directions you can go in a box. It was almost like cracking a safe - there are so many possible combinations. Fast and slow movements have places for different contexts as well as flow and rigid movements. 

Having so many wonderful classmates that were open and understanding and non-judgemental was a welcoming feeling. It was nice to just try things and not feel like "I look stupid doing this" - this feeling never happened and I am so thankful for the class being respectful of others and their movements and interpretations.  I felt seen in the Yoruba dancing lesson. This was culturally home for me and something that I felt free in doing. After that lesson, I tried to bring that feeling of "free" into my solo and ensemble pieces. 

All of the different aspects of movement I feel has already made me a more expressive conductor with my gestures (large and small). I see that movement has purpose. Ask why and don't be afraid to ask why, but also don't be afraid to say "because I feel like it" because feeling and dance go hand in hand. If given the opportunity to teach a conducting class, I would use Laban's Efforts to help interpret movement in beginning conductors, giving them a tool they can use in their art. Posture and poise and presence is something that I'll also take with me on the stage and in the classroom, as well as the importance of physical stretching and warm-ups with vocal warm-ups.