Subduing the Arduos, with Khiana Gilmer
The Process of Creating A Piece About Overcoming Challenges and Breaking Boundaries
Khiana Gilmer is a dancer & choreographer born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Currently a senior at VCU School of the Arts, Gilmer allows us to step into her world, explaining the process of choreographing a performance of what will be considered her last creation as an undergraduate.
“2woTruths” pronounced Two Truths is the senior capstone for the 2024 VCU School of the Arts seniors where they create a dance piece that showcases all of the courses taken throughout the dance and choreography department. Khiana is one of nine choreographers who are called Truth 1, showcasing on November 17th and 18th at the Grace Street Theatre in Richmond, VA at 7 p.m. What’s so important about these pieces is that not only is it a performance for the public, but it’s an evaluation of their skills that have been strengthened over the past 3 years.
Through vigorous courses, summer intensives, and a keen desire to learn through growth, Khiana has proven she is dedicated to the choreographic process and ready to excel in the world of dance.
The Thursday before this practice they presented their piece in front of the VCU dance faculty for their customary progress showing. The dance department being made up of established dance professionals holds the power to give constructive criticism that can strengthen the confidence of a piece but at the same breath construct feedback that can result in retracing your path. Friday's dance rehearsal provided valuable insight into Gilmer’s role as a choreographer, observing her dancers and understanding how she capitalizes on their individual strengths and weaknesses to breathe life into her 11-minute project.
*I do not own copyrights to this music*
An hour and a half into the rehearsal Khiana pulls her cast together for a heart-to-heart in order to regroup and reaffirm.
“You have the choreography, you look great in the choreography and I just want you to find more ease within yourself. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself. It has to be you portraying the confidence that is already in your steps. Your steps look confident but I can tell that you’re in your head and you don’t have to be because you got it.” -Gilmer says to Dancer A
“I feel like people think, don’t take this personally, I think people think that you’re the underdog and I don’t think that at all. I personally feel like you have so much to bring to a space and a dance, and just how strong your presence is in something, I knew I needed you in my piece regardless. My top two picks I knew I was fighting for you. You have this presence that’s like you know what’s going on, you pick it up, you perform it, and you do it with so much ease while it’s still just so strong. You have that je ne saia quoi.” -Gilmer voices to Dancer B
It becomes evident that the relationship between a dancer and their craft continues to transcend boundaries. Dancers are innovators. They have the ability to tell stories, convey emotion, and ignite your imagination in the realm of artistic expression. This isn’t a dance competition, this is a showcase. Hopefully, this exploration broadened your perspective on artists and their diverse forms of creativity.
Her Gifted Gab says…
In an environment of work one of the most important qualities to have as a boss, as a leader, and as a colleague, is empathy. Such an emotion many people don’t emphasize amongst work but one of the most valuable traits that assists in creating a deeper sense of trust and comfortability. Khiana Gilmer embodies it. What I can say wholeheartedly is that she is honest and motivating as a choreographer. I admire her ego being pushed aside as the “boss” but the tone still being stern on her expectations. My understanding of the dance and art world has deepened significantly, allowing me to comprehend the intricate mental processes involved in being a dedicated professional dancer through the insights shared by someone immersed in this profession. The relentless journey of a dedicated dancer consists of comparisons, mental hurdles, physical maintenance, and the ongoing struggle to consistently demonstrate growth, learning, and capability to fellow professionals. The best part about the meaning behind this is the visualization of growth. Khiana Gilmer sees herself in each and every one of the dancers in her cast while these dancers look up to her in admiration of who they hope to become over the years as a dance major.
