alexgabrielli.com http://alexgabrielli.com The wonderful profile of Alex Gabrielli Sat, 17 Mar 2012 06:39:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Post #10 – UCR is Dancing – Show Time! http://alexgabrielli.com/post-10-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-show-time/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-10-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-show-time/#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:39:07 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=418 Show time! What else can I say? Rachel and I have been extremely proud of each of the performers in the piece and what they have each contributed during these past 2 quarters. I think during this week the cast finally realized that the choreography and performance was actually theirs the whole time and that Rachel and I were there only to help guide and shape what they were already doing. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome of performances and the amazing amount of talent and hard work that went into bringing the concert together. On that note, I would like to personally thank Joel Smith for all of his help and wise words through the course of quarter. I would also like to thank Rachel Holdt for being such an amazingly fun person to collaborate with. I couldn’t have had a better group of people to work with my senior year at UCR.

Here is the dress rehearsal:

For inspiration this week, here is a fun video that I took last year of a ground hog… I think it’s a ground hog…

Creature from Alex Gabrielli on Vimeo.

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-10-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-show-time/feed/ 0 Post #9 – UCR is Dancing – Culver Center performance http://alexgabrielli.com/post-9-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-culver-center-performance/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-9-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-culver-center-performance/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:42:07 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=408 We had a beautiful performance at the Culver Center and the dancers performed marvelously within the odd shaped space. The dancer’s came roughly 2 hours prior to the performance and we had them run the choreography 2-3 times to get properly acquainted with timing, spacing and overall comfortability. Based on the responses of the audience, the piece was a success and it delivered a dose of what we undergraduate choreographers have to offer the University.

Here is one of my favorite stop motion short films. I feel like it has a lot to do with the content of our piece, but I’ll let you make the connections:

MORE by Mark Osborne from Nerdy Justin on Vimeo.

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-9-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-culver-center-performance/feed/ 0 Post #8 – UCR is Dancing – Last minute changes… http://alexgabrielli.com/post-8-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-last-minute-changes/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-8-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-last-minute-changes/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:40:39 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=406 So this last rehearsal we focused on preparing the ensemble to be able to adapt the piece for different spaces and different venues. We were given the opportunity to perform at the Culver Center in downtown Riverside for a fund raising event with the dean. So we continually rotated the facing of the dancers within our rehearsal space to practice their spacial awareness. After a couple of run-throughs, they got the hang of the changes and we felt very confident in their ability to adapt to the long Culver space. We also made sure that we ran the “flocking” section a couple of times with various slight additions to the movement qualities to “pep up” the blandness of the choreography.

I love thinking of how new technology such as this will help in analyzing, capturing and recording dance and choreography:

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-8-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-last-minute-changes/feed/ 0 Post #7 – UCR is Dancing – Flock away my seagulls! http://alexgabrielli.com/post-7-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-flock-away-my-seagulls/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-7-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-flock-away-my-seagulls/#comments Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:49:50 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=403 So this week had a major amount of changes that were implemented.  Some segments were extended and others were shortened.  We also experimented with the costumes and extra sleeves and how they naturally shed onto the floor.  Rachel and I really appreciate the way in which the clothing randomly falls off and the imagery that is created on the stage.  Other than that we really just focused on cleaning the piece so that we can prepare for the Culver center performance coming up.

One of my favorites!

Pierre Michel : Fire Flower from runshinrun on Vimeo.

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-7-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-flock-away-my-seagulls/feed/ 0 UCR is DANCING promo video http://alexgabrielli.com/ucr-is-dancing-promo-video/ http://alexgabrielli.com/ucr-is-dancing-promo-video/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 06:26:04 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=397

UCR is DANCING 2011 from Alex Gabrielli on Vimeo.

Video music by: Moby

Under the artistic direction of Visiting Assistant Professor Joel Smith, fourteen undergraduate dance majors will present original choreography that reflects five quarters of study in dance composition. The students have been working with distinguished faculty and guest artists Susan Rose, Wendy Rogers and Neil Greenberg since the fall of 2009, and will be guided to the stage by LA-based choreographer and director Joel Smith.

The choreographers of 2011 are focusing conceptually on a variety of choreographic structures and themes, specifically challenging conventional notions of dance-making, examining political ideologies, and delving deep into emotional spheres of heart ache, loneliness, friendship, racism, and tragedy.

UCR is Dancing allows the viewer to gain insight into the labor and dedication required to compose dances and is a forum to educate and entertain students and members of the Riverside community.

The choreographers include: Brandon Wagner, Bryanna Forinash, Sandra Schmid, Alfonso Cervera, Luis Lopez-Maldonado, Brooke Rafferty, Gina Lee, Latasha Johnson, Lilly Jimoh, Renee Rotberg, Amanda Alvarado, Yanelly Jimenez, Alexander Gabrielli and Rachel Holdt.

Parking: $5 in Lot 6 (No fee with UC permit)

Tickets: (951) 827-4331
Advance Tickets: available at the University Theatre Fine Arts Ticket Office,
Monday – Friday 10:00am 4:00pm
Walk-Up Tickets: available one hour before each performance.
Ticketmaster: (213) 480-3232, (714) 740-2000, ticketmaster.com

Open to: General Public
Admission: Entry Charge: $10.50 General, $8.50 Students, seniors and children

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/ucr-is-dancing-promo-video/feed/ 0 Post #6 – UCR is Dancing – Yeah… We’re going to change that http://alexgabrielli.com/post-6-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-yeah-were-going-to-change-that/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-6-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-yeah-were-going-to-change-that/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:33:21 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=350 This past week we showed our choreography to our creative director Joel. He gave us a plethora of golden notes that has allowed us to think about the content of the choreography from an outsiders perspective. There are some spots that need to be thoroughly massaged out and some spots that need to be expanded upon. He also illustrated which areas in the movement need to be better defined in order for the piece to be successful as a whole. This was a great opportunity for us to get guidance from someone with an extensive choreographic eye.

Here is a short video I threw together to illustrate the visual feel of where we will be taking the film project:

flashes from Alex Gabrielli on Vimeo.

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-6-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-yeah-were-going-to-change-that/feed/ 0 Post #5 – UCR is Dancing – Time to clean house! http://alexgabrielli.com/post-5-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-time-to-clean-house/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-5-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-time-to-clean-house/#comments Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:23:56 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=349 This last week we had a large amount of cleaning to be done.  We really focused on making sure the dancer’s movement was clearly defined in terms of timing, dynamics and quality.  This is necessary at this phase as it allows us to easily see what is and isn’t working and why.

We’ve also noticed that the team has slowly gotten comfortable with the movement in each phrase, so we will be revisiting areas that have slowly become sloppy over time.  This involves making slight changes to the choreography and redefining the qualities of the movement to really make the piece visually punch the audience.

Here are our dancers after revisiting the obstructive portion of our choreography (changing it from being helpful to being obstructive):

More inspiration:

I really want to utilize the “double dream hands” sequence into the ending of our piece. I think that the movement is exactly what our creative director Joel is looking for in the concert. (Hopefully, everyone knows that I am joking here)

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-5-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-time-to-clean-house/feed/ 0 Post #4 – UCR is Dancing – Here, put this on! http://alexgabrielli.com/post-4-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-here-put-this-on/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-4-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-here-put-this-on/#comments Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:47:36 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=340 Costumes!
We’ve come up with the idea of having sleeves hanging out of each of the dancers clothes. These random extremities will fall off of each of the dancers as they move throughout the space much like the shedding of reptile skin. With that said, this also means that the sleeves may be some form of prop to the dancers as well… Here is us discussing all of these ideas at a possible locale for shooting.

The film project has already been formed into a basic construct for us to go by.
As is, I am looking at possibly having 3 segments, totaling around 10 minutes… I really want to play on the idea of the fear of the unknown among people, using dance as an example of something that is foreign to many.

The speech by Sir Ken Robinson illustrates the fact that dance and other various arts are not viewed as important within our culture due to the way in which academics are taught when we are young. Often I get strange reactions from others when I tell them that I study dance, as many of them think of it as non-practical. I want to use this film as a vessel to illustrate through movement, this feeling of “differentness”, and how others react to it.

This man is one of my idols growing up:

I have always appreciated the way in which Jansen has been able to focus on the movement of his sculptures as opposed to just the aesthetics. His kinetic monsters demonstrate the importance of studying movement through a unique vision of otherworldly-ness.

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-4-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-here-put-this-on/feed/ 0 Post #3 – UCR is Dancing – Get out of the way! http://alexgabrielli.com/post-3-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-get-out-of-the-way/ http://alexgabrielli.com/post-3-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-get-out-of-the-way/#comments Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:51:04 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=334 This rehearsal footage sparked an interesting idea between Rachel and I to add an aspect of obstruction to the choreography, most possibly towards the end.  This may even involve the two of us actually finding moments during the piece where we demonstrate the continuing transformation choreography can have even during the end of this performance cycle. We spent a good portion of the rehearsal cleaning and defining the choreography so that the movement and intention was clear to everyone.

In terms of the film project…The music video “Windowlicker” directed by Chris Cunningham definitely demonstrates the oddness that we strive to achieve within the choreography and the audio/visual aesthetics of the film. The way in which the light bounces around and responds to the music during the footage is an element that I will most likely employ in certain parts of the film.

]]> http://alexgabrielli.com/post-3-%e2%80%93-ucr-is-dancing-%e2%80%93-get-out-of-the-way/feed/ 0 Undergraduate research grant for short dance film http://alexgabrielli.com/undergraduate-research-grant-for-short-dance-film/ http://alexgabrielli.com/undergraduate-research-grant-for-short-dance-film/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:36:28 +0000 Alex Gabrielli http://alexgabrielli.com/?p=324 I’ve received an undergraduate research grant for creating a short dance film and they wrote a short blurb about what my project is about.

Undergrad Art Student Receives Grant for Research Proposal

Here is the text:
By Staci Wilson, Student Intern, CHASS Dean’s Office
January 18, 2011

UCR undergraduate Alexander Gabrielli, a film and visual media student with an emphasis on dance, has been awarded a $450 research grant for Winter 2011 as a result of his proposal titled, “Choreographing for the Camera”. The proposal was completed under the direction of Wendy Rogers, professor of dance, who also worked with Gabrielli last year when he was a part of her cast for an interactive performance workshop called “Motion Capture.”

As related in his proposal, Gabrielli was inspired by Sir Ken Robinson, PhD, who argued that modern scholastic measures inhibit creativity by introducing the concept of being wrong to children at too early an age. Because they grow up fearing the idea that they will be wrong, modern children take fewer chances in their work and become less creatively expressive. Gabrielli feels, especially through his personal experience in the UCR art department, that the art of dance has the power to reawaken this lost creativity. He describes being taught to actually embrace the concept of “wrong” in relation to dance, and being emboldened and more creative as a result of this practice.

Gabrielli feels that exposing the public to visual productions of dance would imitate his own experience on a large scale, benefiting both art and creativity. Dance, however, is traditionally and most commonly displayed in a stage setting, which is not exactly accessible to most people on a regular basis. His proposal, then, is to find a more popular medium that people can and will access. Gabrielli will attempt to portray the passion he has seen the UCR art department exert through the medium of dance, highlighting chorographical processes, in a short film that will be circulated throughout the academic community. This particular chosen audience seems to be the perfect recipient for Gabrielli’s work, as they are the very people entwined in the current, potentially creatively repressive, academic system.

According to Professor Rogers, “Alex’s interest in promoting experimental dance forms through digital media is to be encouraged. He will be using the process of making a dance for the stage as a vehicle for reflecting on dance, the dancers and their experience making art. I anticipate that as the film takes its shape alongside the dance he and Rachel Holdt are choreographing for UCR is Dancing, that there will be unexpected and valuable artistic directions that will emerge from the intersection of film and live dance activity.”

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