“`html
Gwen Welliver from Florida State University has committed her profession as a choreographer and dancer to examining the manifestations of lines in both performance and visual arts. In 2020, an intangible yet transformative line influenced her life and career, culminating in her selection as a Guggenheim Fellow.
Welliver, associate professor in the School of Dance, is included in the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows, which encompasses 198 remarkable individuals engaged across 53 fields. She was among a cohort of approximately 3,500 creators, authors, researchers, and scientists who entered the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation’s competition. Her fellowship pertains to the choreography sector.
“The Guggenheim Fellowship is among the highest accolades that can be given to an artist, and Gwen genuinely merits this tribute,” stated James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “Her commitment to her craft resonates in her roles as a choreographer, performer, and educator. Gwen is venturing into new territories within the dance domain and acting as a guide for the next generation of innovators in the field. We are immensely proud to have her as part of our School of Dance faculty and congratulate her on this esteemed recognition.”
Welliver’s oeuvre, which ranges across performance, education, opera, and drawing, has garnered numerous accolades and fellowships throughout her journey, including the Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship in Choreography, the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Choreography, and the New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award for Sustained Achievement in Dancing.
“I’m fortunate to have a brilliant, humorous, and generous family who motivated me to persist in applying for the Guggenheim Fellowship. That was excellent advice!” she remarked. “At this moment, I wish to immediately acknowledge all my extraordinary collaborators whose dedication, expertise, and character are of the utmost quality. Thanks to FSU’s Council on Research and Creativity for their invaluable backing for the inquiry needed to create original work. I’m thrilled and profoundly honored to be chosen as a Guggenheim Fellow.”
In 2019, Welliver initiated a new series of endeavors, fueled by her curiosity about simultaneity — the concept of a performer handling multiple elements concurrently, or within the work itself. Little did she realize that the pandemic would rapidly emerge and compel her and her team to confront this concept from an entirely fresh perspective. Her capacity to adapt to the evolving environment enabled her to produce distinctive works, and she continues to delve into the idea of relinquishing control over outcomes.
“The simultaneity of academic obligations and creative endeavors has been a constant theme in my life. Being honored with the Guggenheim amidst a curriculum committee meeting, where I was aligning student learning objectives to courses, beautifully exemplifies the equilibrium I aspire to maintain between my responsibilities as an educator and a choreographer. It serves as a reminder of the significance of focus and commitment to one’s craft, regardless of the environment or accolades.”
— Gwen Welliver, associate professor in the School of Dance
“The anxiety and seclusion brought on by the pandemic transformed private areas into public ones, thanks to Zoom, and disorientation became a new norm,” she stated. “Nonetheless, losing control isn’t a hindrance but rather a boon. By allowing both the performer and the director to tackle the impossibility of the challenge, we uncover genuine artistry in the struggle and unpredictability of the result.”
For her fellowship proposal, Welliver submitted a piece titled “We Are No Longer Ourselves (Live),” the eighth in a sequence of works that includes one live performance, three dance-on-video pieces, a documentary named “Pandemic Dance Making,” and two in-progress visual books.
As a choreographer, Welliver asserts that “adaptability is essential; it involves contemplating who you’re collaborating with, where you’re working, and the surrounding possibilities. It’s about embracing the present moment along with the individuals, environment, and time, thereby unlocking new creative potentials.”
Despite her inclination towards live performances, she adjusted to the circumstances and produced video works, integrating the close-up and framing techniques she developed during Zoom rehearsals. Performers engaged in both basic and intricate actions while blending improvisation with narratives that challenged reality and imagination.
“These tracks featured physical tasks, such as line, fold, and rotate, alongside simple narratives like ‘go away and return with intention,’” she mentioned. “This methodology facilitated remarkable human moments and advanced improvisation.”
When Welliver ultimately gathered her collaborators in the same space at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, she arranged half of the studio area with mirrors and props to simulate the apartments they had been rehearsing in, while leaving the other half open.
“This experience taught me a significant amount about the assumptions I had been making regarding my work and allowed the performers to navigate and re-situate their typical workspace,” she added.
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation awards fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated a considerable capacity for productive scholarship or creative talent in the arts. Recipients are granted a monetary stipend to aid their independent endeavors. Welliver intends to incorporate the notion of simultaneity throughout her fellowship, continuously investigating how performers manage multiple tasks within different contexts.
“The simultaneity of academic responsibilities and creative endeavors has been an enduring aspect of my existence,” she remarked. “Being recognized with the Guggenheim amidst a curriculum committee meeting, where I was aligning student learning outcomes to courses, beautifully underscores the balance I endeavor to achieve between my roles as both an educator and a choreographer. It serves as a reminder of the significance of focus and dedication to one’s work, irrespective of the context or recognition.”
The post Florida State University dance professor awarded prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for choreography appeared first on Florida State University News.
“`