Plains Daybreak Reflection

Plains Daybreak Reflection

The performance of Plains Daybreak was held at the Harrison theatre in San Marcos, Texas. The theatre was smaller than I expected, but it gave an intimate setting for the show that was taking place. The intimacy contributed to the atmosphere and made me feel closer to the performances. As a viewer, I tend to have an open mind while participating in artistic showcases. I am intrigued by abstract art. I prefer modern and contemporary dance pieces that tell a story or have a concept and leave me with questions or thoughts afterwards. Plains Daybreak was a concert dance created by Erick Hawkins to showcase a ritualistic interpretation of the first day on earth and was influenced by the Native American cultures. Some

of the preconceptions that I had of Plains Daybreak before viewing the piece, were that I thought it would be abstract and have something to take from it afterward. Based on the things that I had previously learned about Erick Hawkins, I knew that Plains Daybreak would be unlike any concert piece that I had seen before. Aside from being surprisingly entertaining, Plains Daybreak was otherworldly, abstract and harmonious.
Throughout the entire piece, Plains Daybreak gave me an otherworldly, dreamlike feeling. The music was unusual, yet fitting to the movements that were taking place. The lighting combined with set sucked me into the concept of the first day on earth. There was mystical, mythical feeling about the opening music and set. When the first dancer came out I felt like I was being taken to another place, although it was something quite familiar. The costuming added to the otherworldly feeling of the piece. The headdress pieces were beautifully crafted. I could tell what animals were being represented although some of them weren’t straight forward like other costumes that I have seen. To add to the dreamlike aspect of the piece, there was also a sense of mystery. There were parts throughout the dance that were illusive, but this is what kept me drawn in. I enjoyed feeling like I was being taken from this reality to another while witnessing Plains Daybreak.