Our grads regularly go on to do exceptional things, and Brynn Bodair ’19 is no exception. In addition to preparing to enter law school in the fall at Southwestern Law School as a Wildman/Schumacher Scholarship recipient, Bodair spent her post-graduation summer participating in the prestigious Brockus SHIFT/West Residency program in Los Angeles.
One of only seven choreographers chosen, the residency offered Bodair professional experience and studio space to produce a fifteen-minute dance piece which was then presented on June 23rd. Bodair choreographed the piece along with her colleague Sarah Stanley, and also participated as a dancer. “The piece, “Fold”, draws inspiration from both societal and individual relationships with clothing,” Bodair told us. “Movements in the dance resembled the physical movements of articles of clothing, including folding, rippling, and tearing. The dance also emulated the tangible textures of articles of clothing and incorporated theatrical elements of personal identity by making use of the dancers’ own clothing as props.”
“Fold” isn’t the first piece of dance that Bodair has choreographed that examined societal beliefs and politics. Bodair, who received a dual degree in dance and political science with a minor in screenwriting, spent her senior year choreographing her thesis, “Cultivating Compassion: Humanizing Legal Rhetoric Through Dance Performance.” She is no stranger to political forms of art and incorporates her fascination with politics and the law into her choreography. Regarding her thesis work, Bodair said, “My thesis work both tested my self-sufficiency and helped me clarify my creative force in allowing me to discover a newfound sense of confidence in my creative vision. It furthered my passion for directing dancers both on stage and on the screen.”
Just as Bodair pursued her passions for dance and political science as an undergraduate at LMU, she will continue to honor both pieces of her identity as an alumna. Along with creative partner Stanley, she has formed the dance collective X2, which will pursue performance opportunities at festivals, residencies, and solo shows. And she intends to continue her career as a dancer and choreographer with X2 even as she begins studying law. In fact, she believes her studies will help her to further develop the political nature of her pieces. “I decided on this path because I enjoy stimulating my mind with constant engagement in both my academic and creative interests.”
Photos by Lauren Delisle
