a brief moment of alignment
a reflection on the power and spirituality of women in relationship to the qualities of the night, the water & tides and the moon
The work for 4 women will inhabit the 4 phases of the moon: The new moon is infancy, the crescent is youth and adolescence, the full moon is maturity and the waning moon represents the decline of life, sleep. The eclipse definition serves also as a metaphor for so much: a temporary obscuring of the light from a celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination. This “body” is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer.
Premiere: Mar. 28, 2024 |Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas
a brief moment of alignment is a new multidisciplinary work commissioned by the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Central Arkansas. Created by artist and choreographer Sue Schroeder, the work features a multi-generational cast and a film installation with original sound score by Berlin-based artist Christian Meyer. Schroeder created the work for and with four women—Wanda Eason, Hannah Hanshaw, Aida Kuettle, and Nakeya Palmer—who have ties to Conway and UCA. Her concept for a brief moment of alignment, formed from the wisdom and contributions of the performers, is an evocation of the five phases of a total solar eclipse:
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First Contact | when the Sun and Moon touch for the first time
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Second Contact | when the Moon progresses until the Sun is completely obscured
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Maximum Eclipse | when the two bodies are perfectly aligned
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Third Contact | when the Sun re-emerges
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Last Contact | marks the end of the eclipse
Meyer’s film and sonic score create an immersive landscape for the performance, combining realistic and abstract images of the solar eclipse with music using sounds generated in outer space. A brief moment of alignment, which features stories and text generated by the performers, offers a reflection on the power and inner terrain of women, rooted in tenderness, compassion, cooperation, care, and vulnerability.
a brief moment of alignment
Director and Choreographer: Sue Schroeder
Composer and Film Maker: Christian Meyer
Lighting Designer and Technical Director: John Williams
Performers: Wanda Eason, Hannah Hanshaw, Aida Quitero Kuettle, Nakeya Palmer
Text within the performance is based on personal stories and research by the performers
Final Story is based on Sunpainters: Eclipse of the Navajo Sun by Baje Whitethorne
Additional sources used in the creation of this piece include:
Harpo, J. Remember. Michaela Goade, Random House Studio 2023.
Khamphasith, M. (2018): The Frog Swallows the Moon: Stories from Laos. Khamphasith.
Miller, C. (1994): Dancing From The Heart: Life stories. Celeste Miller & CO.
Smith, N. (2023): The Artivist. Penguin Random House.
Whitehorne, B. (1994): Sunpainters: Eclipse of the Navajo sun. Northland.
This project is made possible by a grant from an Anonymous donor with additional support from Engage Management.
Creator and Collaborator
Filmmaker and Composer: Christian Meyer
Creator:
Sue Schroeder
Meet the Cast
Aida Kuettle
Since she started her career as an educator in 2009, Aida Kuettle has had a personal commitment and moral obligation to help fellow language learners in her classroom as either English learners or Spanish learners. A native of Cuernavaca, Mexico, Aida moved to the United States to study English and to be closer to her extended family twenty years ago. Aida has been a volunteer translator and interpreter for Conway County since 2001.
Hannah Hanshaw
Hannah is the Director of the AmeriCorps Program at the University of Central Arkansas. She has been at UCA full-time since graduating with her Bachelor’s in Philosophy & Political Science in 2018 and recently completed her Master’s in College Student Personnel Administration. She serves as a faculty/staff advisor for UCA's Students for the Arts and PRISM (the LGBTQ+ student organization) She’s passionate about supporting underrepresented and underserved student populations. She has two cats that are basically her whole world and loves coffee and crafting.
Nakeya Palmer
I often say I was born in Mississippi but domesticated in Arkansas by way of Hurricane Katrina. I was eight years old at the time and I remember leaving one world and entering a new one. Looking back I think art has always carried me through life. I grew up playing in the school band, singing in choirs, dancing, acting, modeling and more. I fell in love with an artist and followed him to UCA. During my undergrad I found my talent and love for curating. I have a B.A in Art History and I am the Art and Design Program Coordinator UCA. I am also the co-chair for Conway Alliance for the Arts. I love to see artistic ideas come into fruition and find joy in contributing to those ideas in different capacities.
Wanda Eason
Wanda Eason is a retired elementary and middle school teacher in Arkansas, having taught first through seventh grades at one time or another through 33 years. Fifth grade is her favorite. Since retirement she spends time volunteering in her church and her community and enjoying her family. She loves to travel both near and far! Wanda and her husband have been married for 57 years and have two children and three grandsons.
Performance Gallery
