It’s ‘Calculated Chaos’

Dancers Drummers Dreamers takes the stage

For the performers, choreographers and composers of Dancers Drummers Dreamers (DDD) “Calculated Chaos,” putting the entire show together comes down to the last moment.

“Working with a composer, I think either takes a lot of planning or a strong willingness to work with the unknown,” said Charena Branscum, University of Idaho senior and four-time participant and two-time choreographer.

DDD is, for the most part, a student choreographed and composed collaboration. Although the music and dance creators communicate along the way, Branscum said there are some hurdles.

She said students in both departments come with their own ideas of what they want to create and pair up where their visions align. Branscum said it’s not uncommon to receive the final music from the composer until the dance is half choreographed.

“You might not know if the music is going to work or not,” she said. “There have been times we’ve gotten to rehearsal and realized dance was too long.”

Although the collaboration takes some work between the two departments, Branscum said there are perks to working with musicians.

“There’s so much more energy behind it being live music,” she said. “You almost get to play off each other.”

For Eric Parchen, a music major and DDD musician, DDD is a change of pace from class-related performances with the opportunity to play on unusual instruments, such as buckets and bins.

“It’s kind of refreshing to play stuff that’s more face-value entertainment,” Parchen said.

Whether a dancer or a musician, you have to be aware of everyone on stage.

“It’s really keeping your energy up and being inside of what’s going on,” Branscum said.

Parchen said knowing where the dancers are in the piece is key to pulling off the performance. However, more important than the music is putting on a show for the audience, he said.

“It’s an amount of focus and intensity that I don’t always get other places,” he said. 

Another similarity between the two departments is the act of collaboration. For both Branscum and Parchen, some of their favorite memories came from when the musicians and dancers united.

“Once we get into the tech week, they do physical dance warm-ups with us and we do vocal warm-ups with them,” Branscum said.

Dance students have requirements for a number of performances and pieces choreographed, Branscum said, but they can decide which shows to be a part of. For Branscum, the decision was simple — she’s always been drawn to the entertainment factor of DDD.

After first watching a video of the show when she was in high school and then live during Vandal Friday, Branscum said she knew it was a show she wanted to be a part of.

Amelia C. Warden | Argonaut
A group of dancers practice their routine for the during Wednesday night’s rehearsal for the upcoming DancersDrummersDreamers “Calculated Chaos!” performance.

“It’s a very unique show, because it just keeps going — there are really no stops or pauses,” she said.  “It’s very high energy and a fun show to work in.”

When creating both of her pieces in this year’s show, Branscum said she keeps the same entertainment factor that drew her to the show in her mind.

“You are keeping in mind your audience,” Branscum said. “They’re expecting a very high energy style show …  It’s not a show where you’re going to be some of the deep artistic life changing shows.”

Although musicians play throughout the whole show, Parchen said their goal is to balance, taking a backseat to the dancing while still entertaining the audience.

“That’s way harder than playing,” he said.

Parchen said there’s more to making the show a success than what the audience sees.

“What makes it a well oiled machine is what happens in between (the pieces),” he said.

Making sure his instruments are in the right place and that he is in the right spot and ready to play are additional things Parchen said he has to think about. Parchen said it’s not uncommon for him to go running off stage to grab something once the lights go out, only to return and begin playing 30 seconds later.

“I think there’s this overall expectation that this is a real overall professional show more than a student-work type of thing,” Branscum said.

Branscum described her choreographer’s role as “freedom with guidance.” She said faculty see the pieces as several review sessions and are available to provide feedback at rehearsals, it’s up to the choreographer to apply or reject their recommendations.

“We pretty much have free reign,” she said. “I would say the biggest struggle is getting the pieces to the point where you want them to be.”

Dancers Drummers Dreamers can be seen Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Hartung Theatre.

Tickets are $12 general public, seniors and children $10 and students $9. Tickets can be purchased online through the UI Box Office.

Katelyn Hilsenbeck can be reached at [email protected]