Nicole Roque

03/16/2023
Period 06

THE MULTI-PERSONAL IDENTITY CRISIS

Identity. For some, it’s the reason to live. But others, it leads to death. Not knowing who
you are is a terrifying process, spewing a number of mental health issues. Anxiety, depression,
bipolar disorder, and more are just a few results of having an identity crisis. And the dangerous
part about this phase in one’s life is the lack of help someone would receive. Many would deem
this as a job to figure out on their own time, pace, and free will. But this truly is a job you can
never do by yourself. And choreographers Keone and Mari have not only done an exceptional
job showing this, but have done it accurately as well.
In the beginning of the dance, we are introduced to the main character, who appears to be
struggling with a multitude of emotions. These emotions range from anger to joy and to sadness.
He’s trapped, yelling for a way out and only falls into a trance of doing things out of influence.
The first song was sung by 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar, and was named “Momma I Hit a
Lick.” This song perfectly portrays falling into a trance of doing bad things. You experience a
number of things listening and watching this dance, similar to the same emotions the character
feels. You feel euphoric and manic, almost as if you’re on the top of the world and you can’t go
back. And then the song switches from being so hyped towards depression and angst. The
following song was called “When the Party’s Over,” by Billie Eilish. In this song, we finally see
the main character fall apart and soon get saved by who seemed to be his other half. When it
comes to his identity, he finally had help coming across it. Becoming who you are wasn’t a sad
and lonely journey anymore. It was more of a rollercoaster; ups and downs will be experienced
but they finally have a shoulder to cry on. Yet eventually, the relationship falls apart. Distance
grows between the two and eventually, what once was is no more. He fell apart again, crumpled
by what was before. But as reality hits his partner, she goes back and helps him to find his own
self once again.
Throughout the dance, we see a range of colors. Red, purple, yellow, and blue. All of
these colors portray different emotions, with my interpretation. Yellow was used throughout the
entirety of the first dance, signifying a happy, euphoric feeling. But eventually, the colors shift to
a purple and blue at the next song. This signifies sadness, but at the same time power. He has
finally found himself and transforms into a powerful being, who knows their own worth and who
they are meant to be.
Now despite the costume’s simplicity, it has a double meaning. One side may be dark,
mysterious, and possibly even dangerous. The other is bright, relaxing, and safe. They’re both
complete polar opposites that played a part in the dance. And the dark side was apparent to
victory, all until his bright, white, light came to rescue him.
As for the movement, it was truly exquisite. Each moment had a different speed. Some
were slow, yet fitting. The others were quick and sharp. No matter the speed of each movement
and dance move, it was all satisfying to the eye and appealing to the soul. Each movement told a
story, no matter how aggressive or gentle it was.
As for technique, it was incredibly impressive that the dancers were able to stay in sync
without calling out the counts. The main technique they used was teamwork. It is very clear that
the dance was dependent on that. But without it, the dance would all fall apart as each person
manages to compliment each other. From the dog pile the dancers create to the one line
formations, they all flow together like water, seeping through every crack of a person’s brain to
create satisfaction.
Lastly, the arrangement of the dancers was nothing short of genius. I picture each dancer
as the negative thoughts of the main character. The dog pile was used to help picture the
character’s thoughts as overwhelming. The formations show them falling into an organized
place. And yet at the end, the separation of the dancers to the two characters show he is finally
free from such torment. Now he can live to the best ability he can, free from all trauma and more.
He is now one with himself.