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“Our thoughts dictate how we feel so it is important to recognize that we are as we think we are.” ~Jeremy Aldana
 
Blank Slate was created as part of a collaboration between the Mizzou New Music Initiative and the Stephens College Dance department. The collaboration allowed Stephens seniors to commission new music for use in their capstone choreography project. One choreographer and one composer were paired up, after a presentation of works and a round of speed dating, to work together to create a cohesive performance.
 
This piece is the exploration through all of our emotions. Each and every person has their own thoughts and emotions, but we can relate those to similar experiences of others. Throughout the piece we portray the struggle of dealing with different emotions and how some can last longer while others only a moment. Our thoughts and feelings mold us into the beings we are. Some days we’re struck with boundless energy and joy while others we’re bogged down by exhaustion and struggle, it’s just a fact of life. Blank Slate works to encapsulate the rise and fall of human emotions. ~Shaun Gladney & Kramer Pruitt