By BEN SEITZ-SITEK
Hailing from Colorado Springs, Marley Ferguson Hautzinger is the only senior dance major at Colorado College. Last weekend, Marley completed her thesis, a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. interactive event held in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center. This week, The Catalyst sat down with Marley to discuss the project, dance, and her time at CC.
The Catalyst: Can you describe your thesis and how you came up with it?
Marley Ferguson Hautzinger: My thesis was kind of an installation, kind of an event. I came up with it because I’m a dance major, but it always bothered me that when people watch dance they just sit there passively. We talk so much in dance about a somatic experience. But it’s always just a somatic experience of the performer and not for the audience. I wanted to create an artistic experience where all of the bodies present were directly involved.
TC: What draws you to dance?
MFH: I started dancing when I was in my mid-teens, which was pretty late. So I spent a long time trying to catch up on technique. But what initially drew me to dance was that you could do it anywhere because you’re never without your body. Well, hopefully.
TC: Is dance political?
MFH: Oh definitely, yeah. There is so much politics that happen in and around the body, so of course. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this project political. But when I was a freshman, I did a project about the no-sit, no-lie law that was trying to invisibilize homelessness downtown by making it illegal to sit on the sidewalk. So I brought my mattress — I lived in Mathias at the time — and put it on wheels and rolled my dorm bed downtown to see what kind of bodies this applied to.
TC: Where are you from and what do you miss most about home?
MFH: I’m from Colorado Springs, so I miss nothing about home.
TC: What are you most looking forward to after CC, and what’s the next destination?
MFH: Not living in Colorado Springs anymore. I have no idea what the next destination is. I think I’m definitely not trying to start a career yet, so my plan for next year is to figure out a way to support myself and then focus on learning languages. I’ve also started learning to do pattern design in sewing, so trying to build more of the technical skills for the creative outlets that I’m interested in.
TC: What have you learned throughout your four years at CC?
MFH: I’ve learned how to have fun and how to have fun well.
TC: Do you have a class B superpower?
MFH: Sleeping. I don’t fall asleep unless I decide to. I can sleep indefinitely and I can sleep anywhere. I’m an expert sleeper.
TC: Who inspires you and why?
MFH: Lots of people inspire me. My sister inspires me. She’s my favorite person ever. She’s 16 but, like, more wise than everyone else I have ever met combined. All of my friends inspire me. My parents inspire me. A lot of different artists inspire me.
TC: What is your favorite spot on campus to relax?
MFH: Well, I never leave Cornerstone, so Cornerstone. I spend a lot of time in this main hallway, so now I hate it. It’s the worst. Actually, sometimes I do costumes, so the costume shop upstairs is the best.
TC: How do you throw a good party?
MFH: Music is critical. Also making sure no one’s fighting over music because people love complaining about music. Lighting is huge. And then you have to be having fun yourself as the host. I think that’s also important.
