A common theme of the opening ceremonies has focused our thoughts on positive change of which we should aim to commit to. The speaker presenting the keynote was Amanda Spann who’s work focused on entrepreneurial uses of technology. Having limited knowledge in dance, her views towards the arts were different- how to make money from using our creative skills. She began by suggesting some agreements that we should abide to in order to remain in an optimistic mind frame. ‘I am worthy’ being the first one suggesting that every individual adds value to the world. ‘The world is abundant’ suggests we can find our own audiences and finally ‘Be ready to receive’ implies we should be open to new insights and suggestions. Spann’s work consists of utilising technology to create an impact and therefore change lives. She then spoke about key areas into ways you can change your digital use in order to easily make money in a short amount of time. Firstly, we looked at the popular search engine, YouTube. Owned by Google, it is the second most used search engine, following Google itself and is used by 3 billion web users per month. In order to maximise views, we need to target the particular audience who will be passionate towards what our video is showing, those most likely to respond with employment opportunities. For your video to rise in rankings, the key words you use will determine the popularity of the search, so using words that are less common will optimise your visibility. Spann then went on to discuss the success of AirBnB Experiences. This site has 150 million users and the UK users are the 5th largest market on the site. Due to the 295% increase in the use of this site in the last year, it has the ability to generate revenue for its sales given from the site. An example that was used which the participants at the conference found shocking, was a silent disco yoga instructor named Emma from California. Her experience offered attendance at this one-hour session cost forty five dollars which she took 5 times a week and had 50 participants per class. From doing the maths, Emma earnt over eleven thousand dollars for working five hours a week. She only had to pay out for the headphones as her participants bring everything else that is required, and it’s taken on a public beach meaning she doesn’t need to pay for rental. This is a clear example of how artist can continue their craft without being cost prohibited. Overall, I found this presentation very informative in relation to dance being promoted and shared through the digital space.
Following on from this, I attended a presentation discussing dance research from two practioners who presented their findings from two different African cultures. Dr S Kwashie Kuwor works at the University of Ghana whereas Aminah Namakula presented findings from within her Ugandan roots. Kuwor began by questioning how we research dance suggesting in African cultures it isn’t just about performing for entertainment but also because of people’s values and virtues surrounding the meaning of dance. This therefore implies we can only give a representation of what dance is, supported by Hall (1997) who states, ‘in every culture, there is always a great diversity of meanings about any topic and more than one way of interpreting or representing it’. Kuwor then went on to suggest the four ways in which African dance has a holistic nature. These include; movement, rhythm, design and kinaesthetic senses. Having multisensory modalities implies the dance comes from inside the dancer’s body as well as the physical gestures. Internal feelings being the purpose for dance becomes problematic when relating information to the digital space as emotions cannot be explained via words or videos. We were left with the thought, ‘who qualifies to digitalise people’s art?’. Questioning this different perspective made me consider why I myself dance and how I would present my work through digital communications.
I was interested to find out, as Namakula spoke, that within the country of Uganda, the key body part your dance focuses on determines whereabouts in the country your roots belong to. Using her drum to create beats, we marched to different rhythmic patterns that she demonstrated using a simple sequence of steps and hip motions. Completing this practical exercise, I found it easier to understand the movements that were being explained as well as getting enjoyment from participating in trying out her traditional African style.
After lunch, I attended three performance based presentations. The first display used a created digital circle to enhance the meanings behind Dr Adesola Akinleye and Harry Fulleylove’s performance. Using the idea of representing black women in the city allowed them to perform a piece where their projections were casting shadows on the wall through digital technologies. Appearing in multicolours on the wall suggests how everyone’s shadow is the same and that it can be controlled by the movements we chose to create. Urban design allows new architecture to be created but places are changed using design tools to create new engagements suggesting they are not reinvented. This idea relates to their performance by showing how the space didn’t changed but instead was filled with their choreography.
Following this, Gesel Mason presented her work on the project, No Boundaries. In 2004, she worked with black choreographers to produce a performance consisting of seven solos ranging from old and new choreography. This project was then repeated in 2017 as she felt she needed to capture important stories created from dance before significant influencers passed. Mason hoped that by getting the footage, it would not only create an archive but also inspire those working on dance history such as scholars and students. Using well known black choreographers was important but also, she gave opportunities to experimental choreographers to gain exposure. Her work supports the notion of using digital technologies by also stating that displaying work through a camera can offer the viewers a different perspective than a live audience can gain with close up camera angles.
Finally, Molly Christie Gonzalez presented her research into the Dunham technique, having been taught by Dunham herself. Gonzalez presented her experiences from attending her classes, saying that Dunham would stop students mid-exercise and ask them to question why they are here, leading them to then continue performing the exercise but with a different perspective. Dunham was passionate about philosophical teaching as well as physical training because she found that giving dancers reasoning behind their movements would made their dance more purposeful.
To end the day, we attended an International Mixed Bill Performance. This consisted of four contrasting performances, each had an individual theme. As like yesterday’s showcase, there were numbers that I personally felt had more of an impact than others, those of which I will comment upon. Axam Dance Theatre Experience from the USA presented a choreography named ‘Sisters’. This piece demonstrated emotions of three female dancers and their journey through happiness to insanity whilst also representing their close relationship shown through their facial expressions and physical closeness. The audience truly felt the emotions portrayed from the dancers, creating a warm atmosphere, also helped by the colourful dresses they wore and bright stage lights. The final piece was choreographed and composed by Zab Maboungou from Canada and cleverly used the music to clearly inspire the creation of the gestures. Having the drums on stage alongside the dancers, not only helps both the dancers and drummers to stay in time but also represented the significance of the rhythms upon the choreography.
To end the conference, Zab Maboungou left us with an insightful quote, ‘Dance is as mysterious as it is common’…
My time at Re:Generations has left me with many new thoughts and ideas around the way I perceive the arts and the creative impact I can allow myself. As well as this I have learnt a lot regarding the African dance culture as well as the impacts the digital age hold upon creatives. I have also been fortunate enough to meet and learn from many dance practitioners throughout the conference and I’m thankful to have been offered this opportunity.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog posts. If you have any further questions, please comment.
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