Skype Call Module Two / 20th March

Todays skype call had a module two focus and we had to each explain our proposals and discuss where our inquiry would take us in terms of collecting data and finding information to analyse. Each of us had one minute in which to explain our proposal to each other and then we all had the opportunity to ask three questions on how we are going to carry out the proposal.

Serina discussed her ideas on mental health and how there is limited support for dancers in particular when comparing to sportsmen and athletes. I found it interesting because there are so many comparisons to athletes and dancers physically. It was asked whether she will focus on looking at points that effect these such as economic disadvantages or if the support simply isn't out there in terms of training or people who can help dancers in particular with their mental health. She compared injuries, athletes, Jessica Ennis in particular got support and recovered from an injury and went on to win gold. Dancers however are told that 'the show must go on' and there is less of a focus on recovering from injury.

Alison then presented her proposal, focusing on freelance workers in the industry and how they can progress professionally. She discussed how freelances focus on teaching instead of focusing on themselves individually and achieving in their personal career.

I then explained my proposal... My inquiry focuses on the physical properties of both genders and how this effects the enforcement of feminism within the performance industry. Looking at the anatomical differences of male and females, men are built stronger and females are naturally more flexible. This creates roles within dance, males for lifting and females for decoration. I am also looking at the sexism within objectify females for their body shape and the ability of pointe shoes etc. Not only am I going to look at these issues but also the positives of being a female in the entertainment industry and how it can empower us and promote femininity.

I stated how I am going to try and arrange focus groups with males and females separately so I can get the opinions from both gender perspectives. This then presented the question of non-binary and transgender individuals and where they fall in my proposal. Obviously as an ethical consideration I would need to encompass all genders and include the option to speak to people who identify in a different way from the social norms. Adesola suggested that when collecting data, instead of assuming individuals are a certain gender, I ask individuals how they identify and then can clasp my participants according to their preferences. This way I can still have focus groups split into genders but still be mindful and not make assumptions.

Thomas spoke about his inquiry of comedy in theatre. The view is on popularity of slapstick in theatre and how has comedy and theatre changed since the millennium. He has prepared some interviews with professionals as well as audience feedback of those who are coming out of watching the comedy shows and why they are watching them. He discussed live harvesting as a way of getting his answers, this needs consent so holds some ethical considerations.

We also discussed the positives of using semi structured interviews as they allow extra information to be added by the interviewee instead of just simply asking closed questions in a structured interview. We cannot rely solely on getting answers from other people as well. Literature is a very important part of finding answers in our inquiry. It expands the range of perspectives. There is also a potential that we interview people who are close to us and have similar views- maybe try to interview people out of our social and working networks.


If anyone has any questions or quires about what was discussed in the skype session, please feel free to comment. It would also be interesting to hear if anyone has any other opinions on my proposal and design of my inquiry or of anyone else's mentioned above and I can forward the comment to them.

Thank you for reading my blog, I wish everyone health during this difficult time. I am finding that attending skype calls and focusing on my degree is giving me a purpose during this time of uncertainty.

Coronavirus impact on the entertainment industry...

Obviously this outbreak has caused crisis globally on so many levels. It has effected everyone's lives in various ways from safety and health concerns to economic issues.

I am going to discuss the issues it has caused specifically to those working in the performance industry. Firstly, every performance needs an audience and currently the public are not allowed to gather in a large group. Many theatres have closed due to this fact already. Additionally, most dancers are self employed meaning if they are unable to work because their contracts are cancelled which means they will not receive money until the pandemic is over (which is an unknown amount of time, potentially months). Another major problem is that many performance contracts are abroad or on sea. With ports and airports on lockdown, people are unable to travel leaving hotels and cruise ships empty.

For me personally, I have been effected in many ways already. I was meant to begin a cruise contract in May which was cancelled. Instead I managed to get a job that began last Sunday in Rhodes working as a dancer touring hotels. However, due to the closure of hotels, I had no choice but to return home after only 24 hours of being in Greece. Luckily I was still able to return home safely as my flights hadn't been cancelled. Currently, I am now in self isolation due to the amount of travel I have undergone in such a sort amount of time. I am also left unemployed until things begin to clear across the world. Luckily for me, I am living with my parents so don't have the pressure of paying rent but I know that is not the case for many individuals.

Looking at the situation on a positive note, I now can put my focus into this degree. Fortunately, doing a distance learning course it allows learning and access to gaining qualifications to still occur.

I wish safety and health to all but mostly to my fellow performers. It's a difficult time so stay safe and positive.

Creating an Inquiry

I realise as I start finding a focus for my inquiry that its important to research a topic that holds interest and sparks questions, making me keen to find more information and expand on what I already know. I have had several thoughts already around what topic of discussion I want to develop and am finding it useful to create mind maps around these ideas. This way it shows me which ideas have potential to be expanded upon and gives me areas of thoughts that link to a common factor.

I have also realised that the knowledge I hold is predominantly from experiences I have been through within my practise. Therefore module two is giving me the opportunity to explore findings from other individuals and scholars that have researched my ideas. Putting the two together will allow me to create deeper questions in which I can explore.

Whilst reading through the handbook, I realised I am unsure in what writing a 'Literature Review' actually was asking from me. After having done some research into how to write one, I am more familiar with the term and it is making the idea of starting on it seem a little lighter.
For those fellow module two starters, I found a useful quote that simplified the idea of a literature review, spoken by Dr John Classen, Biological & Agricultural Engineering at North Carolina State University...

'Existing literature is the story so far. You have to know where you are before you can go forward'.

Welcome back skype... Friday 24th Jan.

Beginning of Module Two...

I attended the welcome back skype call to give myself a refresher before progressing with my degree.

Initially, an introduction was given for the Module One beginners. I also found this useful to remind myself of how the programme runs. There was a discussion on how we build a community of communication through skype calls, contact with supervisors and blog posts. Some individuals from Module Two presented how useful blogs can be as they allow us to present our findings and ideas on our own practise as well as providing a safe space to share and comment on each others ideas.

Helen and Adesola then went on to talk through the uses of UniHub presenting ideas on how to use the resources effectively to enhance our own learning. Adesola suggested that we use the glossary at the back of the handbook and figure out our own views on the language used consistently within the course. This allows us to be in charge of our own work and create a personal response, helping to engage with our practise.

We then presented our thoughts and suggestions for those individuals starting the course. People proposed ideas such as how useful the blogs can be to stay connected, the recourses such as the library can help to provide books that relate directly to the course and also the importance of attending the skype calls to allow yourself to discuss ideas and findings. Using the study plan is also key in keeping your timings and records of progression in your studies.

To finish the skype call, we all introduced ourselves to allow everyone to present their practises and reasons for participation on the course.


Looking at beginning my Module Two, I have read through the handbook and can see that it provides a progression from the first module and expands on the skills I have acquired from analysing my areas of learning. This module allows the creation of our own personal project, giving us a focus that can be linked to a particular interest or aspect of our practise. I also feel that it will allow a strong consideration of ethics which I find interesting specifically in the entertainment industry.

I am really looking forward to beginning this next chapter in my studies and look forward to expanding my knowledge. I am going to create a focus for myself to try and commit to throughout this module. I am going to participate more in blog posts by commenting and getting involved in discussions through this format and also I am going to try and do more research though expanding my reading lists as I feel this is a skill I need to work on which will help me gain knowledge.

Module One Completed

Yesterday was the due date to hand in the Module One work.

I found that from completing this module I was able to explore how my training has lead me to my professional practise. I have analysed my learning and it has made me realise how much I'm still learning everyday in relation to growing as a person and a dancer. Additionally, creating my diagram I was able to collect artefacts relating to my practise that were meaningful to me. I found this task very poignant. This has also given me time to reflect on how I learn and how important it is to consider the way I receive and process information I'm presented with.

Having spent the time working on this module and attending the Re:generations Conference, I have enjoyed my first term as a BAPP student. I look forward to what the rest of the course will bring.

Merry Christmas readers.

Video Footage

After having posted my blogs regarding the Re:Generations conference, I decided to create a video of some of the footage I gathered over the three days. I hope people enjoy reading my blog posts and have managed to gather some information from what I've shared. Watching clips through the digital form of YouTube, not only links to the theme of technology that has been highlighted upon throughout the conference, but also allows you as the readers to have a different perspective on the experience as opposed to simply reading. Hopefully, this will give you an indication into the lively atmosphere I experienced whilst also appreciating the art.

Here I have attached the link...

https://youtu.be/RrihUkbYmeA

Enjoy!

Day Three - Re:Generations

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 5^th 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.

Day Two - Re:Generations

Day 2… Began with reflection of yesterday’s learning over what we individually thought was most important. We were made aware of the differences between external motivation representing short term changes and internal motivation implying the long-term motivations we should strive to change an aspect of how we think, ideally our key learning should be internalised.




The keynote today was given by Dr Thomas F. DeFrantz who spoke about ‘Dancing the Afrofuture’. For me personally, this presentation doesn’t have much relation towards my particular practise, however I did take away some key ideas that were presented which I am going to bullet point below:

·        Cultural divides can determine how individuals communicate through dance.

·        In the US, teaching dance is respected for sustainability of a working dancer. It could be a transitioning job or the dancer’s entire career.

·        The idea of post human critique combines science fiction and fantasy. It suggests humans will turn less human and be more focused on being seen as strands of data to create a whole being.

·        We need to bend the ability of technology- that’s how styles such as hip hop and jazz were created as they bent the classics.

·        Despite religion/ disabilities/ beliefs these don’t determine your choice on what you do with your body. If you want to create art that is entirely up to the individual as they master their thoughts.

The next talk focused on the results of a survey mapping the dance of the African Diaspora (DAD), created by One Dance UK, using survey money to create the results of the map and findings. London was found to be the major hub where most respondents came from. ‘Contemporary’ was the practise dominating the sector with over 50% participants describing their practise in this way. The survey asked what support is most needed within the arts and funding was the biggest desire. It was also said safe spaces were limited, especially for those emerging dancers. There were six emerging themes that were created from the maps results:

1.      Visibility/ Platforms – to increase the understanding of cultural dance.

2.      Sustainability/ Funding – lack of awareness towards the arts.

3.      Marketing/ Promotions – digital communications and offer audience development.

4.      Education/ Training – desire from more engagement, especially with younger individuals.

5.      Legacy/ Archive – being able to create a history of the DAD.

6.      Knowledge/ Networks – creating collaborations.

We were then able to choose one of these themes and attend a more intimate talk around the topic. I decided to go to the education/ training discussion lead by Dr Funmi Adewole because I felt this would be most relevant to my personal practise having just come out of full-time training. Here we talked about how many educational courses in dance simply want to fill numbers due to meeting a certain number of applications for courses to be financed. This has led classes to being overfilled so artists aren’t getting enough attention to perfect their work. We agreed it should maybe be more selective with its applications which would also create a higher standard of artists. Accessibility was highlighted as the centre of the dance world, in the UK particularly, is London making it hard for artists who don’t live near the capital to access resources or jobs. We also spoke about the idea of institutionalised dancers being possibly more successful than technically sound dancers. Having a clear idea of how the industry works could be more important to a dancer entering the competitive industry than actually being a highly skilled dancer in one technique, highlighting how challenging the career can be. The ideas presented here really questioned my own training and made me thankful towards the institution in which I trained in, The Hammond, as I felt I was provided with the essential skills to take on the working world of a dancer.




The most interesting presentation I have attended so far had to be this next one, held by Matthew Wyon from Wolverhampton University who is holding research on injury and physiotherapy on hip hop and break dancers. He commented that although dancing was often low intensity, dancers worked for many hours (more than sportsmen) and had a higher skill range. His research found that performing these specific styles of dance left dancers with similar injuries to those who competed in contact sports. It was picked up that most injuries were due to overload, mainly through difficult choreography or fatigue. A question that was highlighted was whether dancers should push their bodies beyond their boundaries to be able to pull off advanced tricks or if safety should come first. In order to support his finding, Wyon has been using wearable technologies to monitor the science of a dancer whilst they dance. This does come with its limitations however as the equipment does affect the movement range of the dancer, suggesting the accuracy of the results could be lower than ideal. When comparing the results of studying dancers using this wearable technology, the consideration of the dancers training and practise had to be accounted for. For example, ballerinas dance for hours but have major dips in their heart rate as they have breaks throughout the whole show. In comparison, other styles of dance may perform a single dance which could range from half an hour to a few minutes but may be a higher intensity. From his findings, he was able to look closely at the way muscles move which could help in injury prevention as it can explain the reason movements are causing alignment issues. All dancers want to achieve the same movement, for example a double pirouette, however the movement has different effects on different bodies due to postural placement. A selection of dancers were picked and monitored doing a pirouette, all taught by the same teacher. Some pulled of quadruples whereas others only managed one. Each dancer performed it observably different through the computer watching back their turns despite the same instruction. This technology is incredibly useful for dancers as you are able to analyse why a specific movement isn’t working and how it can be improved.

There was only one idea presented by Matthew Wyon that I completely disagreed on. He suggested that dancers should work at 80% and then when coming to performance they have reserved that extra 20% to add on their artistry. I believe in order for dancers to look effortless and to perform to their highest ability, they should consistently be training at 100% in order to be the best artist they can be. I feel this suggestion is quite scientific and in that respect I understand where this idea is coming from, but as a performer myself, I disagree with the notion of not putting your whole energy into your daily practise.




To end the day we were all able to watch an International Mixed Bill Showcase. This contained six performances in total that showed off the African culture through the very core of the conference, dance. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the artists contrasting performances, however only a few stuck in my mind. A dancer named Nafisah Baba showed off two solos. Her incredibly sound technique which appeared to come from ballet/ contemporary allowed her performance to hold great control and flow. Her movements look effortless leaving the audience amazed at the stunning choreography she was able to perform. From the USA, Juel D. Lane and Munir Zakee created an unusual duo of having the DJ on stage alongside the dancer. This allowed the dancer to have more control over the music. The reason this choreography was so interesting was the relation to the sound and how different genres of music were used to express the dancer’s emotions, also enhanced by the fact the dancer had a stocking covering his face so the audience couldn’t physically see his expression. I found this very creative and individual which is why it has stuck in my mind as a memorable piece, highlighting the importance of music to support dance in general.  




Final day of Re:Generations tomorrow- I’m excited to see what is left to explore as well as consolidate my findings throughout this journey of seeking new knowledge towards a different culture.

Day One - Re:Generations

The day began with an interactive opening ceremony. We chanted ‘I- yeh-ooh’ as we followed Dr H Patten and Peter Badejo up the stairs to the Aldridge Studio for the welcoming speech. We were told to celebrate ourselves as individuals as well as appreciating the presence of those around us. Karen Gallagher encouraged us to adopt the ‘power pose’ suggesting that how we hold our bodies impacts our minds, a scientific finding. Gallagher continued then to express the issues with the use of technologies in terms of the goldilocks effect. This suggest that anything we post on social media or even through texts and emails, we can edit our language to the way we want to be perceived by the reader. In relation to dance, through digital viewing, people can copy techniques even if they don’t fully understand the language and meaning behind the movements. This is problematic because they don’t understand the deeper and philosophical reasoning for behind basic techniques. Despite these negatives, there are many advantages to having dance accessible though technology. Although it can’t replace live performance, it can facilitate resources for those who can’t access it.


I then attended a talk, ‘Using the Digital Age to Tell the Human Stories of Dance’. The first half of this discussion was taken by Adesola Akinleye alongside Gonzalo Preciado-Azanza who was able to be there with us via skype call. They spoke about how choreographers use technologies to create work that stretches out beyond the ability of the human body. With a focus on Bill T Jones, Adesola and Gonzalo explained how many of his dancers had experienced trauma which made him look at the meaning of living. In order to make his ideas more effective, Jones used new technologies of lights, set design, sound and costume in order to enhance the dancer’s body. This offered a medium between dance and science. Teaming together, Adesola and Gonzalo used digital communications to create a short dance piece. They used algorithms which they suggested only worked because of their shared understanding of similar cultural interpretations in relation to their dance techniques. I found this so interesting as it challenged the future of dance by showing how collaborations can work in order to create art. The distance between them was used to their advantage as it was a clear theme of the piece.


After lunch, I attended a discussion about the visibility and representation of dance on screen. Susannah Simonds spoke about the company Marquee TV which is a platform on which viewers can access full performances and recordings of arts through paying a subscription. Having arts on demand takes them out of the theatre and puts it on screen, making it very accessible. It additionally creates opportunities for artists, choreographers and filmmakers. Archives can be created which can be used for learning, linking the need for arts to stay a part of the national curriculum. For this to be ensured, resources need to be easily available for both teachers and students so work can be analysed as well as enjoyed. This led onto a presentation by Ghislaine Boddington who works for Body-Data-Space. This looks at the physical self and relates it to our data selves suggesting we have a physical connectiveness through technology. Specifically, digital intimacy was touched upon which I found interesting as a digital dancer named ‘Orla’ was created and involved within live performances. Having a virtual presence on stage creates another level to the art that can’t be shown by dancers alone. Fascinated by the link, I would normally associate technology outside of the performance space but this really shows how there is no restrictions on theatre and it is becoming more and more creative with a mixture of professions all collaborating to produce diverse work.


To end the day, I took part in an Interconnective Training masterclass took by Robert Solomon. This technique focused on movements coming from the core as well as our kinaesthetic perceptions. We started by feeling tension in upper body parts including hands, elbows, shoulders, neck and face, driven by holding in our core, then comparing the feeling with trying to engage these body parts without core activation. This highlighted the importance of using our centre in order to produce powerful movements. Following this, we were taught some floor barre exercises. This focused on our legs and feet. Using extensions and plié as well as ankle mobility, we performed a series of motions that enhanced our turn out. I felt these exercises worked on hip rotation as well as being strengthening. To finish, we leant a short routine that focused on direction and transference of weight. Challenges came when we were asked to perform it double the speed and then with a partner performing it to opposite sides. To finish, Solomon spoke about the importance of the dance space and how it can impact out creative processes, containing energy in the studio space. I found this masterclass gave me a different outlook towards ways of working, in particular the importance of using strength gained from core control.


Answering Chani Allott’s quire, I have found that practitioners within the industry are more open now to using digital forms to enhance performances. This is changing traditions and it is becoming a norm to investigate the use and opportunities technology can create within the arts. This link between dance and technology is important to advance the ability of the human body to create pieces of art that exceed historical expectations.


If anyone has any more questions and quires that they would like me to investigate, please comment below and I will try to answer them within the next two days.

Wednesday 16th Evening Skype Discussion

When joining yesterday’s skype call, Adesola started by laying down some rules. Creating the discussion into a game, we weren't allowed to say, 'thank you' or 'I totally agree with you', we had to add our own ideas or reasons behind our opinions. I felt this was a great way to avoid conversations ending abruptly, keeping the flow continual. It was effective and I will aim to continue to do this when answering someone in future discussions. 

Initially, we looked at our views on the idea of 'collating'. As my focus currently is on Module One, I associated my idea to the first essay where we are linking our past training to our current practise. I feel that creating a circular image in my head of first learning a skill, perfecting a skill, then performing a skill, I have collated my learning and transitioned it into my professional practise. This may be a more literal way of thinking as it suggests collating can be seen as one big picture but personally this was my initial thought and best way to describe how I feel I collate within my practise. Other views that were presented included joining different aspects of an individual’s practise, suggesting once all the information is together it can be analysed and challenged. It was also seen in terms of ideas being collected to make a better outcome through reflection. I was interested when someone brought up collating as being seen as a thread, sewing ideas together but with a link that keeps it all as one. Furthering this, triangulation was mentioned. This idea connects facts, data and information to form a triangle that joins together creating a stronger base as different angles and points of view are linked. This is very relevant and enhanced my idea of creating a bigger picture simply based on a single thought. 

The discussion then lead on to ethical considerations in relation to individual practises. Lots of pointers were mentioned about working with children and how it is possibly easier to consider ethics when doing so as there are obvious challenges. Donald Schön’s (1987) idea of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action was highlighted as it’s important when working with children to reflect during your time working with them as well as afterwards to figure out improving your approach. The suggestions that cultural surroundings have a huge impact on your attitude towards dealing with specific children interested me. This could relate to your chosen formality you teach with as well as how you react to situations and chosen dialects you fall into. I find that this process would happen naturally when you are comfortable teaching a group of children but should always be cautious especially as teachers are bringing the next generations of performers into the industry.

These ideas made be question my views on cultural differences. When I initially think of different cultures, I think internationally and how they differ on a wider scale. Here, we were focusing on how different one group of children can be in terms of their upbringing. Styles of dance and music that is familiar to one child may be a completely new experience to another.  Parental influences also shape a child’s thoughts and approaches to the arts. It was said that those who have parents involved in the child’s success in the arts from a young age often ended up having a negative mindset when they grew up. Whereas, those who came from less fortunate backgrounds seemed to be more determined and would flourish. I do agree with these statements that were mentioned but feel they are slightly stereotyped. Continuing, the teacher has an impact as their approach is so important on how the child learns and reacts to the arts. All of these background factors can affect how the child will respond but teachers do have some control on turning opposing ideas the child already holds, into more positive reactions. 

Literature was brought up next in the discussion as people suggested informative reads to help with their Module’s studies. The book, ’Practise as Research in the Arts’ by R Nelson was advised as a read to help with methodology and documentation of the arts. It was also highlighted that this book contributes ideas on artefacts. I then questioned what people thought on the meaning of an artefact as I see it in more of a literal state, simply an object. Videos, notebook extracts, photographs and fabricated objects were stated alongside more artistic interpretations. It has been thought of as showing a representation through an abstract form. Previous projects were shared including costumes that were altered with photos and quotes covering them as well as 3D objects that had been made from polystyrene with images stuck on. An interesting thought was brought up, suggesting us ourselves are the artefacts as we create the art with our bodies. This seems very relevant although there are other contributing factors that shape a dancer into who they are, including their workspace, props, influencers, as well as your choice of multiple intelligence. All of these lead to create the entire visual the audience observe on stage, which is actually far more than just a dancer. I learnt from asking this question that the more I avoid the obvious and try to challenge myself though the tasks, the more I will seek a wider personal understanding of my practise.

After reflecting upon the topics discussed and writing this blog post it has helped to accumulate my thoughts and expand on ideas I had not yet explored.

Thank you to all involved in this discussion.

Re:Generations Scholarship

Yesterday I got a call regarding the scholarship to attend the Re:Generations conference at The Lowry on 7th- 9th November. I was asked about why I was interested in attending this conference and how it would impact my personal practise. Although I have little knowledge about dance within the African Diaspora, I am very interested in exploring different traditions, styles and techniques of training and performing. I feel that having recently joined the professional world, I am still exploring the diversity it has to offer and where I fit into it. I know that I am far from being an African dancer but for me I am interested in comparing the differences and seeing how cultures far from my own adopt the arts. From this there may be ideas I can take and infuse into my own daily practise. In addition to this, I have recently been working with a lot of dancers from South America; Mexico and Columbia and I found it interesting to see how they worked and performed. Technically speaking, the training they have (classical being the core) is very similar to mine but performance-wise I learnt a lot. They taught me a lot in regards to expression of dance and risk-taking which I felt has given me a stronger stage presence. This has encouraged me to explore the diversity the dance world has to offer.

This morning I found out I've been offered the scholarship to attend the conference as a student ambassador. I am very pleased to have been offered this opportunity and thankful for this experience. I will be taking full advantage of this and attending as many discussions, workshops and presentations as possible.

As student ambassador, I have the role of reporting my learning and gathering as much information as I can to share with all of you! I want to ensure that those who aren't able to attend feel as if they have had an insight into the event. I plan to blog everyday I am there and also will arrange to interview as many practitioners as I am able to. If you have any questions or quires you would like me to bring up on behalf of anyone at Middlesex University please comment below and I will do my best to get everything answered. I would like to know what most interests you about this conference and what information you personally would like to gain from reading my blogs.

Thank you to Adesola and Helen for offering me this scholarship.