An urgent reminder - you must enrol for each term of study in order to be eligible for assessment at the end of the module and to generate the correct fees invoices etc..
If you have not done so this term PLEASE ENROL NOW!!
Module two - you are enrolling for DAN4630
Module three - you are enrolling for DAN4760
Any problems, please do let me know!!
Our first Sunday discussion group of this term offered space for conversation around the concepts of Knowledge, Learning and Information. Observations were shared from those that were a part of the discussion, and a feeling of the concept of Change emerged.
We talked about transformation; of information into embodied knowledge, about 'technique', or 'Technique', what this is, or what is can be (mis)understood to be, about fear, language, assumptions, expectations, integrity as part of our learning, and of knowledge as something in-process, always growing, keeping, broadening and through it allowing ourselves to be open to the possibility of change.
Sharing with you an excerpt from my own work, commenting of the concept of change in relation to relationships between somatic practice and improvised performance...
'Change illuminates the in-between-ness as a mobile place of form and fluidity through critical enquiry. For Irmgard Bartenieff, change is pivotal to working with Fundamentals and key to unlocking the full potential of the integrated body. ‘Change is fundamental. The essence of movement is change. As we move, we are constantly changing’ (Hackney, 2002: 12). The need to respond to change, feels strikingly present in our current global climate, as does a sense of community. Being responsive to the continual ebb and flow of our environments encourages one to remain present in movement that is meaningful through shared experiences with others. Bartenieff herself speaks of movement as a fluid phenomenon, likened to the ebb and flow of water. Change in the context of this research has emerged which is not simply an action or effect that is temporal but an event which is transactional and has the potential to be transformational through multiple encounters. Change is revealed in a becoming aware of, and allowing space for multiple possibilities through improvisation. The new methods developed through exploration of somatic practices actively embrace the phenomenon of change. The concept of hovering (discussed in chapter III) places the body, bodies, and environment in a state of flow where change is invited. When the body is experienced as becoming of, and as its environment, it is within a process of change. Theorizing my approach to somatic practice and improvisation through this thematic concept (re)opens form and offers further consideration of the language of practice'.
Kindred, H. 2021, PhD thesis, dancing the in-between-ness: (re)articulating Bartenieff Fundamentals through improvised dance performance-making, pg.120)
Do share your thoughts, comments, readings around anything that emerged for you from this discussion group
The session on Academic Writing for this term has been re-scheduled to
Thursday March 9, 0900 (UK)
The slides and a recording from last term's session are still available on Unihub in the meantime, and you can always book your own tutorials with the Academic Writing team and/or attend their drop -in sessions at any time!
From Astrid's Ethics session
Thanks for the amazing discussions and pertinent points raised in our lecture.
Please do not panic about having everything ready for next week.
We will look through the MORE form and what documents need to be supplied with it. We do not complete it next week – unless you wish to start already.
At the moment, start jotting down ideas for your research project and think what general line you might wish to take. Think about which form of data collection is the best way to answer your research question. If you want to interview, then you can start to outline questions.
As said, the submission is not set in stone. We know research changes and that as you continue exploring thoughts the topic and some questions will evolve. The MORE form is for us to see which direction you go and what you intend to do with your participants.
Please have a conversation with your supervisor about your ideas.
This week we have our first Sunday Discussion Group of the term
Sunday Feb 19, 1900 (GMT)
We will keep the theme for this discussion as Knowledge, Learning and Information and consider the relationships between them for us now. Coming back to the same theme for discussion fosters a deeper connection, new connections, a shifting perspective perhaps...
Some questions to start your thinking ahead of Sunday's discussion:
Where are you now in your MA journey?
How do these words resonate with your experiences?
What theories have you engaged with around any of these words, how are they discussed in other (beyond dance/arts) contexts?
How do you see your Practice / your Self in relationship with these constructs?
What examples can you draw on from your practice to illustrate these experiences?
Please blog your own also...
Key words:
Epistemology
Ontology
Transaction
Transmission
Process
Experiential
Please add to this list on your blog...
Remember that these discussion groups are for you to take part in learning through conversation, debate and exchange of ideas and experiences.
There is no 'answer' to find, no 'correct definition' to come up with, but a facilitated time-space to learn from others perspectives.
Looking forward to what may emerge in dialogue together...
I'm interested in Storytelling as a way of sharing lived experiences, I've been talking with some of you about this...
This short TED talk by Multi-Media Artist and TED Fellow Zahra Al-Mahdi offers some critical thinking around how we gather and re-tell the stories of others around us.
Particularly relevant for those in Module Three as you conduct your interviews and consider the experience of this act of sharing and your ethical responsibilities in it.
Apologies for the delay, there were some technical hitches getting material uploaded, I am in the process of uploading recordings of all sessions so far this term today.
Please do access anything you missed, but more importantly do spend time going through the Module Handbook and Reading List materials at the start of any term.
If you have any issues accessing library resources, journals etc please do email Jo Wilson, J.R.Wilson@mdx.ac.uk
A great first week back of re-connecting, sharing ideas and highlighting areas for research..well done everyone!
Please see below the citation for the book I referred to in last week's Module Two session, some of you expressed interest in:
Silva, J. C. D. (2017). Reflections on improvisation, choreography and risk-taking in advanced capitalism.
It is available PDF from University of the Arts, Helsinki (via Google Scholar)
Also mentioned were the recordings from the most recent IADMS (International Association of Dance Medicine and Science) event at Middlesex University in January. These include a Key Note presentation from Choreographer Russell Maliphant, presentations and workshops from practitioner-researchers in the field of dance, movement, training, and health. Please email me if you would like access to these recording, time-limited and not publicly available, hence cannot post here.
I had some issues uploading recordings from our Module Three and Two Intro sessions last week, I am trying to get these up on unihub for those that missed the sessions.
