I have now completed all my interviews and re written the recordings into note form, through this process I have started to notice similar ideas and themes, but how many doors is it wise to open? As I previously mentioned looking at the history of contemporary dance and how people define and see contemporary dance is a part of my inquiry, even though this was something I had not previously considered. I have been reading ‘Dance and The Lived Body’ the writer describes dance through her consciousness and through the Existentialism and Phenomenology literature. It has been hard looking for literature on personal descriptions of what dancers feel they gain from participation in a dance class and this book is a descriptive Aesthetics.
I have been looking into philosophy and many theories. Senses and emotions have played a huge part in the knowledge the interviewees have felt they have gained. Although through reading this book as literature based around my inquiry I have to question as to whether I think we have a consciousness something that is unexplainable or unreachable. Some of my interviews have touched on this subject, talking about relating something or movements to past knowledge that cannot be explained, some have even mentioned reflecting and this has again borough me to Dewey, at first I could not see how something not primary dance related or discussed in dance terms could be and would be useful as literature for my inquiry, but my fear is I will get stuck looking into philosophers and theories, Aesthetics or study of senses play a huge part within my inquiry. Another running theme that I have started exploring is the knowledge of one’s self and boundaries it pushes the way it makes you feel and how it is used as therapy to others, so I have started exploring dance movement therapy.
I had a very interesting interview whereby the interviewee explained how she had taught disabled children for many years, she worked with a blind student and use to make her roll into a ball to create a rock and crawl out of positions from underneath her body to try and get her to feel the shapes. I have found this extremely interesting as emotions and senses have been a running theme throughout my interviews, how does it feel to dance with only 4 senses? Could the student actually feel what the teacher was trying to convey. One interviewee spoke about actions/ movements that made her feel emotion- like beckoning. I feel really excited by these diversions in what I originally though would be an inquiry into what knowledge is- but how many roads is it rise for me to follow, I do not what to become lost in my inquiry. Is anyone else having a similar problem?
Hey Nicole
ReplyDeleteI am also struggling on which path is right for me. There are so many different topics that keep popping up that i want to inquire about. Im am doing my inquiry on Production so its a broad subject anyway but i feel you should follow where ever it take you. If you end up talking about the disabilities and how their interpretation of dance is created - so be it. Its best to start with one small idea and to develop it then to have a big idea that just gets lost.
Keep up the good work, it is all really interesting!
Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI would agree! I have been exploring the Dance Therapy route too, my research into what dance means to someone seems to have opened a whole load of doors down this route. I guess we have to be careful too, I know I don't have the knowledge specifically on Dance Therapy to be able to analysis it accuratly. We can aknowledge what it may feel like for someone with, in your example 4 senses I think though, this only helps us to see things from a different persepctive, which is what the research process is about right?
Do you think dance would 'mean' something different to you if you had lost one of your senses? I'm asking myself the same question, it has really got me thinking! I did a class based on Dalcroze Eurthymics earlier this year, we had to adapt the steps given imagining we had a disability. We had to imagine we were confined to a wheelechair, it amazed me how the movements the teacher was verbally instructing us to do really could be adapted, but still technically accurate. It also reminded me how strong the other parts of the body can become when compensating for other parts. Check out this link if you think it might be helpful:
http://www.dalcroze.org.uk/indexb.html
Regarding your worries about opening too many doors, I am feeling much the same. I do agree with Lisa though, part of the process is to follow where it takes you, this is hard though! How about considering future career implications, does this affect which parts of the themes you have noticed you want to pursue further? Some routes may have more of a natural progression in tune with future practise that others perhaps.
Don't forget to check out the BAPP Facebook page too!
Keep going!
Sophie
Great you are starting to see and develop themes in the data. Manage the different doors by developing them into themes different perspectives to look at your question from.
ReplyDeleteAdesola