Sunday Skype
Chat 02/04/2017
Since the beginning of this course, I notice
the importance of being aware of one’s own learning process on many occasions. This
awareness is mainly due to the promotion of reflection and the value attributed
to experience. I feel empowered because the knowledge I acquired
through my experience as a dance student, dancer and teacher is valid. But I
don’t only feel empowered. I am also allowing myself to take more time. More
time to savour a moment. More time to
appreciate the process and less focusing on the outcome. More time to reflect on
experience... By doing so, I see connections in places where I didn’t before.
I interlink thoughts from choreographic workshops with my inquiry. I interlink
sensations from my own practice as a dancer with teaching methods I use when
teaching a class. I interlink ideas from my students with my practice as a
dancer. I slowly stop to categorise everything. I am a teacher,
dancer and learner all at ones. For instance, I can participate in a choreographic
workshop and learn something about my inquiry which focuses not on choreography
but on pedagogy... I have been reflecting on this now for a while and our monthly
skype chat helped me to formulate those thoughts.
Even though we weren't all talking about the topics during the skype chat, we kind of turned around
one similar subject, mainly ‘dance is more than…’. This topic emerged because
we sought for a connection during the chat. This process made it possible for each one to further develop their thoughts around the specific topic.
As for me, by saying that ‘dance is more than…’, I want to
show the importance of consciously letting ourselves be nourished by everything
we experience and by stopping putting everything in boxes. Dance is more than
just movement. Teaching dance is more than just teaching steps. Researching
dance on an academic level is more than just reading and writing.
Concerning my research inquiry, dance is more than moving. It is about learning movement, learning to learn, learning to own your movement, learning to own your body, learning to own your learning...
