The theory-practice divide? and testing literature.

From the skype session on Sunday evening around theories and frameworks, I took two main points / questions away for myself from the conversation, as follows: A) How does theory relate to practice (and specifically my practice) and B) Testing theories.

Let's start with tackling theory / practice relations. First and foremostly, within my practice I don't have a concious division between what is practice and what is theory, and in most cases don't think there is a value within seperating them.
 

Variations on a theme of "Wayfaring Stranger" at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, April 2019. Image of Rosie Tong © Andrew Scotland

I don't think I ever made a concious choice to carry out my practice in this holistic manner (holistic is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as; Characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole) however instead think it has been embedded in my throughout my dance education. This way of teaching / learning was particularly evident during my time on the programme of my undergraduate degree - for example when we attended choreographic workshops, yes there would be a certain amount of sitting down and talking about choreographic theories and methadologies, however then we would get up and "do", having the chance to put into practice the theories we were exploring by embodying them ourselves. I have carried this sense of embodiment through from education into my practice, and due to this choose to collaborate with practitioners / artists who have a similar approach to the theory-practice non-divide. 

A clear recent example of this approach within my practice is a collaboration I undertook with musician Reuben Ard. Eventually entitled Variations on a theme of "Wayfaring Stranger",  the process was initiated by Reuben and I's exploration of the classical-period framework of theme and variations. Unlike Balanchine's famous work Themes and Variations (1947) which used the framework purely as a vessel to "evoke that great period in classical dancing when Russian ballet flourished with the aid of Tschaikovsky’s music" (Balanchine, https://www.nycballet.com/ballets/t/theme-and-variations.aspx), we instead put the form at the centre of the work and looked at how we could move (instead of musically play) themes and variations. Through this (and without even conciously realising) we were questioning a theory of our own making (how could we embody the musical framework of theme and variations), through doing (practically moving and engaging with Reuben), and producing an outcome of theoretical exploration of the framework (i.e. the resulting work). As you can see through this example, I didn't start envisaging an indepth practice-as-research project, yet it naturally turned out to be one.

Moving onto the second point of testing theories.

This is just a small self-reminder to myself that I don't have to agree with every theory / framework I come across and always to test the validity of the literature in question. This comes after my citing and writing on Arnold's journal article on the role of the dancer (https://harryfulleylovemappblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/30092019-skype-thoughts-on-career.html). After reading Arnold's frankly limited view of the role of the dancer, I later realised through research that although Arnold clearly has very strong views as a theorician he isn't an experienced dance specialist in any terms (however through his academic positioning is able to share his opinion as he likes). I've also realised that it is ok to agree with some of what someone says but not all of it. Take for example Moon's work on approach to learning (2004) - Moon states the well-researched two-ways of approaching learning as surface (superficial) and deep (knowledge-earning), yet I much prefer Corazza's way of "long-learning/thinking" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=392&v=bEusrD8g-dM).

Find more on Reuben's work here: https://www.reubenard.com/

Goals

Having quite the reading experience today, delving into Cottrell's thoughts / provocations / frameworks on critical reflection (2011), and McAlpine et al. metacognitive model for reflection (1999). In the McAlpine, I'm just coming across the role of goals in practice and it's bought a load of questions to me.... thoughts to come as I continue reading and exploring, would really enjoy finding out more of any one elses thoughts on the role of goals in practice....

An update on my MAPP journey (pre-13/10/2019 skype)

Having had a very busy period over the past week, I'm taking the chance to today to "reflect on my reflections" and solidify the learning that I have done so far on the MAPP course.

As a learner I am starting to realise that although (as I was talking about in my last blog post) I am trying to see learning experiences as a whole, at this stage of the programme I am still finding methods of compartmentalision useful (whilst keeping the bigger picture in mind).

Entering into a wholly new way of thinking (reflective / experiential learning), I have found myself first of all trying to digest some of the key pre-exisiting concepts, theories and work in this field. I started with reading a good chunk of Jennifer Moon's A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning (2004), followed by another good chunk of John Dewey's 1934 text based on his lectures Art as Experience, with these texts leading me to further research (both closely and less closely associated). For my way of learning, I find having at least some prior thinking / theories digested early on in the process make the learning experience much richer when moving forward (as I then automatically have something to relate any initial thoughts I have to).

I have found that my process when reading these texts is quite different to when I have read literature previously, and instead of just taking the words and phrases at face-value or analysing them based on the topic they are specifically focused on, I am trying to unpick them according to my practice - and then apply them to my current thought process to provoke new questions and ideas. By doing this, I am finding meaning through texts which I wouldn't usually associate with applying to me and my practice.

Dewey's text has been particularly fruitful in me finding meaning. He discusses quite early on in the text how art theory cannot be dissacosiated with the experience of an art work itself. This has provoked quite a few thoughts for me. In my thinking I have taken Dewey's thoughts and positioned myself as the art theorist (in my case movement practitioner), and have started to question how the output / result of my practice is positioned in relation to enviroment and experience (politically / socially / historically).

The more I have thought of not dissacosiating my practice and its enviroment and experience, the more complex my thought gets in relation to the impact of each decision myself and others are making. One of the paths I have been down with this trail of thought is choreographic work I have been making - most of the time I delibaretely stay away from making work which is making a "statement" of sorts - however now I see I will always be making somekind of statement and positioning myself - even though to me I may think it insignificant / subconcious. Through this process of decoding and analysing my history and my practice's history, I have been able to find threads that I want to explore on a deeper level for the AOLs I am going to write. 

Moving forwards into starting to research, explore and plan AOL essays, I am now starting to look into formalised frameworks (i.e. Gibbs, 1988 and Kolb, 1984) and how these can help me delve into and structure my learning. I am looking to listening and discussing theories and fraemworks tomorrow!

30/09/2019 Skype Thoughts - On career / practice and role of emotion within my prior learning

Just before I start discussing about my thoughts on last nights (30/09/2019) module one skype discussion, I've just watched a scene on Brooklyn Nine-Nine where Detective Boyle talks of his preferred method experiential learning and decided to make it into a meme. Thought it was relatable.
 

For myself at this early stage within the learning process on the MAPP course, there were two points within the skype discussion that I particularly valued and want to explore within this post.

The first was approaching the Area of Learning essays and identifying what areas the areas of learning I have specifically engaged with in my practice. As Helen and Adesola stated, Areas of Learning shouldn't simply be a job title - which is how I was encountering the subject of the essays previously - but should instead be learning processes within significant points / events within the practice which has / is happening.

As a practitioner, if asked what my area of practice is, I automatically would state that I am a portfolio careerist - however straight away within that statement I am talking about a career not a practice. If asked to break it down further, I would state that my practice consists primarily of performing, choreographing and facilitating.

Looking at this as I write it down, I realise that I am completely pigeon hole-ing myself into career / job titles further. Take the practice I do as a "performer". Unlike what Arnold (2000) states, (and what many traditionalist *old-fashioned* views coincide with) I do not simply learn movement material efficiently, make it match the aesthetic quality that the choreographer desires, and occasionally be pro-active within my original / creative thinking for the purposes. If this is what is viewed as a performer then A) I certainly don't act like one, and B) definitely wouldn't want to. My practice within a performance / performer - choreographer context is a creative, collaborative, two-way interfacing one, and one which by the looks of it I need to unpick much further.  It's also interesting for me, when looking back just 10 years ago when I was in vocational training, I would have agreed with Arnold's views on what role "the dance" plays within the "art of dance". I think this could definitely be something I could explore further with my AOL's, and my learning process from a very didactic view of the performer - choreographer process, to a much more conversational / collaborative one.

The second point raised within the  skype discussion last night was by Charlene (sorry if I've spelt your name wrong!), around the factor of emotion within learning. As I stated last night, I've previously noticed within my choreographic work that I tend to completely avoid emotion within creative process (although feelings may be taken / given by the performer and audience, during the out coming product), yet I've never really thought about the role of emotion within my own learning and practice.

As I read and digest Moon's (2004) thoughts on the role of emotion within learning, and the role it plays within the internal, external and assimilation of it, I once again realise that my prior vocational training directly contradicts what is said. At school, when we went into class in the morning, emotions outside that of the specific learning environment were ordered to be deliberately ceased ("leave your issues and problems at the door") - which I now realise was not conducive to my learning at all, and if anything stagnated it by not allowing me to bring anything to the (metaphorical) table. Again - now that I've noticed this gap within the knowledge of my own learning, I need to dissect and pay much more attention to it moving forwards.

Bibliography
Moon, Jennifer A. 2014. A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning. London:RoutledgeFalmer
Arnold, Peter J. 2000. Aspects of the Dancer's Role in the Art of Dance. Journal of Aesthetic Education. Champaign Vol. 34, Iss. 1
 
Please note that I intentionally refer to my vocational learning experiences as "training" (a word I usually detest in relation to most learning experiences I've encountered).
Also interesting to note that Arnold has no practice within the dance field, however feels free to comment and decide what a dancer is.