Literature
Review
The
Intimate Act of Choreography
Lynne Anne Blom and L.Tarin Chaplin
are the authors of this book which they wrote in 1982.
The intended audiences for this book
are professional dancers, choreographers, students and teachers. Lynne Anne
Blom is an associate professor of dance at North Western University and L.Tarin
Chaplin is a choreographer, activist and dancer.
The book covers all aspects of
choreography from basic technique to creative concerns and methods within dance
and discusses in detail both the practical and theoretical elements of dance.
It is also a helpful resource and guide for dancers and choreographers at the
beginning of their career as well as a useful resource for teachers seeking
fresh ideas.
The main thread of thinking throughout
the book is the idea of improvisation and how it can be a useful tool when
creating choreography. It is both a handbook and love letter to and for dance,
drawing the reader in with its sophisticated and beautiful writing. When reading this book I got the sense that
the author is just as passionate about dance as I am. Their love for the arts
creates a bond between author and reader and I feel this book was intended to
educate and inspire professional dancers and students who share a mutual love
for the arts.
Reading the Intimate act of
choreography brought back so much I hadn’t realised I had forgot. It was a
truly inspiring read, to which I found myself constantly making notes on
choreographic devises, teaching strategies and methods discussed within the
book. From these notes I hope to devise new teaching resources and display
boards to inspire students when working creatively.
There are so many chapters of the book
I feel would help students greatly. I know very well most G.C.S.E students
currently working on unit 4B would not read the entire book as they are already
overwhelmed with school life. However as a teacher, I feel it is my
responsibility to share many of the topics covered in a way that will reach the
students in the hope they will retain and utilise the information. For example,
there is a chapter on choreographic devises that I feel would help the students
greatly when lacking motivation or creativity. In particular there is a list I
found most useful: Sixteen ways to manipulate motif. This is something the
students must show in their choreography piece for G.C.S.E and is an area the
students struggle with when developing their theme. The list brought back some
devices even I had forgotten such as: Inversion, force and fragmentation. "The
first and most crucial thing to be concerned with when using the 'teaching
choreography through improvisation' approach is to establish an atmosphere in
which the students can trust themselves, you and each other" (Lynne Anne Blom, L.Tarin Chaplin 1982). This is something that came up a
lot in the teacher interviews I conducted, to which I will relate back to,
later in the analysis section.
Choreographing
from Within
Choreography
from within was written by Diana F. Green in 2010 in the United States of
America. Diana is a teacher, choreographer and writer who has spend several
decades of her career honing pedagogical approaches to teaching choreography.
The book is an inquiry based approach
to creating movement whilst educating the reader on a variety of pathways and
tools designed to develop ability and learning. The powerful images influence
and inspire the reader to create their own creations. As a reader I feel the
intention of this book is to take away the fear of choreography and break down
the process in a way any dance professional or student can understand. The
format of the book is set out in tasks to help provide tools for students to
evaluate and document their own progress. Each choreographic concept discussed
in the book is explored through warm Up, Improvisation and then focuses on
discovery through reflective questioning, discussions and short movement
studies.
Having conversations about dance,
questioning what you see and listening to others converse about dance may be the
most important catalyst to your development as a choreographer (Diana F.Green 2010). This is a statement to which I can
say I agree and was the beginning of my decision to create a professional
artefact using the footage I had captured during my inquiry process. With
current and future G.C.S.E. students in mind, I felt having a resource that
showed the process from the perspective of teenager choreographers would be
greatly beneficial to future students and teachers of dance.
A useful section of the book in
relation to my investigation was the key concepts and reflective questions, in
the communication and trust in duets section. Many of the students involved in
the inquiry are duet performances pieces and this book has great advice for
both students and teaching working on duets. Communication and trust are the
most important skills to develop in any relationship, duets in choreography are
no exception (Diana
F green 2010). Diana
goes on to suggest contact improvisation as a starting point to building trust.
This is something I had never thought of before but does take me back to my
college days when we performed a number of trust exercises designed to free us
from embarrassment and create a safe and open space for learning. When I think about the students involved in the inquiry
and the many students I teach, I can’t help but feel that improvised contact
might have been a great starter to the unit. It is defiantly something I will
try in the future for any creative group work.
When I think about the different
groups of dancers in the inquiry, I think about the relationships between the
dancers and how the best friends and siblings seem to make the most progress
over time. Is this to do with trust and a freedom for expression? This is
something I will discuss further in detail in the analysis section.
Partnering
Dance and Education
Partnering
Dance and Education was written by Judith Lynne Hanna in 1999 in the United
States of America. Judith Lynne Hanna has a Ph. D in anthropology and an M.A in
political science. She is an educator, writer and dance critic.
The intended audiences for the book
are dance educators, school administrators, physical educators and dance
specialists. It is my belief that the author’s intention for the book, is to
re-enforce the importance of the Arts in Education and bring to light the
uncertainty of its future within our schools. It’s a compelling argument for
making dance central to every child’s education and goes about to persuade the
reader of the importance of the Arts by highlighting critical evidence and
examining current trends and issues in dance education, to support the arts as
a part of today’s educational environment.
"The wide spread use of dance to
perpetuate, modify and create culture for young and old alike points to the
efficiency of dance" (Judith
Lynne Hanna 1999).
Coming to the end of this inquiry I have looked back over the process and
thought about the effects the students have had on each other during the
rehearsals. Most of the students chose very mature topics, life issues and
struggles they most probably would not discuss or think about often. They may
not have realised but through the process of observing each other’s work they
were educated on the themes performed which sparked an interest in the subject.
Many of the students would discuss each other’s work which would lead on to
discussions in general about the topic. The observer became the student and the
performer became the teacher and vice versa when discussions unfolded. This
form of independent learning is something I will touch more on later in the
analysis section.
Hanna discusses many important factors
of the importance of dance which is the question I asked myself at the
beginning of my inquiry, bringing about new lines of questioning when discussed
with my colleagues, friends and students. She highlights important facts such
as: Dance education aids the development of Kinaesthetic intelligence, Dance
educations creates opportunities for self- expression and communication within
in constraints of the medium of the body, Dance may help students understand
themselves as a whole person and to discover and express their identities.
During the teacher interviews I conducted during my inquiry, one of the dance
teachers strongly supported the method of using a personal stimulus as a tool
for developing choreography. She said ‘it gave the students a way of escape and
a chance to tell their story’. It’s interesting how both Judith and the dance
teacher in my inquiry feel so strongly about working in this way. However
during the interviews it was the Art teacher who said ‘the one stimulus the
children will not look at is them selves’. I wonder why the students feel they
can do this in Dance but not Art. Is this just an isolated incident of two
different opinions? Or is there a line of inquiry here? Throughout this book I
found myself questioning the methods and relating them back to the interviews I
had with teachers. I will discuss this later in the analysis section of this
critical review.
AQA
G.C.S.E Dance
Pam
Howard is the author of the AQA G.C.S.E Dance book which was written in 2009 in
Deddington Oxfordshire. Pam Howard taught students and teachers for over 30
years and has worked in a variety of different dance companies and is an A
level examiner. Pam Howards was awarded an MBE in 2002 for her service to Dance
Education.
The book is divided into four
sections: Performance Skills, Choreographic Skills, Appreciation Skills and
Resources. The format of the book is set out with each section explained and
then tasks set to help further the readers understanding of the concepts covered.
It is designed to help students and teachers enjoy and discover more about the
world of dance and to help the reader achieve their full potential whether
taking or teaching G.C.S.E dance.
The book was a most helpful read at
the beginning of my inquiry as it takes you through the G.C.S.E course step by
step, giving advice and teaching strategies along the way. It was interesting
to read the section on choreography whilst observing students currently working
on this unit. There were so many times when I could see students struggling for
ideas or ways to develop motif. I thought, a few posters and displays with key
concepts from this book would help the students greatly. All the while I find
myself thinking of all the methods and teaching strategies I intend to
implement when I become a qualified teacher of Dance.
The book had a great section on ‘How
to Get Started’ with the choreography unit of the G.C.S.E specification. I was
not around when the students began choosing their topics but it was apparent some
had struggled as they were still choosing a theme and music weeks into
rehearsals. During the teacher interviews the dance teacher said ‘I give the
students two weeks to come up with an idea, and then I give them one’. She
suggested that high ability students enjoy the freedom of choosing their own
stimulus and will progress better. However some need to be given a stimulus, as
they struggle to make a decision in relative time. This book provides many
useful tools and strategies that are helpful for students when selecting their
stimulus. For example, the checklist that suggests students tick off each task
as they go, ensuring students remain focused through the creative process. This
is a great way for the students to work independently without getting side
tracked. It’s also a great tool for differentiation and indicator of where
student are currently working at.
I feel I have learned an in depth
fountain of knowledge from this book about G.C.S.E dance which is only going to
put me ahead when I begin my teacher training in September. To study the unit I
had to understand second 4B in detail, and this book has been my guide and
teacher throughout this inquiry process. I often reviewed and looked back over
it when observing the students rehearsing. I wanted to ensure I could give
ideas and help students when they were creatively blocked. The book has been a
great resource and learning tool for both myself and the students involved in
the inquiry.
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