This blog is suffering an identity crisis. Largely, because it is different from most other blogs that either seek to disseminate information, or at least engage in dialogue with a like minded group of people. For want of a better label, I am calling it a research blog. It is a work in progress.
How might I classify this work? It is not strictly academic because I want it to engage with dancers. But then it is also not like any other dance blog I have seen – because I want to engage with academics. This presents something of a dilemma when writing posts. How do I make the content interesting and welcoming to all of my readers?
For the academic: I hope to be writing soon about a theoretical approach to the research. But this is a work in progress also.
For the dancer: I would like to start discussions that talk about classes, rehearsals and performance and about how these activities influence their everyday lives – how are they meaningful?
Feel free to comment on this post if you have any ideas about making this blog a collaborative undertaking.
Hi Susan, Your reply makes me think that some people like to explore the unknown and push boundaries that way (prefer rehearsals and performance); whilst others have more of a task orientation and like to push boundaries in a more linear fashion (prefer class and exercise). I will say more on this in a reply on your blog.
I’m glad to be on the journey with you from here, as I’m eager to follow as you develop your framework!
To answer your question about whether there are long periods of time where class is my only engagement with dance, honestly I sometimes think these periods of time are not long enough! Every so often you have to get away from rehearsal and focus only on the basics.
Rehearsal can (rightfully) shift one’s priorities from best practices to “how can we make this work?” Yes, this may sometimes involve a bit of fudging and cheating! This is not always a bad thing, to be sure – as in any line of work, sometimes you simply have to make do since the bottom line and deadline perpetually loom.
And, rehearsal can fuel growth and exploration in ways that the more conservative parameters of class doesn’t allow. I can confidently vouch for rehearsal and performance having pushed me outside my comfort zone, with great rewards.
That said, I believe it’s important to make sure that there are periods of time during which class is the engagement with dance. There are no deadlines and it’s back to the barre, standing in first position and sweating up a storm in an attempt to get every muscle engaged and in place. It’s almost a Zen-like experience, to go back to the cocoon of class, where it’s just me and a total focus on improving from the ground up.
I can relate to the blog identity crisis; one can start out with a theme in mind, as you have, and then come to discover that the world one wants to work in is greater than originally imagined. When I encountered this, I found it vexing at first, then welcomed it as an opportunity to reassess and rework the theme. I continually re-encounter the crisis. I, too, believe any project is continually a work in progress, and that this is entirely positive.
I definitely look forward to any updates you have about the framework for your research, to better understand how I and others may contribute. In the meantime, I (and others, I’m sure) can expound on the cycle of class, rehearsal, and performance for hours (or pages)! Are you looking for an open-ended discussion? If there are particular aspects you are looking for, please let us know.
As a start, I can say that daily class is grounding. Regardless if it starts the day or ends the day (due to my motley schedule of corporate and dance work), class is the anchor of my days. Without it, I can’t settle; something is missing. Even when I’m exhausted and my body feels like pulled pork, I have to do something, even if it is some gentle stretching or sit-ups. If I’m not dancing, cross-training in a class setting is engaging. Otherwise, it feels unnatural. Class gives structure not only to the body, but to the mind, and to the rhythm of days.
Thank you Susan for the positive words about a blog being a work in progress, and I agree. But I guess I get a little concerned that early viewers may never return. I think my post was trying to reassure potential readers as much as it was for me.
I really do need to start writing about a framework for my research, otherwise my observations will appear as ramblings – and there would be an element of truth in that at the moment. Thanks for reminding me. In the meantime, I had hoped to informally do “participant observation” remotely via this blog and other online mediums. I have had some feedback this way but your post here is pretty much the first on this blog. An open ended discussion on the “endless cycle of class, rehearsal, and performance” would be useful. It will enable me and other contributors to explore ideas. It is not unusual for this type of research to head off in unexpected directions and that is a good thing. But of course, I do still need a framework.
You have raised an important observation about class providing a grounding – especially when not performing. Are there long periods of time when class is the only engagement with dance for you – or do you spend a lot of time in rehearsal?