Over the last couple of weeks I have had trouble trying to understand what was meant by the word practice. I was trying to pinpoint it down to just one thing. I thought over and over again that my practice was solely dance but upon reflection of this it I have realised that it is SO much more. I think my practice is the every day doing of what is around me and how I learn from it. I started by writing down the things I learn from. Some of which are:
- My 'Muggle' job
- Past experiences - good or bad
- Web 2.0 platforms
- Teachers
- My influences
The list really was endless! My practice is who I am down the core at the rawest version of myself as well as the best. It is so many things. My practice is ME.
My practice is TRANSDISCIPLINARY - which is the idea that you are not defined to one single discipline. My practice cannot be categorised instead it is made up of multiple different things/skill sets. For example I am a dancer, choreographer, singer, actress, model. I promote myself as a business, do my own tax returns, take and edit videos and photos. I am made up of so many disciplines. My skills are transferable to each aspect of my life.
A huge part of my practice at the moment is my 'muggle' job. I am currently running the social media pages for a Wedding and Prom boutique. This includes taking photo's of the dresses, posting them on instagram and facebook with captions and creating and videoing Tiktok's for their account. It involves being imaginative, unique and trying to make their pages stand out from the crowd. Running the pages has given me a good insight in how to promote a business through online platforms. The skills I have learnt here are all one's I can use for self promotion in running my own business as a performer.
In one of the first pages of the Module 1 handbook there was a phrase that literally danced off the page for me - granted I had to look up the definition first!. Rhizome learning model. Meaning that it hints at 'the interconnectedness of ideas as well as boundless exploration across many fronts from many different starting points' The dictionary defines a Rhizome as 'the thick stem of some plants, such as iris and mint, that grows along or under the ground and has roots and stems growing from it' The metaphor of this learning process originally came from Deleuze and Guttari (1987). I love this comparison so much. It shows that there is no beginning or end to a thought it can grow and come into contact with another idea just like roots intertwining. It allows for things to become connected and form a network of thoughts.
In my opinion I have been a Rhizome learning model on more then one occasion. One of which was when I was choreographing a dance for an in-house production. I started with an initial idea and as I started to watch my dance on bodies I was constantly changing movements to make them connect and flow better. I did this through reflection in action and reflection on action (Schon, 1987), speaking to my dancers to ask them what they thought would make it better, watching performances of other dances online for more inspiration and asking for feedback from peers. All of these 'roots' connected together and formed a dance from one initial idea.
In conclusion we are all made up of so many parts. We are constantly learning from each other without realising and this connects us and our experiences. I look forward to reflecting on my practice and looking further into my ideas as I know this is only the start.
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Hi Abi, great blog! I'm looking forward to looking more into my practice next week. Like you I thought my practice was just being a dancer, but it's clear that we are so much more than that! Looking forward to reading more of your blogs as they're very helpful x
ReplyDeleteHi Niamh,
DeleteThank you for your comment! I was stressing about what my practice was but I think when you let go of the idea that is not defined to one thing it really opens up a lot. Can't wait to read and hear about your practice and look forward to your blog posts!
Abi x
I completely agree with both yours and Niamh's comment! I did initially relate my 'practise' to 'dance' yet after exploring the different learning theories and reflecting upon experiences where I have implemented these learning theories I have discovered that my practise branches off much more. I agree that our muggle jobs are an important part of our practise; we gain and implement so many transferable skills whether it be organisation, creativity or professionalism and ultimately financially funds us to be able to pursue our career of performing ie taking class, travelling to auditions or as a steady income whilst we wait for our next contract.
ReplyDeleteReading this blog has inspired me to explore my practise further. I intend to focus on this and researching Lens 3.
Ellie x
Yes! I definitely think the funding side of a 'muggle' job is so important! Without it I wouldn't even be able to pursue a career in the dance industry.
DeleteThank you for your comment - Abi x
A great blog, I love the Rhizome concept and will look into it further. I think the fact that experiences and learning are all so interconnected is what makes this stage of the module difficult to pin down. We realise what a large amount we gain from every experience and it takes a lot of reflection to make some sense of it.
ReplyDeleteI agree! And by studying the handbook and different theories it has expanded our knowledge even further making us understand our experiences so much more!
DeleteHope you are having a great week so far, look forward to chatting some more soon! x