Thesis Field Review Synthesis

thesis mind map before field review

thesis mind map after field review

The common thread that brings these sources together is their contribution to the creation of brave space—a space where everyone involved can actively participate, feel seen and heard, take risks, and have their needs met. Whether the participants are engaging in the creation of a dance, intergroup dialogue, addressing a social issue in their community, healing from past or current traumas, or simply sharing a space together, these sources provide the tools necessary to facilitate a learning environment which centers voices of the people involved. These sources emphasize the importance of collaboration and collectivity, while simultaneously finding creative ways to deconstruct hierarchical structures of our dance studios, classrooms, work environments, and social spaces. They focus on creating pathways of communication across difference. They open space for those who have been marginalized to share their stories. They all are informed by social justice initiatives. This common thread lays the foundation for my project by offering me the tools to work with a group of dancers of varying experience, ability, and perspectives while addressing my own personal biases and areas for growth as a facilitator.

Emergent strategy—a framework for building complex patterns and systems of change through relatively small interactions (brown 2017, 3)—makes up the boney structure of my project through a micro-to-macro approach. Each of the six elements of emergent strategy (fractals, intentional adaptation, building interdependence, nonlinear and iterative pathways of change, building resiliency, and creating more possibilities in community) will serve as the central theme of each month throughout the duration of the project. This process of working from an individual, internal perspective to one of analyzing our roles in community will act as a guide for assessing how small-scale changes in individuals can lead to large-scale shifts in society.

Both Lerman’s Hiking the Horizontal and The Shipyard Dance have taught me horizontal frameworks of collaboration with dancers, artists, and researchers which I will utilize during weekly dance classes and in the development of monthly workshops. Additionally, these sources also demonstrate ways of generating movement vocabularies with people who have varying levels of dance experience. For example, Lerman often collaborates with her dancers to create movement scores by using gestures from their daily lives. Lastly, these two sources offer strategies for discussing art in community, emphasizing a shift away from dance as an elitist artform reserved for the concert stage and instead highlighting the benefits of dance in non-traditional spaces.

Landreman’s The Art of Effective Facilitation is an invaluable resource in guiding me in my facilitation duties throughout the duration of my project. This source has taught me how to apply social justice theory to become a better facilitator, how to prepare differently for workshops around specific identities, and how to effectively respond when classes or workshops aren’t going as planned. Additionally, the advice on design techniques while planning a workshop has prepared me to create an arts program that exceeds superficial discussion of issues in our society and guides project members toward addressing the structural causes of inequity in their local community through small-scale changes in their everyday lives—which is central to the framework of adrienne maree brown’s emergent strategy.

Both Menakem’s My Grandmother’s Hands and Halprin’s documentary Dance to Heal offer embodied approaches to healing from trauma and guide my project’s mission of combining arts and healthcare. These sources view wellness from multiple perspectives (physical, mental, emotional, social) with the belief that to fully heal, one must engage in processes that allow for psychological, emotional, spiritual, and embodied reflection. Menakem’s text is powerful in its ability to lead project members through the process of healing from racial trauma, which could come up in our discussions around community advocacy. However, I believe that many of the embodied exercises—including visualization, humming techniques, self-massage, and tapping techniques—are also useful in recovering from personal or collective trauma, even if discussions around racial justice do not come up. I believe both sources will be particularly useful once project members and I begin to address the element of resiliency within the larger framework of project.

In Making Dances That Matter, Halprin offers concrete strategies for collaborating in community and starting the healing process, including the “Psychokinetic Visualization Process,” the “Five Stages of Healing,” the “RSVP Cycles” and the “Life/Art Process” (Halprin 2019, 20-30). This source is also unique in its emphasis on interdisciplinarity in healing, offering exercises such as painting self-portraits, which I plan to include in this project. Halprin’s work inspires me as I embark on the beginning of my thesis journey by demonstrating how dance and other artforms can be powerful tools for healing, learning, and mobilizing change on both individual and communal levels.

Finally, the viewings from the All Bodies Dance project (Ho:Me, Broadway and Commercial, and Inflect) provide visual inspiration for imagining the ways dance can be an inclusive, accessible, and equitable space for dancers of any and all abilities. These pieces demonstrate a variety of ways to create movement vocabularies that include, rather than exclude or simply accommodate—such as creating gestures from daily activities or utilizing forms of locomotion that are available to every dancer on stage. Additionally, I believe viewing these sources could be useful inspiration for some project members who may potentially feel hesitant, unexperienced, or out-of-place during our weekly movement classes.

In conclusion, the elements that make these ten sources similar are equally as valuable as what makes them each unique. These sources teach me, the project facilitator, the importance of understanding my own identity as a white, able-bodied, queer, young adult as I learn alongside those of another generation through the process of personal and communal transformation. These sources set me up for the launch of my project by offering the tools, techniques, strategies, and exercises necessary to effectively facilitate classes and workshops while also prompting me into a process of continual feedback, reflection, and adaptation to ensure my project member’s voices are heard and uplifted along the way.

Bibliography

Readings:

(1) Brown, Adrienne Maree. 2017. Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds.

Chico: AK Press.

(2) Halprin, Anna & Kaplan. 2018. Making Dances That Matter: Resources for

Community Creativity. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press.

(3) Landreman, Lisa. 2013. The Art of Effective Facilitation: Reflections from Social Justice Educators. Sterling: Stylus Publishing.

(4) Lerman, Liz. 2011. Hiking the Horizontal: Field Notes from a Choreographer. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press.

(5) Menakem, Resmaa. 2017. My Grandmothers Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. Las Vegas: Central Recovery Press.

Viewings:

(1) Bergonzoni, Carolina. N.d. “Ho:Me.” https://vimeo.com/233391022/864fd51587. Accessed May 14, 2021.

(2) Halprin, Anna. 2017. “Dance to Heal: Healing Trauma with the Power of Movement.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgdu6JEB2RA&list=RDCMUCx8LIRh6VuPamPrqYDNF2QQ&start_radio=1. Accessed April 14, 2021.

(3) Lerman, Liz. 1996. “Shipyard Project.” https://lizlerman.com/2018/05/17/shipyard-project/.

Accessed March 5, 2021

(4) Seary, Cheyenne. 2017. “Broadway and Commercial.”

https://vimeo.com/401084438/95ccd4759c. Accessed May 14, 2021.

(5) Taylor, Harmanie. 2019. “Inflect.” https://vimeo.com/352546519/38c1cff31f. Accessed May

14, 2021.

Supplemental:

(1) Albright, Ann Cooper. 2018. How to Land: Finding Ground in an Unstable World. New York: Oxford University Press.

(2) Bastings, Anne. 2020. Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

(3) Bogart, Anne. 2007. And Then, You Act: Making Art in an Unpredictable World. New

York: Routledge.

(4) Cohen-Cruz, Jan & Schutzman. 1994. Playing Boal: Theatre, Therapy, Activism. Abingdon: Routledge.

(5) Franklin, Eric. 1996. Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance. Champaign: Human Kinetics.

(6) Jacob’s Pillow. 2021. “What’s on Top: Conversation with Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Liz Lerman.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HljEUJc2yG0. Accessed April 24, 2021.

(7) McGregor, Paloma. 2013. A Working Guide to the Landscape of Arts for Change: Dance and Civic Engagement. Americans for the Arts.

(8) Sholette, Gegory and Brass. 2018. Art as Social Action: An Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Teaching Social Practice Art. New York: Allworth Press.

(9) Soriano, C. & Hugenschmidt. “Life Skill: Improvisational Movement” on Tedx Talks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WndFUdVRdXU. Accessed April 17, 2021.

Interdisciplinary Research: Final Outwarding

a personal exploration of intentional adaptation through embodiment, journaling, reflection, and painting

Project Description:

Throughout the semester, I have been developing an online, interdisciplinary arts program for senior adults of Columbus. This year-long program will consist of two, two-hour movement classes per week with workshops by other guest artists each month. In these classes and workshops, community members will engage with artistic activities/exercises (embodied, visual, written, spoken, musical) designed to develop skills in self-reflection, action-oriented goal making, non-verbal communication, active listening, building interdependence, collaboration and shared leadership (as inspired by AMB’s Emergent strategy). These activities and tools will then be used to collaboratively create a virtual showcase telling the stories of individual project members and the group’s vision for our community in the future. Some research questions feeding this work include: (1) What is the relationship between individual and communal reflection, healing and growth? (2) What is the role of embodiment and art in activating change and creating social value in community? (3) Are different types of artforms more efficient at promoting specific types of wellbeing (mental, social, emotional, physical)?

For this final outwarding, I have chosen to share my personal experience of some of the planned activities and exercises for encouraging intentional adaptation.

Activity #1: Reflective Journaling

· Prompts: (1) Are you a living realization of your values and beliefs? (2) How do you respond to positive change? (3) How do you respond to negative change? (4) What is your intention in life? (5) How do you do at keeping your intention present during change? (6) How can you align your daily practices with your values/beliefs?

What does this activity do? These prompts come directly from AMB’s Emergent Strategy. They provide a space for me to assess my default reactions to change, and to develop a capacity for adaptation to use in the future.

Activity #2: Personality Tests and Identity Wheels

· Personality Type: Advocate (INFJ)

· “Advocates are sensitive, introverted, intuitive, creative and empathetic. Most advocates are extremely detail-oriented, goal-driven, and set high (and sometimes unattainable) expectations for themselves. Advocates are focused on helping others as their primary purpose in life and aspire to fix deep issues within society. In general, Advocates tend to take better care of those around them than they do themselves.” Strengths: creative, insightful, principled, passionate, altruistic. Weaknesses: sensitive to criticism, reserved/private, perfectionistic, avoiding the ordinary, prone to burnout.

· Identity Wheels:

What does this activity do? Personally, I find that these exercises allow me to feel comfortable as myself, strengths and weaknesses included. In a sense, they confirm and validate the things I already know about myself. It allows me to understand how I exist in the world in relation to others, and it makes me aware of the ways I do/can navigate relationships. Although I wouldn’t place all of my trust in these activities, I do think they are valuable in assessing where I come from, what my assets are, and how I can use those experiences and strengths to inform my future.

Activity #3: Moving Memories (embodied exercise)

· Prompt: “what is the greatest lesson you’ve learned so far?”

· Prompt 2: “How did you learn that?”

· Response: The greatest lesson I have learned so far is the importance of connecting with others. I’ve ironically learned this primarily by spending a lot of time alone. Growing up, I was raised by my Grandfather and an alcoholic Grandmother. I was in and out of school a lot, so I had very few opportunities to build those social connections I crave today. My Grandparents lived in a secluded trailer without any neighbors, and my older brother was rarely around. I spent a lot of time playing on my own, outside. I moved out of the house at 17, and this alone-ness has followed me throughout much of my adult life. This time alone taught me how to be self-sufficient, how to work hard, and has provided time and space for a lot of self-reflection. It has also created a constant feeling that I cannot or should not ask for/accept help when I need it, which is something I want to practice more.

· Embodied Reflections: The first video (link 1) is an embodied reflection of my memories of loneliness as a child—writing notes with my finger in the dirt, squishing anthills (sorry ants!). The second video (link 2) is an embodied reflection of the freedom and adventure that those days alone provided me, spending entire days outside using my imagination and creativity to construct the world I wanted to live in. link 1: https://osu.box.com/s/kdfi5pf8bko99pvjeo472d2h3dklhkqs

link 2: https://osu.box.com/s/02bvmozofsqnjczw8s8ra8uzatt7a3jk

What does this activity do?

This activity serves multiple purposes. First, it allows me to practice being seen as my true self, without hiding my past or experiences, in the “safe” space of my own body. Second, it allows me to take some of the hardships/lessons from my past and find new ways of looking at them that push me toward my goals for myself in the future.

Activity #4: Self-Portrait

· Chosen medium: watercolor pens

· Activity description: either using a mirror or drawing from memory/imagery, create a self-portrait in any preferred medium. Some possibilities include collaging, painting, pastels, sketching, and….

What does this activity do?

It provides a creative medium for me to explore and understand myself. I have also found self-portraits as a useful tool for navigating depression and self-empowerment.

Activity #5: Embodying Values & Beliefs (movement/improvisation)

· Activity description: reread your action steps from prompt #5 of activity #1. Choose 1-2 key words from each action item. Use selected key words as an improvisational score for a movement phrase.

Keywords:

Improvisation/Movement Phrase: https://osu.box.com/s/l7xguo5r7yrkcsf44h119tqr1laltea1

What does this activity do?

It allows me to repeatedly come back to my action items, which is a practice in aligning my actions with my beliefs. It also provides time and space for me to embody my personal values.

Overall Outcomes:

Overall, these activities paired together have really allowed me to reflect deeply on where I come from and where I want to go. They all do this in a personal, internal way. After completing these activities, I feel that I am more present, feel affirmed in who I am as a person, and have a better understanding of how I show up in the world. I also have some clear goals/action steps to move forward with as I attempt to better align my actions with my beliefs. Overall, I personally feel that these exercises have contributed most to my emotional and mental well-being more so than other types of wellness.

Moving from the Inside/Out

thesis performance for Laura Neese, OSU

This spring I was gifted the opportunity to perform in the thesis project, Moving from the Inside/Out by Laura Neese, exploring "kinesthetic awareness, creative agency and nonverbal communication through investigating movement from three perspectives: sensation and internal structural awareness, movement in conversation with environment and movement in collaboration with others."

video by Abby Koskinas