STATESIDE JAZZ

I found both Helen’s and Adesola’s blogs about mantras and positive quotations extremely useful to enjoy this modules process and to use clichés to “Embrace Change” and “Navigating The Unknown” I kind of feel that their letting go of our hands a bit as we cross the road.

In reading I’m highlighting anything I feel could be useful in terms of creating my framework/reflection/dance pedagogies and then entering a log in “Notes” on my IPhone with the page number and subject hoping this will become useful later on. For example Page 23, Frying Mince. Then if I have to write something about the topic I have quick access to the citation. I have also downloaded the iPhone app which is very convenient can be downloaded at the app store if you type in “Blogger”. To blog on the go with ease!

Also I’m enjoying trying to prepare for something I have no idea what I’m making!  (I will steer away from another food analogy). I’m reading back through my AOL’s and reflective essay as suggested by Helen to come up with occurring threads I am already wishing I had completed some of the work differently in regards to the feedback I received, Now it seems obvious! Which seems crazy as it was only a month ago we submitted our work!

Although I know the genre I want to research I have no Idea what exactly in the subject I want to further explore. Been playing with ideas. I have ordered a new book on Jazz Dance which is not been released till the end of month from the University of Florida which I’m very excited for as there is an substantial lack of literature on my chosen subject as I share Carson’s view that it is seen a “Mode of Entertainment” in a lot of cultures.  So till then I am going to spend the next month reading a copious amount of books and collating data anything useful and to get my head round research as a technique and to “create something beautiful.” – Thank you Adesola #lightbulbmoment. I am in a period of critical reflection, knowing how to weave everything into my holistic journey.

Here is my headspace what I’m mainly reflecting on inwardly:

Ruth Heyler states that the work based learning project could aid the business your working for but I'm self-employed! My business is me! So I want this project to have benefits that aid me as the practioner I want to be in the future (lesson plans, choreography) But I don’t want it at the same for it to be not taken serious as a piece of research and not involve the social, historical, philosophical exploration or can I do both?

Can I find a clever way to incorporate practice as research in my framework that aid and articulate my enquiry? I want to get the most from this MA and I expect at the end of the process, because of the high level of autonomous learning to be at the standard of embarking on a PhD if decide to take that particular route or not……..!

I am really enjoying having more time to blog as with module one and my work situation at that time I had no time to do both.

Yesterday I fulfilled a dream of mine I took a master Jazz class at Steps on Broadway. It was so inspiring to work alongside a Broadway legend and her energy and positivity really upped and boosted the class it was electrifying. It spiralled so many questions to me and I started to question every single thing I’m doing during the warm up which directed back to a highlighted note that Luigi the Father of the Jazz Technique said: (Luigi,Kriegel & Roach 1997 Pg. 9)

“Balanchine spoke about dancing inside a square. I go beyond the square and dance inside a circle”  

This sparked further spirals of inner “thought-threads” for me actually why we do certain movements in Jazz warm up, how Luigi was the start/pioneer of it all?  If you did a Jazz warm up could you in theory go straight into a ballet class into centre work? Why (in my experience) is it not taken as serious as other art forms in some cultures/societies?

After the hour warm up we moved on to a routine I thought I would be absolutely knackered as It had been a while since my last professional level class but my body seemed so revitalized and energetic! I felt muscles I hadn’t felt in a while! Geared up and ready to go! After some warm ups be it at student level or when I took class in London I have been exhausted.

I intend to draw from my experiences from taking these Master classes and compare them to my prior knowledge and really try and compare the differences between the UK and the US on Jazz Dance as I feel a lot has been lost with people putting their own “spin” on things and making things their own in a curriculum. I think there is protocol that needs to be followed in the creation of syllabi or at college in Jazz education. And I feel it’s a lot to do with positive thought in both cultures in professional dance training context. And the actual thought behind the movements why are we doing these Jazz Warm ups? A lot of the time for non traditional late starters especially male dancers theirs a tendency to just “copy” at the back of the class

“Learn to develop your technique by knowing what you are doing rather than pretending or imitating” – (Luigi 1997 Pg. Xi)

To not actually know the “know-why” can be detrimental to the dancers learning to not know the thought pattern behind a specific movement. Being in the home of Jazz dance which it has been since the 1950’s, I’m at the forefront on my subject and in a unique situation. Jazz has extensively been studied here through educational degrees in the states which is the main factors to its advancement here.  Their BFA and MFA’s mainly incorporate Jazz dance and its theoretical analysis of the technique. This is crucial and is a high level of importance as it conveys the artistry of what should be a not forgotten art form in the next sixty years of its existence.

“Learn how to learn, in this way you will constantly develop yourself and keep your mind open for learning” – (Luigi 1997 Pg. Xii) 

NEW TERM, NEW ME - REFLECTING BACK & LOOKING AHEAD

Today we welcomed the Module Ones to the learning community sharing our experiences of how we found the first module. I reflected on how you should find your own learning style towards the autonomous process and have a viewpoint of the AOL’s being an extension of your CV.  And that also in picking up the handbook for module two if I hadn’t completed module one prior I would have been overwhelmed in regard to organisational project management and writing skills.

Adesola discussed overall the general feel of the course module by module saying:

Module One – “Looking back over your shoulder if you see time as linear”

 …. And finding AOL’s that differentiate you as a practioner honing in on your skills and knowledge, some that you might not even realise you have in preparation to identify you area of interest for the upcoming modules.

Module Two  - Is about contextualizing your work with the rest of the world, with other people’s thoughts on the subject and how it sits with your knowledge. Shares how you attempt research. And that it can be overwhelming because theirs a lot of other people. And that Module Two is just the proposal not the project. Adesola also looked at the thoughts and theories shared by others on a subject through reading them are like a team on your shoulder and how looking at their bibliography can aid your research.

Module Three – The Main Event…….

Helen shared she sees the course through a visual aid of three circles.

MODULE ONE - LOOKING AT EXPERIENCES (ESTABLISH YOURSELF)

            MODULE TWO - ADDING THEORY (WHERE YOU STAND)

MODULE THREE - WHAT YOUR ADDING YOUR RESEARCH (FINDING OUT MORE)

One thing that really helped me with this was the metaphor you need to see this as a blind journey.

We then discussed feedback or feed-forward as now I know exactly what I need to focus and develop on in this module from the feedback I received.

We then discussed support tools and I totally see this as an online community much more than I did upon when I first started. Like Blogs, Linked-in, Skype Sessions – Group and 1on1. Thanks Mary also for recommending “You and your research project – Mcniff, Lomax and Whitehead.”

I have learnt it to be valuable to make “key notes” whilst the group sessions are on and then to annotate it after so nothing is lost and then I can blog it and put it into my reflective journal, I hope you find it helpful.

 I have also leant the importance of sharing are own thought process’s through metaphorical aids and how it facilitates my learning. Such as Helens three circle steps, And Adesola’s padded black box. The one that really stands out in my mind was making the salad in terms of research “I’m going to make a salad with oil spaghetti tomatoes and onions – that doesn’t sound like a salad it sounds like spag-boll!” #lightbulbmoment.

Would love thoughts and comments on anything I’ve missed.

And remember everyone it was Martin Luther King that said:

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase just take the first step” 

Are You In Module Limbo Like ME?!

Feeling a bit lost in a way after finishing Module One I put aside a lot of time in the past two months to get everything prepared for the hand in. And I feel I am in a bit of Module Limbo! I'm not ready to pick up the next handbook! That and its probable I know I will have to submit more AOL's at a later date as I feel I only learnt the correct recipe when it was dinner time!!!  (The Recipe being the AOL format and how you write it and Dinner Time being the Hand in Date! - I have learnt from my learning I respond most well to food metaphors!) 

Also reflecting what I actually learnt in the past couple of weeks and how I put it into my practise already without even realising it! And how I will expand on this knowledge to utilise it in all my future project management.

Thank you to Rose and Mary for commenting on my Aesthetic blog it gave me context and other avenues to explore for the AOL..

How is everyone else finding Module Limbo?! I would love your thoughts. 

And good luck to the Module Three's wish I could be their but I will be sailing round the Bahamas….!