So for the past week I have been thinking a lot about the set of questions I want to ask, and how I want to develop my investigation.
I originally divided up my questions into 3 sections as I felt that was the clearest way to sort out my initial ideas. I have now managed to combine some of these thoughts together.
I have decided that I want to explore the individuals choreographic process; why this works for them and how they then engage with this process and the people they are teaching.
Factors that add to this are different styles of dance, age groups and dance experience and own personal past experience.
My set of questions so far are as follows:
* Do you have a specific choreographic process that you have developed personally for you?
* Does music influence or choreography or do you create the movement first?
* Do you tend to plan your choreography before you teach it or do you run off instinct?
* Does your choreographic process change depending on who you are teaching?
* Do different styles of dance require a different approach?
* Do you find styles you naturally enjoy easier to create?
* Has your choreographic process be influenced your past experience?
* Do you think different people's personality's/ personal life effect the way you approach choreography?
* Have you trained as a professional performer?
* Have you performed as a professional performer?
* Do you have teaching qualifications?
* If yes, have these qualifications altered your approach/ delivery of choreography?
I realise at the moment that I have a wide set of questions. However, because I feel my initial question is quite complex, I need sub questions in order to focus things more and allow me to get maximum research.
Hi Iona, I can relate to your questions as they immediately trigger responses as I read them! I tend to choreograph off the cuff, so as the music takes me. When I first started teaching or creating work for people I would try and plan it in advance, which I soon discovered did not always work for me. What I find now is that I will try something that I feel is created by the way the music makes me feel and see how it works with the participants. Sometimes it works, sometimes not! I like the freedom of choreography in a freestyle process but realise that sometimes there are external influences. So.for example, if I am creating a routine for a pantomime but the director wants something to happen which will mean that you have to allow for that event in your choreography it can sometimes limit you. This example would mean a certain amount of advance preparation to allow for that event! I have trained as a professional performer and worked as assistant choreographer and dance captain on several shows, which I think helped me within my choreography and planning. I am also a qualified teacher of ballet, tap, modern and national which does alter my approach to choreography in the way that I deliver it. Some choreographers that I have worked for in the past will just deliver their work and you have to pick it up.However, I am conscious of different learning styles that you learn as a teacher so ensure that I deliver my choreography in various ways to ensure the students or participants know exactly what they should be doing!
ReplyDeleteI hope that helps. Kym
Kym This is exactly what I want so thanks you! It's so interesting what you say about your teaching qualifications and past experience affecting the way you deliver your work. This is also a separate topic- some performers just can't teach choreography effectively and therefore their process of developing choreography becomes quite internal, as opposed to thinking about the end result.
ReplyDeleteThe panto example is a good example of how specific shows/ situations effect how you approach the task.
I think it's interesting what you say about what happened to your process as you got older and more experienced. I have only been graduated a year and so I tend to plan my work as much as possible so I am completely prepared. The thing I am interested in is will this change for my as my experiences become more, or will I always plan because I am a natural organised person who plans in her day to day life as well? I want to find this out from a range of different people!
Thank you so much! Hope you're ok xxx
Hi Iona
ReplyDeleteWell we had quite a long chat on SKYPE today. But just to say again - you have really got a clear direction now for your question which is great. Now you can move on through the module (like the Blue Peter analogy) You have the question-part of the ingredients that will go into making your research proposal now you need to get the ethics part and research tools part etc... then put them all together in the research proposal you submit at the end of the module. Great work keep it up.
Adesola