Here we go- Welcomes, reflections and looking forward!

So here I am, at the onset of Module 3- something which seemed so very distant back in the Spring when Covid still felt like a fleeting nightmare. Little did we know that the pandemic would still have such impact over our lives where repetitive days have made the annual calendar futile. No notable events, no work, no joyful experiences. Just a lot of getting to know my four walls very well indeed. Hence part of me is relieved to be revisiting some structure in the form of a Uni term. The start of which helps to signify Autumn as 2020 thankfully nears to a close!

Anticipating lockdown- knowing that I would have more time on my hands than usual set me up with great intentions. I hoped to get a significant headstart with the term ahead by reading hundreds of books on my inquiry topic. I’d be easing the pressure which module deadlines inflict by having citations ready to go- one step ahead of the game.....

Sadly, this is not the case. I haven’t been quite so active in this pursuit but not through my own ‘laziness’. The administrative role for the dance school has been demanding due to the implementation of a new booking system. Fresh challenges arose as the school had to navigate from virtual lessons back to the studio setting. With fourteen different class venues, attaining contract agreements and adhering to each of the site guidelines has been rather stressful!
Sadly, due to my own personal struggles, I ended up being admitted into inpatient care in early June. Although I should be focusing on my treatment, any spare hour away from groups is filled with work, and before I knew it the day would be over before I even had a chance to open a book!
Anyway, this all sounds very woe is me, so I will cease the pity party.

My feedback conversation with Adesola was scheduled at the start of this week. I have to admit I was a little nervous about what would be said. I felt ashamed that I hadn’t been powering on, fully assured about what I needed to do next when it came to my inquiry.
However, the call was incredibly constructive and rather than making a strict to do list of tasks, dates and targets, I realised that this driven approach isn’t compatible with the open mindset I have been trying to develop throughout this course. I was reminded that the more I strive to find an answer, the more I will miss out on, and the less I will learn.

So rather than focus on all the things I haven’t done, I have now come to recognise that the Summer did actually provide much experiential learning. Or rather, I have not learnt from the experience, but instead learnt from reflecting on experience.  (Dewey, 1933, p78).
For instance, I have engaged in observing how the topic of mental health in performers has been prominent across Web 2.0 platforms. Numerous performers have struggled with the void that has been imposed on their lives as Covid has robbed many of employment. 

As practitioners, we know that ‘employment’ isn’t just a day job we can switch off from. Performers adopt a transdisciplinary practice where multiple jobs- teaching, performing, choreographing, acting, entertaining are all part of earning a living. There is an anxiety which comes with being self employed- the fear of being left in the dark, of not knowing where your next pay cheque is coming from. This is daunting enough under normal circumstances, but with the pandemic, the future seems particularly bleak.

This lead me to think about human perception. Questioning this fatalistic mindset and instead wondering whether there may be some optimism somewhere? When the world has been turned upside down, we must become even more creative to solve a problem which wasn’t once there.
No dance classes allowed? Switch to Zoom! I am still astounded by the rapid transformation of the teaching industry, where online lessons have become the new normal. How wonderfully flexible. Who knew this could be an efficient method of teaching, and perhaps students from all over the world can attend a weekly dance class anywhere rather than having to be loyal to the local village hall.

I came across this wonderful video which shows how despite adversity, dancers of the Dutch National Ballet were still able to generate connection between themselves. As Best and Krueger state, connection over the internet can supplement offline social interaction by giving us a way to maintain existing social connections (Best & Krueger, 2006). The video is an example of this;

                          Ballet dancers under lockdown in Rome train from home

 

Figure 1: Ballet dancers under lockdown train from home. (2020)

Obviously connections across the web are vital in my BAPP studies and it was great to participate in the first welcome meeting Skype of the term. There were some familiar voices as well as new students and I always enjoy how fruitful the conversations can be despite everyone being at different stages in their journey.

Helpful pointers were shared from my peers to remind me of how I can really utilise my study time. I was enlightened again about the benefits of Kortext and how the blogs are a successful way of interacting via the student network. A recurring theme seemed to be the notion of trusting in the unknown- To feel the uneasiness which comes with not having all the answers. 

Adesola recited a great quote which I will certainly keep in mind for the term ahead- together we create the world at the same time as exploring it. In other words;

“The tenet that people make their social and cultural worlds at the same time these worlds make them.” (Fairhurst, 2010).

I’m looking forward to the term ahead and connecting with others once again. Please do share any thoughts or ideas- the more we collaborate, the more we innovate!

 

References
 

Best, S. J., & Krueger, B. S. (2006). Online Interactions and Social Capital: Distinguishing Between New and Existing Ties. Social Science Computer Review, 24(4), 395–410. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439306286855

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Chicago: Henry Regnery.


Fairhurst, G.T.; Grant. D. (2010). "The Social Construction of Leadership: A Sailing Guide". Management Communication Quarterly. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. 24 (2): 171–210. doi:10.1177/0893318909359697

 
G. T. (Adapter). (2020, March). Coronavirus: Ballet dancers under lockdown in Rome train from home [Video file]. Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oHBhXe3lO-U