Dancing.

Pforzheim, September 5th 2022 I just started reading Wolcott's book... I can't believe I completely forgot to make time for the data analysis...how could I? I MUST make time for that. Maybe I need to cut down on the reading... I don't know... To date, it seems like I am going to go for a more analytic  kind of approach... I am curious to see how things evolve...

Crossroads Confusion...and a little frustration... That's what I feel in/at myself this evening... Maybe it's because of Covid, and me not feeling great, but in this second Module, I feel like I am struggling a little bit more than I was in my first one.  Where do I stand? Where? I feel somewhat in a balance/in-balance between rationality and free-flow ... I can  be practical and pragmatic, and I can  get lost in my ideas, but where should I stand in this MA journey? Where? Is it wrong for me to want to know where  it wants me to go?  Because I feel like I am at a crossroads... I have no problem going one way or another...but I just feel like I'd want someone to choose for me. Not that I'd have a problem choosing for myself.  I could, and I would be happy either road I took... Intellectually .  But I have the feeling  that I would always be accompanied by doubt . Doubt that I made some mistakes according to others...but should that really affect ...

Upon embarking on DAN4630's Research Inquiry , I decided to do a little bit of brainstorming on my reflective journal, to figure out a topic that could potentially both fit the program's outline & also be something that I truly was interested in and invested in.  I found a super-helpful step-by-step youtube video by Oregon's School's Library, which truly helped me develop a valid "work-in-progress" research question that I could start working with.  If you want to check out their video and try out their process, you can find the link by clicking  here . The first step to develop my  research topic idea  was to brainstorm an initial list of topics that could be related both to my professional practice and to the MAPP Dance Technique Pedagogy Program.  Here is what my initial list looked like: I then selected a couple of topics that felt like they were 'talking' to me more, and developed a new list of possible topics , by brainstorming all of the su...

Upon revisiting my Module 1 Handbook, a question stood out to me: 'What, in my daily practice, gets me really enthusiastic to find out more about?' .  Interestingly, upon reflection, I figured out that it was not exactly "what" got me interested in something...but more something along the lines of "what conditions" got me enthusiastic to delve deep into things... I thrive when I am building quality human interactions and exchanges, when I feel in a safe and supportive environment and when I am physically pushed to grow as a dancer within the realms of a respective practice.  I resonate to the magical balance of a lighthearted yet profound research process, and above all I respond to kindness and awareness.  Three teachers came to my mind when pondering on this: - My beloved artistic gymnastics teacher from my youth, Annabella Cinti . - My 200h YTT Head Teacher, Christopher (Shane) Perkins . - And Adriene Mishler , an incredible online Yoga teacher, who made ...

Keeping a reflective journal has taught me so much about myself...some things I appreciate more than others...but oh well...what we learn is what we learn...we can't really pick. Writing has made me realize that for so many years I have 'subdued' myself & my truth for the  fear  of being rejected/pushed away/fired...etc. Too many times I have suppressed my thoughts and my feelings thinking "it's ok...", "it doesn't matter..." when in reality I knew things were NOT OK...and DID MATTER...at least to me.  I now realize that these behavioural patterns I created to 'survive' in this very competitive world, played a big role in squishing me into boxes I felt 'suffocated' by. And somehow, these behaviours, succeeded in making me become 'less visible'... quite the paradox for someone who is working and living as a professional performing artist.  But where has the person  behind the artist  gone? Picture by Bernd Hentschel Eve...

Picture credit: Pixabay.com We had two incredible writing classes the past  few weeks with Peter Thomas and Sam Murray. I enjoyed them beyond what I could have expected, as they truly made me think of writing in a complete different manner. I've always seen writing as a functional or creative tool, but I never really considered it as a means of learning. This is quite a 'revolutionising' shift in perspective for me, as I believe it will change a lot in my personal practice. I decided to give a go to the 'free flow' writing exercise we were introduced to in our first class, to figure out what I really wanted to share here on my blog. I was surprised by the result, as when we allow our brain to wander on the blank page, things we couldn't foresee do start to surface.  One thing I could have never anticipated, is how free flow writing can help reveal diverse perspectives on things one has within oneself. Yes...I know this sounds bizarre, but I actually think that I...

I've been out of university for almost 10 years now... and what a privilege it feels to be able to go back to school. I am studying because I WANT to study... not because I HAVE to, or because I have something to prove... . What a shift in perspective... . And how internally revolutionising this feels.  I am incredibly grateful for all the intellectually stimulating exchanges this course is offering me. For the questions it is raising in me, the structure for reflection it is providing me, and for showing me new directions in which to watch . I feel like I am uncovering every day a new layer of understanding of the question: ' Who am I as a learner ?'. I hadn't questioned this for a while... and just by doing that I feel like I have unlocked a new chapter  of my journey, and I have a new pair of goggles with which to explore the world.  Although my daily life has pretty much stayed the same... the way in which I approach things has completely changed. I have a refound s...