EXPLORING DESIGN THINKING IN PROFESSIONAL DANCE EDUCATION
INTELLECTUAL GRAFFITI FOR THE CURIOUS MINDSET
Design Thinking is used for creating businesses, but also as a brainstorm & developing scenery to innovate existing organizations. The origin of this method can be found in the world of design, the design processes to be exact. Nowadays this method is proposed as an 'out of the box' way to create all kinds of visions into concrete innovative solutions, constructed with visual designed art & basic symbolics.
I am used to working with different analyzing models, body practices, body-mind perspectives, communication strategies, mindmapping & dialogue forms from my dramaturgy background: So it felt like a natural next step to take. I took a Masterclass at Knowmads in Amsterdam in order to prepare for a 3-year European research project on transferable skills of the dance artist. Research towards the future of dance education and changing career perspectives of artists. Eventually this led to a study program for both dance teachers and dance students from different academies.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS 2.0
Last week we performed the Intensive Study Week (ISP), hosted by Fontys Dance Department in Tilburg, a study on Re-Designing Spaces in dance, where dance teachers & dance students studied the topic of contemporary dance in the public space. For the teacher's programme during the ISP we organized a Mirror Salon during intensive days of lectures and workshops under guidance of Kai van Hasselt & Dirk Dumon. The goals was to exchange ideas about innovating, improving & transforming future dance education and explore education plans in an interdisciplinary work field.
The collective brainstorm and design sessions was based on the theoretical frame of transferable skills of dance artists that could be deployed outside the arts and enriching further artistic research in dance. We followed the 5 stages of the design thinking process that eventually led to new questions and concrete plans to be shared.
I was amazed how far we came with such different minded experts. It brought a variety of changed perspectives, or even shifts in how to design dance education, especially in terms of the position of the student. Things came up like "students and their autonomy to design their own learning trajectories, the public space as a learning space to bring dance to the people instead of the other way around and also various visions on education in relation to the senses of the human body or the personal characteristics of individuals". And most importantly, everybody participating left this day inspired, full of energy and in connection with their peers.
DESIGN THINKING AND THE CREATIVE MINDSET
It surprised me that a new frame of working actually activated our mindsets in a different way. And this could be of great value for contemporary dance field as well. Too often it happens that dance professionals get stuck in repeating arguments, opposed visions, historic hierarchies during festival events, performance after talks or conferences. The dance field is draining on rigid habits and old-fashioned power games during those kind of conversations. We are in a situation where we got rich by historical and progressive developments in the artistry, but without professionalizing the organization of the field to keep up with that by numerous and complex reasons I will not go into right now.
For me the Mirror Salon was one rare moment where professionals in the dance field really worked together outside their regular thinking and doing habits. So for me to see my peers started discussions based on common ground, shared experiences was deliberating. We were able to include each others opinions and pass the differences quite easily. This also had to do with the clear focus of that day: Education seen from the future student point of view. The question wasn't related to our value systems on the artistry, it was directly related to our practice as teachers to prepare young talented people to build potential careers. The topic became disconnected from our personal preferences, from the subjectivity of art perception.
The best conclusion of this small evaluation is the insight teachers shared that thinking is part of dance artistry. Dance artistry can be an intellectual and mindful practice where learning is part of daily practice. It depends on the specific interests, talents and ambitions though. This perspective won't appeal to all of them. And there will be limitations to what an artist can cope with in one life, in one career. But the freedom to choose your trajectory to stay autodidact and innovative as an artist sure is appealing perspective on the future of dance art.
For more information and photo's about the ISP Re-Designing Spaces please visit this link to the Facebook page: Re-designing spaces in dance
The collective brainstorm and design sessions was based on the theoretical frame of transferable skills of dance artists that could be deployed outside the arts and enriching further artistic research in dance. We followed the 5 stages of the design thinking process that eventually led to new questions and concrete plans to be shared.
I was amazed how far we came with such different minded experts. It brought a variety of changed perspectives, or even shifts in how to design dance education, especially in terms of the position of the student. Things came up like "students and their autonomy to design their own learning trajectories, the public space as a learning space to bring dance to the people instead of the other way around and also various visions on education in relation to the senses of the human body or the personal characteristics of individuals". And most importantly, everybody participating left this day inspired, full of energy and in connection with their peers.
DESIGN THINKING AND THE CREATIVE MINDSET
It surprised me that a new frame of working actually activated our mindsets in a different way. And this could be of great value for contemporary dance field as well. Too often it happens that dance professionals get stuck in repeating arguments, opposed visions, historic hierarchies during festival events, performance after talks or conferences. The dance field is draining on rigid habits and old-fashioned power games during those kind of conversations. We are in a situation where we got rich by historical and progressive developments in the artistry, but without professionalizing the organization of the field to keep up with that by numerous and complex reasons I will not go into right now.
For me the Mirror Salon was one rare moment where professionals in the dance field really worked together outside their regular thinking and doing habits. So for me to see my peers started discussions based on common ground, shared experiences was deliberating. We were able to include each others opinions and pass the differences quite easily. This also had to do with the clear focus of that day: Education seen from the future student point of view. The question wasn't related to our value systems on the artistry, it was directly related to our practice as teachers to prepare young talented people to build potential careers. The topic became disconnected from our personal preferences, from the subjectivity of art perception.
The best conclusion of this small evaluation is the insight teachers shared that thinking is part of dance artistry. Dance artistry can be an intellectual and mindful practice where learning is part of daily practice. It depends on the specific interests, talents and ambitions though. This perspective won't appeal to all of them. And there will be limitations to what an artist can cope with in one life, in one career. But the freedom to choose your trajectory to stay autodidact and innovative as an artist sure is appealing perspective on the future of dance art.
For more information and photo's about the ISP Re-Designing Spaces please visit this link to the Facebook page: Re-designing spaces in dance
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