Alys May-James BA Professional Practice Blog

As my research is focused around touch and dance, contact improvisation has been of great interest to me. Below is a video I have watched and analysed as part of my research.  Contact Improvisation is a form of dancing that requires touch. The whole art form is created around people moving together and being connected physically. This physical connection allows for a constant flow of information between the bodies involved.  This means that not only are we being physically touched, but also mentally. It gives permission for us to move in the moment, without judgement of what is right and wrong. The focus is on the information we are giving and receiving,  which allows for freedom of body, mind and spirit.  I would love to hear what you think about this video.  Bibliography   Video available at:  We Rise and Fall Together | Contact Improv | Nathan Dryden | TEDxSaltLakeCity - YouTube  (Accessed 27/03/2021)

Recently I have been looking into the importance of the arts and being creative. Having been a dance teacher and performer for many years, I believe the arts are extremely important.  These are some of my opinions why: improves confidence improves mobility gives students the freedom to express themselves gives students a sense of belonging or community creates more friendship groups teaches discipline improves communication skills I came across this blog from TedEd. https://blog.ed.ted.com/2018/04/02/why-dance-is-just-as-important-as-math-in-school/ Sir Ken Robinson talks about how creativity is within us all, and we should all have a right to access it and use it. However, many education systems put far more ‘importance’ on subjects such as maths and literacy. What I find interesting is how he talks about how being creative doesn’t have to stay within the arts. You can be creative in any subject. This is so important for children, because curiosity is a key way ...

2020 has definitely been a rollercoaster so far- from starting this course in January, to being in lockdown and not being able to dance, to being a key worker in a pandemic…it has been a very weird time. If anything, it has enforced the need to be flexible and enhanced the use of transferable skills. On Friday I joined the welcome back skype. It was lovely seeing and hearing people from each module. We spoke about a few key areas which I found really useful to remind myself of as I start back for module 2. Blogs- When I started module 1, I found it very helpful to read peoples blogs who had already completed the module. I’m going to take some time to go back as I start module 2 and read blogs from other people. It can be reassuring and inspiring reading what others have to say, as well as helping build a network of professionals. I find it quite daunting posting blogs. To help I have a specific focus for each one which helps me plan, write and then post them. Handbooks- I printed...

I feel with the current situation, now is a good time to go into transferable skills. Things have changed drastically for pretty much everyone in the last few weeks. We have all had to adapt and change just to get by. Our day to day life has been turned upside down. It is amazing how we have all ‘settled’ into this new way of life so quickly. We have taken skills from our previous life/jobs and are now using them in completely new ways. It is incredible how adaptable we are. The past few weeks I have been reflecting on skills that people gain and how we are constantly learning. We don’t give ourselves enough credit for the amount of information we take on everyday and how we process it. Some information may come and go and we never need it again. Other information comes and we need it for a prolonged period of time. But certain information comes and at the time it doesn’t seem relevant so our brains discard it, but months/years/decades later that information becomes useful. Somehow, ...

On Wednesday 1 st April we had our second skype for all modules. We covered a range of topics in the meeting, including- finding your own voice, interviewing and integration. Below I have bullet pointed some of the main points we covered in each topic. Finding our own voice  How can we write in a way that isn’t too casual but without losing yourself? How writing on social media is different to writing an essay- How do we write blogs in comparison to essays? Keeping core intensions clear Having different documents open to write down different ideas. Write all your ideas down and then go about moving it around and breaking bits up. The process is messy; things don’t always go in a straight line. Interviewing Why do we interview? What is the point? What are we trying to achieve/gain? How interviewing in person is different from over the phone/ skype Silences are ok- what do the silences tell you Its not all about what people say, how do they say it, what do...

What is my Professional Practice? The past few weeks I have been looking into how to describe what my practice actually is. I have been finding it hard to describe because there are so many factors to it. I have done this word cloud below to help me pin point my specific practice. By just using one or two words, rather than a sentence, it has helped me see what is important and given me some clarity. As you can see in my word cloud, not all the words necessarily connect to dance or the performing arts. This is because as I was creating it, I found that there were words I really wanted to include as they are part of my identity and they felt important to me. It made me realise that my practice is unique to me because I am unique, and all these factors that may not seem relevant, are relevant because they have shaped me to be who I am today. Therefore, it affects how I approach my professional practice. The knowledge I have gained from all my experiences in differen...

Last night I attended my first discussion Skype for all modules. I found it very insightful listening to other people and their experiences. One of the parts I have been struggling with is the ‘diagram’ or ‘artefact’, so I went with the intention of trying to get some clarity and inspiration! The information from others was invaluable. It became clear to me, from many of the now module two people, that the essay and artefact go hand in hand. They compliment each other and should work in harmony. When discussing which one should be done first, I realised that to get the best results they should be done together and so become fluid. Yes, they are different pieces of work, but they work together and each enhance the other. It is also important to make a decision and commit to it. 12 weeks will go fast, so if you have an idea, go for it! What’s different about the artefact, is that it can be what you want it to be. Some of the suggestions included videos, spider diagrams and pic...