In collaboration with
BEDFORD INTERACTIVE RESEARCH
RESEARCH PROJECT TITLE:
STUDY OF CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESSESS
STAGE 1: 2002 - A FEASIBILITY PROJECT to make a DEMO CD ROM Disc with accompanying
materials
Funding: To date the project is funded by PALATINE (Performing Arts Learning and Teaching Support Network) through a Development Fund and through a contribution from the Research Fund of the University of Leeds’ School of Performance and Cultural Industries.
What we are doing:
In the context of a ‘Feasibility Study’ leading to a much larger
project we are going to produce a small-scale pilot resource pack consisting
of a DEMO disc and accompanying text materials to show how CD ROM technology
can be developed in order to enhance and advance the CHOREOGRAPHIC practice
of under-graduate students.
The pilot resource pack will be sent out to other universities for trial and feedback purposes. The ‘Feasibility Study’ therefore aims to test the efficacy of the larger project outlined briefly below.
Larger Project Aims:
1. To develop new methods of teaching, learning, assessing and evaluating creative
dance practice in choreography in the context of the University of Leeds BA
Honours Degree in Dance.
2. To author innovatory multimedia resources for a wider university market that
provide access to creative problems and past choreographers’ solutions
and to design methodologies that shift students from these ‘givens’
to create their own original choreography.
The latter is a very important aim for dance since there is a paucity of visual resource material available to help students study the processes involved in choreography.
A further subsidiary aim is to contribute knowledge and expertise gained during the project to colleagues who will research in a similar way aiming to develop materials to enhance the practice of students in devising theatre.
Summary of content and methods:
Research into current approaches used by selected Level 3 students in choreographing
their final pieces has already produced a good range of material. This has been
generated by capture of their individual processes during seven weeks of creative
work, tutorials, interviews, the final productions and assessment procedures.
The research team aims to distil ‘best practice’ from this extensive
data and to create additional materials, if appropriate, in order to develop
new pedagogy in choreography. The final research outcome in the form of CD ROM
technology resources and accompanying materials will:
· inform and enrich future students’ creative processes in choreography.
· provide immediate interactive access to visual exemplification and
analysis of ‘best practice’ to extend students’ knowledge
and skills and to aid tutoring of the creative process in choreography.
· develop each student’s ability to direct his or her own learning
in individual or group creative work.
· enrich the symbiotic interplay between staff input and student self-directed
activity.
· extend feedback, assessment and evaluation procedures.
CONTACT JSmithAutard@aol.com for more information