Dance Engaging Science Workshop No. 2

Dance Engaging Science

Workshop No.2

For the second meeting 17-19 February 2012, three aims were proposed: 1. engage more with the questions coming from practice; 2. review the five topics identified at the first meeting; 3. develop a shared concept for a project that could inform education, policy makers and public. The meeting was again held in the rehearsal spaces of The Forsythe Company, this time making use of the studios more as the Company was not in rehearsal.

Riley Watts guiding the group through 'active meditation'. Photo: Jessica Schäfer

Saturday morning, the group reconvened in the same conference space as in May. The wall/ card installation from May was reconstructed and all were invited at any point in the meeting to address or return to this installation. For the rest of the Saturday the group was divided in thirds and given two tasks. The first task for the smaller groups was to find a way to address the "Questions From Practice" revisiting them through the lens of Friday's experience & to consider the challenges the study of dance presents science.

Scott deLahunta explaining history/ culture/ science diagram. Photo: Jessica Schäfer

Getting at "Questions from Practice":

"The second part of the exercise was aimed at creative thinking by building a construction from hand held wooden blocks and then transferring what was seen externally and applied to the body. Four tables were placed together in the centre of the studio and for each table a different number of colour building blocks. I asked four people to come forward and arrange the blocks to their own preference. The outcome was different for each individual so we had four very different looking constructions upon the tables. Group members were invited then to choose a table and recreate what was on the table onto their own bodies." (Esther Balfe, The Forsythe Company)

Kate Stevens exploring Esther Balfe's exercise. Photo: Jessica Schäfer