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Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 July 2012
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U.Dance 2012 was held over three days at the Southbank Centre, London, on August 13 -15 . As part of the U.Dance events, a one-day conference was held on choreography by and with young people. The conference consisted of a range of presentations from a number of those directly involved in young people’s dance and was hosted by Chris Thompson, Director of Creative Teaching and Learning at the Place, and Linda Jasper, Director of Youth Dance England. Throughout the conference a number of key issues were addressed and framed within two overarching questions: •
What does the professional choreographer need in order to be an effective choreographer working with young people? (Group leader/teacher/choreographer)
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What does the young person, working towards being a choreographer, need to experience?
The day opened with an address by Linda Jasper, Director of Youth Dance England, who presented an overview of the current state of youth dance choreography in the UK. Further presentations included: A view from France, given by Brigitte Hyon (Director of the Training and Pedagogy/Cultural and Artistic Education Department at the Centre National de la Danse) and Agnes Bretel, classical and contemporary dance artist, also from the Centre National de la Danse. The choreographer and dancer James Cousins described his personal experience of a choreographer’s journey and Peter Laycock from The Place presented a paper asking ‘Do we need to model the methodologies?’ The afternoon sessions allowed time for presentations and discussions around nurturing young choreographers and included some personal observations and viewpoints from Kerry Nicholls (choreographer, teacher, mentor and co-director of creative learning for Wayne McGregor/Random Dance) and Katie Green (freelance choreographer and teacher, YDE Young Creatives mentor and director of Made by Katie Green). In addition Caldy Walton (a Young Creative and dance student) talked about her own experiences as a young choreographer. In her opening address Linda Jasper posed the question why the focus on young people’s choreography in this conference? She suggested that ‘the uniqueness of the publicly funded children and young people’s dance sector lies in its focus on choreography, that is; dance created by and with young people’. By the publicly funded sector she is referring to schools (curriculum and extra-curricula) activity and out of schools activity in dance/community centres, dance company education programmes, Local Authority provision etc. Within schools the emphasis on choreography may be seen through examinations such as; GCSE, A/S and A Level Dance, which all assess students in the production of their own choreography as well as the study of established choreographers and their work. Linda Jasper also pointed out that dance higher education degree courses generally focus on studying dance as an art form. A key objective of YDE is to raise standards of young people’s dance, and from its inception in 2004, YDE created a format for a national youth dance festival to bring together youth dance groups to share and 1
celebrate some of the best practice in England. In 2008, YDE created a national youth dance performance framework now known as U.Dance, and this year U.Dance 2012 involved 57 groups from across the whole of the UK. In her paper, Linda went on to discuss the aesthetics of youth choreography and the factors that shape work. She cited two main factors as: • •
Type of group and its remit/purpose Who choreographs the work
The types of group range from open access youth dance groups to pre-vocational groups, and those in between. These different groups reveal the full breadth of experience of young people performing and the range of accomplishment and approach within choreography. In relation to who choreographs the work it was pointed out that youth choreography is influenced by what the young people are introduced to and know. In the main, this work is informed by artists/teachers/leaders who are very skilled at devising work with young people. They are able to draw on young people’s individualities, skills and interests to make work that is genuinely owned by them. Linda discussed another key aspect of learning choreography through the copying of other forms and movement material. This method is useful in learning about crafting, discovering different approaches and experiencing different movement vocabulary and qualities. In contrast there are also instances where young people lead their own work and are liberated and unhampered by protocols and intellectual property rights. They may borrow, copy and discover new material from various dances, choreographers and genres to blend something new of their own. Work made for specific youth dance groups, by those who work with them regularly, is an important aspect of their success. In addition young people should also have the opportunity to work with professional choreographers, whose leading, teaching and choreography can have a big influence on young dancers. We were reminded of the importance of the passion of young dancers and it was suggested that, at times, the choreography might not always provide the best opportunities for these young people. Whilst working with a visiting choreographer often usefully stretches the ability of young people, some may find it difficult, within the time given, to truly embody the work of the choreographer assigned to them. Linda Jasper pointed out that there are certain characteristics she sees in the work presented by youth dance companies, for example: • • • •
The process is evident in the product – you can see how the piece has been made The democratic use of space and dancers The under rehearsal - the work is still quite new to the young people The use of music as a supportive backdrop and framework for the dance piece - the work does not necessarily relate to the lyrics
She suggested that there is also honesty, a lack of a performance personae and a performance that reveals the young person. Most importantly, it is clear that if standards in youth dance are to be raised, one of the most crucial areas to focus on is choreographic practice and how youth dance leaders, artists and young people can be assisted to also focus on this. YDE developments to advance youth choreography since 2008 have included two specific schemes. One is a commissioning scheme with London dance organisations, for young professional choreographers to work with youth dance groups. In this scheme, choreographers have had to ‘pitch’ to young people and were then ‘hooked up’ with youth groups. The second scheme is the Young Creatives programme to support young choreographers aged between 15-19 years. The purpose of these schemes is to bring to the fore the practice of making choreography with and for young people. The format for the Young Creatives programme includes: 2
• • • • •
Selection day workshops A skill boosting weekend Mentoring – three sessions spread over 15 weeks with a professional choreographer A four-day residential programme at The Royal Ballet School’s White Lodge, Richmond Park. A public performance in the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House.
The programme has very successfully engaged a number of young people in making pieces of work whilst being mentored and supported by professional choreographers. In addition, professional mentors also find the project very useful in their own practice and they enjoy their work on the programme. The YDE Young Creatives scheme is now 5 years old and involves a dozen choreographers and their dancers each year. It has provided the opportunity for in-depth reflection and management of the creative process, for example dealing with dancers and getting the piece on stage. These are very demanding skills for this age group and involve a host of abilities including learning how to communicate ideas. This may be particularly challenging for these young people and one of the questions asked was, is this an expectation too soon? Linda Jasper talked about a shift in choreography that she has seen more recently, for example; a more challenging use of form, more emphasis on the finished product, greater use of solos, duets and trios within the group and more focus on individual dancers. She pointed out that young people want to say something about themselves and their lives, their relationships and issues as young people. They use allegory to communicate about being a disabled young person; they comment on the affects of social networking and reflect on aspects of their lives and where they live using autobiographical and biographical stories. There are many pieces about the pure joy of dancing and the sheer physicality of wanting to move and get caught up in the sensation and feelings of dance. Ideas are communicated through a wide range of genres: Contemporary, Physical Theatre, Ballet, Bharatanatyam, Folk, Musical Theatre and Hip Hop. In conclusion Linda spoke about what she would like to see in youth dance choreography in the future; for it to be more adventurous, for example, taking risks in process and content. She would like to see youth dance as being quite distinctive from adult community dance work, student and professional work. And she posed some pertinent questions to the audience: • • • •
Is youth choreography a watered down version of professional work? Does it speak of young people’s experiences? Does it look different – is the movement vocabulary/dynamic different? Is it a training-ground preparing young people to work with and appreciate the work of established professional choreographers?
“I would say the future of youth dance is in its choreography - how young people express themselves through dance and communicate who they are to their peers, family, teachers/leaders and their wider audience...” Linda left us with a final question for discussion: how do we achieve this? A view from France The next presentation, a view from France, was given by Brigitte Hyon (Director of the Training and Pedagogy/Cultural and Artistic Education Department at the Centre National de la Danse) and Agnès Bretel, classical and contemporary dance artist, also from the Centre National de la Danse. In this presentation Agnès and Brigitte gave an overview of children’s dance in France both within and outside the school environment. In France, when a child takes dance lessons there are several choices: the conservatories, which are state-supported schools offering training in different disciplines: music, dance, theatre and the fine arts. These schools are inexpensive but quite selective, providing serious amateur studies and the guidelines and examinations are under state control. In addition there are the non-profit, or private schools, which make their own guidelines, examinations and performances. In both cases the 3
teachers must have the state diploma that enables them to teach ballet, jazz or contemporary dance (there is no diploma for hip-hop or traditional dance, or any other dance discipline). Between 4-7 years of age, children in France do not learn specific dance technique but are given the opportunity to ‘connect with the music, play at fall and recovery, try out different jumps, interact with their friends and experiment with weight, space, time and flow. At 8 years old they can then choose to learn ballet, jazz or contemporary dance. Secondary school children in France are able to take dance as a subject for their Baccalauréat. They are required to study some repertory, from ballet or contemporary dance, take workshops, and write texts on dance subjects. During their final exam they have to perform, improvise, compose and discuss. Within the French national educational system, dance is not included in the curriculum. If a teacher wishes to offer dance he/she must write a proposal describing the project and submit this to the head teacher in order to obtain permission, as well as the funding necessary for the dancer or choreographer to work with the class. Normally such projects last between 6 to 20 hours. In between the sessions with the dancer/choreographer, the teacher is expected to continue the work in dance with their class. In France a visiting dancer/choreographer in schools is not formally required to have the state teaching diploma, nonetheless they will often be asked for it. Many dancers and choreographers in France now get the state diploma in order to be able to teach in schools and conservatoires. In order to achieve the diploma for teaching, dancers are expected to show a high level of dance technique, an understanding of anatomy, dance history, music and pedagogical training; dancers are usually expected to hold the diploma in order to teach in conservatoires. Similar to the three-strand model used in UK schools, children in France experience being a dancer (performance), composing dances (choreography), and observing dance (the capacity to analyse and describe what they see and understand). Special dance projects usually end with a performance using the students’ own composition, with the help of the choreographer and their teacher. The pupils are integrally involved in the choreographic process. Sometimes a project may end with an exhibit, or a dance video, depending on the age of the children involved, and the nature of the project itself. Agnès and Brigitte described some changes that came about in the 1980s in French schools. Marcelle Bonjour, a physical education teacher in the National school system, and Françoise Dupuy, a well-known modern dancer and choreographer (who at this time was working with the French Ministry of Culture on the creation of the State diploma in dance education) were thinking together about how to enable every child to dance. Through their collaborative efforts they brought together dancers and school-teachers by organising special courses under the title of Dance at School. The philosophy is to allow children and teenagers to be creative in the arts and to express themselves, to broaden their knowledge of the arts, especially dance, to share physical experiences to develop awareness of the body and respect for others and to improve their skills in composing and understanding dance. The main tool used is contemporary dance improvisation but it is also very important for young people to experience being a spectator through seeing professional performances and professional dancers. Agnès and Brigitte gave some brief background information about the Centre National de la Danse (CND) and the teacher-training programme that is delivered there. As part of the teacher-training program, which addresses the professional dancer wishing to obtain their state diploma, the CND offers ‘application classes’, for children aged 5 through to 16 years old, as well as adult classes. In these classes the emphasis is on improvisation and composition, even in ballet and jazz. The dancers who are preparing their diplomas are invited to come and observe and teach. To conclude their presentation some video footage was shown of two dance projects with children and young people. One extract featured a new version of The Rite of Spring made with 29 young people from conservatories or hip hop or street-dancers in Toulouse 3 years ago; this project will be repeated with a new cast and premiered at the Theatre National de Chaillot in March 2013. 4
A choreographer’s journey The next presentation was given by James Cousins, a choreographer, dancer and winner of the inaugural New Adventures Choreographer Award in 2011. James gave an account of his own journey as a young choreographer. He recalled his experiences of dance through beginning at secondary school aged 11 where he took dance at both GCSE and A level. He was also involved in youth dance and made a piece on Berkshire Youth Dance Company. James never did any formal dance training before gaining a place to study at the London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS), from which he graduated, 3 years later, in 2010. He started dancing purely and simply because he enjoyed it. He didn’t specifically plan to be a choreographer and was focusing on being a dancer, doing and experiencing, that is how he learnt, and he now works as both a choreographer and dancer. When he was involved in youth dance it felt very natural for him to both dance and choreograph and he was lucky enough to grow up in an area where there was a great deal of dance going on. James recalled seeing Rambert Dance Company when he was aged 14 and he knew then that he really wanted be a dancer and how very important it was to him to see professional performances. He acknowledged the influence of some great choreographers, for example Hofesh Shechter and Rafael Bonachela, and how he learnt so much from them and how the variety of different work and styles really helped him to learn. James pointed out the importance for a young choreographer to find his or her own voice. For him, being a choreographer came from himself, it was not something that was forced on him and, in particular, he was influenced by abstract dance which is the style he most enjoys. For James, choreography is not just about making dance it is also very much about a whole range of other transferable skills. He cited an example from when he was younger when a member of a local youth dance company lost its funding from the local authority and how he kept the group going. For James this was a seminal experience in learning about running a company and bringing in choreographers and all this entails. Although he took part in youth dance as dancer, he also learnt a great deal about choreography through these experiences. He pointed out that when choreographers make processes clear, then the dancers can really learn about structure. He cited his best learning experiences as when he learnt limited movement vocabulary and then really concentrated on the structure. The least useful experiences he recalls were those where a visiting choreographer ‘dumbed down’ their input in the belief that the young people were too inexperienced to be challenged. James had the opportunity to make work from the time he did GCSE and A level Dance at school. Later, at London Contemporary Dance School, he was given a framework to work with and he also developed the language and ability to communicate clearly with dancers. So he learnt by doing first and then acquired a framework later. He also learnt the importance of analysing work and getting feedback and the value of knowing the right questions to ask to get the most helpful feedback; this was a skill he wished he had learnt sooner. At LCDS, at the Place, he had the opportunity to play and choreograph as much as he wanted. Being able to work with dancers of a higher standard than he has been very important and through this he has been usefully challenged. He, therefore, strongly believes in the importance of challenge for young people who want to choreograph and the opportunity to work with better dancers than themselves which is ‘scary but very useful!’. James concluded his presentation by giving an overview of those seminal resources that he believes have been most important to his development as a choreographer: •
Space and time to play and experiment
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Learning a linguistic framework - to be able to communicate
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Developing the right language to get the feedback you want 5
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Ability to analyse work – choreographers need to develop this skill
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Just doing.
He finished with the following advice: • •
Learn, be challenged and inspired. Be true to an idea
James Cousins’ presentation was followed by a panel discussion and question and answer session, chaired by Chris Thompson. The panel involved the previous presenters plus Katie Green and Kerry Nicholls and it was opened up to the audience. A number of discussions followed with James Cousins beginning by talking about the importance of partnerships and the support he received from the Place, Dance East and the New Adventures Award. During the discussion it was pointed out that James is particularly good at networking which is a very important aspect of success and something that young people need help in learning. There was some discussion and questioning, raised by an audience member, around the implications of 1-1 funding. Linda Jasper responded that the Young Creatives scheme had been criticised re this. She pointed out that the scheme is supported by the Royal Opera House and couldn’t be done without partnerships support. ‘We are in a position now when we can only move forward if there is partnership; we have to find other people other than just the Arts Council to foot the bill’. There was some discussion around the skills needed by choreographers working with young people. It was suggested that sometimes communication with young people needed to be clearer. The importance of choreographers, who are working with young people, setting the right standards was also emphasised, for example not arriving late for rehearsals! It was pointed out that the skills of young choreographers working with young people often depends on how experienced they are and the experience of the group leader or teacher who is present and how confident they feel as a practitioner – are they confident enough to intervene if things are not as they should be? It was suggested that young people could/should be involved in selecting the choreographers who will work with them. A counter view was that young people are not necessarily always able to clearly project forward and sometimes they make surprising choices. If they are involved in these decisions they need to know what they are choosing for and they need to be very clear about the process and have clear criteria to draw on. Another issue raised within the audience was in relation to who is deemed worthy enough for a career in choreography and it was suggested that there is a certain cannon of styles acceptable. It was felt by another audience member that, often, in choosing young people to have the opportunities for choreographic training/schemes, the first stage of selection comes from adults who have many years experience. It was suggested that perhaps there is a need to get young people involved more and that we need fresh eyes to change the face of dance and get something new Some discussion followed on the nature of mentoring and James Cousins suggested that it is important for young choreographers to know what they want/need to learn about e.g. how to direct questions about a 1 particular section of their work. This led to a discussion about the Liz Lerman Critical Response process , which is not about giving an opinion but asks specific questions. It was felt that this is a useful process for artists but it may need to be used cautiously with young people as some might not ready for this and would 1
Liz Lerman's critical response process: A method for getting useful feedback on anything you make, from dance to dessert / by Liz Lerman and John Borstel, 2003
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they need much more guidance. Kerry Nichols pointed out the need to use the Liz Lerman process very conscientiously according to whom you are mentoring; as a mentor you need to help young choreographers to learn to speak about their work. Do we need to model the methodologies? The final session of the morning featured a paper given by Peter Laycock, Project Officer, Creative Teaching and Learning at the Place. Peter’s paper titled ‘do we need to model the methodologies?’ posed a number of pertinent questions including: • •
Do we need to model the way we ‘teach’ choreography? Do we need to model the ways those who nurture young dance makers support them in their development?
Peter took us through a number of sub-questions beginning with; do we actually ‘teach’ choreography? In 2 tackling this question he cited Blom and Chaplin (1989) who state that the process and tools of a craft can be taught. Peter also asked, ‘or do we leave some of it to luck hoping that chance will facilitate learning by osmosis?’ He went on to explore the role of curiosity and the importance of ‘people who tapped into our curiosity, encouraged it, supported it, and nurtured it’. This was something that James Cousins also touched on and that Peter rephrased as being ‘lucky’. He talked about his own background and experience in dance and the opportunities that inspired him and gave him confidence in his own ideas and opinions. He then finished this section of his talk with another question: ‘what of our young people...how we can ensure they are all lucky?’ Peter went on to discuss how we can make the choreographic process more visible and he referred to 3 Butterworth’s Didactic-Democratic Spectrum Model (2004). He identified this model as being useful for defining different processes and categories from the wholly didactic to the wholly democratic. He acknowledged the ‘many other frameworks youth dance has to accommodate, most pertinently perhaps ensuring a sense of ownership for the students and quality or stylistic control for the choreographer’. And he reflected on the value, for young dancers, of all of the processes within the model, particularly if they could be made more visible. The next section of his talk looked at the aspects of the choreographic process that young people learn and understand. Peter used a helpful image of white light going into a prism and a rainbow coming out. He suggested that ‘we need young choreographers to understand what happens in the prism...how is the white light of their movement material refracted by the choreographer to make something infinitely more beautiful or interesting’. He asked how we can support professional choreographers working with young people to enable them to explain, not just their practical process but their thought processes too; and, how can we deepen the learning of the craft? In answer to these questions he concluded that there are a number of forces at play including young people: ‘being choreographed on’; ‘listening, watching, and talking about dance making’ and ‘through the act of choreographing their own dances’. He pointed out that simply doing doesn’t necessarily equate to learning. 4
In looking at how the principles of choreography can be highlighted Peter drew on Bloom’s taxonomy and asked if we really adequately cover all of the stages of learning, identified by Bloom, when we teach young people. He questioned whether if we could spend more time analysing and evaluating, as well as creating, 2
The Intimate Act Of Choreography by Lynne Anne Blom, L. Tarin Chaplin Published June 30th 1982 by University of Pittsburgh Press
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Teaching choreography in higher education: a process continuum model Author: Butterworth J. Source: Research in Dance Education, Volume 5, Number 1, April 2004 , pp. 45-67(23) Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group
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Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David
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McKay Co Inc.
and perhaps link dance activities more closely to learning theory. In bringing this section to a close Peter suggested that, ‘with greater knowledge and understanding as well as skills we would increase their (young people’s) luck so that more of those with artistic genius can earn the title of choreographer’. In the final section of his paper, Peter looked at the notion of a choreographic curriculum. Whilst acknowledging that this was not a new idea he suggested that there is no common, shared, framework across the UK. In proposing a choreographic curriculum and asking what shape it might take he left us with some final questions to consider over lunch: • • •
How can we enable choreographers working with young people to make their process more viable? What strategies could we employ to deepen the learning and understanding of the craft? Can we create a choreographic curriculum, what would it contain, and what would it look like?
And his final thought: ‘Can we increase the luck of all young people who dream of earning the title choreographer...and perhaps more importantly, those young people who haven’t even considered it yet? I believe that if we could model some of the methodologies involved in the sphere of youth dance and choreography we could’. Nurturing Young Choreographers The afternoon sessions centred around discussions on the nurturing of young choreographers and included input from Kerry Nicholls, Katie Green, Caldy Walton and Celina Liesegang. The focus was on the choreographic and mentoring processes. Key questions were: • • •
How do we do it? What can we learn from each other? What do we need to do next? (Structures, training, partnerships, funding)
The session opened with a conversation between Chris Thompson and Kerry Nicholls (Saturday) and Katie Green (Sunday). Saturday After an initial introduction, Kerry began by summarising the role of the mentor which, for her, is to support young people to take risks artistically, to allow for honest dialogue between herself and the mentee and to give lots of hugs! Kerry discussed her role within the Young Creatives programme and the amazing opportunity this gives for young choreographers to work with members of the Royal Ballet company. Kerry maintains that she began her mentoring career before really realising it, as teacher at the Place and as an adjudicator in Barcelona. She also worked in Europe with top choreographers William Forsythe and Wayne McGregor before working with Young Creatives through YDE. Kerry has seen a number of changes during her time as a mentor and dance artist, for example in the area of technology. She highlighted the need to change terminology etc to keep up with young people who are more used to quick responses rather than reflection. One of the things that Kerry has become aware of is that young people’s ability to organise themselves, in aspects other than the actual choreographic process, needs more guidance. She pointed out that young people are very influenced by professional work out there and there is a mixed broad spectrum of contemporary dance which wasn’t there 10 years ago. As a mentor and dance artist she needs to stay flexible in her approach. However there are always forms that Kerry doesn’t have a particular knowledge of which, she maintains, keeps her on her toes. This means that her learning continues. As a mentor she is learning about young people’s vocabulary which, in turn, informs her own work. She tries to 8
encourage young people to think broadly and not work in a specific style. It is important for them to be able to practice their craft in a safe environment and, therefore, she tries not to use video because, for her, it is too two-dimensional and she prefers a more rounded approach. As a mentor she is dealing with more than the choreography. There is a need for greater pastoral care for young people, and advice and guidance on general communication. For example; how to talk to professionals such as technicians, costume designers etc and everything around the process of making work other than what goes on the stage. The direct contact that a mentor has with her mentee is very important and it is not just about when the mentor is there. Mentees need to keep the mentoring process in their heads at all times to keep the thought processes ticking over and they need training to make the most of the short contact time they have with their mentors.
Sunday – Katie Green After an initial introduction Katie began by summarising the role of the mentor. She began by saying that an important part of the role for her is to ask mentees questions, so they are not just making but also thinking about making. It is important to keep it simple and to see an idea through. She encourages them to think about how they select material and the importance of pausing and reiterating ideas and she reassures them about the value of learning through doing and making mistakes. Another important skill for mentees to learn is how to give and receive feedback. They often want to know about Katie’s own choreographic trajectory and she tries to give them signposts and flags up opportunities. When asked about how she became a mentor Katie said that no one ever speaks to you about time management or how to speak to your dancers and this was something she wanted to do for others. She became a mentor through the support of the Young Creatives team and received some training through YDE. Katie pointed out some key personal skills which she considered to be very important. You need to be: • • • • •
A good communicator Curious Willing to learn from young people Understanding of issues that they face Be transparent
Katie is not aware of any other schemes which have this level of intensity of mentoring. If there were more resources to support mentoring she believes they would have an even greater impact. She believes that all of us are mentors in some capacity when we work with young people. Katie pointed out the importance of reflective practice and this is something she encourages in her mentoring role. She has been involved in the new Diploma in Dance Teaching and Learning where reflective practice is at the heart of the diploma and she believes that CPD in this area is very important. Celina Liesegang from Kinetic Dance Company talked about what she gained from the mentoring process herself. She began to really recognise the professionalism needed to work in a different context. She had been used to working with friends but then had to learn to treat these friends as her dancers. She also found that having a mentor allowed her to rein in her ideas and not get distracted. Celina didn’t set out to be a choreographer she saw it as something you did as a mature dancer later on in your career. Her experience of working with professional choreographers has given her the opportunity to learn by developing movement material through specific tasks set by the choreographer. Before that she had been in a theatre school where she just copied teacher’s work. It is this different approach that has been really important to her. Being at a conservatoire has also been a very different experience for Celina after she’d had the opportunity, as a youth dancer, to be mentored through the choreographic process. In particular it meant going back to 9
having just 10 minutes or so to make a piece and not always being sure of what is being asked of you. However she does have the chance to make work out of class as well. Celina’s top tips for mentors are: • • •
Be really aware of who you are talking to – mentees do have strong opinions about their work Use questions rather than make judgements – which allows for changes to the work. Be aware that language used can be emotive and be taken personally
Chris Thompson pointed out that the role of a mentor has a lot to do with attitude, values, and skills; it is highly teacherly. Kerry Nicholls added that in the artistic context it is not about giving answers but much more about asking questions such as ‘what are you trying to explore or get across here’ and looking at the intention of the young choreographer.
The afternoon continued with delegate breakout groups who were asked to consider a number of questions: • • • • •
What are the key issues around nurturing the young choreographer? What further professional development should or needs to be given to choreographers and mentors? How can we enable choreographers working with young people to make their processes more visible? What strategies can we employ to deepen their learning in a task? Can we create a choreography curriculum and what would it look like?
The day concluded with a reconvening of and feedback from the breakout groups The feedback from the group discussions across both days was rich and varied. Some had addressed the questions directly whilst others became caught up in some fascinating conversations that had arisen out of the day’s events; all were extremely interesting, useful and pertinent to choreography by and with young people. One group discussed the strategies that can be employed to deepen learning in choreography. Areas to pay attention to were identified as: • • • • • •
Who is teaching Being careful in choosing to work with companies and artists who are interested in sharing their work as part of their practice. Perhaps providing specific training to those who are working with young people / choreographers Teachers who work in schools perhaps need to prepare for the visit by dance artists before the artists arrive Young people and artists should to meet for a conversation before they work together Conservatoires and maybe also the CATs need to think more about preparing young people for the teaching context
Another group focussed their discussions and feedback on the mentoring process. Some of the points shared were: • •
The importance of a mentor having an in-depth knowledge of the work that the mentee does There are different models of mentoring formal and informal – an outside eye – someone who doesn’t have too much knowledge of your work is also very useful. Two examples were given: o Example 1 10
o
It was felt that it can be useful for a mentor to have little knowledge of an artist’s work – this can provide a fresh approach for the artist i.e. the artist has the answers. This approach was an eye-opener for one of the artists in this group who went on to become a mentor. Example 2 Street dance teacher Can you have a mentor who has no idea of your skill set? Her answer was yes you can and that the feedback she received was that people in her field couldn’t give her the mentoring she needed. Her junior dancers want to become individual so overall an unbiased mentor is very useful. It helped to think about what you can do as a choreographer and teacher to reach other audiences.
A further group discussed the wider role of a mentor i.e. it is not just about dancing but also about the whole life of an artist and not just within your own context. Some of the key points in the feedback back were: • • • • •
The importance of encouraging mentees to be independent The importance of mentors guiding mentees on how to speak to their dancers and how to take on a leadership role The need for transferable skills The importance of organisational skills Maybe encourage peer mentoring within groups
The afternoon and day finished with a general discussion about what were the surprising/interesting outcomes of the conference. Some of the main points were: • • • • • • • •
• •
The emphasis on the need for general skills to be developed in mentees and (perhaps) mentors The mentor/mentee relationship is one we don’t always examine i.e. questioning someone else’s practice One mentor pointed out that they had never before been asked about the mentoring role Mentoring is modern teaching There may be too much separation of performing and choreography. If you are training young dance artists you are doing both and the learning environment should deal with both of these Mentoring is very important and significant. Ace Dance & Music coordinates a youth group and having a mentor has been a key role Some young artists are picked out and nurtured but what about those who might be more of a risk – how do we support them? Where to guide the less conventional mover – it was suggested that higher education dance courses have traditionally provided a route for these students and have turned out some very interesting choreographers and teachers The usefulness of peer support – watching each other and giving feedback can be really useful. Having other young people as role models is essential
The day finished on a very positive note with much to think about and take forward. Overall it was felt that in the UK we are ahead of the game when it comes to mentoring and that choreography is the real future for dance. __________________________ Report compiled by Sara Reed from the presentations, papers and notes from Dance in the Making: A conference on choreography by and with young people. July 2012
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