Bodies Not Against Each Other: Online Engagement Strategies for Improvisation. Issue 2 (3rd April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Connor, Michael
• Is Part Of: Dance education in practice. Volume 8:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 23
• Page End: 27
• Publication Date: 2022-04-03
• Subjects: Dance -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; 792.8071
• DOI: 10.1080/23734833.2022.2059240
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2373-4833

Abstract

Abstract: Dance improvisation as an online course comes with practical problems. Students are forced to work in isolation, which can limit collective learning and make them feel disembodied. Focused attention in front of the computer screen can also cause fatigue for students. However, movement and creativity can still be the focus of an online dance course when assignments center on alternative forms of expression and sensing. Educators can offer formats that offer various methods of online interaction and invent new ways to strengthen performance skills that could be useful in a variety of circumstances. This article discusses the constraints online learning places on dance students, highlights specific assignments that can be done independently, and proposes how a neuroscientific definition of ambiguity can be used to lessen online exhaustion.