Rebecca's BAPP Blog

 I can't believe it's time to start Module 3 already! It feels good to be at the stage of putting everything we have worked on in the course into action finally. That being said (as I have with each module) I am definitely experiencing some start of module uncertainty.  Although I think I've got a decent grasp of what I need to do in this module, I feel somewhat stuck in terms of where in particular to start. After reading blogs from a few others in our module, the main starting places seem to be re-reading the essays from Module 2 and getting stuck into literature surrounding chosen topics. I'll certainly give them a go! A couple of points from my feedback I need to keep in mind throughout Module 3 are to ensure I am thinking through all aspects of the ethics as it is essentially the baseline of my whole investigation. I need to avoid getting to caught up in all the methodology too much without focusing on the subject itself. I also need to be careful when addressing o...

 I found the recent Module 2 zoom call extremely helpful for getting started again with the BAPP course. The main topic of discussion was 'little wonders' which are topics or areas of your practice which make you curious, and you might want to look into more. It was great to hear what initial ideas others on the course were having, despite everyone being at a different point of understanding which direction they will go. My initial 'little wonder' stems directly from one of my Module 1 AoLs- the use of language in dance teaching. This is something which I have always been interested in and very conscious of from a young age, not only specific to dance but also in general life. I constantly find myself considering (and perhaps over-thinking) the ways in which my language choices may affect others. As a dance specific example, often phrases like "suck your tummy in" can have negative connotations for a young dancer and their relationship with their body, whereas...

 Before I get fully started again with Module 2 of the BAPP course, I've had something on my mind for a little while which I wish to blog about. It affects my experience of the course quite strongly and I'd love to hear if anyone else can relate. In my current job one of our roles is to host visiting bands and I've discovered that (no matter how poor the rendition) the song 'Human' by The Killers always brings a lump to my throat. Every time I hear it I can't help but consider the question in the main line of the chorus- are we human or are we dancers? With my current schedule including 50+ hours of work not including extra rehearsals and time spent choreographing, while also living in my place of work it can be extremely difficult to have my own life outside of work. I generally feel that I'm only a dancer as a result, struggling to keep up with my human side. I'd like to think through some reasons that many of us feel this way, and query how we might b...

 It's been a little while since I last blogged on here, due to the past couple of weeks being pretty hectic for me. My thoughts have also been joining in with the hectic theme, so when I sat down to write this blog I didn't really have a direction if I'm honest. One moment which has brought me some clarity however, was a call with Sam to discuss my AoLs (24/03/21). It was an extremely helpful discussion, and he mentioned some things to consider which related to the ideas I'd had. This blog will be about two of those in particular, so they may not be massively relevant to your studies at the moment, but I'd definitely say that they are interesting topics regardless.  Art for Art's Sake Art for Art's Sake, otherwise known as its French translation "L'art pour l'art" is a movement coined by Victor Cousin (a French philosopher). It entails the theory that art needs no justification, no motivation, no monetary value, and no need to serve a polit...

 As the old saying goes "Every cloud has a silver lining". For me, one of the best silver linings of lockdown has been Grayson Perry's Art Club. Every Friday my parents and I tune in to watch it, and if you haven't had the chance yet I recommend you do the same! The premise of the show is that the artist Grayson Perry and his wife Philippa encourage the British public and various artistically inclined celebrities to have a go at creating artworks reflective of a weekly theme. Art is demonstrated as an opportunity to outlet your creativity and emotions with no technical or cultural gatekeeping. For me, this is a demonstration of art in its truest, least pretentious form. It lead me to think, how can we achieve this same level of genuine joy and inclusivity in the world of dance? In order to find ways to be able to dance for the sake of enjoying dancing, we must first establish what is currently holding people back from this.  Money-  It is undeniable that money plays a...

One of the topics we touched on within the Module 1 zoom call (22/02/21) was looking back on negative experiences, and reflecting upon what we have learnt from them. Initially I was struggling a little to find something that negatively affected me enough to need to find positives and points of learning, as I've been lucky enough to sustain a fairly healthy relationship with dance so far. Something I came to realise however, is that the negative experiences of my friends and peers has had a much larger impact on me and the way I engage with dance than I noticed. When I am truly passionate about something I tend to become extremely emotionally invested, so naturally the experiences of the people I care about most is something that has shaped me and my practice massively. TW: I will mention Eating Disorders in this next paragraph- feel free to skip to the last (3rd) paragraph if you need. The first, and perhaps the experience which affected the way I conduct myself not only in Dance b...