TRUTH OR FALSE

Reading Adesola blog and watching the videos I'm thinking on the subject of truth. 
Living in today's world we have to face daily processes of truths, "semi-trues" and lies in order to navigate our work environment, our relationships and our beliefs.

 As I understand historical truth has always belonged to those who write them. 
Social Media has also created a wider grey area between truth and false stories. History facts have been passed on through generations and cultures as absolute truths but with the advent of the internet and increase of accessibility to further resources, what we understood as truth keeps changing. 
Nothing is absolute anyway since just by force of being defined absolute in would need another absolute, by questioning the absolute, it stops being absolute. This is perhaps why so many people seek solace in scientific methods to justify many ideas and concepts. But even Science is not absolute and keeps moving. The ideas of Karl Jung on Earth metaphysics were initially considered almost absurd but Science is now researching further on metaphysical concepts. So, even Science is not fully concrete and passively conclusive in many areas. In the 1950's cigarettes were thought to be good for human health. Now, it's proven they are not. Truth looks different to all of us as we look at it through our own subjective lenses and what is important for me may be simple rhetoric for someone else. It is only by being individually compassionate, using our emotional intelligence, that we can approach each person's truth to our own and connect to a collective awareness of truth that we build ourselves, and, this keeps changing. Truth seems to be evasive and a concept that keeps changing in itself.

THE "AND" IS WHERE MAGIC HAPPENS


Fresh out of the MAPP conversation I'm positively aware of the challenges ahead in module 2 and 3 from the input of other students in our Skype call.
There were a lot of points made about allowing ourselves enough time to think in between modules, in between interviews and data analysis to be able to process and reflect on our own ideas. Why?...well, the "in between" time is where magic happens.

In Salsa the counting of basic steps is called as: 1, 2, 3 AND 5, 6, 7.
If you study the genre in depth you will discover that in fact, it is the seemingly insignificant "and" timing that holds so much of the movement dynamic and expression. It's in that "in between" where magic happens and where dancers add a plethora of steps and body contractions, pulsations and footwork just to be able to interpret that "and" beat, or more accurately, the silent beat. The beat is silent yes, yet, the expression dancers seek to put in that silence has infinite possibilities.

In my reflection and evaluation of learning I realised that I often learnt the most when I failed. That moment in between achievements and small or big successes was were I seemed to have made the most reflection.

At some point when studying basic physics at secondary school I learnt that energy is never lost, only changes and/or is transformed. If one allows oneself to accept that transformation and adapt accordingly, we'll have a faster rate of progression and self improvement rather than when resisting change. If you resist change, you don't transform, you stagnate. Stagnation doesn't bring great reflection or adaptation to new learning. It stifles progression. It's like you've reached a lake rather than carrying on the flow of the river.
I read an amazing book years ago called "Who moved my cheese" by Dr Spencer Johnson on change. Simple, small book but very enlightening, I highly recommend it.

The conversation on communication and finding our voices was rich, and many of us are having common issues and sharing similarities in the realisation of how our voices have changed, evolved or are finding themselves amidst a million of other voices.
My feeling is that no matter how many voices are there exploring similar topics to mine, my voice is unique only to me and my experience, so, I need to be able to hear my own voice in between all the noise, in order to find myself and allow it to be confident enough to explore, develop and express its own ideas.

RE: GENERATIONS CONFERENCE 2019 - dance and the digital space

Attending Re:generations conference this weekend was another positive step towards understanding the context within which Dance of the African Diaspora ( DAD) has developed in Britain and where it currently sits in UK Dance.

The Lowry is a beautiful building in the middle of new industrial complex in Salford - Manchester. The building in very sculptural, navigates in a kind of spiral, assuming various shapes on the way and is clad in stainless steel and glass. The area is surrounded by water canals, trees and new builds.
It was in this beautiful setting that Re:Generations conference came together with various national and international artists and partners willing to share their experience and discuss possible solutions for the challenges in the DAD sector.

I attended Day 2 and quickly wished I could have participated in at least another day out of the 3 day conference.
The Keynote from Dr Thomas F. DeFrantz was inspiring and forward thinking and stimulated plenty of self - reflection. There was some discord as to the use of the word Afrofuture but overall it was an enlightening talk.
The Mapping research report was presented by Dele Meiji Fatunla, Jeanefer - Jean Charles, Heather Benson and Mercy Nabirye FRSA WLF. The research data was detailed and thorough and pointed our how digital platform offer opportunities to connect, archive legacies and promote to new audiences. Some of the results seemed to be uncomfortably familiar for many of the different generations of artists present which provoked the question of what has exactly changed in the DAD sector. We broke out into groups to discuss various areas such as: Funding, Education, Marketing, Audience development and Legacy & Archiving. Having a personal interest in the latter I joined the artist Jonzi D who was leading the Legacy and Archiving conversation.

The time was short for such a key conversation. It was revealed that many elders that were part of DAD in the UK keep data and media about artistic work they've performed and/or developed "under their bed" (!). There is a trust factor in this process that doesn't seem easy to shake off. I pointed out that this is a serious issue in terms of legacy and education. As an artist, I trained and worked having the UK as a base. Throughout this time, despite being connected to various DAD artists of an older generation I was never exposed to the history of DAD in the UK and its artistic body of work. I have no knowledge of their legacies. This has a real impact to student development and outlook on dance. If students don't see the legacy of works of DAD how can they see themselves having a future in the sector?...How will artists in other fields see the DAD sector if it appears almost invisible?...There's an emptiness that needs to be filled as a matter of urgency. Solutions and ideas were put forward including the writing of books, digital libraries and a central point of access through membership or other.

I attended other conversations such as "Exploring cultral barriers to outreach and training programmes" with Dr Adesola Akinleye, Ann Williams, Dr Sandle Bourne, Beverley GleanMBE  and Thomas Presto.
Thomas Presto presentation was an eye opener on how an artist is using technology to map and collect movement data in the DAD sector and bridge science, technology and dance forms usually equated with tradition and "fluid' perceptions of precision, specificity and movement styles.
I must say though, and this WILL sound bias(!) , but, that Dr Adesola's presentation was my favourite. It felt to me that Dr Adesola just hit the nail on the head and actually talked about the real elephant in the room.
Dr Adesola discussed white privilege in dance, treating dance as property and used a beautiful metaphor of a manor house. The idea being that, there's a dance ball happening in the manor house, the ball is lit beautifully and has all these beautiful dancers, costumes etc...outside of the lit area though, the manor is dark and cold, specially to those who are not invited to the ball...

It was a great way to bring light to the existing barriers to DAD in education, performance, etc.
The reason I truly enjoyed Dr Adesola's talk the most is because I felt that, having attended various conferences in the genre I haven't seen any real commitment from institutions and gatekeepers to truly present long term solutions for change. I felt that conversations were in fact "too safe" at times.

Unfortunately human beings seem to need a degree of discomfort in order to truly push for change and bring about real learning and self development. It's a positive effort to create a safe space for conversation but if it's too comfortable, too safe, it will maintain the status quo and prevent us from moving forward. More than one of the artists at the conference confided in me with the same feedback. We're talking the talk but..are we walking the walk?...

INDEPENDENT WOMAN

There are plenty of benefits to being an independent artist. You choose your own hours of work, your creative time and you have the freedom of choosing your own areas of development and focus. This will mean that most times you need to develop your intuition, network with other artists, learn from experience and create your own opportunities.

After leaving dance college, if that was your path, you are thrown into auditions and teaching work with often not much more than a reference on how you were taught yourself.
With the advent of internet, there are more tools available to navigate the world of independent artistic practice of course and this has been a positive welcome to those who start their career with fewer resources and/or mentorship.

I consider myself lucky in the sense that I've always loved teaching dance. It helped me learn so much about myself but also plenty about the business side of being an artist. Having to integrate the business aspect of dance made me realise what aspects I enjoy and what aspects have led me to make great mistakes and consequently experience tough learning curves.

I was teaching yesterday and had a post class discussion.The aspect of socialising with students is akin to attending a networking event to me. I used to freeze socially as I din't feel I was equipped with the right conversational skills to meet new people and talk to artists and cultural leaders who could potential support my development.
I soon learnt that confidence was a key word, not only in doing well in a networking event but in almost anything. At the end of a dance class once, a teacher told me that my confidence was very low despite my potential. How would I be able to develop confidence though?...There weren't any counselling or mental health subjects at Dance college...outside of it people didn't care so much and carried on with their own challenges...it took me time but it was only after various interactions with other artists and practitioners that I understood that true confidence came from believing in myself first. Once I fully believed in myself, others would naturally be attracted to my work and my artistic expression. It does make me think though...Discussing with my students after class and teaching adult classes I reflected on how much artistic expression is left forgotten and hidden simply because society doesn't recognise creative thought in the same level as science and literature.

As an independent artist you are "forced" to work outside of any defined framework and this experience, with all its pros and cons certainly supports our own ability to listen to our intuition, to create our own path and discover through experience. Is it the "fight or flight" feeling that pushes our own development?...Could we develop the same skills under a more defined framework?...

Having to teach independent classes I realised, for example, I loathe social media. I learnt how to use it but feel that its a big distraction to my creative process. Interacting with technology is something unavoidable of course. How will this affect the artistic process?...oh, that's the theme for my next blog pre - Re:Generations conference this weekend in Manchester!

EXPERIENCING THE QUEER

I didn't quite know what to expect from the symposium "Queering the Somatic: Interrupting the Narrative" but I loved to be part of it. I certainly opened my horizons to new perspectives and research in movement and technology. Following my attendance I lost my notes, so this blog will be purely out of what I can remember...a learning in itself.

Key note presentation by Prof. Thomas F. DeFrantz & Middlesex alumni Danny Tokay Reid discussed queer definitions, the art of queer and its own research challenges in modernity.
The vocabulary from Prof. DeFrantz was at times difficult to comprehend for me and it was a little difficult to keep up but his presentation process was so dynamic and fluid that it was not so difficult to catch up.

According to both presentations, definitions of queering encased 3 main aspects. These ranged between being, doing and how queering was perceived. These three approaches affected how notions of queer movement were interpreted and negotiated in dance.This is of course an extreme summary of a very thorough presentation but nevertheless what I'm able to remember.
The presentation by alumni Danny Reid discussed his experience of "queering" a museum space, using dancers, queer meditation and other activities. Being interested in meditation myself I asked at the end what was the definition of "Queer meditation". According to Danny, this particular activity was delivered by a third party who used cushions with icon images like Madonna, Rupaul etc. printed on them. I pointed out that at the core of spiritual practice is to not make distinctions or labels.

Queer expression identifies far beyond stereotypes and delving into its philosophy pointed out areas I hadn't thought about previously.
Discussing the queer somatic certainly provoked deeper thought and learning from different perspectives. The general understanding of expressing "queerness" relates to the fluidity of gender expression in more extreme forms and shapes. I was not fully in tune with the presented idea whereby any notions of movement that contained exciting, creative qualities and "pizazz" were defined as queer. 
Is having a movement expression that is exciting and different considered queer?...
Is it expressing in a queer form by extension instantly exciting?...

Other workshops interpolated how architecture influenced our mood, our perception and our movement while performing daily activities. The workshop facilitator drew a map of a very small apartment on offer for sale in a city in Chile. An attendee commented that the space was akin to prison cell measurements in the USA. I found this quite powerful. As a dancer I've used many different spaces and to experience such a small space, albeit only drawn on the floor, was very constricting. I questioned it further.
Could it also be constricting to the mind?...
Does living in extreme small spaces limits our ability to have personal vision and/or develop creative thought?...

The symposium was well attended and workshop facilitators and lecturers were very exciting to talk to. It opened my mind to a million possibilities. Plenty of food for thought and loads of reading to do!...

THE FIDGETY INTELLIGENCE NETWOK

While drafting my AOLs I've had various epiphanies ( as you do...) and this morning I woke up with a few ideas dancing in my head.
I'm an ideas person by nature. I'm the person in the group who will probably have the idea but when asked to explain it and write it down, it falls short of a few words. Initially I thought it may be my lack of confidence not having studied English as a first language or understanding the grammar.
So, of course, being asked to write or contextualize my own processes, or, listen to someone describing ideas with complex vocabulary gets me lost in a space of boredom where the sound of other people's voices seems to blend with colours and shapes until it disappears in the multi verse of my multiple intelligence network of nerve endings...You get the idea. I swear it's a thing. I do it to my husband all the time. He goes mental.
I'm used to express by doing...I never realised how much of that, is, in fact, ingrained in me. When I dance, I tell the story. It may have a conclusion. Or not. It might make sense. Or not. The point is that I go on a journey. It's the journey that matters most. The story telling is just the icing on the cake.

MAPP provides alternatives to show your work as opposed to just write of course, nevertheless I'm sure you're wandering why why on earth would I sign up for a course where I need to write my thoughts and make sense of them?...

Well, I also discovered that although I have a "fidgety" brain, it's that same dynamic that keeps me curious and thirsty for new challenges. The fact that I do not consider myself a great writer, it becomes a motivation to learn more, to learn how to do it and be better at it. It's in fact the act of learning itself that excites me. The more I learn, the more I want to learn.  It's the journey.

SOCIAL DANCES & PROF. THOMAS F.DEFRANTZ

Having worked extensively on Afro - Latin partner dances over the years, I was part of the underground Salsa movement in the UK, I witnessed the birth of Mambo in London and was the first to showcase Kizomba in the UK. Being so connected to the underground scene allowed me to witness first hand how the movement grew, changed and morphed into its own identity in the UK.
I also observed how TV programs started utilising it, the difference between here and the US and UK dancers approach to class, learning and developing new dance skills as well as what brought students to the social dance floor during the last twenty years.
There's no doubt as to how much social dances influence mainstream dance forms so I'm particularly happy to attend the MAPP Symposium: Queering the Somatic with guest lecturer Prof. Thomas F. DeFrantz. My curiosity stems from the fact that I've heard about this Professor from various practitioners and he has various articles on the history and importance of social dances in America which tie in nicely with my field experience.

I've always thought that social dances are not given the importance they truly deserve in the spectrum of Dance as a whole, so, to have distinguished researchers dedicating their work towards this understanding and history is refreshing, specially with the added perspective of an African American point of view. When studying Social dances I often read mostly on the music construction but rarely on its history and socio - economic and somatic context.
Working through my AOLs, I'm reflecting on myself a lot, and, I've come to understand how context is so important in my dance practice. In order to fully embody any dance style I have always immersed myself in the movement, I've taken on the identity of what that movement represented to fully represent it in performance or when delivering a workshop.

Although the dances that I've studied and practice are not necessarily from the same historical branch, they certainly share similar challenges and approaches. Watching some of his videos and reading some of his articles truly opens up to the possibilities of research in the area of the dance forms I focus on and understanding also how to best identify and document my own findings.
I'm really looking forward to this opportunity presented by MAPP but first let's finish these AOLs!!

WHAT MAKES YOU A FOLLOWER

I had a meeting today with a friend of a friend who is a property investor.
What's that got to do with dance you may ask?...
Well, throughout our conversation we discussed many things. I learnt something new about how property works and re-affirmed to myself that although I understand about business it's not what makes my wheels move, per say.
At some point we got talking about how having a vision is simply not enough to making your dreams work. My friend was talking about his frustration on how how difficult it is to explain his vision to people around him and how frustrated he is because people don't understand it.
While listening to him it reminded me of some of my own steep learning curves. It's all great to have an idea, but, if you are not able to explain it to anyone, how on earth you expect people to believe in it?...And if they believe it, how will they continue to support it?...

Training an instructor's team for the last ten years has brought me plenty of "on the job" learning experiences. One of them was to understand how to present ideas to people. Presenting your ideas to someone requires you to have researched your idea well and have some good points of reference to back up your idea. Also, de - constructing your idea is a useful exercise to yourself which allows you to reflect further on every step of your idea in order to see your idea in a clearer light, as well as knowing how to present it to others in simple, easy terms. My friend was impressed. He mentioned he was naturally shy and had difficulty relating to people. He would consider it his next challenge to improve his public speaking and presentation skills based on our conversation (!)

Creating an engaging audience is also a key aspect to any successful project outcome. My friend was wondering as to how to get people to believe and support his ideas.
I've often concluded that, trust has been at the base of creating any sort of audience for my work. An audience that relates to you, that trusts your process and what you are developing and/or sharing is more likely to follow you in the long term. My dance experience has taught me that having integrity in my work will create a space where students and audience will come to view you as a "true representative" of your work and facilitates a space for trusting the artist.
Once this trust is established you will easily create your own "tribe" which will support you and even advise you, providing you with essential resources for "constructing" your dream.
Trust, I learnt, is a base component for creating your own targeted audience.
Our meeting went on longer than I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation exchange, which felt like a learning exchange in itself.

DIFFERENT WORLDS, ONE MUSICAL SCORE

This weekend I got a dose of inspiration.
I went to watch a performance by South African Artist Dada Masilo at Saddlers Wells Theatre.
The performance was a reinvention of the Classical Ballet Giselle by composer Adolphe Adam.
Masilo's version fuses classical Ballet. Contemporary and Tswana dance.
Rooted in the classical form, Masilo offers a highly technical and precise movement phrasing that combines elements of all the above dance forms fused effortlessly without any visible borders of where one ends and another starts. She manages to create this fluidity of movement while telling the story with plenty of passion. According to Dada Masilo, it's important to tell the story from the perspective of the audience in order to present it with as much clarity as possible in order to create emotion and reflection.
I was enthralled to watch such a classical story of love and betrayal being interpreted through fresh new eyes with such vigour and beauty.

The musical score, by South African composer Philip Miller, was haunting, powerful and varied while at the same time being able to maintain a coherence of feeling. It reminded me strongly of the first time I heard the album Lambarena - "Bach to Africa" developed by Mariella Bertheas. I first heard this album in the late 90's while taking a class in Graham technique. In this album, the classical works of Bach are combined with traditional music from Gabon. The two musical styles manage to exist without giving up their identity though...What seems an impossible combination, turns out to be a beautiful symbiosis in musical harmony, and trust me I'm not a fan of Bach...

Looking at this moment I wonder perhaps why do these two pieces of work in different time frames peaked my interest so much?...The first thought that comes to mind is my mixed heritage. Perhaps, the fact that my background hails from different worlds has had a bigger significance on how I see the world and how I interpret it through my imagination and creative output. I have been forever interested in dance forms that have travelled, transformed and created their own identity. While studying and practising contemporary dance forms I understood how much, they were in themselves fusions. From Ruth St Denis to Graham and Salsa, the creolisation of dance is ever present. Watching Dada Masilo's work though I didn't feel that the different styles co - existed separately...more like, they blended into one another, which I feel it's quite a difficult process to achieve aesthetically.

Another thought occurs to me though...Why did Dada Masila feel that re- creating the classic work of Giselle was the best path in which to showcase her choreographic style?...What/where are the "Black" Classics?...Pulling more thread...

FEEDBACK SANDWICH

Yesterday was the start of the course for one of my weekly dance classes.
As a general/open level dance class, it can at times be quite challenging to keep students motivated. The first class sets the tone for what to expect and how students will perform in class. Too soft and they won't give their 100%, too hard and they might not come back. It's really important to get the balance right. So, how to motivate students?...How can I give them feedback that allows them to feel positive while at the same time understand that there's still so much more to work on?...
I rely on a process that I learnt some years ago and that I still use today. I've refined it and adapted it to any situation: from students to family and friends. It's called a feedback sandwich. This is loosely defined as: Find something positive (top bun), demonstrate areas of improvement ( filling) and look to the future ( bottom bun).

Criticising someone's work is difficult, accepting criticism is equally hard. Finding the right words coupled with the right body language creates an encouraging and safe space where students of any level feel they can make mistakes, get up,  re - focus and try again. Although it's pretty simple to understand, I'm aware that there are many criticisms of this method, nevertheless. All I can say is that it has worked wonders in my practice.

Looking back I realise, perhaps, why this practice was so important to me as an artist. As a young dancer, around 12 years old, I was also learning to play the piano. I loved it. I was good at it. But, my teacher at the time utilised old methodology to which I didn't respond well to. I realise it was difficult for me to respond creatively to hard authoritarian methods. I left. I regret it.
Perhaps subconsciously I've been looking for another way, another tool I could use that was naturally more caring and positive and contributed to people's self esteem. Intuitively I've always felt that talent needs an encouraging space in order to grow organically. My thoughts were always on how could I get the best out of any student?...How could I trigger that inner magic naturally?...

Since being aware of it, I practise it on a regular basis, sometimes without even realising. It has become embedded in my professional practice and I consider it a defining moment of my learning experience as an artist and as a person. I'm a natural facilitator. This is present is almost every area of my work. Boom. Light bulb moment.

FINDING MY AOLs

Last night's group Skype was a first opportunity to truly listen to the other students on the course and have an overall feeling of the process at hand. I'm a keen observer, so, not being able to physically see other students, I ensured I would listen well.

As an artist I've had many hats, kind of goes with the job I've been told many a times.
Part of this ability to jump from role to role quite effectively is the ability to compartmentalize and just focus on what you need to achieve. As a commercial choreographer there's never much time to experiment with movement and ideas. The work is intense and fast moving. You immerse yourself in your imagination, prepare your choreographic sections and deliver. The ability to deliver a good piece of work in a short time is in itself a skill in high demand. A dancer I've worked in the past used to call it "choreography by the metre".
It was only when I won a dancers fellowship a couple years ago that for the first time I had time to reflect, think and look at my own creative process in more depth.
I enjoyed the calmness and ability to observe and try ideas without pressure. I tried different stimuli, explored a different facet of myself and drew various conclusions. As a creative artist, my best ideas ideas are created when I'm "in the moment". Having studied social dances in depth I understand that they are largely improvisational, using knowledge to compose on the spot.

In a way I feel that MAPP is asking me to become the "thinking body" and reflect on why and how I danced/performed/choreographed/directed the way I did, which feels like working at opposites ends of the spectrum. It's not difficult to identify areas of learning but identifying perhaps my most defining learning moments that have shaped and guided my artistic development. Sharing my process is also alien to me. So much of my work has been individualistic or delivered through other "receiving bodies". In this manner I haven't engaged dancers working with me into my creative thoughts too much. Perhaps because my creative process is in constant motion. Being "in the moment" means you're not using your mind but rather your intuition.
My challenge will be to formalize those creative sparks into a framework that is in itself divided into different compartments. That's where I can find my AOLs.

DANCE EDUCATION & GLOBAL CULTURE

As I've been looking at my Areas Of Learning and trying to decide what to focus on, I reflected on a few points that have been present in my practice throughout. Below are some "thought nuggets".
Most of my career was based on performing and teaching internationally. I trained in Classical Ballet and Contemporary at a high level. I taught Jazz and later I toured extensively teaching Salsa & Afro - Cuban dance forms.
As a teacher I brought a recognised methodology to students. There was always, however,  a pertinent attitude whenever I taught Salsa or Afro - Latin dance forms that I didn't experience whilst teaching a Jazz class.
Amongst other notions, there was a general perception that "anyone can dance Salsa" and that despite the strong codification and proven historical context of the form established in the last 30 years, there is the idea that anyone can extract and re-package it, ready for universal consumption.
Can this be the same dance once it goes through that process?

Although social dances like Salsa & Semba/Kizomba were meant to be practised by all ages and can be relatively simple, they are high nuances of movement that are only mastered through years of practice. The misconception of "lack of technique" attributed to these dance forms also allows TV programmes like Strictly Come Dancing to employ ballroom dancers to do a complete disservice to the dance form. Something that Salsa dancers around the world simply shake their heads at or comment ( read: rant) on social media.

In the period of my career where I was auditioning extensively I've noticed how, specifically, American, Brazilian and Cuban dancers were so successful in getting work contracts in Musical Theatre and dance companies in London. My reflection on this was immediate. The multi -genre trained dancer who was highly trained in the traditional subjects of Ballet, Contemporary AND also in Cuban Folk/ Afro - Brazilian dance forms became a highly skilled and adaptable body and of course, highly employable.

My examples above relate to various experiences through the years as well as my current practice.
In my view that dance programs need to shift and not just become "diverse" but, truly invest in non - western dance forms in order to truly cultivate and nurture a learning environment of inclusion, globalisation and experience various ways of viewing the world, be it for practical reasons (employability), creating artists with a wider view of the world or other philosophical reasons.

My experience as a multi genre practitioner expanded my view of other cultures and their understanding of dance pedagogy, different notions of dance and culture, and, the contrast between its perception and modes of transmission in different cultural, academic and social settings. Shouldn't dance courses be nurturing dance technique from various forms? Of course this brings a whole aspect of global aesthetics to consider but I believe that it would simply foster more creativity, liberal thought and wisdom is all dance education. Food for thought.

SKYPE INDUCTION

I've just had my first Skype induction call for the MA Professional Dance Practice.
Lots of information but it sounds like an amazing set up for those like me who haven't studied in many years and have irregular schedules. I was put at ease and re-assured of the many support resources available.
So, my first action point was to set up this blog and...here it is, 10 min later! It may be the the last time I'm this quick doing a task...
I've always enjoyed the idea of blogging so,  hopefully this will be a great way to bounce ideas and thoughts and also learn from my peers.

The First module is about self reflection.
As an independent dance practitioner I've never had much of chance to self reflect. I think my career has been a very organic flow from one thing to another and catching the next job. Although it worked to follow my intuition I feel it's the right time to work differently and make it part of my life going forward. At the grand old age of forty seven, and, while the physical body is whispering "slow down", my mind is racing with ideas and possibilities.