Iris Professional Practice Blog

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!...