ResDance

ResDance Series 4: Episode 6: Validating within Resilience with Nadra Assaf

In this episode, Nadra shares insight into her experiences in dance as a dancer, choreographer, educator and researcher and reflects upon her work in dance in the Middle East. A keen advocate for the arts, Nadra shares her passion for education and reflects upon the difficulties she has experienced in relation to the acceptance of dance as a research practice and the barriers she continues to face in her own dance practices.  Throughout the episode, Nadra celebrates the importance of giving voice to subjective experience in dance and shares honest and emotive reflections concerning the validation of her own experiences.

Nadra Majeed Assaf is an American Lebanese Dancer/Choreographer/Academician/Researcher who has worked in the Middle East since 1991.  She is the founder/artistic director and current financial manager of Al-Sarab Dance Foundation which houses Al-Sarab Dance School as well as Al-Sarab Dance Company (or as referred to in Europe: Dance Troupe). She is also a fulltime academic (Lebanese American University) and well-known researcher in dance in the Middle East. She received her M.F.A. in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College, and a Doctorate of Education from Leicester University. In addition to those degrees she also has a BA in Theater from Centenary College and a BS in Finance from Louisiana State University. When she returned to Lebanon in 1991, she immediately founded Al-Sarab Dance (which is made up of Al-Sarab Alternative Dance School and Al-Sarab Dance Company). As an academic, she has taught across Lebanon in several different universities. She found a permanent home LAU after 13 years of being an adjunct professor, by accepting a fulltime position in 2004. She also served as associate chair of the Communication Arts Department for 5 years (2015-2020). She is best known for her work in dance in the Middle East as she has lived in Lebanon for the past 30+ years.  

ResDance Series 4: Episode 5: Finding a sense of understanding beyond the movement: Reflections and considerations with Abi Mortimer In this episode, Abi shares insight into her experiences in dance thus far and draws upon her thinking as a dancer, maker and educator. Reflecting upon the questions she poses to herself in these different roles, we discuss the role of the body in her practice and the challenges of composing work to exist on her own body and those of others.  Highlighting the importance of having a sense of understanding that is beyond the movement itself, she discusses the role of collaboration and narrative in her practice, alongside her ways of making.  With this, she shares insight into the values and ethos of Lîla Dance and the environment they aspire to create for the care and growth of their dancers.

Abi co-founded Lila Dance in 2006 and received arts council funding to create 9 works on the company, that have undergone national & rural tours, international performances and festivals.  Abi received choreographic mentorship from Hofesh Shechter and amongst others has danced for Yael Flexer, Charlie Morrissey and Detta Howe. She has established collaborations with a range of international artists from various disciplines including Gary Clarke, Simona Bertozzi (Italy), Jon Maya (Spain), International puppetry company Blind Summit and writer for the BBC/ Sky Nick Walker. Her commissioned work has shown at high profile venues including Sadler's Wells, The Roundhouse, The Place, U.Dance Finals, Laban, Northern School of Contemporary Dance. She has made award winning dance films and has extended her practice in delivering integrated professional work through research with Stopgap Dance Company. Abi is a senior lecturer at The University of Chichester and has a passion for extending her practice to creatively engage the community, regularly producing commissions for participants of all ages and abilities.

Contact details:  

ResDance Series 4: Episode 4: Noticing in improvisation practices with Sally Doughty

In this episode, Sally shares insight into her research interests in movement improvisation practices. Through locating her thinking in her making and performing experiences, we explore ideas in relation to the role of ‘noticing’, the body as a corporeal archive and the role of decision making in her improvisational practice.  In this episode, Sally highlights the importance of the centrality of a first-person perspective and finding ways to privilege the voice of the artist. 

Sally Doughty has been making and performing internationally since the early 90s (Mexico, USA, Latvia, Paris and Estonia) and she has a particular research interest and specialism in movement improvisation practices that span improvisation, choreography, documentation, corporeal archives, and dancing and drawing.  Her publications emerge from her practice and she writes from a first-person perspective – privileging the voice of the artist.  Recent book chapters in edited collections address improvisation from various perspectives: the role of ‘noticing’ in her improvisational practice (Oxford University Press, 2019), dancing and drawing (Cambridge Scholars, 2020); the tensions in shifting from ‘stage to page’ (Dance Books 2020) and performing corporeal archives (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020).  

She is Associate Professor Dance and the Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Dance (CIRID) at De Montfort University, Leicester, and was Research Director for FABRIC (Dance4 and DanceXchange together), 2022-2023.

Contact details:  

ResDance Series 4: Episode 3: Journeying into academic research with Dance Mama

In this episode, Lucy McCrudden (Dance Mama) shares insight into her experiences within dance and her journey as the Founder of dancemama.org –a professional hub and platform for parents in dance and the arts.  Through drawing upon such experiences, she reflects upon the dancers, practitioners, researchers and organisations who continue to inspire her, both personally and professionally.  Bringing awareness to the practical solutions dance and Dance Mama can create to better support parents, Lucy shares insight into her PhD research studies and her aspirations for the future.  Throughout the episode, Lucy highlights the need for greater advocacy in bringing voice to support parents and empower them to navigate their dance career and parenthood.

Lucy McCrudden, aka Dance Mama, is a London-based dance entrepreneur and advocate. She is Founder of dancemama.org - a community, information and professional development hub and platform profiling significant parents in dance and the arts. Lucy has instigated international and national networks for colleagues working with dancing parents. Lucy has dove-tailed her own work with holding key positions in learning and participation over the last 20 years. These include: Dance Artist in Residence for DanceXchange (2004), Manager for London Contemporary Dance School, The Place, Centre for Advanced Training (2005-11), Expert Panel member of the DFE Music and Dance Scheme representing the National Dance CATs (2007-2010), Vice-Chair of Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Arts Grants Panel (2006-2009), Learning & Participation Manager, Rambert (2014-16), Chair of the Board of Trustees Dance Woking (2014-16), Head of Learning and Participation, Rambert (2016-18) and Project Manager Chance to Dance, Royal opera House (2019-20).

As an independent specialist she has taught over 19,000 people across the UK and has engaged with a wide variety of dance and arts organisations in many other capacities: consultant, management, choreography, and presenting/public speaking. She is Ambassador for the Parents in Performing Arts Campaign. She has a Honourable Mention for the inaugural AWA Woman in Dance Award and nominee for the One Dance UK Awards 2021, winner of the Changemaker One Dance UK Awards 2022 and nominee for AWA Woman In Dance Leadership Award, starting a PhD in the same year at Christ Church Canterbury University. 
Contact details:

ResDance Series 4: Episode 2: The dialogue between access and creativity in dance practice with Susanna Dye

In this episode, Susanna reflects up her thinking and experiences working with movement and dance in community, education and interdisciplinary performance contexts. Through exploring her ways of working, she shares insight into her processes of identifying and dismantling access barriers she experiences in her professional practice.  Underpinned by her question of “what is moving me in the space”, she considers ways of transforming access barriers; her Stimming performance research project, the dialogue of the body with the environment and her future research interests.  Throughout the episode, Susanna highlights the importance of asking questions and acknowledging needs.  

Susanna (they/them, she/her) works with movement and dance between community, education and interdisciplinary performance contexts. Being dyspraxic and dyslexic, Susanna’s approach has developed as a process of identifying and dismantling the access barriers they experience to training and professional practice. Informed by queer and social model of disability thinking Susanna explores ways of working/playing with movement that emerge from our felt sense of what we need, tuning into our senses, and attending to what feels good. Through this, Susanna explores creative ways to be in dialogue with ourselves, our environments and others.

ResDance Series 4: Episode 1: Shape-shifting and renavigation with Antonia Grove

In this episode, Antonia shares rich insight into her journey as an independent artist and reflects upon the experiences that continue to shape her practice.  Through exploring her previous collaborations and areas of interest, she brings to light questions around stereotypical masculine/feminine binaries, risk-taking, expectation and ownership. Situating these ideas in her recent experience of Master’s study in Creative Practice at Trinity Laban, she advocates the importance of bringing voice to perspectives of women and the need for greater visibility and acknowledgement throughout an artist’s career.

Antonia is a Brighton-based independent artist working in contemporary dance, dance theatre and all its related cross-artform collaborations. She moves between the roles of artistic director, choreographer, lecturer, performer, dramaturg and artistic facilitator. After graduating from the Rambert School she joined Rambert Dance Company (1998-2003) and went on to perform with Walker Dance Park Music, The National Theatre, Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance, Bonachela Dance Company, The Cholmondeleys, Charles Linehan Company, New Art Club, Fabulous Beast, Matthias Sperling, Clod Ensemble, Headspace Dance and Vincent Dance Theatre, obtaining 3 Critics Circle National Dance Award nominations for outstanding performances. Antonia founded the dance theatre company Probe in 2004 and has produced and performed 6 touring productions to date. 

As a maker she continues to be interested in creating live solo work, presenting dance theatre pieces that she writes, directs, performs and realises in collaboration with other creatives. Her work has centred around over-arching themes of power, disguise, and visibility. Since obtaining her Masters Degree in Creative Practice from Trinity Laban her practice is developing a more socially political focus as she questions stereotypical masculine/feminine binaries and explores issues concerning chaos, disorientation and risk-taking through the perspectives of women. Alongside her career, Antonia is raising three children and is an activist for parents/carers working in the Arts. 

Contact details:

ResDance Series 3: Episode 11: Person-centredness, practice and advocacy with Karen Wood

In this episode, Karen shares insight into the experiences and influences that continue to inform and shape her areas of practice.  Through discussing the core components of her practice, she reflects upon her interest in the experience of the moving body and the experiences of working, participating and viewing dance.  Karen advocates the importance of a person-centred approach and the need for greater support and advocacy for the freelance dance artist, with reference to her recent research focus.  In further highlighting the role dance can play in making social and environmental change, the value of collaboration and acknowledging individuality within the sector is shared.

Karen is currently a dance practitioner, researcher and educator. She works at the Centre for Dance Research at Coventry University, as Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Birmingham Dance Network. Her current research interests are exploring concepts of collaboration, ethics of care and responsibility, collective identities and leadership in relation to freelance communities and cultural policy. She is a Board member for Wired Aerial Theatre and Chair of the Board for Vanhulle Dance Theatre. 

For her artistic research, Karen uses the lens of phenomenology, particularly perception and embodiment, and improvisation to explore digital technology, screendance and contemporary dance and tap dance practices. Karen is passionate about working with artists to expand professional practice. She sees the value in artist-led initiatives and how they can create opportunity and encourage risk taking for dance making practices. Her work includes artistic research projects that have previously been supported by Arts Council England and involved collaborating with other art forms, such as neuroscience, fine art, lighting design and music. 

ResDance Series 3: Episode 10: Chasing Curiosity with Matthew Henley

In this episode, Matthew reflects upon his research journey and offers insights into his interests on describing cognitive and social-emotional skills associated with dance education.  We discuss key facets and characteristics of research and wider thinking in relation to the field of dance and associated disciplines. Through highlighting the need to give space to different ways of knowing, Matthew advocates the importance of being curious in research and what knowledge can be learnt from dancers in the unique ways in which they occupy the world.

Matthew Henley, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Dance Education Program and Affiliated Researcher in the Arnhold Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy & Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Henley focuses his research on describing cognitive and social-emotional skills associated with dance education. He takes a phenomenological approach, analyzing how dancers in diverse communities describe the experience of learning concepts in the dance classroom. Henley's related interests include enactive cognition in the arts, developmental and neuroscientific approaches to embodied knowing, research methods for pedagogy, and the pedagogy of research methods. Henley danced professionally in New York City with Sean Curran Company and Randy James Dance Works. Henley earned his doctorate in Educational Psychology: Learning Sciences from the University of Washington, and M.F.A. in Dance from the same institution. Previously, he served as Associate Professor of Dance at Texas Woman's University, where he coordinated the B.A program and taught in the M.F.A. and Ph.D. programs.

Series 3: Episode 9: ‘Shaking-Up’ Learning with Linzi McLagan

In this episode, Linzi shares insight into her experiences as an educator in Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Further Education settings. Throughout the episode we reflect upon her dance research in Scottish Primary schools, with relation to projects such as: ‘Shake It Up’ and ‘Step It Up’ at YDance which aim to raise attainment and support the confidence and skills of primary teachers delivering dance as part of the curriculum in Scottish schools. Further, we explore the work and aims of YDance as an organisation and reflect upon her thinking around possible barriers to dance participation and ideas for future engagement and research endeavours.

Linzi is a GTCS registered lecturer and works on the BA course at Dundee and Angus college. She has various roles at Scottish Qualification Authority and is Head of Education at YDance (Scottish Youth Dance). At YDance, Linzi is principally responsible for the Education strand of the company’s work which includes strategic planning, management and delivery of education projects and events. Her role aims to promote the delivery of dance within the formal education sector and influence the future development of dance within the Scottish curriculum. She has worked extensively throughout Scotland as a Dance Educationalist in Early Years, Primary, secondary and Further Education settings. Linzi has a passion for learning and teaching and is an advocate for dance within the Education sector. Her goal is to initiate and facilitate discussions that empower teachers as well as challenge their perceptions and tacit assumptions of dance.

Contact details:

ResDance Series 3: Episode 7: Performance Histories with Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel

In this thought-provoking episode, Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel offers insight into her experiences as a researcher, educator and practitioner. Through discussion of her recent publication (the Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet, 2021), she shares her thinking around the value of ballet histories within dance discourse. Highlighting throughout the episode the importance of brining individual voices to the fore, Kathrina shares the need for curiosity in driving interest in a subject area and the importance of collaboration in the transformation of both the self and others.

Dr Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel is Head of Research at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. Her articles have been published in the South African Dance Journal, Treasures of Malta, and the Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Dance (2019). Her books include Princess Poutiatine and the Art of Ballet in Malta (FPM, 2020), the first book on ballet histories in Malta, and the Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet (2021). Kathrina has organised conferences in London, Paris and New York. For the RAD, she has steered conferences in Australia (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne), curates the Guest Lectures Series, and is Editor of Focus on Education. She is author of three webinar series on ballet across the 20th and 21st Centuries, and currently working on a new anthology with Adesola Akinleye (author of British Black Dance, 2019; and Reclaiming Ballet, 2021). In 2022, Kathrina joined the Executive Committee of the Society for Dance Research.

Contact details (personal)

Instagram:

@kathrina.farrugiakriel

LinkedIn:

ResDance Series 3: Episode 6: Dancing Multiplicities with Jenny Roche

In this episode, Jenny shares insight into her research practice and reflects upon her experiences as a performer, educator and practice-maker. We explore the various methods and approaches employed in her work and discuss ideas around articulating processes and the knowledge behind them. Throughout the episode, Jenny reflects upon the witnessing of her own experiences, how these continue to inform her own practices and considerations for future opportunities.

Dr Jenny Roche is Senior Lecturer and Course Director of the MA in Contemporary Dance Performance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick. From 2013 to 2017 she was a Senior Lecturer in Dance at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. She has published widely on the creative practice of dancers, dance and Somatics and arts practice research and has worked extensively as a dancer, with a range of choreographers including Rosemary Butcher, Jodi Melnick, John Jasperse, Michael-Keegan Dolan and Liz Roche. She continues to work as a collaborator and performer in various creative arts research contexts. From 2007 to 2011 she was dance advisor to the Arts Council of Ireland. Her book Multiplicity, Embodiment and the Contemporary Dancer: Moving Identities was published in 2015 and Choreography: The Basics, co-authored with Stephanie Burridge was published in 2022.

Contact details:

ResDance Series 3: Episode 5: A community of practice with Simon Ellis

In this episode, Simon shares insight into his practices of choreography, filmmaking and dance. Through exploration of approaches to practice and dance research, he discusses wider thinking and considerations around dance discourse. Simon raises the importance of reflecting on the questions we are not asking within the field and further, looking to address the unseeable. He reflects upon his personal journey thus far and thinking that continues to inform his practice.

Biography

I am an artist working with practices of choreography, filmmaking and dance. I was born in the Wairarapa in Aotearoa New Zealand, but now live in Coventry. I grew up in a politicised family environment where we often talked about things like human dignity, consumerism and even technology. These, in turn, have shaped my values as an artist, and underpin much of what my practice is about, and how it is conducted. I also think a lot about the ways humans might value things that are not easily commodified, and like to imagine a world filled with people who are sensitive to their own bodies, and the bodies of others.

ResDance Series 3: EP4: Dance in museums, heritage sites and extraordinary spaces with Katie Green

ResDance S3: Episode 3: Dance in Primary Education with Eilidh Slattery

ResDance Series 3: EP2: Experimental Approaches to Dancing-Writing and Indisciplinary Collaboration with Alys Longley

Alys Longley offers insight into her ways of working and approaches employed in her research and practice. Through exploration of approaches to her ‘dancing-writing’, she discusses ways of working with language and fostering a physicality with language -taking space to the page. In situating her ideas in her past and present research interests and indisciplinary collaborations, we discuss ideas relating to geopolitical borders, translation studies and materiality of practice.

Aly’s Longley is an interdisciplinary artist, writer and teacher, Alys’s work exists as live performance, artist-book, installation, film, education curriculum, poetry, performance writing and lecture-demonstration. Over the last decade, Alys has been exploring mistranslation studies, working across languages and disciplines to explore the spill of ideas beyond conventional systems of meaning, through a series of international artistic-research projects in Berlin (Germany), Santiago (Chile), Coimbra (Portugal), NYC (US), Chicago (US), Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland (NZ), Poneke/ Welllington (NZ), Vienna (Austria) and Stockholm (Sweden). Her books include The Foreign Language of Motion (2014), Radio Strainer (2016) Let Us Drink the New Wine, Together! (2022) and alys & pavle (2020), Life is A Sting on the Bicep of the Fabric of the Universe (2021) and Time Does This For You (2022) all with pavleheidler.  Alys has been based in the Department of Dance Studies, University of Auckland, since 2006, where she is currently an Associate Professor.

Contact details:

ResDance Series 3: Episode 1: Personal experiences, reflections and thinking on dance with Sondra Fraleigh

Professor Sondra Fraleigh reflects upon her journey in dance and offers rich insights into her experiences and thinking as a theorist, writer, choreographer, teacher and practitioner. Sondra describes the phenomenological approaches and thinking used in her work and draws upon key writers, theorists and practitioners who continue to inform her practice. In this thought-provoking episode, we discuss ideas around phenomenology, truth, considerations around the subjective and inter-subjectivity and the potential for dance and somatic movement practice to be used as a means of fostering environmental awareness and change.

Sondra Fraleigh is an international leader in dance, yoga, and somatic healing arts. She is a Fulbright Scholar and professor emeritus of the State University of New York, College at Brockport, where she chaired the Department of Dance and was later head of graduate dance studies. Her innovative choreography based in somatics and inspired by butoh has been seen on tour in America, Germany, the UK, India and Japan. She served as president of the Congress on Research in Dance (renamed, Dance Studies Association) and was selected as a University-Wide Faculty Exchange Scholar for the State University of New York.

ResDance S2: Episode 11: Considerations around risk-taking and 'newness' in practice-based research with Josh Slater

Josh Slater shares insight into his creative process and the role of collaboration in his practice making and research. Through situating his thinking around his current PhD practice, Josh discusses his interests in choreographic practise, risk-taking and collaborative practices, more widely. In this episode, Josh reflects upon the approaches he employs and raises points of interest concerning self-reflexivity as a researcher and ways of documenting.

Josh Slater is programme leader for dance and senior lecturer at De Montfort University in Leicester, as well as a contemporary dance artist, theatre maker and performer. He is a part-time Ph.D. student at the Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) at Coventry University and assistant editor for the Intellect Choreographic Practices Journal.  He has created, and toured dance and theatre works, nationally and internationally, funded by the Arts Council England. Josh’s research interests are focused on choreographic practices, risk-taking, Dance Theatre, improvisation and collaborative practices. Josh is a mentor for emerging dance and movement practitioners and is a Director on the Board of Trustees for Exim Dance Company CIC in Devon and Cheshire Dance in Cheshire.

Contact details:

ResDance S2: Episode 10: Reflections on dance-making and the creative process with Naomi Lefebvre Sell

Dr Naomi Lefebvre Sell shares insight into her choreographic practice, exploring ways of dance-making and the approaches she employs. Through exploration of her creative processes, Naomi highlights the need for openness when considering the body and the richness of working cross-discipline to empower drawing upon a range of perspectives when viewing the body and throughout the dance-making process, more generally.

Naomi Lefebvre Sell is a Reader of Choreographic Practice within the Faculty of Dance and Programme Leader for the MA/MFA Creative Practice at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Naomi lectures across the BA and MA/MFA programmes within the fields of choreography, performance and research methods as well as supervises Practice as Research PhDs. Originally from Canada, Naomi’s background as a professional dancer includes work with both Butoh and Cunningham-influenced companies. Naomi holds a BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University and a MA Choreography and PhD in Creative Practice (Dance) from Trinity Laban. She is also a Higher Education Academy Fellow.

Naomi’s professional choreographic work has been commissioned and presented across Canada and Europe (since 1998) within festivals such as TanzArt (Germany), Brighton Fringe (UK), Dancing of the Edge (Canada) and Chutzpah! (Canada). Naomi’s practice-led research is published in academic journals and book chapters (Intellect, Frontiers and Routledge), she presents regularly at national and international conferences and is a reviewer for the Frontiers in Psychology Journal. Naomi’s artistic work and teaching is informed by her doctoral research which examined the effect of mindfulness meditation on a creative process of dance making. Naomi’s current research is funded by Arts Council England.

Contact details:

Twitter: @naomi_sell

ResDance S2: Episode 9: ResDance S2: Episode 9: Choreography and Improvisation with Seke Chimutengwende

Seke Chimutengwende shares insight into his practice making as a choreographer and performer. Through exploring the notion of collectivity and approaches to authorship, he reflects upon his making experiences and working collaboratively across disciplines that more widely inform his practice. Seke shares insight into his latest work It begins in darkness (premiered in September 2022) and the processes involved in the making and dissemination of the work.

Glenna Batson and Susan Sentler share insight into their 10-year collaboration, honing a practice-based language on bodily folding. Through discussion of their shared thinking and practices rooted in a inter/trans-disciplinary approach, they share insight into their ways of working and reflect upon their processes of making. They discuss their on-going collaborative research rooted in the concept of ‘the fold’ titled: the f/ol\d as somatic/artistic practice and offer thoughtful consideration around the ideas of languaging and the wider value (and power) of what making can offer. Glenna and Susan are currently writing a book entitled: Embodied Practices in Art Making: The Fold (Intellect Books 2023).

Glenna Batson is a Professor emeritus of physiotherapy, Glenna has drawn from multiple sources both within and outside of the academy as catalysts for teaching, research, advocacy, and artistic growth.  Glenna has worked at the intersection of dance, movement science and somatic education honing a trans-disciplinary approach to embodied cognition. She has lectured and mentored in higher education within dance, bodymind disciplines and neuro-rehabilitation. She currently teaches Somatics as faculty of dance at Peabody Institute for Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD USA), and is a guest dance educator at Duke University and University of Limerick. Clinical investigations offer fresh insights into integrative medicine, including dance improvisation for Parkinson’s, Alexander Technique & balance and mental imagery in stroke rehabilitation, research pathways underscoring mind-body methodologies. Written scholarship includes chief author of Body and Mind in Motion: Dance and Neuroscience in Conversation., a convergence of somatics, dance and neuroscience, and co-editor/contributor to Dance, Somatics and Spiritualities: Contemporary Sacred Narratives (2014). 

Contact details:

Kathryn Stamp shares insight into her current research interests in the areas of dance, dance in education and the wider value of dance participation. Alongside exploring her research experiences and dance advocacy work, we discuss ideas relating to researcher identity and the sense of value as a dance researcher. Kathryn offers insightful, honest and thought-provoking reflections concerning the questions she asks herself around the value of dance research and emphasises the need to bring voice to the dance sector.

Kathryn is a dance research and educator, specialising in inclusive dance practice and research methods. Her interests span inclusive dance, dance in education and exploring the value and impact of dance. Kathryn graduated with an MA in Education (Distinction) from University of Brighton (2016) and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Dance Studies from Roehampton University (2010). In 2020 Kathryn completed her PhD at C-DaRE and her AHRC-funded research focused on photography-based interventional approaches that sought to change public perceptions about disabled people who dance. Currently, Kathryn's postdoctoral research explores the lived experience of isolated working for disabled dance artists, considering modes of communication, use of technology and change in working practices in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kathryn is enthusiastic about transdisciplinary research and has worked for the Centre for Computational Science and Mathematical Modelling on the Energy REV project, exploring stakeholder perspectives on Energy, AI and Ethics. She is one of the project team members for Gap_E[thics], which seeks to explore the concept, understanding and practice of ethics in technological from different disciplinary perspectives.

Contact details:

Email: ad6869@coventry.ac.uk

Twitter:  @kathrynstampy

@DanceResMatters

Other useful links:

ResDance S2: Episode 6: Reflections on a person-centred approach in a PhD process

Louisa Petts shares insight into her current PhD research at the Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) at Coventry University. Her research advocates for improved access to dance that is meaningful for older populations, whilst questioning whether dance genre and style offer entirely unique experiences of belonging for participants. Through discussing her PhD process, she shares the varying research approaches, methodologies and methods employed in her research and on the wider reflections she has concerning her role and positionality as a researcher. Providing honest and considered reflections on her PhD journey thus far, Louisa highlights the need for continued advocacy for a person-centred approach throughout the research process.

Louisa is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) at Coventry University. She is the recipient of the Arts and Humanities Research Council studentship award offered by Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership. Louisa studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she graduated with an MSc Dance Science with Distinction in 2019. Prior, Louisa studied at the University of Roehampton, achieving First Class Honours and receiving the prize for Best Dissertation in BA Dance Studies in 2018.

Louisa has worked as a community dance artist delivering dance classes to those living with dementia in assisted living homes and people living with Parkinson’s. She currently works as a lecturer at De Montfort University and bbodance and is an editorial assistant for the Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices. Louisa is also part of the site-specific research project ‘The Shape of Sound’ in collaboration with artist-researcher Petra Johnson and researchers at the Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE), which explores the embodied technologies of the human inner ear through movement practice.

Contact details:

Email: pettsl@coventry.ac.uk

ResDance S2: Episode 5: Reflections on the research process and greater support for dancers’ mental health with Erin Sanchez

Erin Sanchez shares insight into her current PhD research - in the area of dancers’ mental health and psychological skills development during the talent development process. Alongside exploring her current research, we discuss ideas relating to barriers around participant recruitment, the need for a person-centred approach in all research, ethics of care throughout the research process and a greater need for mental support within the dance sector. Erin offers insightful and honest reflections concerning her researcher journey thus far, the questions she finds herself asking herself about the dance sector and poignantly highlights the need for continued advocacy and support in the areas of mental health for dancers.

ResDance S2: Episode 4 – Reflections on the dancing body with James Hewison

James offers insights into his journey as a dancer, choreographer, educator and researcher, reflecting upon his training and professional experiences, and his current areas of research focus. Through discussion around his different ways of working, he shares thoughts on the role of decision making in his practice and the value of process in improvisation and creative tasks. Throughout this rich and well-considered episode, James reflects upon the questions he asks about his own dancing body.

ResDance S2: Episode 3: Practices of care: themes of autonomy in the context of dance

Grace Nicol and Temi Ajose Cutting offer insight into their shared experiences as artists, alongside their current research practices and interests. Through revealing their processes and ways of working, they discuss their shared interest of supporting the wellbeing and needs of dancers both inside and outside of the studio. In this open dialogue, they question the autonomy of the performer, the power dynamics of inviting people to be seen, and invite listeners to consider where power and responsibility lie within these exchanges.  

In this episode, they discuss the practice-based collaborative project, Slip Mould Slippery, concerned with body, object and space relations and the power structures that exist around these ideas, exploring how to dismantle these structures through movement practice. This is supported by a new pastoral care offer where they are attempting to redefine the way choreographers work with freelance dance artists.

Grace Nicol 

Grace Nicol is a London-based choreographer, movement director, and activist. Her choreographic work has been shown predominantly in gallery and museum contexts in London and nationally including; London College of Fashion, Hackney Showroom, Performance Space, NN Contemporary, Tate Modern, V&A Museum, Guest Projects. She has also worked on commercial projects/film (including BBC, NTS, Chivas Regal, i-D, Christian Louboutin). She’s a visiting lecturer and provide mentoring, workshops & talks for institutions/community groups (LCDS, Dance4, AMATA, London Bubble’s Creative Homes etc). She has been featured in various media publications (Hunger, Dazed, Arts Professional).

Contact details:

Instagram: @gracebnciol

ResDance S2: Episode 2: The Embodied Researcher with Professor Angela Pickard 

Professor Angela Pickard shares rich insights into her research practices in Dance Education from a variety of perspectives. Reflecting upon the role qualitative methodologies play in facilitating a person-centred approach, we discuss the value of working collaboratively; the importance of longitudinal research when capturing experience and the wider role of a multifaceted approach when gaining insight into the social world in which those in the research inhabit. Through insight into her ethnographic and auto-ethnographic research approaches, she further highlights the need for a person-centred focus within a research setting.

Angela is a Professor of Dance Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, where her research is focussed on dance education and performance science. She is interested in relationships between body and identity(ies) in dance and embodiment, drawing on sociology (Bourdieu), pedagogy and psychology. Angela is Editor in Chief for the international journal Research in Dance Education and on the Editorial board for Journal of Dance, Medicine and Science.

ResDance S2: Episode 1 - Immersion with Thea Stanton

Thea Stanton explores the notion of an immersive choreographic practice, reflecting upon her experiences as both a choreographer and researcher. She offers insightful and honest reflections concerning her positionally as a researcher, the role of lived experience in her research and how indigenous theory continues to inform her practice-based research.

Thea is an indigenous Chilean British researcher, choreographer and teacher. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Chichester where she is exploring the notion of an immersive choreographic practice.

ResDance Episode 11: The intersections between practice and philosophy

Dr Erin Manning offers rich insights into her experiences as a theorist, philosopher and practicing artist. Erin explores ideas around the role of experience and how we value and situate the body in society and wider practice. We also discuss theoretical ideas concerned with the relation between sensation and thought in movement and the merging of research, teaching and creation in her practice. Throughout the episode, Erin offers honest insights into her journey thus far and her current research interests in the transversality of the three ecologies, the social, the environmental and the conceptual.

ResDance Episode 10: Embodied Inquiry

Dr Nicole Brown and Dr Jennifer Leigh offer insight into their shared understandings of embodiment and embodied practice. Through discussion of their research interests and the variety methods and approaches employed in their own research, they explore what an embodied approach can bring to a research project. Reflections of considerations that need to be acknowledged in research, namely reflective practice, self-acceptance and positionally are also explored. The ideas presented are drawn from principles of embodied inquiry from their recent publication: Embodied Inquiry Research Methods (Bloomsbury, 2021).

Dr. Nicole Brown

ResDance Episode 9: Collaborative ways of working 

Dr Rosa Cisneros discusses her methodology for collaborative and interdisciplinary modes of working when exploring lived experience. Alongside sharing her processes for creating work, Rosa provides insights on the principles that inform her practice and the wider communities she participates with. Lastly, Rosa shares honest reflections on her positionally and the role her cultural heritage plays in her research and practice.

Rosa is an Artist and Researcher at Coventry University’s Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) and is Principle Investigator at Coventry University for the WEAVE project. Rosa is a film maker, activist and dancer who works closely with many NGOs and public social services. She is involved in and leading various EU-funded projects which aim to make education accessible to vulnerable groups and ethnic minorities, and part of cultural heritage projects that bring dance and digital technologies together.

Please share this episode with students, educators, practitioners, performers, and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.

Contact details: 

ResDance Episode 8: Dancing across Screen and in Popular Performance

Professor Sherril Dodds shares insight into the methodologies and methods she uses in her research and draws upon themes from screen dance, popular dance, ethnography and textual/ screen dance analysis. In this thought-provoking episode, Sherril discusses her first-hand insight into being an active b-girl in the Philadelphia breaking scene and how these rich experiences continue to inform her wider practice and places her identity as a person, along that of a researcher, at the fore. Lastly, we discuss research for her latest book, Facial Choreographies: Performing the Face in Popular Dance (under contract with Oxford University Press).

Sherril is a Professor of Dance and Graduate Programs Coordinator at Temple University. Her books include Dance on Screen (2001), Dancing on the Canon (2011), Bodies of Sound (co-edited with Susan C. Cook, 2014), The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Competition (2019) and The Bloomsbury Companion to Dance Studies (2019). Her latest book, Facial Choreographies: Performing the Face in Popular Dance is under contract with Oxford University Press. She has been a visiting scholar at Trondheim University in Norway, Griffith University in Australia, Stanford University in the USA, and Blaise-Pascal University in France. She was awarded the 2015 Gertrude Lippincott prize for her article, “The Choreographic Interface: Dancing Facial Expression in Hip Hop and Neo-burlesque Striptease.” She is an active b-girl in the Philadelphia breaking scene.

Please share this episode with students, educators, practitioners, performers, and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.

Dr Rebecca Stancliffe shares insight into the philosophy of technology (technological phenomenology) to consider our relationship to the tools and technologies with which we interact and the analysis and documentation of dance. Sharing her current thinking into how the performing arts ‘sit’ in online spaces, we discuss the translation of knowledge and experience and different ways of seeing. Lastly, Rebecca discusses her thinking, interests and research ideas around participatory arts.

Rebecca is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Arts and Community) at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance where her evaluation and research activity focuses on participatory arts, arts and health, collaboration, and digital methods in dance.  Alongside her research, Rebecca teaches on the BA Contemporary Dance, BSc Dance Science, MA Performance, MA/MFA Dance Science, and Graduate Diploma programmes at Trinity Laban.

Please share this episode with students, educators, practitioners, performers, and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.

Dr Clare Parfitt shares with listeners the role of methodologies in her research and reflects upon journey as a researcher. Clare offers honest reflections concerning the translation of different ways of thinking and the potential challenges when asking questions from varying points of view. A thought-provoking episode that puts the researcher and those concerned with the research at the fore.

Clare is an interdisciplinary dance scholar working between popular dance studies, memory studies and Atlantic studies. At the University of Chichester she has been a Reader in Popular Dance, an AHRC Leadership Fellow, and she is currently a PhD Supervisor. Clare is Chair of PoP Moves, an international network for popular dance research, and Co-chair of the Memory Studies Association’s Performance and Memory working group. Her edited collection, Cultural Memory in Popular Dance: Dancing to remember, dancing to forget, is due to be published in October 2021 (Palgrave), and she is working on a monograph Remembering the Cancan: Popular dance and the kinetics of memory between France and the Atlantic world (OUP).

Dr Ashley McGill discusses her PhD research investigating the experience of dancing with Parkinson’s (The University of Roehampton and the English National Ballet). Alongside sharing key findings from her research, she questions the role of randomised controlled research designs (RCT) and the wider applicability of research approaches and methods to dance for health research. Ashley poses thought-provoking questions concerning the importance of acknowledging contextual factors and the need for a more person-centred approach in dance for Parkinson’s research.

Dr Bethany Whiteside shares her experiences and insights of Dance Health Research, with a particular focus on the Engagement work of Scottish Ballet. In this thought-provoking episode we discuss the use of methodologies when capturing lived experiences and highlight the need for a person-centred focus within a research setting.

Bethany is a Research Lecturer and Doctoral Degrees Coordinator at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Since 2015, her research and knowledge exchange activity has been closely tied to the Engagement work of Scottish Ballet, Scotland’s national dance company.

Dr Imogen Aujla shares insight into the methodologies and methods she uses in research and reflects upon the methodological decisions she takes as a researcher. We discuss the importance of giving participants a voice in a research setting and the role that a mixed methods approach can play in gaining further insight into phenomena.

Imogen is a Senior Lecturer in Dance and Dance Science at the University of Bedfordshire. Her research interests include dance psychology, the health and wellbeing impact of dance, and talent identification and development in dance, particularly in inclusive contexts.

Virginia Farman discusses the methodological approaches used when creating work and shares insight into her current PhD practice.  We discuss the challenges researchers face during the research process and consider how dancers can reveal a vulnerability and understanding of a place.

Virginia is an artist- researcher and senior lecturer in dance and choreography at the University of Chichester. Her work is most usually associated with directing across a range of non-theatre locations and diverse situations. Virginia’s current PhD research draws on a portfolio of productions that use, dance, choreographic compositional and somatic practices, to cultivate dynamic exchanges between dancers and outdoor environments.

Series 1 - Episode 1: Researching Site Dance with Dr Vicky Hunter

Vicky Hunter discusses her own methodology for site-based body practice as a mode of exploring site synergies. Alongside sharing her processes for creating work, Vicky shares insights on the theoretical frameworks that more widely inform her practice-based research.  

Please share this episode with students, educators, practitioners, performers, and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.

About Vicky 

Vicky is a Practitioner-Researcher and Reader in Site Dance and Choreography at the University of Chichester.