Contemporary Dance Research
Conceiving Connections
Conceiving Connections is a three year-study (2002-2004) which builds on Unspoken Knowledges – the partners’ earlier research into choreographic practice. It aims to increase our understanding
of dance audiences by addressing problems that have been identified
by the dance industry as critical to its viability among the contemporary
performing arts in Australia. The project is seen as a significant
initiative in arts-industry related research.
Unspoken Knowledges
The Unspoken Knowledges research addresses problems which beset the dance industry at its most creative
level - the methodology and practice of the craft of choreography. It is applied
research, in that it is original work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge
with a specific application in view. It is also strategic basic research, in
that it is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge
which will provide the broad base necessary for solving recognised practical
problems.
Thinking in Four Dimensions: Creativity and Cognition
in Contemporary Dance
The e-book, Thinking in Four Dimensions: Creativity and Cognition
in Contemporary Dance, edited by Robin Grove, Catherine Stevens
and Shirley McKechnie, has just been launched in Melbourne.
It is one
of the results of the research undertaken in the Victorian
College of the Arts School of Dance between 1999 and 2005.
This is the first book to address the cognitive processes that
underpin the creation of new works of contemporary dance. It
illustrates in
full colour, via video clips and photos, the complex processes
on which the research was based. This is a peer-reviewed publication
with contributions from dance artists, psychologists and philosophers.
Shirley McKechnie wishes to acknowledge the important support
provided by dance industry partners over the six years of the
research:
The Australian Choreographic Centre, The Australian Dance Council
(Ausdance) and the Australia Council.
Thinking in Four Dimensions is an innovative e-book available as dynamic PDF
files which can be downloaded. The e-book is available as either
the whole book
or as individual chapters. In addition there is a print-on-demand version of
the book, with black & white images, available through the University of Melbourne Press
Education and the arts research project in Singapore
The National Institute of Education in Singapore has established
a Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice. The centre’s objective
is to provide research
that can be used as the basis for educational policy and decision making.
To meet this goal, the centre will have many researchers. It is
the largest and
most extensive educational research unit in the Asia-Pacific Rim, and was
established by the Singapore government to study and develop a
strong future-oriented agenda
for Singapore. The goal is to develop a context for research that leads to
innovative educational outcomes in Singapore schools <www.crpp.nie.edu.au>. Dr Stephanie Burridge is working with a team of researchers in a project titled
‘Creativity: Representational Praxis in Artistic Domains’.
Read her full
report (102KB PDF).
Australia Dancing
The Australia Dancing portal, hosted by the National Library of Australia, provides users with access to
both current and historical information about dance in Australia.
The Australia Dancing portal grew out of the directory to the Australian
Dance Collection which made accessible selected Australian dance
resources held in
some of Australia's major research collections. The creation of the directory
was an essential component of Keep dancing! an Australia Council funded initiative
between ScreenSound Australia (the National Screen and Sound Archive), the
National Library of Australia and the Australian Dance Council —Ausdance Inc.
Australia-New Zealand Research Conference
Conference Proceedings: Dance Rebooted: Initializing the Grid
Deakin University, 1-4 July, 2004
Published by Ausdance National on behalf of the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia,
December, 2005
Dance Rebooted: Initializing the Grid brought together five international keynote speakers and 75 delegates from Australia,
New Zealand and around the world to focus on the sustainability of dance
practice and research.
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