I was anxious and curious about traveling to VCU because I did not know what to expect from the new classroom, people, process, and product. However, after the first meeting, I became excited for an excellent learning opportunity under the teachings of a creative and intelligent artist.
The beginning of the meeting was filled with positive and lively energy. M.K’s enthusiasm brought joy and comfort to the room and it encouraged me to bring the same energy. M.K started with making a class agreement which I respected but never did in a dance class before. The agreements that were produced were generally to respect and to be kind to others which can be shown in many ways through behavior, mentality and verbal speech. The creation of the class agreements also provided the students a chance to share their opinions with each other which created a small yet powerful bonding experience. Moreover, the bonding experience increased when we were moving around. There were small moments of individual improve, along with introductions, that we later shared and copied from others. The movement allowed everyone’s energies to be shared with each other.
M.K characterizes herself as a cultural organizer which I believe translates through her teaching style. She brought everyone together for a purpose and is passionate about her project. Additionally, she is open to everyone’s thoughts and opinions and works with it. The definition of culture M.K. utilizes says that is is a way of living. I believe that she is creating a small culture and community in the dance studio. The culture in the studio is a respectful, fun, open, and hard working environment. For future project of my own, I hope that I can create the same environment that she created.
I did not face any distinct challenges that day, however, I know that as the project moves forward some will come up. From this experience, I expect to have more knowledge and inspiration for whenever I want to create my own artistic project for the community. I am interested to observe all the moving parts of creating a meaningful dance that impacts the community. M.K’s vision of the choreography is not yet apparent to me and I do not know what kind of emotions she wants to create with the dancers. During future meetings, I will be sure to ask what kind of mood she wants us to evoke. I believe that knowing the type of emotion to produce can alter the execution of the choreography.