Banská Bystrica & Žilina, Slovakia

May - December 2021

 

 

The aim of the project was to examine the importance and impact of "art education", in the form of non-formal education within the field of contemporary dance, to the general "non-dance" public. In cooperation with regular participants in workshops focused on contemporary dance or "physical art", it reflects our shared 3-12 years of experience with such education. The main line of the project was research focused on the processing of common experiences and memories, but also a survey of how this non-formal education affected their perception of contemporary dance. The second line was naming the impact on their personal and professional lives. One of the main research tools is the memories stored in their "non-dancing bodies". Then there are video recordings or personal notes and scraps. We can say that this project is vital for the creative team. It makes almost a third of their lives, during which, despite their different lives, they encounter dance and one another. During this period, they moved somewhere as humans, as characters and especially as bodies. What are these "non-dancing" bodies with so many dance experiences capable of? How do they view art thanks to/in spite of this? How has this period affected interpersonal relationships?

They are interested in what has all this been good for.

 

 

The research used the following methods:

Survey - questionnaire: 39 respondents who have personal experience with movement workshops for the non-dance public took part.
Questionnaire evaluation

 

Physical research (7-6 researchers participate) - the creative team completed a total of 7 creative weekends, where long-term workshop participants applied their experience and knowledge.
Notes from the physical research

 

Discussion with lecturers: We were also interested in the point of view of the lecturers of these workshops, their motivation, their experience with non-dancers. Were such experiences beneficial for them as well?

 

 

Thanks to
​Barbara Immerová, Renáta Jurčová, Katarína Balškovičová, Katarína Onderková, Barbara Rusnáková, Kamil Mihalov, Lukáš Kubičina, Jaro Viňarský, Jakub Turčan, David Javorský, Bashka Jombíková, Stanica Žilina–Záriečie, Rezidencia Pod Javory - Komařice, an Záhrada – CNK.

 

Supported using public funding by Slovak Arts Council.

 

Photo: Luna Mafo