Can Artistic Creation be Taught?A three year study with young choreographers

Barry Oreck, Ph.D. Jessica Nicoll

Artistic activity cannot begin where educators impose on students externally formulated images and methods, concepts and cognition. A transaction between the individual and his or her physical, psychological, and social environments is necessary for true artistic activity....He or she needs, in short, to become conscious of consciousness within and emanating from the being.

Henry Schaefer-Simmern

If you point out the mistake, your students will want to believe you, and this undermines their trust in themselves. Because all of your explanations are words of authority that children will accept even if they are not convinced of their merit, be careful not to impose your own views.

Henry Schaefer-Simmern Consciousness of Artistic Form

Consciousness of their confusion makes it necessary to clarify their thinking and find their own ways. …..

Henry Schaefer-Simmern

The act of artistic creation

cannot be taught

Lev Vygotsky

A teacher can……“organize the conscious processes in such a way that they generate

subconscious processes”

Lev Vygotsky

Themes

1. Finding a Personal Dance Language

For me, Lyric Suite was a turning point. It was then that I began to find a language of movement for myself....The important thing is to stretch the personal vocabulary so that it does not remain static.

Anna Sokolow

I am really intrigued by how all dancers tend to revert to a particular type of movement or specific gesture when they “get stuck.”

However, I found that I was most satisfied with my choreography when I was able to transcend the boundaries of my usual vocabulary and experiment with movement that was truly new for me.

Luisa

Themes

1.Finding a Personal Dance Language

2. Improvisation and Play

I don’t necessarily set up a problem and try to resolve it, but I focus on an idea which is a mystery to me and start from there.…I try to put myself in a state of awareness on a subconscious level, where the subconscious level becomes conscious through my movements.”

Mel Wong

“[Jessica] always told us to not think so much, just act. Not to worry about what looked pretty or what was the best technical method. She wanted you to dance through your heart, not your feet.”

Julia

Themes

1.Finding a Personal Dance Language

2.Improvisation and Play

3. Teacher as Guide

My role (as mentor) is“stabilizing the discomfort. I try to encourage artists to revisit their work – to not run away from their work quickly.”

Phyllis Lamhut

[We] would show Jessica our work and anticipate comments and suggestions. But we almost never received these and instead were presented with questions such as, “What do you want to develop about this phrase?” and, “What would you like to fix?”

Sometimes we would answer out loud to Jessica, but more often she would quickly add, “You don’t need to tell me; just think about these things and keep working.”…We were encouraged to reflect on what we had created, what we had not yet created, what we wanted to achieve, and what we

could ultimately achieve. Lydia, age 16

Themes

1.Finding a Personal Dance Language

2.Improvisation and Play

3. Teacher as Guide

4. Tools for Self-reflection

“I often found myself using my journal to jot down instantaneous bursts of inspiration when I was in class, on the train, or about to go to bed.”

Stella, age 15

Even in a group, personal reflection was crucial, as choreography is such a personal process. I also remember getting and giving feedback, constantly showing each other our work, and learning the art of constructive criticism. As the youngest in the group I was always terrified but again, it became increasingly clear that everyone wanted the others to succeed and grow.

Toby, age 17

“It really felt like it was ours, that it had emerged from something we already had inside of us —not that it had been ‘taught.’”

Anna, age 16

Dance, although you may practice it solely for yourself, is not a private practice at all. Dance is a community with your teacher, your classmates, your audience and especially yourself. If you string all of these people together, and include them into your thought process, your movement will be heard.

Julia, age 15

• Everyone has the capacity for artistic creation in dance.

• Children and adults move through developmental stages of artistic activity through social interaction and internal dialogue.

• Teachers and mentors must be open to the possibility that they cannot imagine what and how their students and mentees are about to create.

Our Propositions

General Applications to Teaching

• Encourage students to offer ideas to adapt exercises or structures.

• Give students leadership roles as early and as often as possible.

• Establish and practice methods for self-directed groupwork.

• Provide open structures in which students can find their own problems and pose their own questions.

• Integrate reflection and focused observation and discussion throughout each class.

References for this session can be found at www.barryoreck.com