Dance
is a form of art that has long been around as a form of expression and is
taking the world by storm. It is more than just movement, it is a story, it is
a message, it is the communication of one’s culture, the expression of ones
feelings and emotions, and sometimes, it even is the baring of the soul. Dance
conveys what words fail to articulate. Every gesture, every twitch, right down
to the fingertips holds meaning and to the eye that understands, can be
something amazingly inspirational and most impactful.
But
to pursue a career in dance, one needs to know more than just how to move. Just
like any other subject, one must be educated on where it came from, hence the
history of dance. One must know how the body works, hence the study of the human
anatomy. One must know the dangers involved, hence the study of dance injuries
and preventions, and of course the techniques and so on and so forth. This is
but a small glimpse into what a dancer must learn before stepping into a world
of hard work, blood and sweat, of stage lights, costumes and applause. A proper
dance education, equips a dancer hopefully with everything they need to lay a
strong foundation to what they are about to experience as they take their dance
career to new heights.
As
dance has evolved over the years, so has the way it is being taught. Although
it very much is a practical course, with the ever changing and the ever
developing waves of technology, dance education has also incorporated various
means of communication technology into their curriculum as a tool, and are
chasing after more advanced technologies to enhance their learning experience,
taking a rather optimistic view in light of the use of these technologies. Ali
Leijen who wrote ‘Teaching in Higher Education’ mentioned the suitability of
web-based ICT tools for educational programmes that encourage the development
of psychomotor skills. An example of how these web-based technologies have
facilitated the teaching and learning process are through the usage of
instructional videos and such. This particularly is practical to dance
technique types like contemporary and dance choreography that encourage the
development of these psychomotor skills. These have been conducted in places
like Britain, Portugal and America.
In Australia, they have been working on the Virtual Schooling Service
(VSS) Dance Course in line with the reform package by their government ‘Queensland the Smart State Education and Training
Reforms for the Future (ETRF)’ in which Information
and Communication Technologies are a significant component of it. Other forms
of technologies are like Sequence Editors that help in the choreography
process, in which it does everything from creating the movement, storing them
in memory and putting it together as a short piece known as a ‘phrase’. Some
also do instructional videos just as Forsythe has done, showing parts of his
years at the Frankfurt Ballet and making use of animations and such to add on
to what was referred to as ‘Digital Dance Learning Equipment’.
On
a more advanced level, researchers have been working on coming up with
technologies like the work of Paul Sermon’s ‘Telematic Dreaming’ which is
similar to creating a virtual reality. Scott deLahunta explains this technology
saying,
‘In
each, a video camera and playback connection is set up between two remote sites
so that individuals in each site can interact with each other. If you can
imagine sitting on a couch or lying on a bed and looking at a monitor which
shows you and someone else beside you at the same time. This other person is
not 'really' there, but is in the 'virtual' space in which you both exist at
this time. Whatever gestures or attempts to communicate you make are instantly
received and responded to by this 'virtual' partner. Susan Kozel took part as a
'performer' in "Telematic Dreaming", and she told me that over time,
the sorts of emotional experiences she would have in these interactions took on
the full force of 'real' interactions, made even more powerful by the
simultaneous realization that the other person was not actually there.’
Most
of these technologies however are in research phase and besides the many
obstacles that they face in merging both dance education and various means of
communication technology, the larger problems include accessibility and the
fact that it requires large amounts of funding.
Now
let me bring your attention to the landscape of dance education in this
country, Malaysia. The dance industry in Malaysia is still
considerably new, it could be said a little more than an infancy stage.
Although dance has always been a significant part of human activity, the
process of studying and documenting them requires different expertise and
knowledge. Many traditional dance form in Malaysia has been passed down from
one generation to another within the hereditary line such as the Makyung, Joget
Gamelan, Menora. When these dances faced extinction, there was an urgency to
bring the practitioners to institutes such as Kompleks Budaya Negara now known
as Istana Budaya and other higher learning institutions for furtehr research
and documentation. Cultural institutes under the Ministry of Culture conserves
the dance by their dancers performing them during festivals and for tourism
purpose. Compared to the west, Malaysia was slow to recognize the importance of
defining her heritage through dance. Therefore, dance was always considered as
an entertainment element rather than a field that signifies a whole body of
meanings. However, with responsible and passionate artists, activists,
scholars, researchers, dance is slowly gaining the respect and recognition that
it deserved in the country.
Is
technology enhancing the dance atmosphere here like it is in other places? Or
is the industry not flourishing because we don’t have the same technologies? Communication
technology is definitely significant in our lives and therefore it has helped
the field of dance to gain its popularity in many countries and Malaysia too.
Technology has connected many people, artists, activists, scholars, academia
and researchers internationally and locally to boost the dance scene in
Malaysia. Through dialogues, conferences, seminars, they have exchanged ideas,
feedback and viewpoints on the current and future situation of dance not only
in the country but also other countries respectively. Communication technology
has allowed collaborations to take place locally and internationally. This has
further enhanced teh dance scene locally by making it vibrant, dynamic and a
fertile oasis for ongoing creative processes.
However,
as it is, without these technologies, funding is extremely hard to be obtained.
Joseph Gonzales, one of the pioneers of Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan
Kebangsaan (ASWARA) said,
‘The
main thrust of most-developing nations is science and technology and Malaysia
is no exception to this. As a result, arts education has taken a back seat,
since both formal an informal exposure and training in the arts is an option
only for those who have an interest, and possibly, the financial means to
pursue it. Children love to dance and the Federal Academy of Ballet has
approximately 2,000 students studying dance. This indicates a huge market for
the arts, but the number of students choosing to pursue dance education at tertiary
level is ridiculously small.’
Some
however think that it is more than just it being ‘a main thrust’ of a
developing nation. Marion D’Cruz, a dance and teaching enthusiast who also
lectures in ASWARA thinks that it is more a political thing where those in
power puts their interests first instead of actually helping students, in this
case, their interest being ‘leaving their mark’ when they serve their term in
the Education Ministry (Source : FMT News, February 29,2011). Amongst her many
concerns is the clear divide in the Arts and Science, where grants are mostly
given to technology related research since ICT apparently is what everything
revolves around.
It
is becoming apparent that funding is a huge issue but it stems from something
larger than that, which is where the funding comes from, who holds it and where
is it being channeled to, if not into what is needed to build up a strong dance
education course here. It looks as if although in other places communication
technology seems to be bringing dance education to greater heights, it is
becoming one of the many reasons for the stunted growth of the higher education
in dance here in Malaysia. Yes this is the age of technology, but the Arts is
growing rapidly as well and is growing stronger in its influence each day. Some
recognize this and are starting to tap into it as a means of economic growth.
But at some point, a balance must be struck. How then do we bridge this gap
between technology and the dance field? Through a collaboration of the two
fields? Through a shift in focus? Something for us to think about.
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