Why is Creativity Important for an Early Years Dance Specalist?
The below blog is part of a series of blog posts that Commotion Dance and Guests are writing this year to address the importance of being creative. This is in response to the BBC article published early this year about creative subjects being squeezed out of schools.
Creativity is my place of belonging.
It is where I am most well, happy and fulfilled. For 20 years I have worked as a Dance Artist in community and education using creativity to enable wellbeing, connect people, creating communities and allow people to explore their own abilities and the world. I work with a variety of groups but focus towards early years, primary education and older adults with dementia. As a person centred practitioner finding ways people can access dance is only possible with creativity. A shift of mood, a developmental milestone or a change in medication could mean a sudden need of change of content. Creativity permits us to ‘try this’. This discovery is felt as much by the participant as myself, and the joy comes from this journey as much as the end result, the process of creativity together.
Creativity is the expansion of the micro. For a person with limited movement the magical witnessing of small as big. Framing of these moments with an audience, or simply ‘being’ in that moment can be filmic at times. It can also be affirming. A lady once said to me in a session “I didn’t know I was strong!”. Her day to day life had not allowed her to connect with many of the abilities and qualities she still had within her body and mind…creativity of using props to secure her in moving again, followed by contact improvisation and partner work enabled this.
In education I enjoy seeing that creativity teaches us beyond fact or correctness and allows children to ‘Make their Mark’. It is not just for those children who are less academic. Children who are academic need creativity as equal to those who are not. Creativity allows a person to find their way of doing things, we can take influence from others, and add our own flavour. As a Mum of two girls who I nurture through creativity I believe it will support them to find a future career or lifestyle, adapting themselves in an often changing world. It allows you to make something out of very little.
Although embedded in creativity my work has recently become underpinned, through research by the theoretical and anatomical journey of the body in particular with Mark Making (writing and drawing). In the theory of this there are at times a right and wrong however it is the tools of creativity such as imagination, play, manipulation of objects that allows this to be accessible for the participant who cares not for theory but wants to fly her conker around the room to gather its super powers!!
In early years practice creativity is often more welcomed as it marries many of the components of the curriculum allowing for in the moment planning, imagination, play and inquiry. Research and some amazing practitioners are pathing the way to embed this within provision.
Sadly however I am now seeing through the eyes of my children that as they progress through their education, creativity is being exchanged for more time spent at their desks watching a board, less time exploring and playing. With this in mind it is now my mission to look at further ways that I can instil creativity throughout education. Beyond these walls there are also many children accessing their learning through Home Ed, Refugee camps and hospital beds. Doodle Dance wants to building programmes, projects and community activities to allow children of all ages and situations to ‘Make their Mark!’ and finding ways of supporting other artists and teachers to join in.
It won’t be without challenge but I know alongside hard work, research and funding bids it is creativity which will hold my hand on this adventure!
Jo Cone of JoConeDance
Founder of Doodle Dance Headquarters and Peek a Boo Moves