Dance, Perception, and Space

UF Faculty: Rujeko Dumbutshena Department: School of Theatre and Dance College: College of the Arts	Partner Faculty: Jill Pribyl Department: Humanities Department of Dance Education Partner Institution: University of Kisubi

Project details
Title:	Dance, Perception, and Space: An Intercultural Creative Exploration from Kampala to Gainesville
Project Description:	In this course, students will examine the relationship between dance and culture, investigating how our lineage and surroundings shape our understanding of space and movement. Through collaborative projects, students will create a dance film, podcast, or Google slide presentation demonstrating a deeper understanding of the experience of moving bodies in space. This course will reinforce teamwork, empathy, and critical reflection while exploring global dance contexts and human interconnectedness.
Learning Outcomes:	Knowledge Demonstrate understanding/use of digital media platforms for collaborative dance creation. Understanding of different dance styles, abilities, and technological constraints. Describe commonalities in dance forms, culture, and abilities. Evaluate diverse perspectives of dance and culture Formulate sound practices for creative collaboration Show skill in finding innovation in digital media as a tool for intercultural connection. Attitudes Formulate choreographic approaches and collaborative skills with peers from diverse cultural and language backgrounds. Identify one's own culture and history in the context of the world/in the context of someone else's. Skills Proficiency in using digital tools for communication, media sharing, and feedback. Engage in collaborative work, adaptability to digital platforms, and receptiveness to feedback. Demonstrate flexibility, patience, and resilience in facing challenges and changes. Apply appreciation for diversity, empathy, and respect for different cultural perspectives. Articulate one's own identity in a global and intercultural context.
Participating Countries:	Uganda
Number of Participants:	13 UF Students; 12 University of Kisubi Students
Discipline:	Dance
UF Course Code & Name:	DAN2341 - Contemporary African and African Diaspora Dance
Project Duration:	6 Weeks
Activity Type(s):	Student-to-Student Dialogue Student-to-Student Project Virtual Mobility
Time allotted to each activity:	Synchronous Activities: 2 hours/week Asynchronous activities: 4 hours/week Local group activities: 4 hours/week Individual work: 6 hours/week
Technology Tools:	WhatsApp Zoom Padlet YouTube Canvas Google Drive
Sequence of Activities:	Icebreaker: First Memory As this is a proposal designed for dance students, I believe that an activity that does not stray too far from the field of study could be better accepted. In this sense, we would start by sharing the following question. What is your first memory of dancing? Something that has a personal meaning, that has had an impact capable of determining your proximity to this art and helped define this artistic and professional path. Students could bring brief personal stories, images or even share their memories with their moving body. The answers could be shared in small videos of no more than one minute recorded on the cell phone and shared via WhatsApp or a folder on Google Drive as an asynchronous activity. If synchronous, the responses could be shared via the zoom platform. As the field of dance is very diverse and training paths generally have a decisive impact on students' professional choices and artistic personality, I think a possible variant of this initial question could be to mix it with the game of "two truths and a lie". So students would have to try to choose which story, memory, or curiosity about each participant's artistic initiation, actually corresponds to their personal choices and experiences. In this case, I believe that the correct answer could be announced at the end of the shares. Introductions: During our first Synchronous Zoom meeting we could use the “hide nonparticipants video” tool to show low stakes commonalities. We ask everyone to turn their videos off. Then say “turn your video on if you are the oldest sibling” then participants turn their videos on if they are the oldest sibling and the group gets to see who else in their group is the oldest sibling. This can go on for a while. We can come up with 10 questions. Other questions can be related to food, transportation (taking the bus to school) preferences etc. Engagement Activity: The "Carrying out virtual interviews" task would work well for our students. They can create common interview questions based on a shared cultural theme. Partners would conduct their interview in their home turf and then share and discuss the interview and what they learned about each other's culture. This project can be turned into a podcast that can be shared on social media and/or websites. The outcome of this could be increasing factual cultural knowledge, developing intercultural communication skills, and increasing digital literacy skills. Collaboration Activity: The "Collaborating on product creation" task will work well for our virtual exchange. Our students will work together both synchronously and asynchronously to create a dance film or power point/google slide presentation. that is posted on social media and/or websites along with reflections on the intercultural exchange aspects of virtual exchange. The outcome would be to develop intercultural skills and increase digital media literacy. Reflection Activity: Students will use these questions to write or create a digital response posted on the course's Padlet. There will be a specific heading on reflection. Students will reflect on a specific cultural exchange moment that had an impact and explain how this challenged assumptions or broadened their perspective. Students will reflect on a digital media tool or technique that was used during the collaboration explaining how it contributed to the project, and what was learned. Students will discuss a moment of miscommunication or misunderstanding that occurred during the collaboration and explain how this challenge was navigated and what was learned. What have you learned about the dances introduced to by your peers? What have you discovered about global dances that has surprised you? How has this discovery shifted your perception of dances from around the world? What did the course teach you about intercultural collaboration? Reflect on the challenges and successes of working and creating across cultures. How will these affect your work in future collaborations?