Teaching Critical Thinking through Dance-Making
The Thinking Tools Based on the book Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People By Robert & Michele Root- Bernstein Published by Houghton Mifflin in 1999
The Thinking Tools to Be Discussed Include... Observing Recognizing patterns Empathizing Body Thinking Imaging Transforming Abstracting Playing Forming patterns Modeling Synthesizing
Selected & arranged in this way because... They can be easily applied to the creative process in movement & dance. This order of arrangement follows the order of operations in dance-making.
Creative Movement Dance-Making Process Inspiration Observing inspiration Responding to inspiration Felt-thoughts + Imagination Transforming & abstracting = Movement + Playing around = Final product or dance
Observing Means active observation Making sense of the sensation Learning to see in new & different ways Seeing details such as colors, separate parts of picture or foreground & background
What details can you observe in this picture?
Recognizing Patterns Noticing relationships Using various viewpoints to reveal different patterns Patterns recognized can be visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic Culture influences pattern recognition
What patterns do you see in this picture?
Empathizing Being able to see the world through the eyes of others Having personal knowledge Becoming the animal, plant or object Imagine what the object of your attention is sensing
What feelings do you get from the two photos below?
Body Thinking Usually hidden from us Using movement to solve problems Felt-thought A heightened physical awareness Kinesthetic empathy
How would your body feel in each of the two positions below?
Imaging Seeing pictures in the mind or visualizing Thinking about sounds Being able to recall a body feeling Seeing movements in the mind Being polysensual—synesthesia A virtual experience
What mental images can you create from the two cut paper designs below?
Transforming Changing from one sense to another Using diverse methods to solve a problem A blurring of lines between fields Transformations are not always exactly equivalent
Transforming body shapes...
Abstracting Begins with the real Representing the essence of The core A simplification of A tool for artists Can be interactive across disciplines (visual arts & high speed photography)
An abstraction of a forest...
Playing Experimenting Fooling around Treating work like a game Breaking the rules & testing limits Encouraging the unexpected Limited sloppiness Invoking a make believe world
Playing around with a photo
Forming Patterns Combining structural elements or operations Can be spontaneous or planned Spans sensory modalities & disciplines Embodies relationships & meanings Leads to innovations
Forming a Pattern...
Modeling Simulations A physical representation of Helps teach imaginative skills Capturing the essence of operations Embodying concepts Supplies control of situation Reveals problems
Models of Dances - floor patterns for 2 dancers (L) & changes in energy quality (R)
Synthesizing Bringing together sensory impressions, feelings, knowledge & memories Creating unity & wholes An integration of the thinking tools Trans disciplinary & multimodal A necessity in solving problems
A whole dance is the result of synthesizing.