The American social historian Daniel J Boorstin says that “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know” and I think there’s a lot of truth in that.
The more ‘experienced’ I’ve become as a dance practitioner, the more I’ve realised how much more there is to learn, resulting in a deep love of exploring all sorts of ways to further my practice and deepen, broaden or challenge my existing body of knowledge.
But I have to admit that the juicy pieces I take away from face to face events are probably not amongst the session aims, it’s the stuff that’s hidden away from view, those small, seemingly irrelevant details, those fleeting moments.
To give you an example, many years ago, I attended a workshop where the leader had led a practical session and afterwards we were sharing our reflections on the work. One participant was taking ages to get their point across. I knew that if I’d been leading the session I would have tried to hurry him, maybe even attempted to finish his sentences or cut him off for fear that the others were losing interest or the session was losing pace. The leader didn’t, he waited, he didn’t interfere, he used facial expressions to communicate his interest and willingness to wait… and the participant shared his thoughts with courtesy and dignity. I learnt a lot in that small moment.
*Today, I attended Sara Houston’s session as part of the People Dancing Summer Intensive on ‘Soft Skills in Dance’ which was all about the small stuff, those subtle, nuanced little moments that so often get overlooked or dismissed as being ‘intuitive’ – those little details that make dance the tender, sensitive, holistic experience that we all know it could and should be.
I know that many people question whether they should be called ‘soft’ skills, we even had that discussion, but for me, I love the idea of softness. Who would wish to rest their head on a hard pillow? Watching wheat fields ripple and sway in a breeze is a thing of joy to me. And trees that can bend weather a storm so much more that their sturdy, solid neighbours. Also, softness allows us to morph and fill gaps where needed, like play dough being squeezed through holes, it is adaptable, effortless and satisfying.
So alongside an increased knowledge and awareness of ‘soft skills’, what else did I gain by attending?
By a little bit of active listening I was reminded of the importance of supporting our colleagues. Working in dance is not an easy option: employment is erratic, career development prospects do not follow any set pathway; we need to embrace so many skills beyond dancing. All of this presents challenges and it’s easy to feel lost and alone. Attending training events can reconnect you with others who share your passion and vision, which is, in itself, like a long, cool drink on a hot day.
We reflected on our strengths and touched upon our goals for the future - all through this taking care to tread lightly around the stories that others shared or held, knowing that these were potentially deeply personal accounts being offered, which dealt with issues around resilience, risk and perseverance.
And we danced together! Really for nothing more than the absolute pleasure of dancing together and reaffirming our identity as dancers, but in so doing we drew on our creativity, team work and ability to co-operate. It felt as though I really knew these people, many of whom I’d just met, but we connected in that way that I have only every experienced through dance.
But it doesn’t stop at the studio door, does it?
Those long breaks were filled with conversations about which dog breeds are good as companions, how tertiary level education has changed and the challenges the organisations currently face, what a ‘Disney’ hug is, the additional challenges of working in a rural area – I could go on…
But those little things aren’t little at all, are they?
Imagine a dance session where no one persevered to develop a skill or devise a choreographic motif… or where no one moderated their behaviour to enable a session to run smoothly for the greater good… and how would any of us improve if we didn’t take time to reflect and evaluate?
Think of building a wall, the bricks are the pieces of knowledge that many see as the desired outcome of the work, but what actually holds those bricks? Mortar. A workable paste that binds them together… it is capable of filling gaps, making the irregular smooth and it spreads the weight evenly… without that soft, malleable material the wall is simply a pile of bricks that can be easily knocked over. It is the soft stuff that makes it functional.
So the next time you attend any sort of training, I encourage you to just take a moment to think about the little things you took away too… the things that connect our learning and connect us as industry professionals. The soft stuff in the spaces between the courses and conversations the quality of which you only encounter a live learning experience with like-minded peers that makes us resilient and functional for that industry, for that profession as humans and as artists.
You can learn more about Soft Skills in this Animated article and access the resource attached to this course here.
Both images: Claire Pring (orange socks), People Dancing Summer School 2024. Photos: Mark Anderson.