The ongoing collaborative ethnographic study of the Milwaukee Area
This research is a continuation of Professor Simone Ferro’s ethnographic study of various districts in Milwaukee exploring the interdisciplinary forces of community studies and dance. Each year, undergraduate researchers venture to different misrepresented locations in Milwaukee and perform case studies by engaging with the diverse population. The research was concentrated in the Washington Park and Sherman Park neighborhoods and was attained through analytical and experiential means. The first method involved analyzing scholarly texts ranging from social issues regarding minority oppression, site-specific performance, and community engagement through movement. The experiential approach entailed direct engagement through interview conduction and communication with residents as well as site-specific modern dance performances. Discussions concerning ethical principles determined that entering a foreign community with the intention of disturbing it with movement required developing a comprehensive understanding of the society to approach the community in an educated and respectful manner. Improvisations have been and still are performed in various locations around the neighborhoods including homes of people in the community, Amaranth Café, evicted properties, and along the streets of Milwaukee. Inspiration for the movement was influenced by the physical environment and was later transcribed along with the participant’s internal (as felt in their body) and external (perception of interactions) experience. The information acquired from our field research was then utilized to guide movement generation that manifested in full-length concert performances as well as future improvisations. While this project is still a work in progress, the current assessment of these findings concludes that despite the negative portrayals of certain regions of Milwaukee in the media, it doesn’t define those individuals. By providing them with a voice and relaying their stories through movement, we are working to transforms perceptions. Our engagement with community members allows us to bring dance and arts to the community, working to alter its connotation as an elitist art.
What does it mean to be a dance researcher?
Dancers are always researching. Although slightly unorthodox because instead of a laboratory we experiment in a studio studying different methods of organizing and creating movement. Movement is our means of expressing and sharing ideas, therefore every second is carefully constructed to mean something. Background research is required to ensure that our intentions are accurately relayed. Our process involves taking information acquired from community outreaches and transforming documentation into movement. These actions are then strung together forming a dance, which is typically presented at formal evening-length concerts informing audiences about topics they might not always know much about. We also go back to the community and improvise based on our research, once again offering information to audiences who may otherwise not have the opportunity to witness dance. Dancers also have a creative lens through which to approach problems. As a research team, we have been using our unique perspective to give back to the community, finding a common ground where we could unify despite cultural and social segregation.