On behalf of the editorial team, I am excited to introduce you to the voices, experiences, and ideas of more than 30 teachers, students, and artist-educators in this volume of Provocations. In this edition, contributors grapple with notions of bearing witness and holding space in our diverse drama and dance contexts. What do we actually mean by bearing witness? What does the practice of holding space look like? Our Provocations team believes these questions are worthy of inquiry and reflection. 

Like Hromnick, cited above, the Provocations authors wrestle with how to expand the territory of meaningful learning for our students.They reflect upon the centrality of care, attention, and presence in our teaching.

David Hansen in his article entitled Among School Teachers: Bearing Witness as an Orientation in Educational Inquiry posits that “an interlacing of deep concern with boundless wonder resides at the very source of bearing witness” (p.16). He further states:

Bearing witness necessitates an ever-deepening attentiveness to what Jan Zwicky calls “resonant particulars”; moments, actions, expressions, and gestures that, among other possibilities, bring the being of a human being into presence, however fleetingly. (p.11) 

This sentiment, this pedagogical approach of attending with care and full presence, lives at the heart of many of the offerings in this edition of Provocations. Karen Gilodo of Young People’s Theatre reminds us that the drama/dance classroom is “the one space where students are expecting to be heard and seen”. Dance teacher Alan Faigal describes his intention to “create and hold space for students to find their own embodied voices and witness their own embodied truths”. Technical theatre experts and students come out from behind the curtain and claim space -centre stage - to share accounts of their learning and professional journeys. Myrtle Sodhi reflects on her research creation process, stating that “in thinking about presencing, sensing and locating rituals, I am led to the sensual, the intense, and the intimate. It is in this exchange that we are drawing laneways - access points between us. It is through these laneways that we are able to come close. Draw close to each other”.

These excerpts offer a peek behind the curtain, but there is so much more to discover, so many “resonant particulars” in the articles, stories, and accounts held here. Lingering with the diverse texts in this volume, I am provoked to reflect on my own teaching practice. I am reminded of the power and privilege I carry into the classroom as a white, middle class woman. I understand that each person in the room is differently located in relation to whiteness, coloniality and power; some are centred in the dominant social groups while others experience marginalization. What are the implications for our teaching? How does this play out in our Drama and Dance spaces? Who is taking up space? How can that territory be expanded? How can I listen more, hear more, bear witness with more heart and an ever-deepening critical consciousness? As I stumble along my path of learning and unlearning to learn, I welcome the teachings, provocations, and offerings of this volume. Here is a brief overview to help you navigate to topics of personal interest and relevance.     

Touchstone (teacher, student & artist voices) features:

Collaborative Poetry: A collection of poems crafted from responses to a variety of prompts sent out to teachers across Ontario.

To be present

To withhold judgement

To validate our students

To make room for heart connection

 -excerpt from collaborative poem, Voices of Teachers

Thoughts from YPT: Herbie Barnes (AD), Karen Gilodo (AD Education), and Molly Gardner (Senior Education Manager), share some thoughts and insights about engaging students in seeing and making theatre. 

Walking with Amal by Patty Jarvis: Patty speaks to her experience as an artist-educator and describes the impact of “The Walk”, which has been described as ‘the most ambitious public art project ever attempted’. The project involves walking with Little Amal, a 3.5-meter puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child.

Waiting for Godot: a project culminating in an outdoor staging of Waiting for Godot during the pandemic, facilitated by Matthew Sheahan. Written introduction by Matthew Sheahan; video reflection from student Christine Thornton.

In the Show  by student Arlene Hardison, with an introduction by teacher Jessie Kennedy: This piece includes a round table discussion in which the teacher invites students to reflect on their experiences related to a school production of Little Women.

Folio (articles & stories) features: 

Storytelling with Sight, Silence, and Sound: Rituals for Locating the Self and Community by Myrtle Sodhi: This article introduces the reader to Myrtle’s practice as an artist, storyteller and practitioner. She invites us to participate as collaborators and asks that we presence ourselves through a call and response format. 

Ontario Youth Unite to Celebrate DANCE  by Laurel Brown:  Laurel introduces us to Ontario Secondary School DANCEFEST (OSSDF). She outlines the goals of the festival, and provides a glimpse into the rich learning and community building experienced by student choreographers and dancers from across Ontario.

Isolation in the North by Heather Newman: Heather highlights the possibilities and challenges that accompany teaching Drama in an isolated community. Reflections on culture, community, and nature are shared. 

Dancing Our Way Home: a carnival of self, hope, and community by Alan Faigal: In this personal account, Alan speaks of his sources of inspiration and the ways in which they have informed his pedagogy as a dancer and as an instructor at Sheridan College.

Technical Theatre Voices: Centre Stage in the Spot-Light: in this assemblage of voices, we are invited into the world of technical theatre, with several professionals sharing their stories. We also hear from a current teacher and three of his students. 

Cue2Cue features:

Reviews of two professional resources:

1. Dr. Lisa Sandlos reviews Elementary Dance Education: Nature-Themed Creative Movement and Collaborative Learning by Janice Pomer

2. Helen Vlachoyannacos reviews Deepening In-Class and Online Learning by Larry Swartz, Debbie Nyman, and Magdalin Livingston

Reviews of two picture books with drama, dance and literacy-based learning activities by Jan Buley and Anastasia Lainas-Hayward:

1.  Way Back Then, written by Neil Christopher; Illustrated by Germain Arnaktauyok

2.  Feathers and Fools, Written by Mem Fox; Illustrated by Nicholas Wilton

On behalf of the extraordinary team of Provocations volunteers, contributors, editors, reviewers, and advisors - I invite you to browse, pause, ponder and linger with these texts. I hope they might help us better understand our own pedagogical impulses. I further hope that holding space and bearing witness to the “resonant particulars” of one anothers’ stories might draw us closer (Sodhi: 8), as a community of practitioners.

The title for our 2024 edition of Provocations is ART OF DISRUPTION. 

Link to Vol. 3 Call for Submissions for more details.  

Please consider adding your voice, and the voices of your students, to the next assemblage of poetry, art, stories and articles. 

I want to acknowledge and thank the Editorial and Advisory Board. (see names and bios here) 

A final thank you goes to the Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators (CODE) for supporting this project from its inception. The participation of executive members on our editorial board and communication with the CODE community has been invaluable. 

Please reach out to us with questions, feedback, and suggestions for future publications here. 

Also, please bear in mind that we are a collective of volunteers doing our best to ensure accuracy of conventions and grammar. We hope you will be kind and generous if we have missed anything. 

On behalf of the Editorial team, I wish you all good health, good relations, and many more good stories!

Christine Jackson

Managing Editor, Provocations: drama+dance

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References

Hansen, D. (2017) Among School Teachers: Bearing Witness as an Orientation in Educational Inquiry. Educational Theory 67:1, p. 9-30

Hromnick, I. (2021) Facing Fears and Bearing Witness: One Principal’s Journey toward Sustained Leadership in an Alternative Context.Schools, 18 (1), p.24-32. 

Sodhi, M. (2023) Storytelling with Sight, Silence, and Sound: Rituals for Locating the Self and Community. Provocations: drama+dance in education, 2.