A practice-based exploration investigating internal personal narrative during improvisation and its effects on the development of moving identity. / Elizabeth Clarke (2021)

This practice-based research presents an investigation of internal personal narrative during improvisation and its effects on the development of moving identity. Grounded through existing knowledge offered by Kent De Spain, Jennifer Roche, and Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, this investigation outlines the three presented themes of improvisation, internal personal narrative and moving identity and their relationship to one another.

Through conducting six improvisation workshops, using both self-practice improvisation and guided improvisation, qualitative data collection methods were used to uncover any links or parallels found between the variables. These methods included questionnaires, journal entries and line drawing sketches. This research was also conducted through the use of a Scholarly Personal Narrative meaning that the researcher was also the participant.

From the analysis of the data collected, it was found that there was a link to be established between internal personal narrative and the development of moving identity. This was most prominently highlighted in the suggestion that the slowing in pace of the participants internal personal narrative resulted in a change in movement quality, effecting the way in which the participant presented their movement, thus effecting their moving identity. Along with other presented outcomes, this research offers ease of replication to allow others to engage with this line of enquiry for themselves and provides inspiration for others to invest time in developing moving identity as part of being a fully embodied contemporary dancer.