This is the question I tackled in a live conversation with Heather Cornell. Heather is an improviser, tap dancer, choreographer, master teacher and founder of Manhattan tap - a jazz artist who makes music dance! I am a singer, speaker and strategist who builds bridges across sectors tackling complex societal challenges.
Hosted by the SIX WAYFINDER, our conversation explored what jazz can teach us about wayfinding through the chaos of the present moment of the pandemic, unprecedented social change and climate change. Through grounding us in an understanding of the importance of trust, a common language for jazz musicians and striking balance between structure and improvisation, we delved into stories and stellar examples of collaboration between artists across music, dance and social impact. In exploring examples, the discussion prompted sharing lessons from cross-disciplinary collaborations and brought to light the power of personal stories to inspire greater learning.
Key takeaways:
1. The power of working across disciplines, sectors and artistic practices emerges from putting aside disciplinary languages and creating spaces to actively listen.
2. Conversations that catalyse collaboration and improvisation must be built on trust and caring relationships.
3. Being a mentor, student and teacher is a lifelong practice. To be a good mentor, you need to be a student. To be a student, mentor and teach others. To be a great teacher, be a student throughout your life.
4. The power of trust and friendships enables safe spaces to take risk and try things that may not have a linear path!
5. The process of wrestling with big challenges is both a personal and collective journey
6. The gift of platforms that facilitate meaningful exchanges!
If you missed the session, access to the video can be found here.
“Breaking down the walls between disciplines is essential for these times and tap is the perfect ambassador” - Marijke Nie
ABOUT SIX WAYFINDER
What is the shape of social innovation in urgent times? This was the question we asked from the start of our Wayfinder 2020 journey. We thought a metaphorical devised symphony might help us hear, see and understand the answers, moving from Movement to Movement.
We listened to the local activities around the world (Movement No. 1), we ensembled different groups of people around the world (Movement No. 2), we played and improvised putting different insights and stories (Movement No. 3) together as poetry and artistry, and we created our emerging score.
In our final movement, our metaphorical symphony became real. Our emerging score came to life. We shared back the sonic gift offered by the artist-composers and reconnected everyone who’s been part of this Wayfinder journey and beyond. Together we reflected on the highs and lows of the journey, what it has meant for all of us and where we are wayfinding forward.
What have we learned from last year? What do we continue to carry with us? How can we heal together and be together in a deeply connected community (without actually being in the same room)? How do we bring our insights, care, experiences and dreams to bear on the here and now?
For more information: https://www.sixwayfinder.com/
ABOUT CORINA KWAMI
Corina Shika Kwami is a public speaker, singer and strategist. She has given keynote speeches and served on panels, performed with her own band, and served as a strategist on the arts in innovation, future cities and sustainability in countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. Kwami holds a doctorate from University College London and is currently the Creative Producer of the Voices Incubator at Purpose. Her work cuts across the arts and sciences, music and dance in order to facilitate exchanges between these worlds. You can see her face on a screen on the Discovery Channel and Science Channel talking about the lessons learned from infrastructure in cities across the globe.
Heather’s story and current journey brings to life each of these lessons. Her statement below is intended to prompt reflection and dialogue between, within and across disciplines.
I’m presently a new faculty member at Hope College in Holland, MI. This is a small Christian college with a big heart and lots of desire for innovation. A very unlikely home for what I was looking for. So here was my first lesson...no assumptions when looking for collaborators, they come in all shapes and sizes. At Hope I’ve found willing artists in all disciplines looking for discourse, for collaboration and for growth. I’m literally in heaven here, pun intended. The way forward has always been in listening to and in hearing each other. Whatever follows...for me the creation...is where the magic is made. But the real active work is the listening and hearing. Without that we don’t have healthy discourse, nurturing improvisation and we certainly don’t have collaboration. I often say “Rhythm is the universal language and improvisation is the conversation that heals.”
“Rhythm is the universal language and improvisation is the conversation that heals.”
Being a tap dancer has been a long struggle of identity, in so very many ways. I’m a white female in a traditionally African American male art form. I was passed down the legacy from many mentors from the African American community. I feel a huge responsibility to do the right thing. And so for me, the way forward is to return the artform to its roots of music, dance and theater. I received it with all those elements intact and it hurts my heart to see how it’s been deconstructed. There are many reasons for this, but that’s not the discussion here. Here we are discussing the way forward.
So what have I found in this primarily white Christian environment? Kindness, trust and a willingness to share elements that nurture deep and meaningful collaboration. An effort toward conscious discourse and a willingness to wrestle with deep challenges. An opportunity to look at my part in the grand scheme and to learn from my mistakes. A safe environment for growth and an eagerness to lead change. And a burning desire to be daring.
In the fall of 2022, we will be rolling out a Minor in Percussive Dance and Music. You would be hard pressed to find another of its kind in post-secondary, at least in countries where we study with a Eurocentric pedagogical approach. It will be a program that lives in two departments - music and dance. It will be a collaboration between department faculty in an effort to raise awareness of how we have severed two very important parts of our culture that are meant to co-exist. Dancers will train with and as musicians, and musicians will do the same. Our goal? To create bilingual artists in music and dance who can then nurture our communities through their willingness and understanding of true collaboration, their ability to listen and consider, and their passion for fearless interaction. It’s not perfect, we’re not perfect. But our efforts are in a direction that I understand to be a way forward for me and my love for what I do. Tap dance has had a very bad rap. It’s time for institutions to acknowledge that and see it for what it is: an artform steeped in the foundations of music, dance and theater in North America. As a student of mine and wonderful artist from Amsterdam, Marijke Nie, said today “Breaking down the walls between disciplines is essential for these times and tap is the perfect ambassador”.
ABOUT HEATHER CORNELL
Heather Cornell, Canadian, is artistic director for Manhattan Tap, one of the busiest music/dance companies in the world in the 80’s and 90’s, and the vehicle with which she brought tap dance to the international concert stage. Ms. Cornell creates visual music ensembles where she functions as the percussionist. Notable touring shows: “Making Music Dance” (CD 2015), “Tap & Traps” (comm. Ottawa Jazz Festival), “Finding Synesthesia” (comm. Southbank Center for the London Jazz Festival), “CanTap” (comm. Vancouver Tap Festival), “Conversations” (comm. Capilano University). As a soloist she performs full improvisational evenings internationally, including for a sold out crowd in Bogota, Colombia and at the First International Zap(ateo) Festival in Lima, Peru.
Heather has taught, directed and inspired four generations of tap dancers, musicians and actors. She was the only tap dancer mentored by the late great bassist, Ray Brown. She is grateful to have been mentored by a generation of artists from the vaudeville stage, including Charles “Cookie” Cook, Buster Brown, Steve Condos, Eddie Brown and Harriet Browne. Heather has been featured on radio, television, film and social media and has received numerous awards for contributions to her field.. Her 9-hour aural history is included in the NYC Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in NYC. She has been training the next generation of artists at her annual Tap Labs for 30 years, where she pioneered a style of teaching that is unique to the world of tap. She is presently on faculty at Hope College in Holland, MI where she is creating the first Percussive Dance and Music Minor of its kind and will exist between the music and dance departments, creating a collaboration between departments. This minor will launch in the Fall of 2022.
Thank you to her mentors who inspired her with their living history and their passion, keeping them vulnerable in a difficult world. Improvisation is the conversation that heals.
For more information on Heather’s work, check it out here!