"Hip-Hop... You Don't Stop" : Exploring Experiences of Pandemic Pedagogical Connection

Abstract

Can you feel the groove? Hip-Hop has the rhythmic power to connect individuals while providing an outlet for creative expression. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disruption in our day-to-day lives, causing a sense of disconnect between each other. The implementation of government protocols such as mask mandates, social distancing, and the transition to virtual learning has caused challenges for teachers in the dance community. I am curious to phenomenologically inquire into the experience of pedagogical connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Can we connect in a time of disconnection? The purpose of this Motion-Sensing Phenomenological study is to understand the interactive experiences of connection through Hip-Hop dance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants of this study were three Hip-Hop dance teachers who taught consistently, in-person or online through interactive technology during the pandemic. By actively immersing myself in the pedagogical connection, I observed, moved, and sensed this phenomenon in action. I conducted semi-structured motion-sensing phenomenological interviews with teacher to elaborate on their meaningful and connective experiences. Drawing from my participatory sensations and observations, I used the Interactive Function to Flow Model (Lloyd & Smith, 2022) to form my research questions: What connective postures showed when a participant was ready to groove? What connective gestures drew out the moments of connection? What qualities of timing and force cultivated feelings of a connection, and what kinaesthetic sensations were experienced when connections were felt? By stepping into these motion-sensing experiences, pedagogical connective moments emerged between participants, revealing somatic connective meanings in Hip-Hop dance. A deeper understanding of the intricate relation between Hip-Hop, movement, and its connective power within a global pandemic was found tethered within three contexts: a cypher, a partnered dance activity, and beyond a four walled computer screen. From relational positions of teacher and students, connective gestures shaped moments of collective synergies cultivated interactive flow. Despite the barriers of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can feel the groove, and it is clear with HIP-HOP, WE DON’T STOP.