News

Sir Ken Robinson: Brief encounters with deep impact

It was with huge shock and deep sadness that I received the news of Sir Ken Robinson’s death from cancer back in August 2020. It was with huge shock and deep sadness that I received the news of Sir Ken Robinson’s death from cancer back in August 2020.

I first met Ken (as I knew him) in the late 1980s in England after I heard him speaking passionately about plans for the arts within the government’s planned national curriculum for England and Wales. At this time, Ken was Professor of Education at Warwick University and I was team leader with the London Borough of Newham Dance Team. His strategic thinking and wise insights about the place of drama as a curriculum subject within its own right resonated with hopes for dance within the national curriculum. We spoke briefly and he encouraged my public advocacy work for dance education at the challenging time of Thatcher’s government leading Britain with neo-liberal influences upon education. We met again as Ken directed the UK’s Arts in Schools project and he provoked my thinking further about dance education advocacy as well as encouraging me to embark upon my Masters study in arts education.  

Later we met when I had moved to lecture not far from Warwick in Birmingham, and was board member with the Birmingham Royal Ballet where I established the education committee. I recall our conversations about the perplexing and frustrating low position of dance in the curriculum and, after I left for Australia, Ken followed me at the BRB with ever more innovative initiatives such as the company’s talent identification program Dance Track. 
Further brief encounters included meeting as Ken delivered stirring keynotes in Australia at the 2005 Australia Council’s Backingour Creativity conference in Melbourne, then in Lisbon 2006 at UNESCO’s first World Conference on Arts Education which culminated in the Road Map for Arts Education.  According to that road map, “21st century societies are increasingly demanding workforces that are creative flexible, adaptable and innovative and education systems need to evolve with these shifting conditions” (UNESCO 2006). Ken’s influence upon educators’ thinking about creativity and his ability to engage audiences with profound insight, humour and humility were a joy to behold. His telling of the story of ballerina and Cats and Phantom of the Opera choreographer Gillian Lynne https://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=Dewkj80G4as  is well known to many as he provoked all to consider the complexities of embodied intelligence intrinsic to dancing. 

Later, as daCi and the World Dance Alliance embarked upon their first publication emanating from the 2012 Taiwan joint congress, Ken generously agreed to contribute the foreword to Dance Education around the World: Perspectives on dance, young people and change (Svendler Nielsen, Charlotte, Burridge, Stephanie 2015), and he since also wrote the foreword for the latest book Dancing Across Borders: Perspectives on dance, young people and change (Svendler Nielsen, Charlotte, Burridge, Stephanie 2019).

I didn’t know Ken at all well, but our brief encounters left a profound effect upon me as a dance educator and his thinking has inspired so many of us. Ken was indeed a close friend to dance, in 2018 prompting all to consider ‘Why dance is just as important as math in school’ https://ideas.ted.com/why-dance-is-just-as-important-as-math-in-school/    

He will be very much missed. On behalf of daCi, my deepest sympathies go out to Sir Ken’s family and friends and to all those he inspired during his transformative time with us.

Jeff Meiners, daCi Chair-Elect

With great sadness, I share the news about the passing of long-time member of daCi community Meri-Helmi Tegelman. She passed away on May 30, 2020 in Kuopio at the age of 82.

Meri was born in Vyborg on July 4, 1937. Vyborg, now part of Russia, was then part of Karelia, Finland. As a child, she experienced two evacuation trips from Karelia. During her school years in Munkkiniemi, Helsinki she developed a great interest in the arts and sports and practiced them, especially modern dance and water skiing, actively.

Meri joined her husband Heikki, an architect, to different cities in Finland and abroad, including Dar-es Salaam and Benghazi. With five children, she still found time to enjoy and practice the arts, especially dance. When the family settled in Kuopio and the children grew independent, Meri founded the Kuopio dance studio and also worked as a county artist in dance. With these activities, she developed the foundation for dance education in the Kuopio area. Internationality was a natural part of her dance school and her professional activities. Among these activities was a collaboration with Russian dance schools, with the aim to support the development of dance education there.  Meri was the founding member of daCi Finland and daCi national representative of Finland for many years. She was the local host of the memorable daCi 1997, “The call of forest and lakes”, and continued to take part in subsequent daCi conferences for many years to come.  

Meri believed in the educational power of art and dance.  For her, the interest of the child, and the student, was always the focus of dance education, and she cherished her students’ creativity.

Meri opened her heart and her home to others. I miss her warm humor and will always remember her deep love for children and dance. She was always an exceptional dance educator and human being who embodied daCi values throughout her life.

Eeva Anttila, daCi past Chair
Photo: DaCi advisory board meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, 2007. Meri is sitting in the center (4^th person from left).

It is so painful to express one’s feelings in a foreign language, especially in such a sad occasion. However, I feel that I have to share a few of my thoughts with the daCi family which has meant so much to both Meri and me.

When I think of our dear Meri the photo of the two of us in Den Haag in 2004 (see below) speaks for itself. At that time, although geographically so far away, we somehow created an invisible bond and felt close to each other. (In spite of emails, we had even exchanged postcards occasionally.)  

Thank you, dear Meri, for our laughing together. Thank you for letting me share your warmth and above all to experience how great you were in your modesty.

Ivančica Janković, daCi Croatia

Dr Alfdaniels Mivule Basibye Mabingo is a longterm daCi Member who was born in Uganda and is currently teaching East African-style dance at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Recently Mabingo spoke to Radio New Zealand about how he challenges his students to examine their own backgrounds and rationalisation of the world through dance.

Listen to his interview here 

Dear daCi Friends,

We are facing global challenges now with the advancement of the coronavirus.  It has presented so many obstacles to everyone that focusing on daCi and our passions sometimes becomes secondary.  The issues and obstacles are constantly changing and shifting depending on where in the world we live and work.

Our first focus at this time is to be well, safe and care for those around us.  For those we don’t know who are suffering in the face of this virus, our thoughts and healing energies go out to everyone.

We certainly expect that with all these challenges, focusing on daCi, membership, gatherings and ideas toward the future are not our highest priorities.  Right now, the 2021 conference application deadline is more than two months away.  So, it could be that everything may begin to return to normal at that time and we can once again focus on daCi.  If for some reason the crisis is still continuing at that time, we will ask the Toronto conference planners to extend the deadlines.  Your health, safety and focus on your home community is our first priority.

So, reach out to our wonderful international dance community for the support and energy we can all share with each other.  Please send us any news items of resilience and hope to support us all through this challenging time. Be well, and take care of each other.

Susan Koff, daCi Chair and Jeff Meiners, Chair-Elect

The new website for our 2021 conference Dancing Into Communities in Toronto, Canada is now live. 

Canadian daCi members and dance supporters look forward to welcoming you to Canada in from Sunday 11 to Friday 16 July 2021. All conference activities will be held in north-west Toronto at York University, Canada’s third largest post-secondary institution with more than 50,000 students.

Registrations are open here and registration fees  are all in Canadian dollars as per the below.

​Adults: $475
Students over 18 years and Retired Persons: $225
Children and Youth (18 years and under): $175
Children/Youth Group Chaperones: $125
Daily Rate: $125

Find out more on the website here https://www.daciconference2021.yorku.ca/

From Susan Koff, daCi Chair: 

"What a phenomenal educator and even more unbelievably inspirational human being! Theresa, your capacity for caring, teaching and leading by example knows no bounds.  You are still caring, teaching and leading by example for all of us who have been truly touched by you and continue to carry you in our hearts.  I was so fortunate to interact with you both in dance education professionally, as well as in our homes and lives.  I will never forget you."

Hartland, VT – If you listen, you will hear children playing in the backyard. She lived her life through dance and movement and shared that love with all she met. Theresa Purcell Cone, 69, died early Friday morning, September 27, 2019 at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She was born June 30, 1950 in Trenton, NJ the daughter of Mark and Sophia (Sokolowski) Purcell. She and her husband, Stephen L Cone, lived in Hartland, VT.

Theresa grew up in Hamilton, NJ. She continued her education at Trenton State College/The College of New Jersey and Temple University receiving her Ph.D. in 2002. She taught for 44 years in the South Brunswick, NJ schools and at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, where she retired in 2016 as a Professor Emeritus.

Theresa and her husband, Steve, were the perfect, inseparable, pair. They were wife and husband, best friends, professional collaborators, travel companions, parents and grandparents - true soulmates. They wrote, presented and designed books, articles, presentations, art installations, table settings, interior design, and travel itineraries (they visited 87 countries and loved to visit the kids). Professionally, Theresa was president of many organizations including the National Dance Association, where she was the first National Dance Educator of the Year, and received Honor Awards at all levels. She loved teaching dance and did so in elementary schools and at Rowan University (those she taught will remember, “when in doubt, knee bounce”). She also taught for the American Repertory Ballet Company for 20 years.

She is survived by her mother, Sophia Purcell of Hamilton, NJ, her husband Stephen L. Cone of Hartland, VT, three daughters, Amy Glidden (Ryan) of Valrico, FL, Lisa Cone (Corrado) also of Valrico, FL, Meredith Cone of Seattle, WA, son, Timothy Cone (Emily) of Philadelphia, PA, grandson, Mason Glidden of Valrico, FL, sister, Patricia P. Aguilar (Paul) of Bernalillo, NM, nephew Andrew Aguilar of Los Angeles, CA., other dear relatives and countless friends. She was the daughter-in-law of Marjorie and Warren Cone, late of Hartland.

A Celebration of Life will be held next spring. Memorial contributions may be made to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association. Please share a moment at an online guest book at https://www.knightfuneralhomes.com/obituary/theresa-cone.