I Move
You can feel the energy - the vibrancy - throughout this post. Ingrid Mackinnon speaks of moving and dancing - past, present and future.
photo: Gabriel Mokake
I am a black woman. I am a movement director, choreographer, rehearsal director and educator. I was born and raised in Canada and now live in London with my husband and son. I work across the dance and theatre sectors, within a variety of different contexts. You will find me teaching modern dance technique in a university setting one day and the next day I’ll be in a rehearsal room movement directing professional actors for a theatre production. Sometimes wearing these different hats in one day. After having worked as a professional dancer, I feel extremely fortunate to still be working as an artist in my current capacity. Actually I don’t know if fortunate is the right word, as there has been loads of hard work, focus and drive mixed with a sprinkling of luck. I say this because I know that I can be modest about the work I do and as a mode of self care, I am beginning to honour myself with positive reflections on just how far I’ve come. Hello, my name is Ingrid. I have a BA in Kinesiology from Western University and a MA in Movement: Directing & Teaching from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Welcome to my Ted Talk. Ha!
My Jamaican mother enrolled me in dance lessons when I was 3 yrs old. The dance studio very quickly became my second home. I loved every moment of being there, learning new things and performing. Ah, it felt so damn good! I tell you, most dancers and movers will understand the feeling you get from connecting through movement. For me, it’s never really been about being the best, it has been about that high you get from connecting. I’ve quite literally been moving and grooving my way through life. I use movement as a form of mediation, as an emotional imperative for life. Hey! Especially in our current COVID-19 lockdown landscape, you can find me either dancing in my kitchen or moving/dancing with my students on a Zoom call. It feels like such a gift to move and enable/empower others to do the same. Kinesthetic learning is an important aspect of my work and my life. When my mental well being begins to wobble, it’s normally as a result of not having moved my body in a meaningful or expressive way for a while. If you want to learn a lot about me, just put on a really soulful piece of music. Trust me, I MOVE!
Currently, I’m coming to terms with how the world as we knew it almost imploded! Like most artists, as well as many other professions, I lost so much work in the blink of an eye. I was awestruck by the fragility of our performing arts industry. The grief is real. But we move, press on. Forward motion is a must, the only option really unless we are happy to watch it all dissolve. I know I’m not. I believe in community. The strength of the collective. Another initiative I have in my spare time is MoveSpace. I’m co-founder of this platform for movement practitioners to share and connect. I have put some of my energy into rebuilding this community. Small pebbles in the ocean but the ripples can be seen and hopefully felt.
Then the spotlight moved to Black Lives Matter after the horrendous murder of George Floyd was captured on video and spread across the globe like another virus. As a black woman, this conversation about racial inequality has always been spotlighted. In fact, the spotlight never dims. The trauma of unconscious bias, being on the receiving end of endless microaggressions and the nonstop questioning if my success is a result of tick box initiative. Well. It's a lot. But guess what? I move. I move, and it lands me in my body and all is well if only for a brief moment. It may sound idealistic but it’s what I do. I. MOVE. I channel my ancestors, my beautiful mother and a few of my favorite dance teachers. And I move...
