[-empyre-] -empyre- bios

[Rodney Chabikwa]

Greetings, 
I’m Tawanda, a Zimbabwean artist-scholar currently at the Ohio State University in the U.S.  Academically, I have a B.A in Human Ecology (focus on creative studies), an MFA in Dance and I’m working on a PhD in Dance Studies.  Creatively, I work with visual art, short film, creative writing, sound and contemporary (whatever that means) dance/performance.  I’m a firm believer in interdisciplinary collaboration and fan of creative processes in all fields.  

My current work – aims to trouble the subordination of dance’s practice-based research to empirical/scientific research by highlighting the value of the body as a vital intersection. Creative processes in dance and choreography produce knowledge at the intersection of multiple fields of knowledge – culture, technology, philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, aesthetics, semiotics etc. In essence I’m fiddling with an inversion: using practice to critique theory as a model for creating knowledge and not vice versa.  I’m interested in exploring what I see as a lateral relationship between theory and practice.  

I’m focusing on practice-based research in human subjectivity and working on/with some experimental ethnography models in/for practice-based research that works in collaboration with new media, theories of citation and emergent complexity.  As someone new to the list I have lurked, lingered and learnt from the sidelines and I’m thoroughly enjoying all your insights and endeavors.

Peace and light, 

t
Tawanda Chabikwa
(214) 632-2996
www.ndiniwako.org