Fieldwork Diary Entry (February 1, 2013)

Tonight I met Rosaria at the Cockpit Theatre an hour before class so that I could interview her.  I decided to voice record her rather than film it.   As we would be conducting the interview in the cafe/foyer area of the Cockpit as per Rosaria's suggestion, I knew there would be a lot of people coming and going. I felt these distractions would not make for a good filming experience.

Rosaria arrived on time and we launched straight into the interview.  I explained to her that I had a list of questions prepared  to use as prompts but really wanted us to have more of a chat and to see where the conversation would lead us.  I reiterated that the purpose of the  interview was to discuss her relationship with, and views of Charleston dance.

Once we started to talk, it was clear that Rosaria enjoyed being interviewed.  I was enjoying it too as it was the first time we'd actually sat down and talked at length.  Listening back to the interview, I realised there were times I interjected too much or got a bit carried away with the conversational tone and should have than pulled focus back to the topic at hand.

The interview lasted for about 30 minutes during which I found Rosaria's comments very engaging. The interview seemed to come to a natural end at that point. I had no further questions and we had started to drift off onto other topics.

I have yet to transcribe the interview and have deliberately left it for a week to put some distance between myself and the conversation we'd had.  The reason being that I had perhaps been too engaged by it.  Sentences, images and words from the interview continued to float randomly into my consciousness in the week following.

I felt the interview was a turning point in my fieldwork process with Rosaria.  She'd really opened up to me and in turn had asked me questions about myself and so I shared parts of my dance and family history with her.  I definitely felt more warmly towards her as a result and I think this was mutual.  She did not realise that I have a toddler and I think this explained to her why I was always rushing off after class rather than hanging around for a drink and chat as well as my reluctance to get involved in other side projects she mentions from time to time.

This inability on my behalf to do the 'extra-curricular' aspect of fieldwork (hang around after class to chat, socialise outside of the fieldwork site, get involved in projects that stem from the fieldwork site) means that my fieldwork is limited.  I realise this and I know how much more involved the experience could be if I did the above.  I have done so in the past for other creative work and it is of huge benefit.  This urban fieldwork I am doing is shaped most definitely by the parameters and responsibilities of my life at home in London.  Something that maybe would not be as evident in a fieldwork site away from 'home'.

The tone of the class following our interview was markedly more vigorous than it has been in the last three weeks.  I wondered if the interview had enervated Rosaria in some way.  She pushed us hard which was manna to me as I had wanted more of a challenge.   It felt as if she wanted to push us to a new level, maybe bearing in mind that she is starting a new Charleston course in two weeks at the YMCA near Tottenham Court Road tube in London.   After watching the footage that Nu shot last week, I do my level best to slouch as I saw how upright I was in those clips.  Slouching gives me much more control of the steps and results in a more fluid execution too.

The Bees Knees responded to my email and agreed to be interviewed but I have been unable to nail them to a time.  Glambop Fitness confirmed that they would be happy for me to film the class and interview them on February 13, 2013.  I am pleased by all  this activity as if feels things are moving along nicely for my research.