The Dance of the Hero in South Africa

7th Annual International Creativity Conference for Educators, 7 - 9 October 2012
18th Annual International Creativity Conference in South Africa, 9 - 12 October 2012 

THE DANCE OF THE HERO: UNCOVERING CREATIVITY

Marcel van der Pol, KERIDWEN

Making up stories is one of the oldest ways of getting out-of-the-box. In a story everything is possible; the use of fantasy and imagination can be boundless.
Many innovation and creativity techniques focus on people’s thinking abilities: solving a problem like a complex jigsaw puzzle. We love to get out-of-the-box, but mostly we are obliged to follow certain procedures in getting out-of-that-box, too. We love to be free minded (and divergent thinkers) but goals (what goals?) got to be realised, problems (what problems?) got to be solved (by convergent thinking). It has become a paradox: structured creativity, planned discovery, out of a small box within a bigger one, confined divergent thinking. 

The The Dance of the Hero® focuses on a specific aspect of storytelling: people’s ability to roam freely inside their imagination. Solving a complex jigsaw puzzle starts with a defined problem and always ends up within a specific range of solutions, while neglecting useful insights and ideas from outside this range.  Telling stories and exercising creativity without an immediate problem maximizes the chance for serendipities and happenstances.

Still beneath the endless surface of every story certain patterns can be found. How does the main character perceive his story world? What is his paradigm, his looking-glass through which he both filters all the story input and his own (re)actions? Why does he narrow his experiences to certain events and decisions? How does the storyteller’s lead motive manage his main character? Storytelling as a paradox: confined freedom, both the boundless freedom of fantasy and imagination and the preset storyteller’s perception of the world.

In this workshop I would like you to experience the storytelling paradox. You will explore the utilization of this paradox: applying story patterns, especially the lead motive, to use fantasy and imagination at best for finding new ideas (even without an immediate problem) and making them work.  So let’s uncover your creativity!

Read more... Keridwen  -  The Dance of the Hero  -  South Africa

 

Marcel van der Pol (Workshop "The Dance of the Hero")

Starting as a biologist, since 1986 Marcel has been active as  lecturer in higher education, as  trainer/coach in management skills, in teaching/training skills, in personal growth and artistic-creative development, as mediator and as a theatre maker.
In 1997 he founded Keridwen, in order to discover, create and present new possibilities in personal and organisational growth. Keridwen’s work distinguishes itself by the frequent use of fantasy and creativity together with cognition and analysis. Inspiration is the magic word. Keridwen and inspiration are both concepts born from the Celtic legend:  Three drops of inspiration.

In 1999 he created “The Arrow in the Bull’s Eye”, an inspiring program on learning to be a committed, inspiring, and creative teacher/lecturer. Later this program has been expended to include trainers, speakers, facilitators, etc.
In 2002 he created "The Dance of the Hero", a surprising "head, heart and hands"-concept in personal and organisational growth and creativity. In 2005 he created "The Gordian Egg", the paradoxical follow up of the Dance of the Hero", the structered/unstructured journey of discovery into creativity.

Since 2007 he divides his time between Keridwen, and delivering interactive lectures,  and his solo performances.

Read more... Keridwen  -  The Dance of the Hero  -  South Africa