I first learned of the term "animating research" from LIz Lerman.

in a course of the same name at ASU, we brought research to life. at times working directly with the principal investigators, at other times becoming them ourselves. we turned research into multi-dynamic explorations using creative tools, theatre, dance, coding movement to language, etc.; in service to understanding, unfurling and portraying the myriad facets of the work. animating research adds value to the research because mixed deliverables often speak to wider audiences, the experiential nature creates added impact for the audience and the performers - and where researcher and performer are collaborators - the process can stimulate new avenues for the research itself.

i grew up an avid dancer, musical and otherwise artistically bent. before i began decolonizing my own mindbody system, i projected societies valuation scheme onto my own path and doggedly pursued academia. don't get me wrong, i love scholarly research, rigor and precision. but i don't love how one sided the research field is; how in order to understand the stories it tells, one must aspire to the elitism of higher education.

i see animating research as a means through which to bridge extremes that often separate people: the sacred and the mundane, the artistic and the academic, the feminine and the masculine. in pursuit of what i most love, i'm leaning into this technology: learning, leaning, growing. i am no expert, nor do i want to be. my work is raw, inspired by my need to understand the edges of my experience, and synthesize for understanding. join me as i explore the power of democratizing research.