MA Interview | Linda Tee

Linda Tee, MA in Dance Research student, reflects about her first year of research and how she uses dance to help children with disabilities and learning difficulties thrive.

Currently, Linda is focusing on her MA research project which is analysing how sensory props enhance the dance process for children and young people with disabilities, severe communication difficulties and physical differences. She joyfully recounts that the current stage of her work is ‘a confused stage’ where she is ‘excited to see the meaning through analysis of what the work that has been done.’.

Linda has been working with children and young people for a long time and so was keen to embark on the MA after feeling disconnected in lockdown. Linda describes the MA as helping her focus her practice by looking deeper and evaluating the work she does to help understand further the meaning behind it. She enjoys bringing her newly learnt theory into her work and has taken the MA course’s idea of reflective practice into her everyday work evaluation. ‘I love that [the MA] helps me get out of stuck habits. It helps me get an objective view and put into words what my practice is actually doing.’

She also enjoys how the MA has connected her to other dance professionals with a varied background. ‘I love meeting other people who also involve inclusive practices in their work. It is just so exciting for me to hear that perspective because it has brought my dance practice alive.’

When asked what the MA has given her most Linda describes how: ‘I value my experiences more now I have studied through the MA. I know that the knowledge is all there. I just feel like I am trusting myself more. I am seeing, feeling and experiencing my work more through the lens of my MA. Dance is a funny thing, because if you’re there in the moment you just know when it works. It’s that intangible feeling. I feel like I can trust that feeling more now because I have truly explored it through my MA work. I can trust myself to do well and bring out the best in the children I am working with. That’s a lot of what my work is about. Just capturing those fantastic moments and making them accessible for all and the MA has given me a greater confidence in trusting the experience inside my body.’

Photographer: Jez Ward