Soca Dance Research
Mental health and wellness have been increasingly highlighted as priorities during post-pandemic discourse. There has also been a dearth of academic publications on soca dance – a genre indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. Taking these two factors into consideration, this research seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of soca dance as a therapeutic tool for mental health and overall well-being. Through a mixed methods approach in ethnography, Likert surveys and observation logs, statistical analysis will be used for a focus group class over a three-month period, as well as interviews with additional soca dance practitioners across the globe. Data collection and analysis will also be done for existing classes outside of the focus group towards establishment of trends in the overall well-being of class participants. With regard to the application of the study in Trinidad, it is hoped that this work will assist in proper documentation of the history and development of soca dance, archiving and preservation of our cultural work locally, as well as passing on knowledge to future generations. This research seeks to provide additional literature on soca dance, that can be used as learning resources for students and researchers in dance in Trinidad and Tobago as well as the wider Caribbean. It will provide a narrower lens, where dance students and interested researchers can learn not only from the expanse of publications that are available about the history of dance in Europe and the United States, but also have documented information on a dance form indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago.
The links below will navigate to surveys on google forms to be taken before and after a soca dance class. The form will use a randomly assigned unique identifying number so that your name and contact information would remain anonymous. Please refer to the same number you have been assigned when completing multiple survey links.
You can opt out at any time before submitting the completed form and can also choose to stop taking part in future sessions at any time without penalty. The information collected will be kept on Google Forms for the duration of the research, and subsequently deleted after the analysis is completed. Completing this survey indicates that you have read and understand the purpose of the study and that you are willing to participate voluntarily. If you have any questions or concerns, La Shaun can be contacted at the information below:
La Shaun Baird
PhD Researcher, The University of Trinidad and Tobago
[email protected]
+1 (868) 788 – 3553
Classes with Sabrina
Link for survey before taking the class: forms.gle/W8HtRQVn8fkJughE6 Link for survey after class: forms.gle/NFcm27eNEfEwvfDS6 |
CLASSES WITH PRISCILLA
Link for survey before taking the class: forms.gle/WugTemTHksqK7FpB8 Link for survey after class: forms.gle/UKPQTq94sounkzfL6 |
CLASSes with Luna
Link for survey before taking the class: forms.gle/xWnhGGdcyA55z1KH6 Link for survey after class: forms.gle/7qVAz947aLNzh6Km7 |
CLASSES WITH MARZ
Link for survey before taking the class: forms.gle/7PcB2AhGUQxUQwTLA Link for survey after class: forms.gle/8siuBRJzbkZ2uGfa8 |