First Post!

Hey everyone! Or maybe it should be bonjour or even ne y windiga! 

My name is Holly and I'm keeping this blog to document my research and travels for the upcoming year (You can learn more about that in the "about me" section of the blog). A big part of my research involves a trip to Burkina Faso in January. One of the things I am most excited (and nervous) about is the inevitable language barrier that I'll be facing. I've been taking Spanish for ages and I love the language (it's even my second major) but French and Mossi, not so much. My French is limited to the little I've picked up from ballet and a few basic lessons I've had from friends (Thanks Lil!). Unfortunately, Mossi, one of the native languages in the area of Burkina Faso I will be travelling to, is not accessible in the United States at all. Regardless, I'm super excited to learn about and experience this new culture!

As a bit of an outline for my project, here is my timeline via my grant proposal:

Time Line:

Time Period	Activities
July-August	Attend any open classes on West African Dance at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
August-December	1.      Begin/Complete research on West African Dance for Dance History class and on how environment affects development in Developmental Psychology 2.      Begin Blog
January	Travel to Yako, Burkina Faso with the following goals in mind: 1.      Observing and working in: the orphanage, school, medical clinic 2.      Learning about and helping with activities involving the widow’s program 3.      Observing children (and other community members) and how they dance/move, both formally and informally 4.      Participating in traditional dances 5.      Observing the way in which the organization has been integrated into the surrounding community
February-April	1.      Write paper on how NGOs and developmental programs can help rather than hinder the success of a community 2.      Create an Arts day/children’s dance program workshop 3.      Look into creating a community movement program 4.      Synthesize research done on movement as it pertains to dance/movement therapy 5.      Finish blog and prepare to present all of my findings at the Pannell Scholars Fair presentation

See you later, Adios, Au Revoir, Nindaare!