Intersections of Anna and Lawrence Halprin's Collective Creativity: Using Site-Specific Dance to Engage Post-Industrial Flint with Riverbank Park

Abstract

To answer the question of how does Flint respond to Riverbank Park today, I examine Anna Halprin’s approach to dance through the lens of pragmatist John Dewey’s philosophy of art as experience, in order to outline a framework for Anna and Lawrence Halprin’s collaborative process for working with communities facing social and environmental issues. Then, I discuss the results o f applying Anna Halprin’s dance philosophy and method at Riverbank Park, a space designed by Lawrence’s firm, with the Riverbank Park Dance Project, which engaged the Flint community with Riverbank Park through a series o f site-specific workshops and performances. The project discovered that while there were a lot of different experiences with the park, there were also many reoccurring themes. The 2014 workshops identified that the community is unaware of the park’s history, and that they had a greater appreciation for the park when they knew the history and intentions while engaging with the space. In 2015, community members reflected on memories, issues of blight and safety, and a desire to see it maintained more regularly. Artists involved in the rehearsals gained new experiences working with the collaborative process and the site-specific environment while feeling a greater sense of community and park awareness. Overall community responses to the Riverbank Park Dance Project demonstrated a change in negative perceptions about the park, increased cultural awareness, and a sense of community between diverse populations.