Hear the Flow: Report on the Rationale Method of Audio-Describing Dance Performances

It has now been ten years since Nathan Geering came up with an idea of a new method of bringing visual arts closer to people with visual impairments called the Rationale Method. The origins of his research on enhanced audio-describing techniques derive largely from his own interests and observations. First and foremost, as an artist and performer with a passion for breaking (also known as B-boying or B-girling, and referred to by the commercial public as breakdance, which is the name used henceforth in this report), he was well aware that there were not many breakdancers with any degree of vision loss at that time. For him, this void meant there was a gap that needed addressing. Second, he noticed that the majority of people with visual impairments in South Yorkshire (England) were not very keen on going to shows, since they found them inaccessible and—as a consequence—also unappealing. Moreover, many of those who attended the few performances that were complemented with audio descriptions found them imprecise and uninteresting. All these observations led Geering directly to the conclusion that there was a need not only for more audio description to be present on the stage, but also for this audio description to be more user-friendly (meaning both accurate and enjoyable); he had all spectators in mind, regardless of the condition of their eyesight. For this reason, he began exploring the possibilities of improving audio description methods, not so much in the context of visual impairment alone but as different ways of conceptualizing the world.

These observations were translated into the main goals of Geering's project on creative audio description, which is an audio description that utilizes, most of all, audio spatialization. This was at the time of his co-operation with Andrew Loretto (author, director, and producer) and Kaite O'Reilly (playwright, radio dramatist, and writer) which aimed to explore the accessibility of breakdance. Loretto and O’Reilly's commitment to issues related to disabilities in art and culture, as well as Geering's contacts with a neuroscientist—Dr. Aneurin Kennerley (who was, at that time, affiliated with the University of Sheffield, now at the University of Manchester) and institutions acting on behalf of people with visual disabilities (such as Royal National Institute of Blind People, RNIB) helped to lay the foundation for the Rationale Method (Chapman, 2016). The latter started as both a technique and “a theory of expressing dance movements through onomatopoeic sounds in order to develop a sense of embodied expression, a sense of self in the surrounding space and safer more stable mobility” (Hayhoe & Geering, 2020, p. 3). With time, however, it evolved into a holistic approach to inventive audio-describing and audio description itself as a creative and bespoke product based on both sound effects and a wide variety of linguistic means of expression.

To better understand the idea, one needs to note that the beginnings of the Rationale Method are strictly connected with audiodescribed dance shows, and the specificity of dance as an art form made the audio-describing techniques used to render it worth considering. Conventional audio description is a linear description, understood as a sequence of words describing a dancer's movements - usually no more than two out of all their complexity at the time, because it is impossible to describe all of them at once. Although there are a lot of people who enjoy this kind of audio-describing, many dance show spectators found it rather boring and unimaginative (Geering, 2019). Following these opinions, the Rationale team developed a form of audio description through beatboxing and emotive, rhythmical reverberations made by an artist-describer to offer a richer soundscape to visually impaired audiences and to stimulate their imaginations. With a sound effect alone, one may portray a wide array of movements in a very short space of time, since a sound gives an idea of speed, angle, and trajectory—all in one (Geering, 2019).

For this technique to be implemented, it was necessary to draw up a code—a separate notation system easily understood by all audiences—which took Geering and his colleagues six whole years. They found out that some sound effects noticeably enhance accessibility, while others, in contrast, tend to inhibit it. Therefore, they left no place for randomness in the sounds used for audio-describing and their selection was preceded by a thorough analysis of the perception of movements. Geering's team carried out an in-depth and multi-track survey concerning the accessibility of dance shows, which is an issue closely related to movement perception and dance awareness among people with sight loss as well as their interest in it. They involved respondents with different eye conditions, from typical vision to total blindness, and decided to concentrate on three different dance forms: ballet, contemporary dance, and breakdance. As a part of the study, participants watched the three dance styles without musical accompaniment possibly influencing their experience; then they answered questions about the accessibility of each form of dance such as: “on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being least favorable and 10 being most favorable), please rate how visible you found the dance movements.” In a separate study, participants were asked which movement—spin, roll, jump, slice, bounce, twist, flick, or other (to be specified)—best describes a sound presented to them. They also needed to decide whether this sound represented a high or a low movement. These questions were asked multiple times; the only thing that changed was the sound effect participants listened to. When creating the Rationale Method sound system, Geering and his colleagues followed the principle that if most of the audience thinks a particular sound effect fits a movement (e.g., a jump or a spin), this movement should always be described (that is accompanied) by this sound. In this way, they formed a complex notation system that has specific sound effects matching certain movements and ensures the highest level of accuracy in audio descriptions of dance performances. Once a language was established based on the questions asked, Geering's team could begin to teach participants dance movements and use appropriate sound effects to enhance their accessibility. As an example, they gave participants a movement instruction and instantly followed the instruction with an appropriate sound effect; then they used the sound effect in real-time as they were performing the movement (example procedures may be seen in Online Appendix A).

The answers received not only enabled the researchers to define the sound code, but also revealed breakdancing to be the most accessible form of dance for people with complete or partial sight loss, regardless of whether they were observers or dancers. This finding can be explained by the fact that the dance movements to be both seen and performed by people with low vision need to be very dynamic, as intricate movements are difficult to detect, and, moreover, many people with low vision claimed to see things better when they looked down towards the floor (these initial interviews were conducted among people from the Partially Sighted Society of Doncaster). Floors usually provide better contrast as they tend not to have complex details in them and are usually one-block color. For this reason, it is easier for individuals with visual impairments to pick shapes when looking at the floor compared to looking straight ahead where there are many details such as backdrops, people, buildings, moving vehicles, etc.

However, the study designed by the Rationale team is not limited to questioning audiences about their impressions and preferences concerning movements and sounds. To further expand upon the findings and better reveal what the most accessible movement is in each art form (ballet, contemporary dance, and breakdance), during the shows, viewers with different visual impairments will be scanned using a magnetic resonance imaging scanner that measures and maps their brains’ activities. The introductory procedure has already been carried out, but the Rationale Method team intends to perform complete scans on a much larger scale in the future. They will provide choreographers an impressive variety of information on what kind of movement these audiences respond to best and on how to make the physical aspects of the show more accessible (Geering, 2019).

Finally, the engagement of people both with and without visual impairments in the testing procedures is worth mentioning. No degree of vision loss, including total blindness, is treated as a disability by the Rationale team. On the contrary, it is taken as a unique and stimulating way of perceiving the world, just like a typical vision. Therefore, they assumed that each type of vision is an original and valuable starting point for making art, allowing for a focus on different information; this, in turn, opens up many more possibilities for creativity and innovation. The experience gained during the project implementation has been very refreshing (or even life-changing) for all its founders and participants, mainly thanks to the deepening of collaboration with associations acting for the benefit of visually impaired communities, as well as with dance performers who are blind or have limited vision; the proposed understanding of visual impairment has also enhanced the lives of breakdancers by flipping their way of thinking to explore creativity (Hayhoe & Geering, 2020). “In addition, it unlocks new possibilities by altering dancers’ vision and their perceptions of themselves” (Hayhoe & Geering, 2020, p. 6).

More recently, the Rationale Method for audio description has also been explored by other artists—professional actors, painters, and writers—throughout the United Kingdom (UK) and made available to theatre, television, and film productions. It is expected to work for live sports events, advertising campaigns, and commercials too. As it offers a technique for directors, managers, and team members to utilize different viewpoints and perspectives in highly productive ways, it may likewise be used to enhance productivity for a great range of businesses, opening them to a wider group of customers. The Rationale Method is used for describing theatre and opera spectacles, dance productions, museums and galleries, short films, and sports events. As an example, the Rationale team cooperates in the delivery of audio descriptions with institutions such as Marvel (initiative: Power of Stories Black Panther Exhibition), Women's Euros (Stoppage Time: Women's Football Herstory Exhibition), the Royal Opera House (Sight Specific Moves), the BBC (Strictly It Takes Two and BBC Breakfast), The British Paraorchestra, The Special Olympics 2017, and Stop Gap Dance Theatre Company.

This list is proof of both the universality and the attractiveness of the rationale technique of audio-describing for different audiences resulting from its creative and non-uniform approach to the process. The Rationale Method creator, in private correspondence (2021), justifies its universality as follows:

The Rationale Method has the versatility to be applied to various contexts such as theatre, television, film, sport, class delivery, movement choreography and much more. This wide range of usage is because it accurately describes movement and contextualises it with emotional intention. The language is simple and easy to comprehend, which makes The Rationale Method easily applicable to many disciplines. The Rationale Method also enhances accessibility for sighted audiences as it directs their attention to physical details they may have overlooked which in turn gives them a heightened experience. In terms of live theatrical performance, the Rationale Method has also been used to help performers who are blind navigate the space and orientate themselves seamlessly. This can be seen in the 2021 production of “Trust In Care.”

The Rationale Method has also much in common with the audio description techniques developed at the University of York as a part of the Enhanced Audio Description project proposed by Mariana Lopez and her colleagues. These researchers are also in favor of using audio spatialization—different location, volume, and intensity of sounds—in the audio description for mapping space. Both approaches to audio description have set a new trend in audio describing, enabling audio description creators to express the visual in the most concise and precise way possible and to reach all the viewers’ senses. The evidence from the study conducted in York proves that audiences receive AD enriched with audio spatialization as a positively as a traditional AD in terms of its accessibility, information load and general attractiveness (Lopez et al., 2018, 2020).

Audio description tracks prepared in accordance with the Rationale Method have gained similar recognition from audiences who—mentioning the absolutely perfect quality of sounds as well—defined them as “much more interesting” than the conventional type, “amazing,” “brilliant,” “fabulous,” and “terrific.” It was also often mentioned that this kind of audio description does not distract viewers; on the contrary, it fits the show perfectly, provides an exact description of what is happening around them, and enhances the show by being poetic and metaphorical. Audio description prepared in accordance with the Rationale Method assumptions is tailored specifically to the audience's needs, the purchaser's expectations, and the nature and atmosphere of the product described. It all makes this kind of audio description worth having in each show, especially when it enables viewers to appreciate details they would not have even noticed without it. For most viewers and audio description creators the Rationale Method simply means reinventing audio description and bringing a lot of creativity to audio-describing and to audio-visual arts in general.

Not only did individual spectators appreciate the rationale way of making visual art accessible. Among the latest successes of Geering's team, one may list the title of the Community Contributor of the Year (by the RNIB, United Kingdom), Achievement in Accessibility (during the Visibility Film Festival in the United Kingdom), and the award for the best audio description on the Superfest Disability Film Festival in San Francisco, United States of America. In recent years, the Rationale Method has gained international recognition and collaboration (based on the implementation of the techniques) with various institutions around the world, including Canada (Vocal Eye), Peru (La Plaza), Singapore (Singapore Repertory Theatre), South Africa (Ushuthu), and the United States of America (Kinetic Light). However, one should not forget about Geering's primary goals: sensitizing creators and producers to the need to ensure accessibility, making art more accessible, spreading breakdancing and love for it among dancers with visual impairment and spectators, and increasing self and space awareness among people who are blind through dance and through audio description.

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