Inspirational Monday

“I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God. Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.” 


― Martha Graham


http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/47790.Martha_Graham

Calling All Dancers!!

This post is directed to all those on the BAPP course that have worked within the commercial dance industry- this means dancers working on stage, screen, television, music videos and tours.

Please, please, please take five minutes to complete this short questionnaire: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WDZBXXC

I promise it won't take too long!

It would be much appreciated, if you could also forward the link to anyone you know of that works as a professional commercial dancer.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Danielle xxx

Reviewing Feedback from Inquiry Plan

Having looked through the feedback I have received, and a quick conversation on the phone, I feel almost exactly as I did before starting to write my Inquiry Plan: a complete jumble of thoughts and ideas that need to be re-worked, investigated and organized!

Firstly, I should say that I am fairly pleased with my plan, and reassuringly seem to be going along the right path, however I have realized that I will need to find much more literature than first anticipated to complete Module 3 successfully. It has been advised that we should have an estimate of 10-20 sources of literature in the final critical review, so I better get cracking!

Looking Outside The Box!

Having chosen such a specific subject matter: ‘Commercial Dancers in the UK,’ I was looking too directly at this and not allowing my mind to explore other aspects that will relate to my inquiry. For example, I can begin to look at literature that focuses on:

-       How the recession in the UK has affected the arts community?

-       Why being a member of a union is particularly beneficial?

-       Other successful entrepreneurs within the entertainment industry.

-       Successful self-employed business plans.

-       Related campaigns: Intern Aware, Dancers United UK etc.

I understand that the literature I am looking for now should be more theoretical, rather than contextual, and should help to support the evidence and/or themes I may find from undertaking my research.

Tools of Inquiry

I discussed in my inquiry plan, conducting four separate interviews, each with a professional commercial dancer. I did not however, go into any detail as to how the interview participants would be selected! Having realised this, I would now like to explore the idea of interviewing two dancers that are at an early stage in their career (possibly having just left college) and four dancers that are in a more advanced stage of their career. This will allow me some comparison as to the differing opinions of those with more/less experience. I feel this will add more depth to my inquiry and allow me to gain more valuable data- especially in relation to one of my inquiry questions, which focuses on how the current situation can be improved for younger dancers.

The questionnaire I have constructed using Survey Monkey, needs a little work, as it has been highlighted to me that each question should aim to gather data that will answer my Inquiry questions. Some of the questions I have included are limited, for example, they are closed questions only allowing a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. I will need to add a comment box to allow the participant to further discuss/reflect on their answer, giving me the researcher more insight into their thoughts.

Harvard Referencing

Wow this can really be confusing! I need to do some more research into how I can use this system successfully in my critical review. Some of the advice I received was:

Keep using ideas as quotes AND paraphrases – showing your understanding of citation as a method of showing sources and sharing within the text

For example

The negative statistics continue throughout the article: “Since November 2012, almost half said they had worked for no pay, while a further 51.9% were not reimbursed for expenses.”

Could be

Negative statistics continue throughout the article stating that around half of the participants to the survey were not paid (AUTHOR or if editorial organization so Guardian, DATE, PAGE number) and then the rest we go to the Bibliography.

This is something I have not yet discovered on my academic journey and so really just adds another level to my writing skills. I will look into how I can incorporate this when writing my final review.

Danielle xx

Love & Learning!

So here we are at Module Three, I am so relieved I made it! Just thought I would blog about the Campus Session I went to on Thursday! Seeing as it was Valentine's day this week, and everyone's feeling the LOVE- that was the theme of the day! 

First of all, we took the general idea of LOVE- what a an epic word! Who even knows what it means nowadays, there are so many ways of looking at it, its almost impossible to define in any way at all. It means something different to everybody! I have love for so many things, in so many different ways. It is a very beautiful, mysterious thing; everyone wants to love and be loved!

So back to the point.. We then brainstormed using this huge indescribable word as the centre point and branch off with as many ideas as possible... gestures of love, a place of love, love for you're job or you're partner, love in different cultures... the list was endless!

We then had a look at the page and tried to focus onto one or two main concepts of love. Something that interested us the most as a group, something we wanted to investigate further. We took the idea of Obsession, and entered the word into google to see what we found. Paula helped show us that the first hits on google weren't necessarily the best or most related searches. We went through and looked at the second, third page and found some much more interesting sources. We then tried to enter into Summon... entering different keywords to get the most relevant information was really useful and helped me to understand how I can get the most out of Summon when looking for sources for my literature review.

The session today helped to focus my thoughts and helped me to understand how you can take what seems like a huge idea or task and begin to concentrate and direct you're thoughts toward somewhere more specific. Using my study time wisely is so important and I feel that I have discovered new tools and ways of helping me to contain my thought process and gain a wider perspective on the topic at hand!!

Much Love xxxxx

New Years Resolution!

http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2009/04/23/how-to-stop-procrastinating-7-timeless-tips/

Inquiry Questions...

I am struggling to decide on the questions/objectives I will focus on researching for my inquiry. The topic I have chosen: professional commercial dancers in the UK working for low to no pay, covers such a wide area, I hope that by narrowing down the questions I intend to explore, it will enable me to provide the most benefit to those working alongside me. Here are some ideas that are of interest to me- Please feel free to comment!

Under what circumstances might a professional dancer work for low to no pay?
Finding real examples of this situation may help others to understand in which instances this may be career enhancing or of detriment to career development.

Can working for low to no pay at the beginning of you're career be considered an internship in the commercial dance industry? If so, when does it end?

How important is it to be part of a union or collective that stands up for rights of pay within the workplace? How many commercial dancers are a member of a union and are they aware of the benefits this can bring to their professional wellbeing?

Do commercial dancers feel able to speak up about inadequate pay issues in the workplace? There is often fierce competition for work in the dance industry, therefore, do dancers shy away from speaking up and asking questions to their agent or employer about financial concerns, due to fear of losing the job?

What impact does choosing to work for free have on others working within the same community that have made the decision not to do so?

What standards of pay should a commercial dancer expect within their varying workplace? Are there guidelines set out for employers? How many are aware of the minimum wage?

How can we help to educate future generations of dancers, starting their careers in this industry, about standards of pay? How many professional colleges educate their students about how to understand and cope with finances as a self-employed dancer?

Updated Rationale for Award Title!

BA Hons in Professional Practice (Performing Arts)

At the age of eighteen, I was awarded a full scholarship to attend Cambridge Performing Arts College. After studying there for three years, I achieved a Professional National Diploma in Musical Theatre (NVQ Level 6.)

Before attending CPA, I always intended to pursue a career solely in dance, although the intensive training I received at college, in all three disciplines of dance, singing and acting, helped me to realise my potential as a triple-threat performer and the advantages this can bring in the workplace. I recognised that to become highly skilled in all three disciplines opened up many new doors to me in terms of professional work available, and the career I intended to pursue.

Since 2009, I have been working as a self-employed performer and have worked extensively within the performance industry, in varying roles, spanning genres such as commercials, film, television, theatre, stage and tour. I have had the opportunity to experience working practically in all three performance disciplines within a professional company, and also on individual contracts, which is something I always aspired to achieve.

I have chosen my professional practice title to be ‘performing arts’, because this is a field of practice I have always been immensely passionate about. My horizons are often broadened with the scope of work available for trained performers that are able to offer more than one area of high level expertise. The performing arts can be applied to so many aspects of the industry, I appreciate the fact that my skills are transferable and have always used this to my advantage during castings, auditions and at work.  

I hope that this title will demonstrate to future employers that I am a determined individual with a vast amount of vocational expertise and academic knowledge in this field, together with having gained a higher level of cognitive skills during the course. My professional inquiry will focus on professional dancers in the UK working for low to no pay; the effects this is having and how we, as a collective, can try to improve the situation. I hope that by completing my research, I will gain a deeper insight into the reasons many dancers are earning below minimum wage and how I, alongside recent campaigning, can inform others of their rights and educate college graduates of what to expect when entering the professional workplace. At present, my own aspiration is to continue to establish and further my career as a self- employed performer, using the knowledge and enthusiasm that I hope to gain from carrying out my professional inquiry.

My past experiences in education have all included the ‘performance arts’, so it is essential in my mind that my award title and inquiry correspond with this. I have been on such a journey to reach this point in my studies, I know that on completion of this course, the award title BA Honours in Professional Practice (Performing Arts) is very much appropriate with regards to my previous training, my present circumstance and most importantly my future progression.