task 2d - inquiry

Finding my line of inquiry

This is something that i have been considering for a while and have not found an easy task. There is such a variety of experiences and people that i work with every day, with so many different questions and ideas that arise, finding one line/person/idea has been difficult. There are so many things i love about what i do day to day as well as specific experiences i have had. I hope by answering the questions asked in the hand book help me come to a decision!
Did anyone else find this?

What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?

In my day to day practice, seeing personal achievements, no matter how big or small, makes me enthusiastic and re ignites my passion for teaching. My belief that dance should be for everyone is a re occurring theme so a student or pupils personal achievement that may gives someone more confidence or allow them to progress in their grade work or class makes me enthusiastic. Everyone's goals and achievements are different, I love teaching the variety of different age groups and abilities so that everyone can have that feeling that dance can provide, which no written or spoken words can give. Dance can be an unspoken form of communication that people from all backgrounds. cultures and social groups can take part in and come together. I would like to find out more about how to make dance more accessible to everyone. There is a stigma attached to dance, particularly for boys, and in terms of image which i would love to stamp out. Many adults who come to my class were afraid for so many years to come incase they got something wrong or felt 'silly'. I run my adult classes under a company called Popdance, and the founder, Sue Wybrow, started the classes to stop people feeling this way and allow adults of any age or ability to dance.
http://popdance.co.uk/about-us/meet-the-team/

I admire Sues bravery to start up a dance company as a non dancer, for those who just want to dance for fun. As a dancer i feel strongly about dance and its discipline etc but also want that incredible feeling dance can give you to be accessible to everyone. Sue has allowed that to happen and has now developed the company, providing classes for children, tots and adults and runs 'Popdance active and able' for children and adults with physical and learning disabilities,

Possible line of inquiry: Making dance more accessible by removing stigma attached and allowing everyone the freedom of dance.

What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the anger or sadness?

Sadly there is still a real 'stigma' attached to dance. The ratio of boys to girls at all the dance schools i have taught in is so one sided and the boys that do attend often leave as they get older due to peer pressure or because they feel on their own. Just yesterday a parent bought her little boy to a toddler ballet class and immediately asked if we got many boys and would the class be too girly for him. I tried to explain we do tailor our classes for everyone but sadly ballet is associated with being 'girly'. At one of the dance schools i teach at the owner, Miriam Bold, is hoping to introduce a specific 'boys ballet' class to encourage more boys to join. I think this will be invaluable as with a class of their own the boys will hopefully not feel so self conscious as they might in a class of girls and can work specifically on boys work and strengthening.
Something that continues to make me angry is the ignorance surrounding what it takes to train to be a dancer, whether it be working as a professional or teaching the art. The discipline, the long hours, the lack of social life, the competitiveness of the profession, seems to go completely unnoticed. I am not saying those in other jobs do not work hard, not at all, but i'm sure some of my friends think all i do is run around on my toes all day! Come and do one of my days and see how you feel after! A parent once asked me if i had a 'real' job, as if teaching for up to 9 hours a day, 6 days a week, was just some hobby i did! I am sure many of you dancers on this course will appreciate this and i know my collegues share my feelings. I have learnt to try and let it go, as this is something that would drive me mad if i continued to dwell on it!

Possible line of inquiry: similar to that of above, removing the stigma attached to dance

What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also
seems to love this or is an example of what you love?

Something i love about what i do is the social and psychological benefits dance can have, particularly in the classes i teach for adults. I have recently started writing a blog for the company Popdance, http://www.liannepopdance.blogspot.co.uk
about the various benefits dance can have aside from the obvious links to fitness and exercise. Having had experiences with the adults that i teach i understand that dance class for them can be so much more than the dancing, but meeting others, escaping real life for an hour and building their confidence and self esteem. I teach several adult classes a week and all the ladies have become friends and often go for a coffee or a drink after class together. This is exactly what Sue Wybrow the founder of Popdance who i have previously mentioned wanted to achieve and i admire her greatly for making this happen.

Possible line of inquiry: understanding both physical and mental benefits of dance

What do you feel you don’t understand? Who do you admire who
does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not
understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same
questions as you?

Something i really struggled with when i first began teaching was the marketing and advertising side of running dance classes - seeing it a business. I had absolutely no experience in business or marketing and its something i have had to learn along the way through my peers and experiences. I am extremely lucky to work along side several ladies who own dance schools and have a fantastic knowledge and understanding in how to market their classes and make their schools successful. Miriam Bold owner and principal of the dance studio (http://www.thedancestudioherts.co.uk/4.html) has almost 500 pupils and has been running the school for 15 years. As mentioned above the owner at Popdance, Sue Wybrow does not come from a dance background, her knowledge lies in marketing and advertising making her the perfect person to start up a business. My boss at Hillingdon Theater Dance School, Helen White (http://www.htdancecentre.co.uk/index.php?page=dance-teachers) has successful expanded the school since taking over 3 years ago through the power of social media and getting online. I really admire all these ladies and their dedication to advertising and marketing to ensure classes can continue to run and be financially viable. There are still many parts of running a dance business that i know nothing or little about but i do understand that finding and marketing to your target audience and continually advertising is crucial to running a strong and successful business.

possible line of inquiry: How important is business within dance?

How do you decide the appropriate ethical response in a given situation? To
what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more
generally in society? For example, what level of physical contact would you
deem appropriate (and not) from another professional that you would find
unacceptable more generally? Why?

Dance teaching and its disciplinary responses are certainly a very different to that of what you might expect from generally in society.  I feel it is extremely important to attend child protection courses have guidlines in relation to a physical touch. I hold a current DBS and also ensure parents are familiar with me and allow a trust to build between parents and carers as well as the children so that they feel reassured that their children are safe with me, The nature of the subject does some times require a 'hands on' approach in order to be able to physically correct a position or movement of a pupil in order for them to learn and progress giving them the best possible teaching and understanding. Of course the pupil can learn through demonstration and verbal explanation but sometimes helping the child move so they can feel a muscle etc working can be the best way to learn - i know i found this when training.
In other lines of work the level of physical contact would be very different and perhaps in general society contact such as a handshake, would be a show of trust.
Situations such as children changing at the side of the studio between classes, or changing side of stage during a performance due to a quick change would not be seen in general society. In my occupation this is deemed ethically acceptable however i must be aware of others and take responsibility for the children involved and ensure their safety in what could be a vulnerable situation.

possible line of inquiry: Is the importance of safe guarding children affecting the 'hands on' approach to teaching dance?