In any industry it is so important to know where you can find reliable information to help further your career. In this task I have been looking at the sources that I use to gain knowledge on the entertainment industry, dance diet and fitness, auditions etc.
The main and most widely source is ofcorse the internet. I use it to find out about auditions
www.thestage.co.uk
www.spotlight.co.uk
www.dancerspro.co.uk
www.dancecast.co.uk
All of these websites are well known, but not all of them post jobs that are of equity pay. I am a member of equity and this is also another source of information. I regularly recieve magazines from equity with information on dealing with taxes, being self employed etc as well as interviews with professionals and advice on all aspects of the industry. I am not good at keeping hold of the information I find most useful, However after reading Pip Spaltons Blog pipspalton.blogspot.co.uk she talks about keeping everything in a ring binder. I think this is a great idea to keep organised and find information quickly without having to route around in the bottom drawer of my desk!
I wouldnt say I read a huge amount of books but there are a few that have provided me with invaluable advice. Firstly Linda Hamiltons Advice for Dancers, is written in a simple format but gets straight to the point regarding all sorts of issues that occur in the dance world. I also find Robin D Chmelar and Sally S Fitts's Diet for dancers a great starting point for performers who struggle with their diet. Again I do not log any of this information, I do feel like I should find some key points in each of those books so that I can recall information I need as quick as possible.
Other sources of information I use is ofcorse the people I meet, everyone that I have met within the entertainment industry have some advice they are itching to share, sometimes I disagree with what people inform me with, but there are other times when people share some invaluable advice and I think I should write that down, and I never do! So from now on I think I'm going to start a mini journal consisting of what people share with me (only the bits I find helpful though!). My agent is also brilliant at letting me know what is changing in the performing world and how I need to adapt to make sure I am fitting in.
A slightly unreliable source I use is Facebook, there are lots of castings that go up on different entertainment pages but not all are genuine, so knowing who to trust is a big factor of using a social networking site as a source to find auditions etc.
Finally, when I was living in London, I was regularly going to see different shows, the opinions myself and my friends made of each show would be another source of information. Critiquing the shows helped me to see what I needed to do to get to where I want to be, unfortunately now working so far away from any theatres has meant that I havent been able to go to the theatre in quite a while. However there are lots of clips on www.youtube.co.uk that enable me to watch others perform and learn from them.
In terms of sourcing the information I gain, I would say I'm only good at separating my emails, I have a different folder with all my agents emails in so I can access them quickly. I need to start keeping the magazine clippings that I find useful and also keeping a journal of peoples advice. Looking at other peoples blogs they seem to be similar to my own sources especially regarding the internet.
Friday 18 April 2014
Thursday 17 April 2014
Task 3b: Theories relating to networking
Affiliation
Crisp and Turner describe affiliation as 'a network or support that will help us when we are in need' (2007), this, I feel is so important to remember that as humans we are biologically programmed to want to affiliate with others. I agree that our need for company varies depending on our type of personality, but I also think that certain situations can decide whether you wish to have company or not. Personally, when I have had a long, hard day I just want someone to discuss it with whereas I know one of my flatmates will always hide herself away in her room after a stressful day. I have always been so interested in why humans form strong relationships with others and yet can completely clash with someone else. Within the performing arts industry, unfortunately you need to be able to tolerate everyone as a large amount of performing jobs involve living and working with a small team of people. This industry tends to attract extroverts however it is important to recognize when people want their private time, other wise you could end up causing tensions within the team of people you are working with.
Connectivism
Connectivism suggests we can interact to learn from our professional network. I believe that we are learning everyday and I discover more and more ways of handling tasks and performing from the people that I work with. Not only do I learn what to do, I am also finding out what not to do. In my journal I have found that I come up with my own ideas from disagreeing with the ways that others do things, it would be interesting to see if I put these ideas into practice, whether they would work or not.
Communities of Practice
I can relate quite easily to the theory that we learn alot from the social interaction with people who share a common interest. I find it so difficult to explain to people the extent of what I do in my job. A lot of my friends who are not in the performing arts industry just thought I performed shows every night and had the whole day to myself, they did not understand about the rehearsal process and other duties that need to be done. However when you speak to people in the same industry as you they seem to see it from your perspective. I feel as though I have learnt a lot from various artists and teachers within the entertainment industry. Everything that I discover helps me to adapt to the ever changing world of performing arts. I have recieved so much invaluable advice.
Task 3b: Theories relating to networking: Co operation
'When should someone be selfish and when should they co operate in an ongoing interaction with another?'
Axelrod, R. (1984)
This statement and the whole idea of co operation has got me thinking about what situations do I co operate in and when do I use others for personal gain? I don't believe in using people just to squeeze information out of them or to get what you want however reflecting upon how I network I have realized that there are some networks and people that I only co operate with so I can move forward with my career plans and then I defect from them. Here are a few examples:
My Agent: When I first signed my contract with select management I did everything I could to impress the team that were sending me to auditions. I made sure I kept them informed with how each audition went and what I wanted to be put up for, I also kept my page (on their website) and spotlight up to date. I would ring my agent fortnightly just to ask about castings and to let them know what else I was doing to further my career. Now, however, its not that I have completely defected and fallen off the face of the earth, but because I have a performing contract for nine months I don't feel the need to call in or ask about new castings or what I should be doing to enhance my portfolio etc. I was invited to a dinner with the whole agency and did not make the effort to go, which really I should have as when my contract ends in November I will need to be put up for more castings.
Spotlight/The Stage/Dance cast: Obviously now that I have my new job I do not connect with anyone on these casting websites, I feel that I should keep up to date with whats happening in the dance world but its hard when you don't necessarily NEED too.
Bird College Network: Although I speak to a few people from college its no where near as many as when I was auditioning. During the period where I was out of dance work and attending auditions I would frequently message all the people within my Bird College loop, I even took time to visit a lot of them so as to stay in the Bird loop. Having the knowledge about auditions that were coming up or who was going to what was not my only motivation for connecting with my college class mates however looking back I think it really was a large part of why I kept in contact with so many of them. This seems obvious now, as I rarely make time to message anyone from Birds but I dont like the thought of just co operating with people for personal gain, it makes me feel uneasy about the world and about peoples intentions.
In my new job I work with five other cast members and we are under instruction from not only our dance captain, choreographer and director but also our manager. Our manager basically organizes everyones rotas and when they're working etc, he also ensures costumes, dressing rooms and our accommodation are kept in good condition. Recently, as a team we have not been co operating well. Initially when the contract started everyone seemed to be working together, however recently we have found our manager to be defecting from us. There were a lot of small issues that seemed to build up and when our manager decided to firstly work against us we ended up not co operating with him and it created an awful work environment. Finally everything came to a head and we had to come together for a meeting. Everyone explained how they were feeling etc and we did manage to sort out the issues however if we had not mutually decided to co operate it would have been a very hostile work environment.
I do believe that mutual co operation is the right way to work within a job situation, working your way up does not need to be malicious, but there may be oppurtunities where you can 'use' people for their skills etc to get ahead. In terms of networking, you do need to be careful when defecting against others as the performing arts industry is a 'small world' and if you treat someone with little respect and just use them for their knowledge it could then come back against you. The people that have helped me get to where I am now were more than willing to provide me with information that would help me move forward in their career, they also know that I would always do the same for them.
Axelrod, R. (1984)
This statement and the whole idea of co operation has got me thinking about what situations do I co operate in and when do I use others for personal gain? I don't believe in using people just to squeeze information out of them or to get what you want however reflecting upon how I network I have realized that there are some networks and people that I only co operate with so I can move forward with my career plans and then I defect from them. Here are a few examples:
My Agent: When I first signed my contract with select management I did everything I could to impress the team that were sending me to auditions. I made sure I kept them informed with how each audition went and what I wanted to be put up for, I also kept my page (on their website) and spotlight up to date. I would ring my agent fortnightly just to ask about castings and to let them know what else I was doing to further my career. Now, however, its not that I have completely defected and fallen off the face of the earth, but because I have a performing contract for nine months I don't feel the need to call in or ask about new castings or what I should be doing to enhance my portfolio etc. I was invited to a dinner with the whole agency and did not make the effort to go, which really I should have as when my contract ends in November I will need to be put up for more castings.
Spotlight/The Stage/Dance cast: Obviously now that I have my new job I do not connect with anyone on these casting websites, I feel that I should keep up to date with whats happening in the dance world but its hard when you don't necessarily NEED too.
Bird College Network: Although I speak to a few people from college its no where near as many as when I was auditioning. During the period where I was out of dance work and attending auditions I would frequently message all the people within my Bird College loop, I even took time to visit a lot of them so as to stay in the Bird loop. Having the knowledge about auditions that were coming up or who was going to what was not my only motivation for connecting with my college class mates however looking back I think it really was a large part of why I kept in contact with so many of them. This seems obvious now, as I rarely make time to message anyone from Birds but I dont like the thought of just co operating with people for personal gain, it makes me feel uneasy about the world and about peoples intentions.
In my new job I work with five other cast members and we are under instruction from not only our dance captain, choreographer and director but also our manager. Our manager basically organizes everyones rotas and when they're working etc, he also ensures costumes, dressing rooms and our accommodation are kept in good condition. Recently, as a team we have not been co operating well. Initially when the contract started everyone seemed to be working together, however recently we have found our manager to be defecting from us. There were a lot of small issues that seemed to build up and when our manager decided to firstly work against us we ended up not co operating with him and it created an awful work environment. Finally everything came to a head and we had to come together for a meeting. Everyone explained how they were feeling etc and we did manage to sort out the issues however if we had not mutually decided to co operate it would have been a very hostile work environment.
I do believe that mutual co operation is the right way to work within a job situation, working your way up does not need to be malicious, but there may be oppurtunities where you can 'use' people for their skills etc to get ahead. In terms of networking, you do need to be careful when defecting against others as the performing arts industry is a 'small world' and if you treat someone with little respect and just use them for their knowledge it could then come back against you. The people that have helped me get to where I am now were more than willing to provide me with information that would help me move forward in their career, they also know that I would always do the same for them.
Sunday 13 April 2014
Task 3a Current Networks
What are your current and different ways (tools) that you have, do, engage your professional network?
Currently I use a variety of ways to network:
Currently I use a variety of ways to network:
- Facebook: Obviously facebook is the main source that I use to network as it has everyone that I went to school, college and work with, they can all see my page and can contact me if they need to. I now put my facebook url onto my CV as I know employers like to use it as a way of determining a someones personality before they employ them. On facebook there is a group called the hustle, it has thousands of dancers, singers, actors, casting directors, agents and performers who post in the group and everyone keeps one another up to date on audition news and what classes are worth going to. People also post accommodation on there so that if you are looking for somewhere to stay in London you can have the option of living with other performers. I have all my portfolio pictures on my facebook as well as my dance reel as I like to get feedback from other performers as well as take every oppurtunity to promote my skills.
- Twitter: I don't use twitter to promote what I do as much or get networked with other professionals as its hard to have a private conversation with someone via this site. However it is great for finding out news about auditions, classes and also fitness tips etc (something I am really interested in).
- Youtube: I find youtube is perfect for promoting your skills as you can put up various show reels and performances, this is the link to a few of my youtube videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJpcZWlSUgc&feature=share&list=FLSYRk1YmGR-N6mDsH57qqEQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-jx-ad_l6w&feature=share&list=FLSYRk1YmGR-N6mDsH57qqEQ&index=2
- Previous College: I trained at Bird College and many of my fellow classmates are now working in various sectors in the arts. I feel that keeping in contact with them enables me to network with a wider group of people. For example if one of my college friends introduces me to a teacher who they have been taking class from that is another new person I have networked with, I may attend that teachers class and then they know who I am as I have already been introduced, that teacher may have a choreographer friend who is looking for someone with my physique etc. I believe that meeting and connecting with one person will always lead to meeting and connecting with another therefore building yourself a new network of people.
- Classes: Taking class is another great way of networking with people, it is hard to interact within a class situation however the more classes you go to the more people will recognize your face and the more likely you are to connect with them.
What are the established (and different) ways that others use their networks, especially if they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire?
- Many established choreographers take workshops at Professional Colleges. Taking these workshops instantly results in the choreographer being more widely known to a group of students. The choreographer may also find dancers that they wish to employ from these colleges. It was something that happened alot at Bird and now several students are working for the choreographers that took our workshops at college. This is also a way for the choreographer to promote a new show that they may be involved with or a new piece that they are creating.
- Again facebook is a great way to network with new people. A friend of mine managed to set up his own classes just from posting videos onto facebook and creating a page to promote his class. http://youtu.be/cohFNwvyHOU This was really effective, his class size grew significantly in just a few weeks.
- Many established artists and performers including many students or new graduates like myself are on www.spotlight.com, which is a site that you have to pay for but can only be on if you have or are an agent. There are thousands of castings on there and it is also a place that casting directors go to take a look at prospective performers.
Are there methods, approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you develop your professional networking?
- I often email my friends if I dont have enough time to talk to them on the phone, its a great way to keep in contact when so far away from home and it means you can attach pictures etc so people can see how you are getting on. I could use this more within my professional networking, I know people have personally emailed a casting director when they are auditioning for new shows. Attaching your head shot , cv and a short note just keeps you in the mind of the casting director if you are auditioning in front of them. Whether they read it or not its better to say that you have made the effort and tried rathar than doing nothing to help yourself stand out.
- Within my social networking I do like to call my family from time to time, personally I would not call a casting director however I would feel comfortable ringing a teacher that I had met a pineapple or studio 68 and asking their advice on certain issues, some people may see this as nagging or brown nosing people but I think that established professionals have all had to do the same to get where they are and 99% of the time they enjoy handing out their advice.
When you think upon current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the network and what values and purposes they have in mind?
Generally I like to think that everyones motives for being within a network that I am associated with is for morally good reasons. However I am not that naive to think that way. For example within my college 'friends' there are people who have quite blatantly 'used' others just for information. We all want to get ahead and sometimes it is the people who step on others that get to where they want to be quicker. Personally, I feel that you can get to where you want to be and still be a genuinely good person. Most people within my college year group help one another out they 'co-operate' with one another rather than 'compete'. To be honest I think that in the performing arts industry it is very hard to work out who is a real friend to you and who is just after information.
What would your ideal network look like and why?
I think simply for ease of use a facebook group is the best way to connect to a network. You can post questions and advice on there as well as pictures, videos and any other resources you might want to share. Being a performer I would have a select group of dancers, singers and actors that would be invited to the group. I think it would be necessary to have established professionals such as choreographers, teachers and casting directors who can give more experienced advice concerning the industry.
What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?
To develop my ideal network, I would first need to connect with the people who I'd like to bring together into a community. This would involve attending various classes, meeting new people and keeping in contact with them, adding all the new people I have met on facebook and ensuring I stay fresh in their minds (keep refreshing my news feed, posting various things on their facebook walls). I would also have to ensure that I do not instigate negative gossip about the people I have met as this will encourage them to be wary of me and possibly give them a reason to not connect with me.
What tools and methods do you need to use? what do you know about your current and intended networks, and importantly, what do you not know?
Let's start with the networks I am currently involved in, With my college networks I do not know everyones intentions or their purposes for being in a community of class mates. This can be quite a scary thought as you do not know who is genuine and who is out there to work against you. On the positive side there are people that I am close with and I am aware of their intentions.
In terms of tools and methods, I would be using what I have learnt about Web 2.0 to bring together my network of people as an online community. I would need to lay down a list of guidelines for the users of my group to prevent conflict (e.g. please do not post personal information or opinions of people). I would also need to be well connected with everyone in the group so I know each persons intentions and their role within the community.
Saturday 12 April 2014
Task 2d Inquiry
This task is about finding out how the ideas of reflection relate to me, slightly daunting task if you ask me. I'm aware that I use reflection in everyday life as well as my professional working life but now I need to discover themes within my journal, blog and reflective thoughts. Time to give it a good go!
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?
As a musical theater enthusiast I used to keep really up to date with new musicals that were coming out, youtube is amazing for looking up broadway and west end productions as well as documentaries on new shows that might be going to the leicester curve or chicester playhouse. However recently I have not had as much time to enjoy youtube. Since starting my new job I have been really rushed off my feet. I hate to think that my job is getting in the way of my passion as the majority of my job IS my passion! I have taken some time today to view my favourite youtube musical theater videos and will share them with you now,
http://youtu.be/SGnRwgtsjH4 : Addams family musical
Legally blonde the musical rehearsal http://youtu.be/hgINaGab5uM
Since starting this course I have been so interested in the different people that are mentioned in reader 2. I did a lot of research on Twyla Tharp and read a few interviews with her, she comes across as a bit bonkers but definitely a person I would love to meet. She has some brilliant advice that to anyone who isnt a dancer would think she was barmy, but I feel like I understand where shes coming from. She worked so hard with her company, performing for five years in various venues where they were getting little or no money.I then watched various sequences she has choreographed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/23/books/dance-a-day-in-the-life-of-twyla-tharp.html I really like this interview in the new york times, its like your spending the day with her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWnEGqf6eKc This is a piece called the Upper Room by Tywla Tharp. I really enjoy how the back four dancers choreography clashes with the front four dancers,the back group are jazzier and stronger whereas the front four perform a ballet-esque pas de deux thats beautiful, I just love that contrast. I also really enjoy how Tywla's choreography for the women matches the men in speed, strength and agility.
I really love to know peoples backgrounds and the way Twyla Tharp interviews is so engaging. I am like this in every day life, I'm very interested in people and very much like to listen to peoples issues, triumphs and trebulations. I think it is a trait I have inherited from my Dad, he's a people person and part of his job is listening to how people are getting on with their lives.
What gets you angry or sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
Spending three years at dance college has given me a very thick skin, I used to get so upset if I wasn't in a piece at college or if I was given a correction in a blunt way. However now I brush alot of negativity off my shoulders as I feel its toxic and a waste of energy to dwell on the bad. I do get very upset if anyone treats my family badly or speaks ill of relatives. My mum is very much the same, shes a very busy lady and she does incredible amounts for my family, she never gets upset if shes struggling with things in her life but when any of her children are having a hard time she lets it get to her. I have sat with my mum when she's been in tears over my brother and tried to console her, she just loves us so much she wants us to be happy. My mum rarely breaks down, and when she sees me crying she always seems to know the right thing to say. It makes me wander if I'll be the same if I ever have kids, is everyones mum all knowing? I think about how lucky I am to have someone love me so much that they would do anything for me. My mums a teacher and sometimes her students can be so rude, it really does anger me, however I have come to realise that we all used to complain about our teachers from time to time and to me my mum is my mum but to her students she is their teacher, its a completely different relationship.
I also find that in the work place I get really angry when people do not pull their weight. Most recently we had a guy who was employed by the company to join our team. Initially he was very excited and talked about how hard he was going to work etc. However as the days went on he was turning up to work late, scruffy and then leaving early. He missed three, two hour rehearsals and didnt learn his words for the shows. It was a really hard situation to be in as I lived and worked with this guy. I honestly did not know how I was going to cope with him for nine months, especially when the rest of us are working as hard as we possibly can. I found writing in my journal so therapeutic, I listed ways in which he pushed my buttons and then listed ways in which I could avoid being around him. After four weeks he ended up getting the sack any way so I managed not to lose the plot!
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?
It really is difficult to describe what I love about performing. When I was younger it was the rush of being in front of an audience and essentially showing off. Now? Its just an indescribable feeling when your pushing your body to the limits and you've got the music pumping and the lights flashing in your eyes making you 10x hotter than you already are. Theres a solo in the 90's show that I am a part of and the build up before it is just amazing, then the music kicks in and I dont even have to think about what my body is doing it just does it. I love working with other talented people who share my passions and who also want to be the best they can be. The thing about being a dancer is that you can never be the best, theres always a bit more stretching you could do, or have more in sight into the piece you are performing, you're always learning and improving. I think that's what I love most about being a dancer is that I know I'll always have something to work on, and when you've achieved a new target it feels fantastic!
There was a girl in my year at college who I admire so much, she just had the best work ethic, I've always found her very inspiring. I have attached a video of Chester who was in my year group as well, he has just got the most fantastic physique and quality of movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDCTYTF416g
What do you feel you don't understand? Who do you admire who does seem to understand it or has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
There are a million things that I do not understand about this industry. There are an incredible amount of fresh faced talented young dancers that have fantastic abilities and yet they are out of work. The most frustrating thing is when I go to watch a show in the west end and I see performers on stage who can't even shimmy! (This I discovered when I went to watch Viva Forever), it's shocking! I always knew I was heading into a cut throat business but I just don't understand how it could be so easy for some people and so hard for others. There were a few people in my year whose first audition they went to, they ended up getting the job, and yet there I was audition after audition, frustration after frustration with the same training, the same abilities and I could not land anything! It took me four months until I landed my first performing job and it really was the longest four months of my life! In that time I taught in gyms and at different dance schools, I was also earning money by doing promotional work, I was only just getting myself back into a rhythm. I had moved back home and found new social groups then all of a sudden when I think I might embark on a teaching career I get given a nine month contract! I'm not complaining at all but its the not knowing where you might be in the world in four months that gets to me! I am very much a planner and an organiser and not knowing if I'll get a job on a cruise or in London or even in India is something that I really struggle with. A friend of mine who has performed in various parts of the world never seems to be phased by what her next job will be, she is very much of the here and now way of thinking. Its amazing to talk to her because she always says 'everything happens for a reason' and whenever I give her a call I always feel much brighter about the industry. There are masses of successful performers but I have found that when you look at their backgrounds their not always the ones who got the best jobs straight out of college, Geri Halliwel said it took her 100 auditions before she landed the Spice Girls and Joanna Lumley said it took her ten years before she started to make a reasonable living. It is people like this who work and work and work and never give up that really inspire me to keep within this unsteady industry.
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?
Nowadays you have to be so careful with how you respond in certain situations, colleagues are liable to sue, children can extend the truth and parents can be overly protective. In my own training it was amazing how the teachers were allowed to speak to us, especially in this day and age when other establishments have to be so careful. I had teachers who would slam their registers against the mirror to intimidate us, a particular ballet teacher of mine loved to come right up to your face and shout at you. It was humiliating, I look back now and think why on earth did I put up with that? No one should be allowed to speak to you like your a piece of dirt on their shoe, especially not someone in authority. I would never speak to any of my past students in such a way. When I was teaching there were certain delicate subjects that were hard to deal with, for example with one teenager I used to teach, he was obviously only just going through puberty but he didnt have any idea about cleanliness and some of the other students in the class would make fun and talk about him in a really inappropriate and unkind way. I spoke to the principle of the school about it and she spoke to the boys parent. Luckily the boys mum was really understanding but I hate to think what things would have been like if she had taken offence. The entertainment industry seems to attract very tactile people, I'm very close with the people I work with and we all hug and put our arms around each other which obviously isnt something that you would see in an office situation. My 'non dancer' friends find it strange that I can strip off infront of anyone, but I feel its so normal to do that as I am used to doing it in a mixed changing room. I don't know why it is more acceptable for entertainers to be so much more tactile and open with their bodies, I think it must be something to do with being comfortable with your body and always having to show it off on stage anyway. I find that people who have trained just in acting or just in singing dont seem to be as open as the dancers I have worked with. I think with dancers we are used to being touched (when being corrected, in pas de deux) and it just does not seem to phase us. Personally I have never met a dancer who isnt a tactile person.
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?
As a musical theater enthusiast I used to keep really up to date with new musicals that were coming out, youtube is amazing for looking up broadway and west end productions as well as documentaries on new shows that might be going to the leicester curve or chicester playhouse. However recently I have not had as much time to enjoy youtube. Since starting my new job I have been really rushed off my feet. I hate to think that my job is getting in the way of my passion as the majority of my job IS my passion! I have taken some time today to view my favourite youtube musical theater videos and will share them with you now,
http://youtu.be/SGnRwgtsjH4 : Addams family musical
Legally blonde the musical rehearsal http://youtu.be/hgINaGab5uM
Since starting this course I have been so interested in the different people that are mentioned in reader 2. I did a lot of research on Twyla Tharp and read a few interviews with her, she comes across as a bit bonkers but definitely a person I would love to meet. She has some brilliant advice that to anyone who isnt a dancer would think she was barmy, but I feel like I understand where shes coming from. She worked so hard with her company, performing for five years in various venues where they were getting little or no money.I then watched various sequences she has choreographed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/23/books/dance-a-day-in-the-life-of-twyla-tharp.html I really like this interview in the new york times, its like your spending the day with her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWnEGqf6eKc This is a piece called the Upper Room by Tywla Tharp. I really enjoy how the back four dancers choreography clashes with the front four dancers,the back group are jazzier and stronger whereas the front four perform a ballet-esque pas de deux thats beautiful, I just love that contrast. I also really enjoy how Tywla's choreography for the women matches the men in speed, strength and agility.
I really love to know peoples backgrounds and the way Twyla Tharp interviews is so engaging. I am like this in every day life, I'm very interested in people and very much like to listen to peoples issues, triumphs and trebulations. I think it is a trait I have inherited from my Dad, he's a people person and part of his job is listening to how people are getting on with their lives.
What gets you angry or sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
Spending three years at dance college has given me a very thick skin, I used to get so upset if I wasn't in a piece at college or if I was given a correction in a blunt way. However now I brush alot of negativity off my shoulders as I feel its toxic and a waste of energy to dwell on the bad. I do get very upset if anyone treats my family badly or speaks ill of relatives. My mum is very much the same, shes a very busy lady and she does incredible amounts for my family, she never gets upset if shes struggling with things in her life but when any of her children are having a hard time she lets it get to her. I have sat with my mum when she's been in tears over my brother and tried to console her, she just loves us so much she wants us to be happy. My mum rarely breaks down, and when she sees me crying she always seems to know the right thing to say. It makes me wander if I'll be the same if I ever have kids, is everyones mum all knowing? I think about how lucky I am to have someone love me so much that they would do anything for me. My mums a teacher and sometimes her students can be so rude, it really does anger me, however I have come to realise that we all used to complain about our teachers from time to time and to me my mum is my mum but to her students she is their teacher, its a completely different relationship.
I also find that in the work place I get really angry when people do not pull their weight. Most recently we had a guy who was employed by the company to join our team. Initially he was very excited and talked about how hard he was going to work etc. However as the days went on he was turning up to work late, scruffy and then leaving early. He missed three, two hour rehearsals and didnt learn his words for the shows. It was a really hard situation to be in as I lived and worked with this guy. I honestly did not know how I was going to cope with him for nine months, especially when the rest of us are working as hard as we possibly can. I found writing in my journal so therapeutic, I listed ways in which he pushed my buttons and then listed ways in which I could avoid being around him. After four weeks he ended up getting the sack any way so I managed not to lose the plot!
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?
It really is difficult to describe what I love about performing. When I was younger it was the rush of being in front of an audience and essentially showing off. Now? Its just an indescribable feeling when your pushing your body to the limits and you've got the music pumping and the lights flashing in your eyes making you 10x hotter than you already are. Theres a solo in the 90's show that I am a part of and the build up before it is just amazing, then the music kicks in and I dont even have to think about what my body is doing it just does it. I love working with other talented people who share my passions and who also want to be the best they can be. The thing about being a dancer is that you can never be the best, theres always a bit more stretching you could do, or have more in sight into the piece you are performing, you're always learning and improving. I think that's what I love most about being a dancer is that I know I'll always have something to work on, and when you've achieved a new target it feels fantastic!
There was a girl in my year at college who I admire so much, she just had the best work ethic, I've always found her very inspiring. I have attached a video of Chester who was in my year group as well, he has just got the most fantastic physique and quality of movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDCTYTF416g
What do you feel you don't understand? Who do you admire who does seem to understand it or has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
There are a million things that I do not understand about this industry. There are an incredible amount of fresh faced talented young dancers that have fantastic abilities and yet they are out of work. The most frustrating thing is when I go to watch a show in the west end and I see performers on stage who can't even shimmy! (This I discovered when I went to watch Viva Forever), it's shocking! I always knew I was heading into a cut throat business but I just don't understand how it could be so easy for some people and so hard for others. There were a few people in my year whose first audition they went to, they ended up getting the job, and yet there I was audition after audition, frustration after frustration with the same training, the same abilities and I could not land anything! It took me four months until I landed my first performing job and it really was the longest four months of my life! In that time I taught in gyms and at different dance schools, I was also earning money by doing promotional work, I was only just getting myself back into a rhythm. I had moved back home and found new social groups then all of a sudden when I think I might embark on a teaching career I get given a nine month contract! I'm not complaining at all but its the not knowing where you might be in the world in four months that gets to me! I am very much a planner and an organiser and not knowing if I'll get a job on a cruise or in London or even in India is something that I really struggle with. A friend of mine who has performed in various parts of the world never seems to be phased by what her next job will be, she is very much of the here and now way of thinking. Its amazing to talk to her because she always says 'everything happens for a reason' and whenever I give her a call I always feel much brighter about the industry. There are masses of successful performers but I have found that when you look at their backgrounds their not always the ones who got the best jobs straight out of college, Geri Halliwel said it took her 100 auditions before she landed the Spice Girls and Joanna Lumley said it took her ten years before she started to make a reasonable living. It is people like this who work and work and work and never give up that really inspire me to keep within this unsteady industry.
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?
Nowadays you have to be so careful with how you respond in certain situations, colleagues are liable to sue, children can extend the truth and parents can be overly protective. In my own training it was amazing how the teachers were allowed to speak to us, especially in this day and age when other establishments have to be so careful. I had teachers who would slam their registers against the mirror to intimidate us, a particular ballet teacher of mine loved to come right up to your face and shout at you. It was humiliating, I look back now and think why on earth did I put up with that? No one should be allowed to speak to you like your a piece of dirt on their shoe, especially not someone in authority. I would never speak to any of my past students in such a way. When I was teaching there were certain delicate subjects that were hard to deal with, for example with one teenager I used to teach, he was obviously only just going through puberty but he didnt have any idea about cleanliness and some of the other students in the class would make fun and talk about him in a really inappropriate and unkind way. I spoke to the principle of the school about it and she spoke to the boys parent. Luckily the boys mum was really understanding but I hate to think what things would have been like if she had taken offence. The entertainment industry seems to attract very tactile people, I'm very close with the people I work with and we all hug and put our arms around each other which obviously isnt something that you would see in an office situation. My 'non dancer' friends find it strange that I can strip off infront of anyone, but I feel its so normal to do that as I am used to doing it in a mixed changing room. I don't know why it is more acceptable for entertainers to be so much more tactile and open with their bodies, I think it must be something to do with being comfortable with your body and always having to show it off on stage anyway. I find that people who have trained just in acting or just in singing dont seem to be as open as the dancers I have worked with. I think with dancers we are used to being touched (when being corrected, in pas de deux) and it just does not seem to phase us. Personally I have never met a dancer who isnt a tactile person.
Friday 11 April 2014
Task2c: Reflective Theory
The oxford dictionary describes reflection as 'serious thought or consideration'. This definition is only partially covered within reflective practice. Reflective practice is a huge part of work based learning, it teaches us about our expectations of specific events that happen in our lives and how we can see these events from other perspectives. Reflective practice also enables us to change situations for the better, it helps us to connect to our feelings and become more open minded within our professional and personal lives. There are many reflective theories that I will be touching upon within this blog.
Upon embarking on the BAPP arts course I have found that for years I have unknowingly used different aspects of reflective practice within my personal and professional life. Essentially reflecting back upon your mistakes and triumphs is part of growing up, you can become more experienced in reflection as you gain more knowledge of other peoples perspectives. Children cognitively are not mature enough to see the world with as much of an open mind as adults, so therefore we must soak in the information we have and learn from it. On numerous occasions I have looked back on a past event and thought about how I could have changed the outcome, most recently I was organising an event for a very close friend of mine, most aspects of the event went really well but looking back I realised how much pressure I put on myself and how I could have asked for other peoples help. As a person I am very determined to pursue activities on my own, rarely asking for help, however I am learning to change my ways and this course is helping me to do that.
In David Boud's 'Using Journal writing to enhance reflective practice' he talks about how keeping a journal can be 'a means of puzzling through what is happening in our work and private lives', I completely agree with him on this, as since starting my own journal I have discovered so much about myself. I wasn't aware of how easily I pick up sequences compared to some of the people on my team until I looked back on my day and wrote about it all. I also found that writing about how I was feeling ensured that I didnt take my emotions out on my colleagues. I really enjoy re-evaluating my journal and discovered new thoughts about how I could have intervened in certain situations. I feel its important that Boud emphasizes how we need to attend to our feelings 'Anything negative can distort other perceptions and block understanding... Positive experiences can be celebrated, they enhance the desire to pursue learning.' Expressing your feelings onto a page helps you to be more open minded to other peoples actions in an event, being negative about a situation makes it really hard to see things from anothers point of view. Its important to remember that a journal is not just about writing but can include images, sketches, poems and use of color and form, these are all ways to deepen reflection and have a clearer sense of an event and how it made you feel.
Reflective practice is not just about looking back on past events, its about how your reflection can help you learn, its a tool for enhancing your ability to learn from experience. This tool is most widely used within professions that experience a process of change for example choreographers in a process of creating new pieces, doctors/nurses in the process of healing, teachers in the process of education. John Dewey believed there were different levels of experience. For example if you had a low quality of education in a particular subject then you would not engage well within that class and therefore be unable to learn as much, however if the level of education was good then you would have a better experience and engage more in that class enabling you to learn more. He was also felt that interaction with the Arts led to a unique and valuable experience (Dewey, 1934). Dewey also felt that this engagement with experience helped to develop social skills and enabled people to work better in society. Kurt Lewin was also interested in social change and developed the idea of 'spiral steps' where you would divide an experience into separate sections e.g.
Upon embarking on the BAPP arts course I have found that for years I have unknowingly used different aspects of reflective practice within my personal and professional life. Essentially reflecting back upon your mistakes and triumphs is part of growing up, you can become more experienced in reflection as you gain more knowledge of other peoples perspectives. Children cognitively are not mature enough to see the world with as much of an open mind as adults, so therefore we must soak in the information we have and learn from it. On numerous occasions I have looked back on a past event and thought about how I could have changed the outcome, most recently I was organising an event for a very close friend of mine, most aspects of the event went really well but looking back I realised how much pressure I put on myself and how I could have asked for other peoples help. As a person I am very determined to pursue activities on my own, rarely asking for help, however I am learning to change my ways and this course is helping me to do that.
In David Boud's 'Using Journal writing to enhance reflective practice' he talks about how keeping a journal can be 'a means of puzzling through what is happening in our work and private lives', I completely agree with him on this, as since starting my own journal I have discovered so much about myself. I wasn't aware of how easily I pick up sequences compared to some of the people on my team until I looked back on my day and wrote about it all. I also found that writing about how I was feeling ensured that I didnt take my emotions out on my colleagues. I really enjoy re-evaluating my journal and discovered new thoughts about how I could have intervened in certain situations. I feel its important that Boud emphasizes how we need to attend to our feelings 'Anything negative can distort other perceptions and block understanding... Positive experiences can be celebrated, they enhance the desire to pursue learning.' Expressing your feelings onto a page helps you to be more open minded to other peoples actions in an event, being negative about a situation makes it really hard to see things from anothers point of view. Its important to remember that a journal is not just about writing but can include images, sketches, poems and use of color and form, these are all ways to deepen reflection and have a clearer sense of an event and how it made you feel.
Reflective practice is not just about looking back on past events, its about how your reflection can help you learn, its a tool for enhancing your ability to learn from experience. This tool is most widely used within professions that experience a process of change for example choreographers in a process of creating new pieces, doctors/nurses in the process of healing, teachers in the process of education. John Dewey believed there were different levels of experience. For example if you had a low quality of education in a particular subject then you would not engage well within that class and therefore be unable to learn as much, however if the level of education was good then you would have a better experience and engage more in that class enabling you to learn more. He was also felt that interaction with the Arts led to a unique and valuable experience (Dewey, 1934). Dewey also felt that this engagement with experience helped to develop social skills and enabled people to work better in society. Kurt Lewin was also interested in social change and developed the idea of 'spiral steps' where you would divide an experience into separate sections e.g.
- Action: Manager off sick
- evaluation: very frustrating, loads of work to do and no one to help manage the situation, feel let down.
- planning Assign someone to take the lead on things, calm self down, disperse negative thoughts as they will not help situation.
- action: everyone working together to get job done.
David Kolb also developed the idea of a cycle; the learning cycle. At which point do we enter the learning cycle and what kind of learner are you?
I always thought that I learnt from reflective observation, I would have to see a movement performed before I could begin to work it out for myself. It doesn't matter what type of learner you are, its more about knowing at what point do you begin to learn. The Kolb four stage learning cycle is a process where ideally the learner has immediate/concrete experiences which can then lead to observations and reflections, these reflections are then absorbed and translated into abstract concepts with implications for action, the learner can then experiment with these reflections and create a new experience. Therefore Kolbs model works on two different levels:
- Concrete experience (CE)
- Reflective observation (RO)
- Abstract conceptualization (AC)
- Active Experiment (AE)
After reading about Kolbs learning cycle, I feel that I enter the learning cycle as a Reflective observer however I then move into abstract conceptualization before actively trying it out myself. This I have found is my way of learning new dance sequences. However before learning lines I usually like to watch a clip of what I am about to learn (RO), try it out straight away (AE) and then use repetition to get the lines in my head, I completely bypass Abstract Conceptualization and Concrete experience when I have got lines to learn.
Our learning style is a product of two decisions:
- How we decide to embark on a task i.e. Jumping straight in and grasping the experience or deciding that our preference is to watch the task being done.
- Secondly is our emotional response to the experience do we prefer to think or feel?
We either opt for 1a) watching others experiencing the task and reflecting on what occurs (RO) or 1b) jumping straight in and just doing it (AE). It really is very difficult to decide what you do as I find many aspects of these learning styles are a part of me. At the same time we choose how we feel about the experience and how to turn it into something meanigful 2a) through gaining new information by analyzing (AC) or 2b) having concrete evidence that you have already experienced (CE).
In terms of setting up my blog I intially took a look at some other peoples blogs and took notes about how they had began forming theirs (RO), once I felt like I had an idea of what I wanted to doI began trying out different ideas (AE). Although my learning styles differ depending on what I am doing the point at which I enter my learning always seems to be the style of reflective observation. It is important for me to know this as when I am discovering and learning new things there may not be someone or something that I can watch so therefore I would need to find a new way into the learning cycle.
VAK was developed by Howard Gardner, its a theory that was used at my secondary school when I was starting my GCSE's, we each had to take the learning styles test to determine the most effective way for us to revise/learn. I remember my test saying I was partially a kinaesthetic learner and partially a visual learner. I was told that as a kinaesthetic learner I needed to practice what I was learning (repetition) and also being a visual learner I would find subjects that involved a lot of imagery and colour would help me to absorb the information. Although Gardner developed these learning styles he very much believed that they should not limit people to thinking they can only learn one way, for me although I was told I was more of a kinaesthetic learner, I also absorbed information visually. I feel that when I am learning songs for a new show it is imperative for me to learn by listening to the song over and over and over again which ofcorse is more of an auditory learning style. These learning styles help you to understand not only how you learn but how others learn so if there is a pupil who is not picking up the steps to a sequence by going over and over them then maybe pulling them out to watch might help them as they could be a visual learner.
Another model was also created by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford (Honey and Mumford 1992). Their model is inspired by Kolb and also has four stages:
- Having an experience
- Reviewing the experience
- Concluding from the experience
- Planning the next steps
I think this model is really use when expressing yourself in a journal, as it gives you clear steps to help deepen reflective thought based on your own written experiences. I applied these steps to my own journal and managed to create a list of ways to be more productive with my day/week, I now set myself targets to reach each day as I found a pattern in my journal where I was constantly saying 'I need to be more flexible/sharper/on it/involved with my team' and thought now is the time to change this. If it wasnt for starting my journal I doubt I would have realised that I was having these thoughts so regularly.
Donald Schon (1987) came up with the idea that reflection not only occurs when thinking about past events but can occur in the midst of action. Reflection -in-action happens when you respond to whats happening as it happens, for example: I was back stage with two colleagues before the start of our show rock tower, the overture music was playing and one of my colleagues discovered her microphone had been muted and none of us knew how to un mute it, she was also the first person to sing so I swapped her microphone for mine as I didnt sing on my own til the next number, as I went on stage I crossed over to where one of the technical staff were and handed him the microphone miming what had happened (as I was on stage at the time), he sorted the problem and managed to hand it back to me and in the black out of the next number I switched back. Each microphone is set to the person that has it for example I have quite a bit of reverb on mine as I like how it sounds, therefore it was important that we all had our own microphones. Schon believed that reflection-on-action is adopted by academics who look back on a situation and learn from it that way.
In Reader 2 it tells us that Robert Kottcamp believes that reflection -in-action is harder to achieve (he likens reflection -in-action to 'on-line' and reflection -on- action as 'offline')
'The distinction ... between future and present acknowledges Schon's (1983) important differentiation between reflection -on-action (reflection on past event) and reflection-in-action (reflection in the midst of an ongoing action). The latter type is the more difficult to achieve, but the more powerful for improvement of practice because it results in "on-line" experiments to adjust and improve one's professional actions. It is more difficult to achieve because the actor must simultaneously attend to performing the action and observe and analyse his or her action, as if from external perspective. Further, in reflection-in-action the sole collector of data on the event.
Reflection-on-action is accomplished "off-line" at a time when full attention ca be give to analysis and planning for the future without the imperative for immediate action ... (Kottcamp,1990)"
Personally I understand where Kottcamp is coming from and to a certain degree different professions do require different skills (as a performer you are used to acting in the moment whereas an academic does not use this skill as often). However I don't believe that it entirely impacts the way you reflect. As a dancer I do reflect in the moment but I also enjoy reflecting back on past events.
Kottcamp had the idea that "dancers learn kinaesthetically" even though he was not a dancer himself. This got me thinking, what ideas do I like? It's really difficult to think of ideas and why I have them. I'm going to start listing my ideas and peeling back the layers to discover why I've thought in such a way.
Tacit knowledge is knowledge which cannot be expressed with words. It is important that we find ways to access tacit knowledge as it is a huge part of being in the arts. In her book 'the creative habit' (Tharp and Reiter 2006) discusses different reflective practices that she has developed. for example muscle memory "her memory of movement doesnt need to be accessed through conscious effort" (Tharp and Reiter 2006). I have experienced the wonders of muscle memory through out my current job. After weeks of rehearsals and not recapping numbers we were all thrust onto the stage and at times when I really didnt think I knew a routine some how I just did it, it really is the strangest thing, trusting your body rather than your mind.
The tasks in reader 2 have taught me so much about myself, I keep a journal that looks like a book of lists and scribbles but to me its a reflection of my week, I am able to learn new things about my personality and the way I work everyday. I really believe now that I learn through reflective observation and thats helped me to pick up new things at work as well as in my personal life.
Monday 7 April 2014
A little share from me to you ...
Really enjoy this quote and think its very relevant to what we are doing,
'Research has shown that the regular habit of journal writing can deepen students thinking about their course subjects by helping them to see that an academic field is an area for wonder, inquiry and controversy rathar than simpy a new body of information'
John .C. Bean
'Research has shown that the regular habit of journal writing can deepen students thinking about their course subjects by helping them to see that an academic field is an area for wonder, inquiry and controversy rathar than simpy a new body of information'
John .C. Bean
Task 2b: Reflective writing
I really have enjoyed this task, I always found journal writing quite boring and I never found the right way to express myself, however by keeping a journal in several different ways I feel like I have found the best way for me to reflect upon my day.
Description and initial reflection: For me, writing a descriptive account of my day was not helpful.By describing everything that happened and the way I felt during the day did not actually provoke much reflection for learning. Reading back over what I had written made me realise that I do not take in a lot of what is going on around me, I seem to just focus on what I am doing and how I'm feeling. I decided to include my intial reflection with my descriptive account as I wanted to make an account of my emotions as events were unfolding.
List: Listing out the events of my day provoked alot of new thinking. Each event that I had listed then sparked a new thought process about how I was feeling, why I was feeling that way and also how I could have changed that. Over two days I made several lists entitled
Description and initial reflection: For me, writing a descriptive account of my day was not helpful.By describing everything that happened and the way I felt during the day did not actually provoke much reflection for learning. Reading back over what I had written made me realise that I do not take in a lot of what is going on around me, I seem to just focus on what I am doing and how I'm feeling. I decided to include my intial reflection with my descriptive account as I wanted to make an account of my emotions as events were unfolding.
List: Listing out the events of my day provoked alot of new thinking. Each event that I had listed then sparked a new thought process about how I was feeling, why I was feeling that way and also how I could have changed that. Over two days I made several lists entitled
- events
- thoughts and feelings before/during/after event
- why I was feeling that way
- what worked well
- How can I be more productive tomorrow
- How will this help me tomorrow
Evaluation: evaluating my day did help me to see where I went wrong and how I could have changed a situation but also where I thought other people could have made better decisions. I feel like when I was list making I was also evaluating my day but in a different format.
Graphs/Charts/Diagrams: Initially I wasn't sure how to record my day as a graph so I did a little bit of research and read through some of My life in Graphs: a guided journal, Knock Knock and a few blogs on the internet about keeping a journal of diagrams etc. I found a really interesting document by Valerie Taylor- Haslip, health sciences and she kept diagrams and graphs concerning her students, one entitled 'Comparison of students level of reflection, exam grades and clinical performance. After reading this, I decided to base my graph on comparing how I would go about my day before I started learning about reflection and writing a journal and how I am now. It was quite hard to do as I did not have any facts or figures to put on the graph however it did make me discover that since starting on this course I am far more aware of how people act around me and I also think about how I unconciously intervene in a situation.
what if? I found this way of journal writing really difficult. I could not decide what I would do if a situation changed. It did test my brain though! It took me ages to think about myself in certain situations like what I would do if someone passed out on stage. I thought about what I would do if the music skipped etc and I found those 'what if' situations really easy to deal with in my head. A great thought provoking way of journal writing!
Another View: Writing my journal from someone elses point of view was quite tough. I ended up asking my flat mate to help me out and wrote my journal from her eyes. It was suprising how she viewed my day and how she thought I was feeling. This was a really big eye opener for me as I saw myself as others saw me and not how I thought I was being portrayed.
From doing this task I feel that I will carry on writing my journal by mixing lists and evaluation as these seem to be the most beneficial to my learning.
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