Task 3c: My Five Sources of Information

We can collect information from all sorts of various places in life that help us improve our knowledge of a specific subject. My professional practice being dance I have come across many ways to gather necessary information that I find necessary. Geri mentioned she put a spider diagram together on her sources of information to decide on the importance, which I thought was a good idea although I found it hard putting mine into an order as it depends on what information I am looking for to which source I use. Here are my five main sources:

1) The Internet...
This is probably the most obvious and broadly used of my sources of information mainly because it is often so easy and quick to find the information I am looking for. As we all know www.google.co.uk is incredibly useful when searching for such information as it produces a wide range of pages for you to find your answers from. On the other hand, I sometimes feel I am too quick to jump to google to find information. It is not always factual especially Wikipedia as discussed earlier in the course, as anybody can upload information on here without being a reliable source.

Beneath are a list of some of the specific internet sites I use regularly as resources for my professional practice. All are public websites so taking copyright into account, I am allowed to publish their links:

• http://balletnews.co.uk - This site is like a blog and notifies me on news and interesting things currently going on in the dance world. They also have a facebook page.
• http://www.vanemuine.ee/whats-on - This is the official website of my theatre. I use this to find out our show schedule and you are also able to access information on myself those I work with.
• http://www.networkdance.com - This is a network that helps me get an idea on companies and auditions.
• http://www.dancedirect.com/uk - Here is often where I order new dancewear from as it has a wide range of variety. An added fun fact is that my old school friend is one of the models :)
• http://www.youtube.com - This is where I access clips of choreography to learn, watch, take inspiration from. Its also a good source of finding music I like to choreograph to.  

I'd be interested to know if you too find use from the same ones and of any new sites you use? I noticed Megan talk about The Ballet blog which is actually one I have heard about but never used myself. Now having been reminded I will make sure to check it out more often. The idea of relating personal experiences with others would be a very beneficial thing for my practice.

2) Dance Europe and The Dancing Times...
Both of these are Dance magazines that I am subscribed to and they have so much information on companies, performances, people's experiences and other subjects in dance to read up on. They also have the latest news from the dance world and I can keep up with what's going on in the UK and around the rest of Europe. It is always an interesting read too and I often find useful tips for all sorts of things in here.

3) DVD's...
I use DVD's as a source of information a lot. They range from DVD's of performances both my own and other companies, to exercise and strengthening DVD's. As I previously explained I am a visual learner so gain a lot of knowledge from 'watching'. I often learn new roles currently in my companies repertoire from their previous recordings of shows. In my graduate year I was asked to step in and dance with Birmingham Royal Ballet in their 'Nutcracker'. I was given a DVD on the friday night to learn from and on the monday morning I had rehearsal with the ballet mistress. Luckily it was likely to be the easiest way for me to learn the choreography anyway. (On a side note its a beautiful and festive ballet currently on now for anybody interested: http://www.brb.org.uk/masque/index.htm?act=WhatsOn&urn=119&tsk=show) I also use exercise DVD's sometimes when I fancy a different workout and this often gives me new ways to strengthen and tone my muscles.

Under internet I also mentioned about youtube and its uses to my practice. Reading Megan's blog, she too noted youtube as a source and it was interesting to see that one of uses for it is to upload private videos on there as a teacher. In opposition I use youtube more to find videos than anything else but uploading videos of my own dancing (privately) could really help me to analyse my own work and see where to improve. This would allow me to measure my personal improvement over time too.

4) Word of mouth & Friends...
With the dance world being so small word of mouth is a very quick way to hear information. Having grown up doing it and being involved in the so called 'ballet world' from the age of around 10 (when I ventured from my home dance school in Newcastle to the Royal Ballet JA's in Leeds every saturday) I have made so many friends and contacts within my profession. Everybody knows everybody and you are rarely one step away from someone you know. Information via word of mouth isn't always accurate so to speak but quite often you get a general idea of news or information that can often be useful. Facebook is an excellent way to hear and give such information in an informal way. Ruth also explains on her blog how she finds out about jobs and auditions through facebook too which is another useful way I too find information. She also says how her sources were similar to others because they appeal most young people in our professions which I agree. Without the appeal, less of us would use them and then they would become less of use.

Megan also mentions about a friend being a good voice of reason and help giving you insight into other perspectives. This is crucial to me when evaluating my own work. The journal writing from another perspective seemed less valuable to me as I was imagining what others saw but if you have a friend giving you reliable perceptions it is a lot more useful when looking outwards and subsequently inwards to develop.

5) My main 'Community of Practice'/ My Work...
In my current professional practice my main 'community of practice' is my work at the Vanemuine Ballet. Work is a great source of information and I learn new things everyday. In class teacher's give corrections and information on how to improve technique and they are always at hand to ask for extra help too if necessary. Dancing with others means you can cooperate together and exchange information on how to develop specific things. You get to watch others everyday and can see how steps should be executed or what can help and having the privilege of working in such a friendly company, everybody is always happy to help. 

Task 3b: Networking Theories

After looking through reader 3 I could immediately see my current engagement with the key concepts and how I already apply them to my networking now. After research and thoughtful processes I now have a better understanding of them and how I can use them to develop my own professional networking further.

Cooperation
"Should a friend keep providing favors to another friend who never reciprocates? Should a business provide prompt service to another business that is about to be bankrupt?" (Axelrod, R 1984 p.vii)

Cooperation is something we are all involved in throughout our various professional practices. As a dancer it is a fundamental part of my job and without I doubt I take part in it on an everyday basis. Human nature means we are likely to want to cooperate in order for ourselves as part of a group to benefit although what interested me in the reader was Game theory and the idea of the point of 'defect'. When do we stop defecting and start competing? In my own networks there is a constant underlying competition for roles/promotions/jobs etc. In order to gain the most benefit out of such competition and hopefully come out on top cooperation must come initially. For example.. working towards a role. A few are handpicked to learn it and they cooperate together in learning/remembering steps, gaining corrections, sharing ideas on the role. The defect comes when the director comes to choose who to dance it. They are head to head and must give an extra something to get the part. Both take the challenge on and through cooperation get to the best they can be then the home stretch is the time to prove their worth against each other. I likened this to the Tour de France strangely enough. The cycle group all work as a team to get each other through the first part, taking turns in being at the front against the headwind, then at the end stretch they individually sprint to win.

So in answer to Axelrod's question (without meaning to sound selfish) I would say no. The friend who is never reciprocating is already past the defect line and competing. The business that is about to be bankrupt is failing to cooperate back and in the natural race in profession, such collaboration will not help you get to your best. I have drawn a diagram that helps me visually understand the theory and how we need it to develop:

Affiliation

This is based on social psychology and how we naturally relate to each other. The idea that we form relationships as an 'inherited trait that helps us to survive and reproduce' (Crisp & Turner 2007 p323)   and have a subconscious mutual respect for one anothers preferred levels of social interaction and privacy. When meeting new people and networking on a social level I am aware of how extraverted or introverted they are. I am quite an outgoing person meaning fact to face networking is what I tend to prefer and I have always been wary not to inflict this too much on people I believe to be more shy therefore I am already balancing my interactions with others. A cultural difference is something I witness. Living in Estonia people here in comparison seem quite blunt, to the point and not so friendly at first (which if you know of their history you can understand why!). This is something that I am conscious of and therefore can move forward when communicating in my work without offense or misunderstanding. Such theories imply that use of professional networks such as Facebook/Twitter/Network Dance are all ideal for everybody as each individual can control their own level of social communication with one another. Such Web 2.0 tools where communication isn't necessarily live and that you can edit, means professional networking can be an extension of our innate capacity and need to affiliate to develop our profession practices through our own choices.

Affiliation is both a natural process and one in which we all need to extend our contacts in order to work our way up our chosen career path. In order to make this happen growing networks sideways as well as upwards is crucial and a valued part of my profession. Connecting with other dancers is essential, as they say "Its not just about what you know, it's about who you know". I visualise this in a similar way to my above diagram on cooperation.

Social Constructionism
"Life is what you make it. Always has been always will be." (Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962)

Social Constructionism is a theory that the world is 'objectively' out there and through our own creation and construction we understand it. The idea that our everyday notions and understandings of our surrounding environments and networks are what we have socially constructed. This suggests that we can create meaning and values to a group/network and contribute through engagement. This theory
is important when looking at networks as it highlights our motives for our participation in networking. By using Network Dance my motive is both to hear about auditions and for my profile and details to be accessible to those who may need it. Therefore my contribution (along with many other dancers') creates a reason for companies to advertise their auditions on there and seek out dancers who they may need. If I weren't to post any details then I am less likely to have people approach me for work and on a bigger scale if no dancers did, companies would not notify us of such auditions. So in terms of the value of social constructionism...The network is what we make of it.

Connectivism
This theory effectively argues that the 'normal' learning method of a teacher passing on knowledge to students is less effective than learning through connecting with others and making sense of information from our own and each others experiences (quite like our theme of self reflection). It also acknowledges our culture and how learning concepts should be the coherent:
"...technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn. Learning needs and theories that describe learning principles and processes, should be reflective of underlying social environments." (Siemens, G 2004)

In my own practice I do find this idea useful and already come across it when networking. It is useful to have access to others' experiences and knowledge on a wide range of things (technique, ballets, roles, jobs etc) and interaction can definitely help us to learn however I don't reject the idea of learning knowledge from a teacher.

Communities of Practice
I found this theory to link closely with connectivism: the idea of learning through socialising and participation instead of personal acquisition and knowledge given through instruction. This theory is often adopted by homeschooled children and the idea that you will learn what is necessary for life by interacting with the world and those around you, instead of being taught from a textbook. It is insinuated that those who involve their community in this way will be more knowledgably 'savvy' than those who regurgitate knowledge learnt through instruction:

"Because the place of knowledge is within a community of practice, questions of learning must be addressed within the development cycles of that community" (Lave & Wegner 1991 p100)

Being a dancer involves a lot of use of this theory especially when networking. We rely a lot on the shared interpretation of knowledge within our networks such as how to improve our technique, good ways to prevent injury, ways to strengthen your muscles, what to wear for auditions, the list is endless. Such information would be less valuable if it had been recited to you by someone who had no experience. We are more likely to learn from it by giving it a go and negotiating our experiences with others' experiences. I personally value this theory a lot as where I am today is a result of involving myself in a community of practice where I gained and am continuing to gain knowledge acquired for my career path.

I touched on ethical considerations for networking in my last post briefly. Martin Weller's point "It is not just the internet that is significant in terms of networks but, more recently, the advent of social networks that is having an influence on scholarly practice." (2011, p.7) links with my previous point on how maybe we should be educated specifically on what is ethically correct on social networks. This would create more awareness of how we come across on such sites and naivety would be less of an issue. In BAPP we are learning via networking and effectively becoming more aware of our own ethical considerations.
 

Task 3a: My Current Networks

What are the current and different ways (tools) that you have, or do, engage your professional network?

Firstly for this question I used the google docs web 2.0 tool introduced to me earlier this course to share with you my brainstorm on a few of my ideas and thoughts on my current networks and their uses. This helped me to elaborate on each in more detail. Here is the diagram:

The main tool I currently use for networking is the internet and through this various other tools. One being Facebook. Being in the ballet world you realise how small it actually is. It is incredible how many people know each other from years back or have met through school, workshops, summer schools, auditions, jobs, the list is endless. I don't think I am yet to meet and add a new friend on facebook in the dance world without several mutual friends. Thus proving that Facebook is a reliable and valuable tool to network with those alike in my profession. Another tool very similar being Twitter. On my account I follow various dance related accounts whether it be other dancers, choreographers, companies or dance news profiles. This is another great way to hear about things quickly and efficiently and interact with those necessary.

I also mentioned in my 'Flirting with Flickr' blog about Network Dance. This is a much more formal tool I use to engage in my professional network. You can see on my account my CV, photos of myself, a personal profile and contact details. Likewise with others on there you can too again making it an effective way to engage. You can also receive emails and notifications on the latest news/auditions etc. Emailing is something I am less likely to do nowadays unless something specific calls for it such as auditions. Also within my workplace, my director and managers contact us via email as it is an effective way to communicate within our establishment quickly and easily. 

What are the established (and different) ways that others use their networks, especially if they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire?I think even the more established and experienced practitioners use tools similar to my own but due to their profile gain more interaction from it. For example on twitter if they are known they will gain more followers and subsequently more opportunities to network with a wider range of other professionals. Another way oF networking is via personal websites. For example when a dancer has their own site/page/profile space displaying their contact details publically, others are likely to get in touch quickly and easily thus making networking easier for both parties.

Another way of networking is word of mouth and face-to-face communication. I currently tend not to do so much of this as working in Estonia means your surrounding contacts are limited to those you work with everyday. I was involved in more of this at school however, when having experienced practitioners in often we would be given opportunities to attend workshops which meant we could take a class with them and they could view us as dancers with possible employment prospects just as we could get a feel for them as a company. This is probably the best way to network as although it is often a formal affair, you get to meet others on a personal level and have a better understanding of what the other is looking to network for.

Are there methods, approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you develop your professional networking?
Reflecting on my other answers I have partly answered this question by mentioning facebook and twitter, both of which I originally used socially but now developed further so I can also use professionally too by contacting those I have met through facebook. The choreographer for a piece I danced in my first season added me on facebook and I have recently been in touch via facebook with him about work related things as he is returning this season. Flickr is another technology that I have been introduced to on this course that can be used socially but also to develop my own self promotion for job applications or future references etc. I also value face to face communication and like I said previously I do do such 'networking' with those around me. When I took open class in summer back in the UK the teacher afterwards seemed interested in me so came and asked where I danced/had trained. Immediately we knew mutual people and ended up having a really interesting conversation. I developed this into networking through mutual contacts. 

When you reflect upon current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the network and what values and purpose they have in mind?In most networks people are involved for similar reasons. A lot want to take away from it the same as each other and therefore are more likely to help one another. In the dance world there are various reasons or motives but the majority are for the same overall reason... work. It can be hard to get work with in this current climate so when you know somebody who knows of work or who needs somebody to work for them networking is crucial. Ethical consideration and personal etiquette are values that are upheld (mostly) in such networks. For example our graduate school teacher did not add/accept any of us 'students' during our time at the school however after graduating we all became facebook friends and keep in contact through photos and status'. I could message them easily via here if needed and it would not be overstepping the mark like it would have been back in school.

What would your ideal network look like and why?
What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your 
ideal network?
ORGANISED. My ideal network would be an organised one as you all have heard me go on about my organisation habits. For example when finding information it would all be set in separate sections in order for those trying to find something specific to be able to do it with ease and quickly. It would be a network where everybody is aware of each others needs and willing to build and work together to fulfill them as without co-operation networking and its values are completely lost. My ideal network would also be easily accessible at any time to those who needed it and appeal to a large group of people with similar interests and common factors in order for both parties to engage on each others purposes. I think both face to face interaction and that via social media/technology is crucial as we gain a wider idea of each other as professionals and learn from one another through doing this. Ethical considerations would also need to be intact so full respect for those involved, useful criticism only in order to develop and privacy settings to be flexible to suit each individual users requirements. Taking all of these into account I could then engage those I believed willing to participate and see their thoughts and ideas on it. Promotion would be essential in order for me to attract a large amount of people to my network.

What do you not know?
There is a lot of things I do not know and am constantly learning through experience and self reflection. This topic has made me think deeper about the ethical considerations of networking and what is and isn't deemed "appropriate"when engaging with others. It is hard to know what exactly is right or wrong in such situations although for the most part you can gage the 'manner' that you should take. When we're young we learn what manners are and how to be polite etc but with this whole new world of communication via social media/web 2.0 tools/ internet it can be quite interesting to see how many people don't know how to communicate in an appropriate way. Is this lack of caring, lack of awareness or lack of education?

Task 2d: Inquiry

I wasn't entirely sure how to tackle this task. I see a lot of people have put up numerous posts on it proving that we all come across unanswered questions and leads to further inquiries in our own professional practices. Thinking inwardly about my own reflection and professional practice I too like others have many questions emerging the more I look deeper. It seems like a couple of people already know what their future enquiry may be about but at the moment I am undecided so thought the best way to tackle this task would be to start at the beginning and answer the questions:

1) 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? 

• The basis of my professional practice is performing. There are many things about performing that make me enthusiastic and that I love (which I will develop more in question 3), however the acting side of dance and the technical aspect is something that makes me enthusiastic and want to find out more. For example when dancing 'Clemence' in Raymonda, I researched some of the Russian technique as its different to the British training and it led me to notice even more differences between each style. It also helped me improve the role as a whole. Again in 'Thriller" I danced the part of Dirty Diana so as you can imagine the role required a specific manner. I had a lot of fun portraying this as it was different and I could step outside of myself and having been given a character it encouraged me to find out more, reasearch, watch videos in order to help me develop my own portrayal. Someone who I admire for portraying a character well is Marion Tait. She is incredible at acting on stage and you can truly follow her storyline. Desmond Kelly is another, a former director and teacher of mine who without his support I would not be a professional today. He always made a huge point of how important facial expression and communicating your love of dance was. "You can do all the pirouettes and penchés you like but it means nothing if you haven't got that extra something".

• Music is another factor of my daily practice that makes me enthusiastic. Without music, I wouldn't want to dance and when a piece is inspiring I literally can't not dance to it. We have been undergoing Nutcracker rehearsals and in an excerpt from my journal I wrote "Just hearing this music again brings back so many happy memories and gives me shivers even in the studio. I can't wait to dance this onstage again". The huge composers such as Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are people I admire although when choreographing myself Ludovico Einaudi was whom I absolutely loved to create movement to. His music is beautiful and I urge you to have a listen on youtube or itunes. Here is a link to his website: http://www.ludovicoeinaudi.com/. I also love creating movement to minimal music such as Philip Glass as its strong and creates a lot of emotion.

• When I am given something new to work on it makes me enthusiastic to do so. This could be a new role/solo/correction etc. It makes me enthusiastic to try it out and hopefully become as good as I can be at it. When I feel improvement I become happy with myself and it spurs me on to continue and there's a huge satisfying feeling of achievement when I do so. Over the years I have been lucky enough to have some amazing teachers who inspire me one of which is Gloria Grigolato. She was one of the first teachers that really believed in me and subsequently made me believe in myself. She coached me in such detail that my biggest improvements happened with her. 

• Choreography is another part of my profession that I love to both watch and do. As part of my diploma I did a dissertation and named some choreographers who really inspire me. Christopher Hampson was one of these and when I attended the Prague Masterclasses I was lucky enough to learn some of his work. I loved dancing his choreography and find it to be imaginative and resourceful, using profound classicism but finding new means and making it his own. His ensemble pieces create excitement with use of diverse patterning, interesting entrances and exits and such musicality. After a Q&A session with him there he inspired me not only in choreography but also in becoming a dancer. Another choreographer who I admire is actually a friend of mine George Williamson. His individual movement style is so unique and he alike Hampson is a very musical choreographer. Here is a piece he choreographed a few years ago for the ENBS choreography competition which he won first prize for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VooO5JFUNVc

• Something else that am enthusiastic about is leading a healthy lifestyle alongside of dance and this is a part I would possibly like to find out more about. I go to the gym as often as I can as I find it both beneficial and enjoyable. I do lots of strengthening work originally because my job requires me to do so but I actually gain a lot for myself from putting in the work and gaining results. I also enjoy cardio like running as I find it a good way to de-stress and I eat a healthy diet that gives me the right amount of energy for high impact work but also keeps me in shape.

2) 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 sadness or anger? 

I'm sure you other dancers will agree with me that a life in professional dance is a pretty tough one. Day to day routine can be strenuous, there are pressures put on you all the time and criticism comes from every angle. Not to mention your job is never fully safe and in the current arts climate, they are scarce and very hard to come by. By nature I am quite a fair person and it can frustrate me when this is not the case (yes I know, a profession in dance isn't that best choice in that aspect).

• Casting can sometimes make me sad and I think it's safe to say every other dancer will share my feelings on this. When the sheet goes up and you scroll the list for your name it really can make or break you (not necessarily your career but how you feel for the next few months). There have been times in the past when such things has upset me but the way I work around it is to remind myself that this profession is based on people's opinions, not fact. Just because you weren't picked this time, doesn't mean you won't be next and it doesn't mean you're not good enough either. On the other hand sometimes it is because you're not good enough in which case work until you are.

• Being a bit of an organization freak, I find it very stressful when things aren't organized well or managed to a sufficient standard. Often having a busy schedule things can be forgotten about that shouldn't be and this is the thing most likely to frustrate me. I often come across lack of communication in the arts and dancers are always the last to know things. This can be hard going sometimes although we do have to just grin and bear it.

• A dancer's image is very important, especially for classical ballet. We have to be able to sustain a healthy sleek and toned physique in order to look good on stage and still eat well enough to give us energy. Something that does make me angry is this pressure for girls to look anorexically thin in order to get a job/role/promotion. There are so many companies out there who promote this idea of dancers eating well and looking strong yet you only have to look at their corps de ballet to see some of their dancers almost on death's door. I agree that you can not be overweight and really must keep that sleek, toned look (many who are naturally born like this have an advantage) however it is dangerous for dancers not to eat properly and unnatural for all dancers of the same height to be under a specific weight. We are all built differently and I sometimes wish ballet companies would appreciate that more and show off their dancers for their individual beauty. Matthew Lawrence former BRB star and now a principal with Queensland ballet wrote this article investigating eating disorders within ballet pointing out the difficulty in diagnosing it due to denial and how without honesty and openness there can be no improvement:
  http://www.dancing-times.co.uk/features/item/830-thecomplicatedtrutheatingdisordersinballet

3) 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?

• Performing is primarily what I really love to do. Nothing beats that rush when you're up on stage dancing in front of hundreds (or thousands if you're lucky) of people. It is the reason I get up in the morning and why I can safely say "I love my job". Being able to do my passion as my career is so rewarding. There are many performers that I appreciate however the ones that I admire are the ones who give you their everything on stage and really let you into their world. Maureya Lebowitz from BRB is somebody I love to watch dance due to her presence on stage. She makes everything look effortless and always portrays the role beautifully. Another dancer I love watching is Daria Klimentová from ENB as her technique is stunning and she too really brings out the character. 

• Working with others is another aspect of my job that I really love. I'm naturally quite a social person and I love the communal feeling when we have all worked hard together and put on a really good performance. The community feel in my company is great as everybody really wants each other to do well. It makes work so satisfying and enjoyable and you feel a real sense of pride. For this I admire my colleagues at the Vanemuine Theatre.

• As part of my professional practice I have had many opportunities to travel the world. In my graduate year of school I was picked to go and perform in Tokyo, Japan. It was an incredible experience that without dance I would be unlikely to get. Unfortunately the number of jobs in Britain are quite limited so inevitably me and my old classmates ended up auditioning abroad for jobs. I am so lucky to have the life experience of living and working in a different country and experiencing the new and different culture. It has really made me grow as a person.

4) 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?
There are lots of things in life that I don't fully understand. I guess we all come across such situations when reflecting on our own experiences and when we come across that gap we try to fill it. I found it hard thinking of specific things in my own professional practice that I don't understand and I didn't know which angle to take. A small detail that I don't really understand (and many of you other dancers may think alike) HOW do people manage to get their legs behind their head?! We have been having this discussion at work and have placed it down to both strength and flexibility (which will get it to a certain height) but actually mainly natural ability and the way your hip joint is. For years I have never had the highest adage although as both my strength and flexibility has improved, it got better. Now it is at a reasonable height, my hip will physically not let it go higher! If anybody has any miracle solutions to this I would be very grateful to know!

On a slightly bigger scale something in my profession I don't understand is the public's perception of it. I think it stems from history and that going to see the Ballet was something royalty and the upper classes did. Now it seems that a large amount of the publics opinion on ballet is the same: "it's only for posh girls/gay guys", "they all have eating disorders", "its a snobby environment" etc. (to name a few). By all means you find all of these within the ballet world but you also find them in everyday jobs too and thats not what ballet should be defined as. The film black swan did not help such stereotypes and Deborah Bull (former Royal Ballet star) stated that it had put the publics perception of ballet back 50 years.

Despite this, I do think more people are now beginning to look at it in a different light and with the help of promotional commercial work that classical dancers do, we can change the majority of the populations perspectives. A small and fun example being the Bailey's christmas advert thats doing the rounds on facebook and hopefully soon our tv screens. Starring Royal Ballet principals Steven McRae and Thiago Soares and Staatsballett Berlin prima Iana Salenko they reenact a modern and new version of the Nutcracker:

5) 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? 
A big part of reflection is being aware of it. Being aware of the experience you had, aware of the outcomes and aware of ways that you can learn and develop from it. Deciding on appropriate ethical responses to given situations is the same. You have to be aware of what is/isn't ethical, aware of the kind of situation you are dealing with and aware of the specific consequence you are aiming to gain by your response. Often in life we come across confrontation, which when it happens on the most part isn't very nice although it is up to you on how you react to it and whether you take something from it and move forward. 

The example given "what level of physical contact would you deem appropriate" is an interesting one. Dance as a profession is very 'hands on' as everyday you are working physically with them which involves a lot of contact more than in academic jobs. Firstly we are often in minimal tight fitted clothing in order for us to see and sculpt our bodies. Already this would be deemed inappropriate in certain jobs. I believe a level of physical contact where both parties are quite obviously comfortable and it has a purpose to help you both move forward with the choreography/correction is acceptable. I don't believe affectionate contact is necessary in the studio/work place even if you are emotionally attached to your working partner as this can be distracting and stop you from working to your fullest. In terms of teacher-student contact I believe it is necessary for the teacher to take a hands on approach in correcting the student in order for them to improve and feel what is needed of them. In an academic school, teachers would almost never have physical contact with a student unless of an emergency. It is quite a scary thought to think about the history and how children would be caned in class for not adhering to rules. This would never be acceptable nowadays in either dance or academia. 

Another ethical consideration in professional practice is hierarchy. In every workplace there are people who are on different levels or who have been employed there for a longer shorter time and often you work your way up through the hierarchy. In professional dance there is specific dance etiquette which is like an unwritten rule on how to behave towards others. For example a lot of dancers who take company class everyday have specific spots in the studio where they stand. Being a corps member or better yet a student, never would you go and stand in the place of a principal or a member of the company whose been there for several years. You move out of their way and respect them and the fact that they are a higher level than you. In years to come you should receive the same respect of newer company members. Sometimes it is known that dancers on that higher level abuse this power and speaking from experience it can be very intimidating but on the most part they don't. Despite this it is just etiquette to respect them in this manner anyway. Often in society there is more of a standard etiquette across the board and less 'bowing down' to older/more experienced members although the respect is still there.

Task 2c: Reflective Theory

After looking through reader 2 I immediately took a liking to it. The idea that we all have our own specific ways of learning, retaining and developing knowledge (reflecting) makes a lot of sense to me and after previous engagements with “What type of learner are you?” tests I am vaguely aware of the existence of some of these styles. I knew my learning style was more suited to a visual representation of facts so when taking previous academic exams I would note a lot down using brainstorms and colours which aided me a lot. Therefore this gave me a little insight to some of the concepts and ideas explained in reader 2 although having said that, I was never fully aware of how much we as people reflect from our everyday practice using such concepts.

John Dewey’s idea that education is a “reorganization, reconstruction and transformation of experience” (Dewey, 1916) and that full engagement and interaction in our everyday lives will help us learn more from our experiences, is an interesting point. How can we learn from our individual experiences and ourselves if we do not fully throw ourselves into experiencing life? For example, when I am in the dance studio if I stood at the side scared to do a pirouette on pointe, how can I learn to do 5 turns on pointe? I would never improve if I did not experience the action however if I were to practice my turns over and over again I could reflect on how I execute them in order to improve for next time. Using Kurt Lewin’s ‘cycle of steps’ I would:

1. Research how to turn on pointe (maybe by asking a teacher or watching a video).
2. Make the action of actually turning on pointe by practicing what the teacher told me/what I saw on the video.
3. Evaluate how I did the turn (eg. I didn't use my head to spot/my foot was too low)
4. Plan to use my head more/lift up more next time.
5. Make the action of the turn again hopefully with an improved outcome.

Looking at Kolb’s learning cycle also helps me to see how this idea of engagement fits into my own professional practice. When learning something new like choreography I usually tend to learn best from watching others do it on a video, which would insinuate that I enter this learning cycle on the reflective observation point although when doing my blog I used more trial and error therefore the active experimentation is where I entered learning. This to me proves that we don’t learn in just one particular way but favor specific concepts subconsciously depending on both our nature and what our professional practice asks of us. Here are a few examples of how I use each concept on a daily basis:

Concrete Evidence:

When we have a show we have rehearsals and run throughs in order to make sure the movement is in our bodies and we are dancing to the best standard and correctly. This means I learn in full exactly what I should be doing by actually dancing the steps and using my body. Also by practicing it, I improve so when it comes to the show I am on form.

Reflective Observation:

Everyday in class the teacher will show the exercise for us to cope but instead of me just listening I watch the actions. If you were to press the mute button I would still pick it up. Also when trying to execute a difficult step well I like to watch somebody nail it and then this helps me see how it should be done. I can reflect on the observation and teach myself to do it. In fact watching others dance is what inspired me to do so in the first place.

Abstract Conceptualisation:

Often before a rehearsal or show I go over in my mind everything that is expected of me. This includes running over choreography, remembering corrections from previous days and thinking about relations between myself and other dancers and how it may/may not work. This means I am in a much stronger position for when I dance and am more alert. It also helps my concentration and focus before a big show so I can perform to the best of my ability.

Active Experimentation:

In a dance company there is always risk of injury/illness so we always have covers and separate casts for performances. When rehearsing we always swap the two casts so everybody gets a chance to dance the steps before being put on stage. When doing a solo role sometimes something will work for one cast but not another and if you are lucky enough the choreographer will tend to your needs and let you do a slightly different arm/head from the other cast to suit you better. It is through dancing the piece and trying out different ways that you come across such nuances and evidently improve your performance. 

Howard Gardner’s idea on multiple intelligences backs up the concept of us all learning in different ways and that you should not be labeled as one specific type of learner. Looking at his list of different intelligences I immediately pick out ‘Logical-mathematical’ because I know my brain has a logical way of doing things. I look at musical and think maybe this style wouldn’t suit me as much but then again, if you were to play a piece of music to me that I have previously learnt choreography to, I would be able to recreate the steps without thinking much and just by hearing the music. This also incorporates the ‘Bodily-Kinesthetic’ intelligence and my engagement of muscle memory – a tacit knowledge explained by Twyla Tharp to be “Automatic. Precise… something she knows nonverbally… doesn't need to be accessed through conscious effort” (Tharp and Reiter, 2006). Thus proving that our learning is not always done in a conscious and written/spoken way and that again, we are not just restricted to type of intelligence or way of learning, but we can understand how we ourselves engage with real world experiences and how our colleague’s inner processes may differ. Muscle memory is something I use when applying my own corrections: by practicing a step thoroughly so my body is in a habit of doing it so from then onwards, I don't have to consciously think how do I do that again?, but I can feel what is right.

Reflection-in- action and reflection-on-action are two more ways of learning introduced by Donald Schon that I was unaware of until further explained. Schon states that reflection-in-action is a way of engaging with an experience at present as opposed to reflection-on-action where the engagement and learning process is done in the future after the event has occurred. Kottcamp expands on this and expresses believe that the latter of the two is harder to achieve as it means the partaker must “simultaneously attend to performing the action and observe and analyse his or her action, as if from an external perspective.” (Kottcamp, 1990). This links in with the journal writing ‘Another view’ which was a style I originally disliked, as I didn't feel there was much point. Now after reflecting on the outcome I see more cause for that external perspective and how it can improve my work as a dancer. Already I have trained myself to become more adaptable to changes in the moment. There was a time onstage when the music was being played so fast I had to change a few steps in order for it to work musically therefore using Schon’s reflection-in-action method. This might have been harder for an academic as usually the necessity is less like to arise as often. It is a technique I will continue to develop for my future practices, as it can be very useful during my performances.

In conclusion, we all have our own specific ways of gaining more knowledge from our experiences and how we do this is down to what comes naturally. Having seen all the various reflecting and learning methods it has made me more conscious of my own critical assessment in my profession and continuing to develop it. Now when doing so I will not only use methods easiest to me, but those that I feel I achieve the most from.

Response to Paula's post on 'Arnheim Drawings'

I've been away in Tallinn performing Thriller this last week so am a bit behind on the tasks but am planning on getting task 2c and d up soon! I have just read Paula's post on the concept drawings and the idea of using your own imagery to illustrate your thoughts, not necessarily imagery that we have seen associated with specific ideas. As a visual learner I like to learn with use of colours and images so I thought I'd have a go at these 2 concepts and share with you my own drawings.

The idea of growth...

The idea of inquiry...

I feel these drawings could really help me in my own journal and will definitely continue to use them. They help me gain a more complex perspective on things and track my train of thought. Its also a good way for me to visualise how far I am on my BAPP journey.. for example tasks I have completed or yet to complete and how I see the rest panning out.