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?
I am enthusiastic about movement and music, I always have been. I am currently injured and I have been out of the dancing scene for a few years. I really miss the adrenaline rush of performing , learning a new dance and the amazing sensation of executing it. It is incredibly frustrating for me to not be able to dance, so I spend a lot of time at the gym pre and post injury, and that is a form of release for me. I am very enthusiastic about classes at the gym, what muscle groups I should be focusing on and researching nutritional benefits in food to speed up my recovery. It is a tough one as I am not working in my preferred field at the moment in dance, I am working in retail, but I am always very interested in dancers in companies, I follow them on social media to see their progression.
What gets you angry or makes or sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
Auditions. Countless and countless auditions I have endured throughout my career, I cannot even count on one hand how many I have attended! The thing that gets me angry is when talented, very able dancers are not given the chance they clearly deserve. It frustrates me so much; the money, time and effort spent at an audition, usually from 10-6pm with no breaks for lunch, just a few red bulls and chocolate bars to keep you going until the very end.
One article which brilliantly defines the audition process is from the life in the theatre:
http://www.lifeinthetheatre.com/dealing-with-audition-rejection/
It portrays my views entirely:
" Performers must be picked apart through the process- analysed fully. We are naturally exposed, naturally broken and often (if we have worked hard throughout the casting process) absolutely knackered ( emotionally and physically) by the experience. We have demonstrated who we are. We have given our all. "
In some cases you battle to get to the final round, conquering some other 100 dancers, and you don't make it. You feel so damaged and hurt, and think that the whole process was for nothing. Eventually as you do more and more auditions and this happens, you stop feeling the pain as much, as if you are going through the motions. I definitely didn't wear my heart on my sleeve as much and began to accept the rejection and moved on to the next one. But how is this a way of life? To be brutally analysed in such a way to feel pain and utter exhaustion afterwards? I believe the Dance industry is extremely biased and favours the ones who have credentials to their name, rather than the ones who don't, however equally talented. I have been turned away from auditions before because I was too short; I am 5 ft 3 and they wanted girls who were 5 ft 5 and above. That makes me sad. It makes me think, all of my training, years of sacrifice and discipline have been for what? How is that fair? Are the audiences really seeing the best dancers out there who have been given a fair chance? This industry is cut throat I understand that, but I believe the system is unjust. For example, my best friend is also a dancer and she is on the petite side of 4 ft 10, and she finds it extremely difficult to find work that caters to her height. She is as talented even more so than others, but her height is a major restriction for her. We have these frustrations in common, and she too has had dance injuries which have stopped her progressing in her career.
However, she is extremely motivated and is taking positive steps, which is something I admire most about her. She isn't stupid and knows that her height will always stand in her way, so she has recently changed her outlook on the future. She is training in tai boxing 5 days a week to obtain her stunt license in television and film. So this way she has used her height to her advantage; she is apart of an agency for small people in film work, and has recently body doubled for a 14 year old for a major Sky TV series.
There are many themes I can go into here for the Dance industry. Here are a few questions that I can use for an inquiry:
You can only get an agent if your have credentials on your cv, but without a good agent you don't get the auditions? A vicious cycle??
Why is the industry size-ist? Why does is matter that who you know is sometimes the way to get a job in the industry?
Why do budget cuts affect the dancer's salary and no one else's? How is that fair??
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?
I have to admit I just love dancing for the pure thrill of performing, there is nothing better for me. The adrenaline rush is indescribable. However, as I am currently injured, my job working in retail ( cosmetics) enables me to feel empowered by making people feel good about themselves, which I love to do. In the future I intend to use my BAPP degree in the teaching sector of dance, either with children, dance as a therapy or working with adults. I am very excited for my future so far on this course.
One dancer who I admire the most is a prima ballerina with the Royal Ballet company, Marianela Nunez.
http://youtu.be/PrHHQQ1tPrw
Whilst I was growing up she really stood out to me. Her technique is impeccable, but I really applaud her sense of performance, she really transports you to a different world and leaves you feeling euphoric after watching her- that to me is what dancing is all about.
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?
I agree with Danielle Austen, (a fellow BAPPer); I am also a little lost in where I stand in my career. It is hard enough trying to find work as a dancer when you are fit and able let alone when you are injured and you are unable to dance. I feel quite frustrated that my body can't do things it used to do, and sometimes it makes me wonder if I should still be on this career path. But I am passionate in this field and adamant to have this as my chosen career, physically still dancing or not. Being on the BAPP course has been a really positive step for me so far, I am surrounded by like minded people and I don't feel so alone or helpless anymore! It is a huge relief to be able to communicate with other BAPP students who have endured injuries and hardships in the industry like myself. It has made me think of some questions in relation to dancer's injuries:
Are dance students provided with sufficient education at vocational schools about injuries in their career and how to deal with them?
Going on from this, I believe every vocational school should be provided on their curriculum, education on being self -employed; how to do your own tax, what to keep for when you do your tax return, etc. I know many musical theatre colleges currently have this, but as I went to Ballet school I unfortunately was not educated in self employment which I think is very wrong. The main focus for ballet school students was to progress into a ballet company, however that wasn't the case for me and I found myself becoming self-employed as a dancer and really struggling when completing my yearly tax return.
Why is it not compulsory for dance students in all vocational schools to be educated on self employment??
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?
I think there are certain rules and guidelines you have to abide by in any profession, and experience in the work industry has provided me with knowledge and more importantly common sense in responding correctly in any given situation. As a dancer my training was very hands on with physical contact, as teachers sometimes have to show you on your body physically the right way of doing something; holding a position, improving your turnout or your flexibility, and this approach is something which I am very used to, and believe to be imperative in teaching dance. However, teaching in main stream schools is a very contrasting matter. It is a completely different approach to dancing and you do have to be careful in physical contact with children, for obvious reasons. I was intrigued by this and googled to see what guidelines there are for teachers and children in mainstream education. For instance there are a few 'codes of conducts' on the internet for nurseries and primary schools:
http://www.littleacorns.hampshire.org.uk/policy%20conduct.pdf
This code of conduct clearly states the do's and don'ts of physical contact between staff and child in the nursery.
I am enthusiastic about movement and music, I always have been. I am currently injured and I have been out of the dancing scene for a few years. I really miss the adrenaline rush of performing , learning a new dance and the amazing sensation of executing it. It is incredibly frustrating for me to not be able to dance, so I spend a lot of time at the gym pre and post injury, and that is a form of release for me. I am very enthusiastic about classes at the gym, what muscle groups I should be focusing on and researching nutritional benefits in food to speed up my recovery. It is a tough one as I am not working in my preferred field at the moment in dance, I am working in retail, but I am always very interested in dancers in companies, I follow them on social media to see their progression.
What gets you angry or makes or sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
Auditions. Countless and countless auditions I have endured throughout my career, I cannot even count on one hand how many I have attended! The thing that gets me angry is when talented, very able dancers are not given the chance they clearly deserve. It frustrates me so much; the money, time and effort spent at an audition, usually from 10-6pm with no breaks for lunch, just a few red bulls and chocolate bars to keep you going until the very end.
One article which brilliantly defines the audition process is from the life in the theatre:
http://www.lifeinthetheatre.com/dealing-with-audition-rejection/
It portrays my views entirely:
" Performers must be picked apart through the process- analysed fully. We are naturally exposed, naturally broken and often (if we have worked hard throughout the casting process) absolutely knackered ( emotionally and physically) by the experience. We have demonstrated who we are. We have given our all. "
In some cases you battle to get to the final round, conquering some other 100 dancers, and you don't make it. You feel so damaged and hurt, and think that the whole process was for nothing. Eventually as you do more and more auditions and this happens, you stop feeling the pain as much, as if you are going through the motions. I definitely didn't wear my heart on my sleeve as much and began to accept the rejection and moved on to the next one. But how is this a way of life? To be brutally analysed in such a way to feel pain and utter exhaustion afterwards? I believe the Dance industry is extremely biased and favours the ones who have credentials to their name, rather than the ones who don't, however equally talented. I have been turned away from auditions before because I was too short; I am 5 ft 3 and they wanted girls who were 5 ft 5 and above. That makes me sad. It makes me think, all of my training, years of sacrifice and discipline have been for what? How is that fair? Are the audiences really seeing the best dancers out there who have been given a fair chance? This industry is cut throat I understand that, but I believe the system is unjust. For example, my best friend is also a dancer and she is on the petite side of 4 ft 10, and she finds it extremely difficult to find work that caters to her height. She is as talented even more so than others, but her height is a major restriction for her. We have these frustrations in common, and she too has had dance injuries which have stopped her progressing in her career.
However, she is extremely motivated and is taking positive steps, which is something I admire most about her. She isn't stupid and knows that her height will always stand in her way, so she has recently changed her outlook on the future. She is training in tai boxing 5 days a week to obtain her stunt license in television and film. So this way she has used her height to her advantage; she is apart of an agency for small people in film work, and has recently body doubled for a 14 year old for a major Sky TV series.
There are many themes I can go into here for the Dance industry. Here are a few questions that I can use for an inquiry:
You can only get an agent if your have credentials on your cv, but without a good agent you don't get the auditions? A vicious cycle??
Why is the industry size-ist? Why does is matter that who you know is sometimes the way to get a job in the industry?
Why do budget cuts affect the dancer's salary and no one else's? How is that fair??
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?
I have to admit I just love dancing for the pure thrill of performing, there is nothing better for me. The adrenaline rush is indescribable. However, as I am currently injured, my job working in retail ( cosmetics) enables me to feel empowered by making people feel good about themselves, which I love to do. In the future I intend to use my BAPP degree in the teaching sector of dance, either with children, dance as a therapy or working with adults. I am very excited for my future so far on this course.
One dancer who I admire the most is a prima ballerina with the Royal Ballet company, Marianela Nunez.
http://youtu.be/PrHHQQ1tPrw
Whilst I was growing up she really stood out to me. Her technique is impeccable, but I really applaud her sense of performance, she really transports you to a different world and leaves you feeling euphoric after watching her- that to me is what dancing is all about.
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?
I agree with Danielle Austen, (a fellow BAPPer); I am also a little lost in where I stand in my career. It is hard enough trying to find work as a dancer when you are fit and able let alone when you are injured and you are unable to dance. I feel quite frustrated that my body can't do things it used to do, and sometimes it makes me wonder if I should still be on this career path. But I am passionate in this field and adamant to have this as my chosen career, physically still dancing or not. Being on the BAPP course has been a really positive step for me so far, I am surrounded by like minded people and I don't feel so alone or helpless anymore! It is a huge relief to be able to communicate with other BAPP students who have endured injuries and hardships in the industry like myself. It has made me think of some questions in relation to dancer's injuries:
Are dance students provided with sufficient education at vocational schools about injuries in their career and how to deal with them?
Going on from this, I believe every vocational school should be provided on their curriculum, education on being self -employed; how to do your own tax, what to keep for when you do your tax return, etc. I know many musical theatre colleges currently have this, but as I went to Ballet school I unfortunately was not educated in self employment which I think is very wrong. The main focus for ballet school students was to progress into a ballet company, however that wasn't the case for me and I found myself becoming self-employed as a dancer and really struggling when completing my yearly tax return.
Why is it not compulsory for dance students in all vocational schools to be educated on self employment??
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?
I think there are certain rules and guidelines you have to abide by in any profession, and experience in the work industry has provided me with knowledge and more importantly common sense in responding correctly in any given situation. As a dancer my training was very hands on with physical contact, as teachers sometimes have to show you on your body physically the right way of doing something; holding a position, improving your turnout or your flexibility, and this approach is something which I am very used to, and believe to be imperative in teaching dance. However, teaching in main stream schools is a very contrasting matter. It is a completely different approach to dancing and you do have to be careful in physical contact with children, for obvious reasons. I was intrigued by this and googled to see what guidelines there are for teachers and children in mainstream education. For instance there are a few 'codes of conducts' on the internet for nurseries and primary schools:
http://www.littleacorns.hampshire.org.uk/policy%20conduct.pdf
This code of conduct clearly states the do's and don'ts of physical contact between staff and child in the nursery.
Thanks Katrina - a lot here - liked the in-depth commentary - points about self-employment is the one that has left me thinking!
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