Inquiry

Task 2D 

Here are my answers to the questions in the photo above: 

1. I'm really enthusiastic about strengthening my body, in order to improve my dancing. Dance is always evolving, and many dancers don't just do ballet class and rehearsals... they also go to the gym! I love finding ways to improve my fitness, strength and overall performance and I'm always wanting to find out more about exercises, yoga, other dancer's regimes and also nutrition. Instagram is currently my main place to find inspiration. I admire a dancer with the Royal Ballet, Gemma Pitchley-Gale as she occasionally posts workout videos on instagram, and seems to always fit in a workout even after a whole day of rehearsals! I also get a lot of inspiration from non-dancers and I love looking at Amanda Bisk's posts. She is a former Australian pole vaulter and now a qualified yoga teacher, and once or twice a week I try some of her handstand yoga exercises. I'm just enthusiastic at constantly working on becoming a better version of myself.

2. It angers me when people "expect" to be given roles or good opportunities without working hard to get there. It is also these types of people who try to put down those who have actually put the graft in. It is extremely saddening in the dance world when people are bitter instead of supportive. I've been told so many times "It's part of the profession", and I have built a thick skin, however of course it still affects me as I am so passionate about dancing. I have a friend at the Royal Ballet company who used to walk into her changing room to people bad mouthing her and the opportunities she had been given, but she has used this to push herself even more. I admire many of my friends for their work ethic, and how it never changes even when other's try to put them down.

3. I love being able to step on stage and just forget EVERYTHING- all my problems, worries etc. and get lost in the movement/story/character. It's amazing to be able to connect with an audience and just try and entertain them and take them into a different world for a couple of hours. You can become a completely different person on stage when telling a story of a character, and also show so much of yourself. I admire many professional dancers, as we know how much work goes into preparation and rehearsals before even getting on stage. I absolutely love watching Marianela Nunez as everything she does is so authentic and she's very calming to watch. Natalia Osipova and Sylvie Guillem inspire me so much because of how much they push their limits during performances and they are both so exciting to watch. 

4. I don't understand the cost of education in vocational dance schools, as the fees are quite frankly ridiculous if you don't have a sponsor or bursary. There are so many talented young individuals whose family's can't afford to pay, and it's extremely difficult to get a job in the professional world without having been to a vocational school. Also, unless you work in a prestigious or national company, the pay isn't even that great in the professional world and surely you'd expect to "get your money's worth". The shocking thing is not all graduates in vocational schools get contracts. In fact, as the years go on, there seems to be less jobs for graduate students looking for jobs after school, and many are forced to stay in training for an extra year. Many parents of students I went to school with share the same views, and of course they are prepared to pay to allow their child to fulfill their dreams. I even know of a boy whose parents sold their house to allow him to go to a vocational school, which is a shame as there isn't even a guarantee that they will be able to dance professionally in a company after years of training. 

5. In my opinion, to be able to decide whether an action is an appropriate ethical response, you have to consider for what reason the individual is doing it for, for example their own benefit or to help you.

In training, teachers are constantly giving corrections in order to help you improve. Dancing is speaking a language with our bodies and I think it's sometimes easier for the teacher to be hands on rather than articulate. If a teacher wanted higher legs they might hold the students leg and push it slightly, or squeeze a student's glutes to see if they're engaged when they need to be. Both of these actions would definitely not be appropriate generally, however if the teacher treats all students fairly and the students themselves don't feel uncomfortable then I feel it would be deemed appropriate and ethical.

After answering all these questions, I felt I answered one or two on a very personal level, due to events in my recent professional practice. I seem to return to issues at vocational schools  occasionally, and feel my inquiry is based around this. It is not even out of spite as I had a good and enjoyable experience when I was at vocational school, but of course I could see faults like in any business, and I hope I can look into this further and maybe even help improve those faults after the course. 

Apologies for the length of the blog and thanks for reading!