Carrying out Inquiry
Part of Stage 2 of Module 3 would be gaining the permission to be able to carry out the Inquiry, which in my case would mean going forward with the Interviews.
As the handbooks advise, the Inquiry process should be related to your workplace and practice. At this very stage of my career, I have just finished working with Ballet Vlaanderen (Ballet of Flanders), Belgium. Ever since the end of my contract, I have been a tour of auditions. I have been tremendously lucky to have found a temporary contract with another ballet company, in Dresden; however, my contract does not officially begin until the 10th of April which might be too late to begin the process of Inquiry, gaining permission in a new workplace and reaching the deadlines. However, having this opportunity, I can include my experiences with working with this new company as part of my Activities and Observations and speak about these in my blog.
As I will be unable to carry my Inquiry and Artifact here in Dresden, I have decided to continue my research where I first began it... in my previous working company in Belgium. Ethic Forms have been completed and official permission has been kindly accepted by the Assistant to the Artistic Director of Ballet Flanders, where I will be allowed to interview the dancers on their views on how Contemporary has had an impact on the company and the dancers, as well as the introduction of a Contemporary Dance experienced Artistic Director to lead the company.
My Goal: ----->> if the increase in Contemporary Repertoire/decrease in Classical Dance works, will influence other Ballet companies across Europe (how is it influenced.. what are the factors) and what does this mean for the future of Ballet in Belgium (and as a result, other countries as well).
Why this company? (Ballet Flanders?)
For a start, a big part of my research and observation has been related to this company. Also, having worked in that environment, I can use my Work Based Knowledge I had collected over the course of my Module 2, and interview dancers who have has the experience with working with such a diverse company, to help my aim carry through.
-Classical Background and Training
-WBL
-Versatile Repertoire that Dancers can reflect to in their interiews
-Transition that the Company went from classical to an increase in contemporary repertoire
-Diversity in Dancers (Age, Experience, Nationalities, type of Training)
Ballet Vlaanderen is also known as the Royal Ballet of Flanders before the dance company joined with the Opera as one Operation due to the purposed of Funding and Government decisions (more information about this will be unraveled in the interviews I will be taking). The company was , and still is, considered as one of the major Classical Companies in Europe. Their repertoire included the big narrative ballets like Sleeping Beauty, Don Quichotte, Swan Lake, Onegin as well as a number of neoclassic ballets by Choreographers like Balanchine, Forsythe and Dawson.
Since two years now, the directorship of the company has changed to now follow the leadership of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who is an expert in Contemporary dance. Accordingly, classical ballets have been performed in these past years, the amount of contemporary repertoire has definitely increased and the company is now following a 'new wave' as the dancers have described it to me.
In the meantime, dancers have left feeling that the rep of the company was not fulfilling them artistically, while others have joined enthusiastically.
As a result, it will be very important to take this into consideration when choosing the people who I will be interviewing.
Who will you be interviewing?
Dancers:
Dancers:
----->> Different Ages and Levels of Experience: The experienced dancers may have a better insight of how they have seen ballet grow/transform/change etc.and at what position if finds itself now. While the younger dancers, may have an fresh outlook and how the see dance at this moment in life.
I hope I am not making any assumption...Just my view anticipating the results. These ideas will not me encouraged upon the dancers, but they will definitely be interesting to see if my estimations are right or wrong.
----->> Different Backgrounds and Training: I am interested to see how much Diversity and Multicultural input in the arts, may affect the course of Dance. I feel that this point will definitely need to be backed up by my literature, on how art has been transforming with the influence of different cultures across the world and the sharing of ideas through the Internet and technology. I also feel that this is a very current issue discussed across the news, and not solely in terms of art...
----->> Of Classical Basic Training: As the Inquiry is focused on Ballet companies, I feel it is important that the dancers have a knowledge, at least basic, of ballet technique, as the research is based on the growth and evolution of Ballet in particular.
----->> from Ballet Vlaanderen mainly, but other Classical Companies as well: I will focus on one company, however, getting an insight from other classical companies can help me 'identify other people's positions, arguments and conclusions' (Stella Corttell, 2005, p.2) and compare with the results from Ballet Flanders. This way, I will see if the dancers' propositions are the same/contradicting.
----->> Availability: The interview should be planned at a time that suits both and sould not be forced otherwise.
The IDEAL would be interviewing as many dancers as possible! However this is unrealistic for any researcher out there. As as a result, with the time given the aim will be to interview a certain amount of people that will be enough to give me all together different opinions, a fair argument to analyse , perhaps new points that i never considered in the first place, and new ideas/recommendations, all to result to a well reasoned conclusion!
How will you Contact the Dancers?
----->> Different Backgrounds and Training: I am interested to see how much Diversity and Multicultural input in the arts, may affect the course of Dance. I feel that this point will definitely need to be backed up by my literature, on how art has been transforming with the influence of different cultures across the world and the sharing of ideas through the Internet and technology. I also feel that this is a very current issue discussed across the news, and not solely in terms of art...
----->> Of Classical Basic Training: As the Inquiry is focused on Ballet companies, I feel it is important that the dancers have a knowledge, at least basic, of ballet technique, as the research is based on the growth and evolution of Ballet in particular.
----->> from Ballet Vlaanderen mainly, but other Classical Companies as well: I will focus on one company, however, getting an insight from other classical companies can help me 'identify other people's positions, arguments and conclusions' (Stella Corttell, 2005, p.2) and compare with the results from Ballet Flanders. This way, I will see if the dancers' propositions are the same/contradicting.
----->> Availability: The interview should be planned at a time that suits both and sould not be forced otherwise.
The IDEAL would be interviewing as many dancers as possible! However this is unrealistic for any researcher out there. As as a result, with the time given the aim will be to interview a certain amount of people that will be enough to give me all together different opinions, a fair argument to analyse , perhaps new points that i never considered in the first place, and new ideas/recommendations, all to result to a well reasoned conclusion!
How will you Contact the Dancers?
It has been very interesting to see how elements from all modules come together again in Module 3! Since I am no longer dancing with Ballet Vlaanders, I have had to use my means of Networking through Social Media, to be able to communicate and arrange online interviews via Skype/Facetime. It is important to view the interviewees so as to take into consideration the body language as this could say a lot about the way they are interpreting their point of view.
How did you ask Permission?
I started off my asking permission though a letter I have sent out explaining the process of the interview, and a brief explanation of what my research is about.
The letter also included the following:
-warning that all the information shared with me, will not be shared with anybody ekse
-warning that the interview will be recorded, to be able to look back at it for the real data, instead of an interpretation I remember. It is important to have true facts.
-option for the interview to be cancelled at any point the interviewee wishes/ feels uncomfortable with sharing any more information.
It is vital for the Interviewees to feel comfortable and not worried about sharing their opinions with me. This will help for an honest response from the dancers and therefore a fairer results!!
How will you collect the results?
For fair results, a graph will be made. As Ihave not collected solid information yet, I believe it is best to wait and see how the Inquiry results and Literature develop to decide how I would divide the graph.
It being a debatable subject of conversation, this will be difficult to achieve a quantitative result. This will be a qualitative research based on opinions, observations, experience, recommendations and we will see what more will come out of it!
(I thought making a Graph (Table) for the Ballet Vlaanders dancers and another Graph for dancers from other companies to see if the results match or contradict each other.
And then within each graph I would love to see if the dancers of more experience have a different outlook from the new starters in the companies)
Conclusion?
After creating these graphs, and relating my data with the literature, I hope for a conclusion that will help inform the younger upcoming generation of dancers/choreographers/directors/artists for what the future of dance will be looking like for when they will be taking charge :)
Bibliography:
Cottrell S. (2005) . Critical Thinking. [e-journal] Available through: http://elearn.uni-sofia.bg/pluginfile.php/76858/mod_resource/content/1/%5BStella_Cottrell%5D_Critical_Thinking_Skills_Develo%28BookFi.org%29.pdf [Accessed 31 May 2017]
How did you ask Permission?
I started off my asking permission though a letter I have sent out explaining the process of the interview, and a brief explanation of what my research is about.
The letter also included the following:
-warning that all the information shared with me, will not be shared with anybody ekse
-warning that the interview will be recorded, to be able to look back at it for the real data, instead of an interpretation I remember. It is important to have true facts.
-option for the interview to be cancelled at any point the interviewee wishes/ feels uncomfortable with sharing any more information.
It is vital for the Interviewees to feel comfortable and not worried about sharing their opinions with me. This will help for an honest response from the dancers and therefore a fairer results!!
How will you collect the results?
For fair results, a graph will be made. As Ihave not collected solid information yet, I believe it is best to wait and see how the Inquiry results and Literature develop to decide how I would divide the graph.
It being a debatable subject of conversation, this will be difficult to achieve a quantitative result. This will be a qualitative research based on opinions, observations, experience, recommendations and we will see what more will come out of it!
(I thought making a Graph (Table) for the Ballet Vlaanders dancers and another Graph for dancers from other companies to see if the results match or contradict each other.
And then within each graph I would love to see if the dancers of more experience have a different outlook from the new starters in the companies)
Conclusion?
After creating these graphs, and relating my data with the literature, I hope for a conclusion that will help inform the younger upcoming generation of dancers/choreographers/directors/artists for what the future of dance will be looking like for when they will be taking charge :)
Bibliography:
Bloomberg L.D. and Volpe M. (2012). Completing
Your Qualitative Dissertation: A Road Map From Beginning to End. 2nd
ed. London: Sage
Cottrell S. (2005) . Critical Thinking. [e-journal] Available through: http://elearn.uni-sofia.bg/pluginfile.php/76858/mod_resource/content/1/%5BStella_Cottrell%5D_Critical_Thinking_Skills_Develo%28BookFi.org%29.pdf [Accessed 31 May 2017]
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