Planning, Mind-mapping and Vision Boards for Module 3!!

One thing about having a deadline , is being able to plan your daily/weekly schedule of studies to fit your work timetable...Luckily having time off from not working has given me the time to work on my BAPP, however, unfortunately the auditions and travels got the best of me....

What I was able to do during those two months, is reflect back on the work I have done in my Module 2 and focus on the way I was approaching auditions... In a way I was putting my Professional Inquiry in action theoretically I would like to think!

Speaking with a friend, the other day, she was telling me how she was creating a Vision Board. I had never heard of this term so she had explained to me how Creating a Vision Board every month, helped her organize her mind, to help her reach her goals and dreams and set priorities through inspirational quotes, pictures, and anything that motivated her.

It all had to do with the alignment of the stars, a theory which I am not at all familiar with, nonetheless, I was inspired to make my own! Taking it seriously, I cut up a piece of IKEA cardboard and from a stool box, from when I moved in to my new flat, and started brainwashing ideas.... At the beginning it felt much harder than what my friend had described. I couldn't decide what was it I was aiming for!

Therefore, as any analytic, I began to divide my Visions in 3:

-Personal Growth

-Career

-Relationships (... but that's personal haha)



Around it I filled the board with cut outs of encouraging notes and drawings, from friends, and tea bags, and I look forward to adding more tickets from performances I watch throughout the year, to look back either as part of my Activities for Carrying out my Personal Inquiry in Module 3, as well as for my own reasons of inspiration!

..............................

Another major part of planning my timetable for studying is preparing a hand written Calendar I created. I can't explain, but somehow hand writing my notes, blogs and to do list helps me remember more. Perhaps by writing it down is the first step in getting your work done.



I really hope I am getting the planning right as I am finding myself behind schedule. This will give me a good guideline. In the mean time, since I have to wait before I carry m Inquiry through my tools (Interviews/Questionnaires), I can begin by analyzing my Literature. Once I accumulate all the data from my interviews I can then proceed to connecting the two together, finding similarities ad differences to the evidence , so I can result to a well reasoned conclusion.

Module 3 - Stage 2 - Part B (Permission to Carry out Inquiry)

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:

----->> 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?

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:

Bloomberg L.D. and Volpe M. (2012). Completing Your Qualitative Dissertation: A Road Map From Beginning to End. 2^nd 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]

Module 3 - Stage 2 - part A (Literature review) - What makes an Innovator?

What makes an Innovator?

Looking back in my Professional Inquiry in Module 2, after some time off work, I have been able to reflect and she clearly what this research means to me. 

Now at stage 2. :  A ) Literature Review    

                           B ) Gaining Permission to Carry out Inquiry  (next blog)

                           C ) Activities   (next blog)

----->>>  A ) Literature Review

                   ----->> Articles  (News in dance/ cuture/ politics and history)
                   ----->> Performance Reviews (ie: Dance Europe / Independent )
                   ----->> Documentaries (on Dance Practitioners and other areas of interest that can assist the development of my writing and presentation skills for carrying out my Personal Inquiry)
                   ----->> Books (Choreographer Bios, Art History)

The ways to treat literature are truly endless, and could easily carry me away from my topic.When reflecting back on M2, I decided there is just too much space to investigate and my topic is still to vast in order to determine a solid result, or argument in my case. Therefore,I began to draw diagram as to what is important to me concerning my research. What is really the thing I would like to focus on in order to achieve my GOAL? 

So as to plan the operation of my 3rd Module , I have decided to share the purposes of each task. 

What I mean by this is give every piece of my research a different intention.

I began, as I usually do, by asking questions. It first started with.... HOW DO I DO THIS?!?!?!

Eventually it narrowed down to asking myself questions like:

         1 - What is it I need too find though my literature?

         2 - Why is this important to my studies?

         3 - Where do I find it?

         4 - How do I utilize the information in order to serve my research? 

Let us answer these:

         1 - Through Literature I hope to find what has made the great innovators of Dance Innovative. This is where my true passion lies as a curious dancer and an aspiring choreographer. 

      I then break it down as follows:

>>>What tools have they used? How did they create their own 'signature' as choreographers? 

                             Is it the story behind their piece?

                             An ideology?

                             A choreographic step?

                             Their passion?

                             A controversy?

                 

>>>How has their 'signature' encouraged progress/breakthrough and influenced other artists to develop their craft? 

         2 - This is important to my studies as it will give me an understanding as to what has caused the big leaps in the development in dance. This will also help me relate it to the current choreographers who are pushing the boundaries changing the stereotype and form of dance that we have seen throughout the many past years. 

It was not so long ago when Nijinsky made a breakthrough with his Rite of Spring to then eccentric and controversial score of Stravinsky. While the piece was utterly disliked by many back in 1913, and only appreciated by the radical visionaries of the time, it is now considered a masterpiece and has been recreated by some of the most famous names including Maurice's Bejart and the ever so praised Pina Bausch, who's choreography has only very recently been performed in the UK for the very first time indeed receiveing sensational reviews. (example below)

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/le-sacre-du-printemps-the-rite-of-spring-english-national-ballet-sadler-s-wells-review-a7655886.html

           3 - The information can be found through the University Online Library, as well as books, biographies, documentaries. My interest is usually enlightened if I am familiar with a piece of choreography, because then I find that I can relate to it. However, there is so much that I still don't know and I wish to investigate through my research! 

         4 - The information I receive through my Literature will not be enough. However, in combination to speaking with my SIGs, tutors, peers, and through the data I collect from the Interviews I will be taking, I can learn much more.     

In the next blog I will follow up on my plan and intentions in carrying out my Professional Inquiry - B) Gaining Permission to Carry out Inquiry - I will be taking about the process I have taken and I hope to soon start taking action and assemble some results!

Module 3 - Kickstart "Dancing our Way to the Future: How Ballet Companies are Evolving through the Influence of Contemporary Dance"

I must admit that during the past month, my commitment in blogging has been shameful.

Before I begin, I would like to start by saying that I have been unemployed for a good, nearly two months now. Sorry not unemployed...a good friend once told me that 'You will not be unemployed; you will be a freelancer.' I would have never thought that these words could trick me into believing I had a purpose in my career, without the security of having a 'job'. And yet it did.

I had spent months trying fit in somewhere where perhaps I didn't belong. In auditions, I was trying different outfits, thinking it's because the previous leotard was not good enough... to show my skill (??!?). Thinking that I should change my hairstyle depending on the style of the company (whether it was a more contemporary inclined -which in that case meant messier hair-, or classical -sleek french roll). I was finding myself changing my movement style with every audition accordingly too.  And the most important thing I was forgetting, was being truly myself.  

It wasn't until my contract had ended. I suddenly was given the space, to really allow for some constructive self criticism to take place. As dancers, like any performers and artists, we believe that we have this extraordinary power to fix our own problems; Especially after growing up independently (leaving home/your country from a young age etc), we stand strong in believing that we can fix our own problems and imperfections. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as self discipline is a big part of our profession, but can often be self harming. When bottled up in stress or anxiety, the mind is not clear to think straight therefore leading to bad decisions, and ultimately the wrong attitude when facing your work. I won't go on about the domino effect that may follow afterwords; However, I will mention that this past two months, although unemployed, I have never felt so much peace and calm.

I had been given the space to rediscover myself and my intentions, learning how to focus on the right things and how to open my mind to the many possibilities I had while I was 'free' !! 

-Travel

-Continue my research of my Professional Inquiry

-Observe 

-Speak with people about Art, Politics, Music, Current Events  

-Go to Exhibitions 

-Teach

-Daydream Choreographies (a big hobby of mine)

-Rest...

-Reflect back 

-Move Forward!

I am a big fan of TED Talks, which had really helped me in my in gaining a new perspective when approaching my work as well as my BAPP studies. Listening to these people's stories gave me the confidence in presenting my Dissertation. I feel that preparing this 3rd Module is like developing ideas for a TED talk. Now, I don't know if my theme will be a life changing matter, however, I do believe it is an issue that is very present in the moment, and has been discussed under many occasions, in reviews and dancer's insights which I hope to unravel more of in these months to come. Below is a link which has really spoken to me in making my BA a priority now. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOSFxKaqOm4

During these two moths of freedom, let's say, I had my auditions as planned just like I did before. But instead of obsessing about my training, where I believed that one day off would mean the end of the world (!!) , I spent this inbetween  time, travelling. I knew it this phase in my life is temporary so I had to make the most of it. Nothing extravagant, but I really took my time to enjoy at a reasonable budget, the cities I was visiting, as well as any cities nearby. While travelling, one spends a lot of time by themselves, waiting, in trains, wondering aimlessly in the streets of Barcelona, Stockholm and Berlin, Leipzig, Dessau, Limassol (my home). I have found those to be the most productive in my thinking. I always carry a journal with me to pin point these moments of reflection and inspiration which would be major input in studies. I had also taken this opportunity to visit old friends, take classes with different companies, experience new working environments and watch performances.

One in particular had really struck my attention, and this was the smallest company of all, in the city of Dessau, consisting of 8 dancers (of classical background). The city is overly humble, a quiet town with an impressively big Opera for it's population perhaps, Yet, it is a town very appreciative of it's arts. The theme of the performance, was 'Grotesque' which only this year I have discovered that this is a genuine Genre of art. It involved a very particular contemporary / theatrical style with use of vocals. It was performed at the famous and very first BAUHAUS ever created (1919); now the house of the avant-garde and classical modernism. This dance company also had the opportunity to work on 'Dadaism'. 

http://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/en/index.html

Dada as explained by Sven Behrisch (The Times, 2016), " was not a programmatic avant-garde like Impressionism, Cubism or Suprematism, but an attitude of mind, an attitude to the world which in principle affirms everything.The Dadaists, indeed, rejected ideologies of all kinds, but not by contesting them with counter-drafts. They expressed their resistance by kneading everything through, until it was as funny as possible, but had lost all meaning." My friends, has explained it to me as being a random form of art that indeed had no meaning; something I feel a lot of art goes by, is influenced by, or gives the observer that impression of 'random'. 

http://www.zeit.de/2016/06/dadaismus-kunst-avantgarde-hugo-ball-zuerich-ausstellung

Now I don't know how often people would get to experience dadaism in the form of dance, however my curiosity has been intrigued and I wonder what a part this plays in art, and if it has affected the course of it's direction along the years. 

Although the dancers in Dessau are very classically trained, the repertoire they get to perform is mostly contemporary and contradicting to their basic training perhaps, something very commonly found in companies all around the world. The demand for contemporary experience is definitely rising. 

I have experienced this, not only through observations of performances and reviews, but also from the requirements of auditions. In a lot of places of some of the world classed ballet companies, a big part of the selection has been the contemporary round where dancers would be taught a piece of contemporary repertoire (in socks usually- no pointe shoes for the girls, with a lot of floor work invloved) or would even be asked to improvise. I believe this is a task to not only express your creativity as a dancer, but it is also an honest moment to present a piece of yourself. 

As ballet dancers, we are usually asked to become a certain character on stage. In this sense, it is a lot like acting and trying to imagine yourself as a fairy, a princess...or a rat (if The Nutcracker is what your are dancing for example). Contrarily, in contemporary form, what you present on stage is raw, and often you are not pretending to be something in particular, but it's more of an abstract idea, or perhaps something meaningful presented indirectly. Ofcourse, the ideology behind every work and choreographer varies, making this a desirable asset to the dancers.

You always start with a barre, and what you learn afterwards is endless and wonderful! However, my concern is that young artists, especially out of school and from a classical background, are not prepared enough for these kind of requirements.This seems to be the direction most companies are going towards (at least around Europe as I am more familiar with, but not only), and a strong contemporary background is so necessary nowadays. My question is, should vocational ballet schools be retaining a stronger focus on contemporary and improvisation skills? 

My intentions with carrying out my inquiry, would be getting a chance to speak to professional dancers individually about their experience with this increase of movement into the contemporary space. How are they able to adapt to different styles of dance? What are the physical/psychological demands of unfamiliar repertoire? In their eyes, how has classical ballet been affected by the increase of contemporary work, and how does this affect the direction that Classical Ballet is taking? Who is affected by it? 

I would be very happy to hear any suggestions of your own! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOSFxKaqOm4

http://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/en/index.html

http://www.zeit.de/2016/06/dadaismus-kunst-avantgarde-hugo-ball-zuerich-ausstellung

Inquiry Tools (Reader 6)

After reviewing all options for carrying out my Professional Inquiry about the concerns in the future in dance of Classical Companies I have decided on the following methods:

>>Observation

>>Interviews

>>Documents 

As it is such a vast topic of conversation and debate these days in the dancing department, I believe a qualitative approach will be more appropriate in analysing my resources of inquiry. Just like you cannot put a measure in 'love' I believe the same stands for putting a measure in foreseeing a future as it is unpredictable and I am expecting opinions to vary across different participants, especially in the interviews I will be taking. 

Observation:

Part of the process will be observing the phenomena myself. As I currently a temporary dancer with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, I will takes this advantage as an insider researcher and observe a rehearsal of a contemporary piece choreographed by the Artistic Director of the company, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. This is a piece that is being created on the company right at this moment as we speak, and will be premieres in March along with two other works by Ohan Naharin and Akram Khan. All these are some of the 'hottest' names in the world of the dance, and their contemporary works are well recognised amongst the classical companies (ENB performing Akram Kahn's version of Giselle) . 

With the permission of the Assistant to the director and Sidi Larbi himself, I will be watching the creative process of his premiere of 'Requiem'. I thought it would be very interesting to see the difference between a commissioned piece that has already been created and a work that is purely choreographed on the dancers of the company. During the observation I will be writing down notes of certain differences I notice as well as behavioural nature between the dancers and the choreographer. I am interested in the communication that they share between them and the input of the dancers. Knowing how contemporary sometimes works from past experiences and being informed about the Gaga workshops (very popular nowadays)>Appendix... A lot of improvisation skills are required from the dancers, which could be a challenging task for a classically trained dancer, growing up in a very structured form of dance. Ofcourse, every choreographer works in different ways therefore I am curious as to which techniques Sidi Larbi will be using in his creation, and how much input to the dancers have as per of the creative process.

Aim? 

Identify some differences between learning a classical piece of repertoire to a recent contemporary work (structure of teaching, method of communication, dancers involvement) 

Find out how perhaps a more contemporary method of teaching rep could influence the operation of a company. 

Would a classical company benefit from these methods? 

As an insider to this research their are menu benefit contributing to WBL, by gaining the more knowledge while working over a long period of time. However, there is a downfall simply by just being involved in researching the operation of a company as issues may always rise up, and could harm the name/reputation of the company of the information being shared is not secured and confidential . Therefore, it is strictly advised to ask a formal permission by the director or gatekeeper in order to access information about the company through the dancers or carry out observations/meetings/surveys etc. This is what the Ethical forms are for. The precautions are not only for the sake of the company but also for the practitioner (me) by doing this research. No risk must be taken as to inhibit my work with the company. 

Interviews:

I believe that Interviews are the best way to communicate with the dancers. This will be done in a semi structured form, where the participant will be asked the same questions , or ones along the same line, but due to a difference in opinion could very likely lead me to going down a different route with my questions. Special care must be taken as too not get carried away too much out of topic as that could get very complicated to analyse in my 3rd module. However, the participants are free to express there thoughts concerning how contemporary dance is influencing classical ballet companies. 

Who?

I will be interviewing 3-4 dancers from Ballet Vlaanderen, the reason being that these dancers are experiencing the transition the once more classical based company is going through to a more contemporary ground. 

I am thinking that it would be good to interview dancers who have worked for years in ballet Vlaanderen as well as new dancers who have joined with the recent change of management , contemporary choreographer Sidi Larbi. I believe (or I hope) that this will bring varied answers and opinion, which could be very interesting to analyse and gain greater knowledge in my area of research. I am interested to see how the dancers see the future of dance in classical companies.

How has the transition affected the dancers/company?

What changes did the company experience besides the repertoire?

Will ballet companies be following a similar example with this expansion of contemporary choreographers?

I also feel like a good idea would be to interview a dancer from one of the most traditional companies in the world , the Royal Danish Ballet, with the solid background of August Bournville. Viewing the current repertoire of the company, a lot of influence is coming from America, as the one Danish style company is performing many works by Balanchine (New York city ballet), which is indeed a very different and more recent style of movement and technique. I would like to see how this phenomenon has affected the company there. 

It makes me wonder whether this is a universal trend that companies are following. Ofcourse, the Royal Danish is still very classical based, however it may also seem that the company is drifting away from the traditional. A breakthrough would be Nikolaj Hubbe's revival of La Sylphide, which is sacred to the Danish history of the company. Appendix...

Permission would be required by the dancer himself also signing the ethical form provided by Middlesex University. This interview will be done on Skype at a time that would suit both the participant and myself outside of work premises. With permission the interview will be recorded for accuracy as well as taking notes to deceive any observations on behaviour or things that cannot be recorded on tape. (Feelings, dilemmas, hesitations)... Ofcourse, by doing this, misinterpretation can often be a danger, therefore the questions must be clear and as much related to the area of research as possible. 

At last I would very much like to interview a dance critic, as this is the person viewing art from an outsider's point of view rather that dancers like us. I can imagine a dance critic has a very busy schedule , therefore a question are with clear questions and a brief explanation of the research will be the best option of communication, after asking permission and signing ethical forms. This will lead to a professional method of collecting data for future analysis. 

Aim?

Getting an insight from so many different personalities could help gain an all rounded knowledge about the way people are predicting the future of dance in ballet companies.  

Documents:

Documents is a great tool in my inquiry, as it is where I gain most of my knowledge about the past, and how innovation has moved the arts forward. My sources would come from Literature I have read, either from books like 'My Ballet Lover's Companion' by Zoe Anderson, which gives an outline to how ballet has evolved since it first began up to this very present day. This will be my base. Others, would be current reviews and articles mentioned on either Dance Europe or the Independent online news, as well as interviews by other dancers on ongoing current events about the entering of ballet companies into the modern world (examples: Ballet Flanders and Berlin Staatsballet) . 

Ethics for the greater 'Good'

ETHOS: (Greek Word)
the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution

This week I have been looking into the matter of Ethics; I believe a term that we take for granted a lot of the time, since the nature of our practice in Dance/ Performing Arts lies firmly within rules of discipline and perfection (classical dance especially) . That is indeed a strong asset to acquire in society, as moral values in a professional environment are highly valued by employers. 

By studying Reader 5, focusing Professional Ethics, I now have a better understanding on what the term really means and the many possibilities and differences there are in way of approaching issues ethically, which is what makes it a debatable subject among society. Due to the differences in beliefs, upbringing, religion, values, it will be difficult to get a 'right or wrong' answer. As it is described in Reader 5, it is the 'grey areas' that we need to investigate and take into consideration when working on our Professional Inquiry, and these are the ethics that influence our lives, culture, media and eventually our future.

To begin with there are three basic Groups when looking at ethics.

Personal Ethics

Professional Ethics

Organisational Ethics

.

.

.

Society: Social Good!!

   Personal Ethics should involve what by own morals an values are. As an adult and employee I have the responsibility to take care of my own decisions. By raising certain issues, I can identify what I believe is 'good', for myself an the others around me. A big part of Personal ethical decision would have to do with the upbringing of the individual. Things like religion, family influence, education and conscience play a big part what your beliefs are as an independent adult. 
-good presentation
-good work ethic
-punctuality
-respect to my collegue/tutors/studio rules etc.


  Professional Ethics would include the codes of conduct of a workplace, a Union, and the Research/Inquiry Ethics of Middlesex University.
A booklet of rules for all employees and personnel was handed to us on the very first day:

'All personnel shall collaborate in a collegial spirit, and in their relations with the media and the public display the needed discretion'.

This was a rule present in my previous company. During a time of crisis, it is crucial to not compromise the name of the company, for their own reputation, but for your own also. 

Professional Ethics 'govern our actions and guide the decisions we take in the things we do'(Reader 5)

  Organisational Ethics - how we do things around here?
-work Contract
-according to organization/environment (Culture)

This is where the issue of Ethics -or Ethos- varies among every dance company/ country you work in. 

Whereas, in Russia for example, the ballet training could be considered somewhat extreme harsh to the western countries- yet very traditional to their roots, In Western Europe a greater attention is given to Health and Safety and Precautions to the dancer's future, as well as more contemporary training. One can argue which is best, however, both sides could be supported. It is where, ethics will play a big role to each individual when giving their opinions. 

I can relate this to McIntyre (1967), who states that their are no universal norms. 

'What is good for one society or time may not be the same in another'

In such case, during my research, considering the context/background of interviewer or history of Company I am researching about would be a good idea.

According to Hobbes (1651) purpose of ethics are the result of 'social harmony and good' . 'In order to achieve peaceful, co-operative social order we need to adhere to a set of moral rules'

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With the topic of dance evolution in mind, I started questioning myself of what my beliefs the future of dance. Taking example from Reader 5, Case Study 1, which questions where the responsibility of a big issue like this lies, and how Personal, Professional and Organisational Ethics can affect each other, I have been asking myself: 
-How responsible are the performers for the progression in classical dance entering a modern era, and how much is it an external influence? 
-Taking into consideration a company that is transitioning from ballet to a more contemporary base company, if the classical dancers spoke against this, would it be considered 'wrong'? What conflicts/tensions would it cause? 
-Can certain rules be changed for the happiness of a company?

With the above question, what we are doing is taking into account the majority of people for the benefit of the maximum 'good'. This theory is called CONSEQUENTIALISM and was considered a moral obligation by Jeremy Batham and JS Mill. What we call the 'Greatest good for the greatest number'. In my eyes this related a lot to democracy.  

This theory contrasts thoroughly the idea of DEONTOLOGY, which is an 'ethical action based o duty' . This theory goes by the books, seeing from the way Kant describes it in his book Critique of Pure Reason (2007) . 


Another Approach to moral dilemmas is by using VIRTUE ETHICS, which takes into account moral behaviour and where character is as important as the action. 



 I would like to take the word RISK as an example... 

"Dancers at Berlin's Staatsballett are challenging the appointment of choreographer Sasha Waltz as one of the company's new directors, rejecting the appointment as "insulting" and politically-tinged."

http://www.thelocal.de/20160913/berlin-ballet-furious-at-political-appointment

A huge scandal had exploded in September 2016 - dancers signing petitions against this event of having, even though one of the greatest contemporary /dance theatre choreographers worldwide, Sasha Waltz** (Bio in link below-references), run one of the world greatest Ballet Company. Articles mentioning she is 'unsuitable' for their role. Not questioning her talent, the appointment of a contemporary practioneer running a traditionally classical company would naturally mean change, just like the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Whereas many are frowning upon this governmet decision, others are expressing that this a step into the future of dance. 

Many are arguing the RISK that this. Their are two sides of this RISK. But there is a grey area also which brings uncertainty to this issue.  But it will be interesting to see how ethics will play their part for the future of Berlin State Ballet. 

Will the rules be followed as they are? (DEONTOLOGY)
Will the majority (dancers/staff/audience) make change? (CONSEQUENTIALISM)
Will Sasha's actions and plans for the future of the company will be taken into consideration? (VIRTUAL ETHICS)

The events at StaatsBerlin and my current working company (Royal Ballet of Flanders) have strongly influenced my Profesional Inquiry. 

Since the contemporary movement is growing, are we perhaps lookinging into a telescope of the future of ballet? 


Reasearch Ethics

In order to find out more information on the importance of ethics in the company, and the value of a dancer's voice in political matters, I have kindly asked permission from the president of Equity Union, who happens to be a respectful co-worker of mine at Royal Ballet of Flanders, and organised a meeting after work hours, which will hopefully inspire the progress of my dissertation in my 3rd Module eventually. 

Things I need to ensure are:
-the manner in which I will be interviewing 
-the security of the data collected
-the Accuracy of information 
-the beneficial factor > how will this interview help me and perhaps him, as well as the rest of the company. 

It has been a challenging topic to expand on. Ethics is usually something i let my consience run, however I feel like I have learnt a lot a can't wait to fish out more information for my research! 



References:

Reader 5 (2016/2017) http://mdx.mrooms.net/pluginfile.php/631105/mod_resource/content/2/Reader%205%20Professional%20Ethics%202016-17.pdf

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethos

http://www.thelocal.de/20160913/berlin-ballet-furious-at-political-appointment

http://www.ijpsonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ethos.jpg

http://www.gramilano.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Save-Staatsballett-Berlin.jpg

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/choreographers/waltz/

I am a Dancer, hear my Voice

On the 16th of November 2016, a meeting took place at the studios of Ballet Vlaandered between the Board of Committee and dancers of the ballet company. The Board of Committee is a new recently formed establishment, and what it consists of is a couple of the more experienced dancers (ie: principals/soloist), who's job is to organize meetings, such as this one, and make sure that any requests, questions from the dancers could be passed on to the staff of the company and board of direction. 

The aim is to create a 'bridge of communication' as mentioned by our principal dancer, an idea I was very fond of, especially after learning about the importance of communication in my BAPP Performing Art studies.

The main point of our practice is to raise an issue and be able to investigate its source and progression, in order to make a positive change to yourself and your working environment. And the only way this can be done is by communicating with the people who you are involved with professionally or are linked within your professional circle. 

Being a new member, I was not aware of the reasons behind this meeting or if it would involved me, being a dancer in the company. Therefore, I decided to sit in a corner quietly and treat it as an exercise, taking notes (WBL) like a good student, of anything I should take into consideration for my work and my studies. Before the meeting started I wrote down a few questions, which I thought could be helpful in understanding the purposes of the meeting:

-What is it about?
-Who does it involve?
-What issues are raised?
-Are there any codes of conduct?
-Was the meeting beneficial?
-What did you learn from it? 

Indeed, the meeting was very helpful and has proved me the significance of good communication, which I feel that a lot of the time, it is taken for granted. What was highlighted in this meeting was the importance of having our voice as dancers heard!! 

The company has been going through a transition period during the past coupe of years introducing more contemporary works in the repertoire. As I am very new to this place, I have not experienced this transition, therefore, I cannot speak for myself in this particular issue. I can only relate to my own personal transition from a strictly classical company to one that encouraged a contemporary outlook on art. 

After any change, whether a personal one or one of a company, there is excitement but there can usually be a general confusion in the atmosphere and time is needed for adjustment.

As explained really clearly to us at the meeting, the way to avoid any complication or uncertainty in the workplace is to speak up!! 

The dancers are encouraged to evaluate our recent premiere and share our thoughts with the board of directors. This would not be a file of complaints, but rather, a letter taking account the making of the production (teaching, rehearsals, schedule, touring process, organization, dancers well-being) and mentioning what is good about it, why it is good, what would work better perhaps, and any suggestions of how we can improve for our working environment. An online survey of multiple choice answers has also been shared among the dancers, in hope to 'provide insight in the state of affairs in the performing arts..as well as in your (our) organization.'       

In general, issues concerning dancers/performing artists, are very often assumed of their existence. Perhaps people know that the problem is there, but not the extend of its importance. Hopefully by expressing our thoughts and feelings as dancers, any kind of our issues, small or big, personal or collective, will be taken into consideration, and we can start working as a team!! 

Healthy and Constructive Communication = Happy Dancers :) 

Reflection
Critical Evaluation 
Expression
Communication 

should should be part of our every day lives (not just in ou BAPPs!) 


With the arts, expanding and moving forward:

What are we experiencing?
How are the dance companies moving forward? An how are they adapting to change?
What needs to be taken into consideration?
How important is the dancer's say/opinion? 

I would love to expand more on this issue and would love to hear your thoughts and questions on this as well! Any opinion is welcomed :) 


references:
podiumkunsten.be
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiQxu_9iLPQAhXEWxQKHbDNA2EQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoablog.ashevillenc.gov%2F2012%2F08%2Fwanted-your-voice-for-the-noise-ordinance-survey%2F&bvm=bv.139250283,d.d24&psig=AFQjCNFgjUe2-3ipZXL_UDt2Y0MHjiUY8g&ust=1479584722328155