6a. The planning of my 'piloting'

Having read through reader 6 a few times I have realised that there are a few things that I need to be aware of when piloting my research. I have also had some initial ideas about what methods of research may be most useful for my inquiry.

Punch states that there is a distinct difference between methods of research; the qualitative approach and the quantitative approach. Black then goes on to describe the difference between these two methods by saying that quantitative research is quite good at telling us what is happening, and often qualitative studies are better at determining why events occur. A good example of  quantitative research is a survey as you can find results from a broad range of people. However, when thinking about my area of research I feel that I want to focus more specifically on individual choreographers. The reason for this is because I am focusing on the choreographer and their individual choreographic process which requires interviews with various specific people. I then want to focus on each person and compare and question their methods. I will be piloting a survey over the next few weeks, and so I will at this stage keep an open mind as to whether I use this method in my final proposal, but I feel it unlikely.

When thinking about the interview method I must be very aware of the ethics involved around interviewing someone. I must also take into account people's personal backgrounds as this information could affect my research. The reader talks about interview structures and from reading them all I think I will mainly use the following:

* A semi- structured interview which includes set questions or themes with the flexibility of following interesting or useful emerging issues.  

The reason for this is because my inquiry is so focused on the individual I want to be able to give the person I am interviewing freedom to elaborate and delve further into points, but want to ensure the interview doesn't lose focus. 

I must be aware of using open questions wherever possible to ensure my questions are answered with enough depth. 

Although interviews will probably be my main way of researching, Punch reminds us that different questions require different methods to answer them. Having looked into the section about focus groups, I now feel that this may also be a method I may want to use in my inquiry. I have a few friends with who I graduated from the Urdang Academy with, who are now working as dance teachers. I feel it may be interesting to interview them all together as this atmosphere can open up issues that individual participants may not think about on their own. I think focus groups are a good way to get a more quantitative approach but still allowing space for people to speak openly and freely about their experiences. I must be aware of the issue Bell raises about being aware that strong personalities can 'also influence, and in some cases actually take over', but I feel that because I know these people this shouldn't be a problem.

Observation was the method of research that sparked my interest in this topic. For the last few months I have been documenting my findings from observing various choreographers. Some of my documentation is more detailed than other parts, but I feel some of it may be able to be used in my investigation. I think observation will be useful for my inquiry as because my occupation is so physical it is always helpful to watch people 'practice what they preach'. However, when observing I must be aware of the role I play as sometimes I may be involved in the project as well. Reflexivity is a term used in social science to signify that the researcher needs to try and be 'as objective as possible'.  It is very important that I take this idea seriously as I want my research to be as genuine as possible. Linking to this idea of reflexivity is that of reliability, a concept developed by Blaxter to ensure constant results are created. In other words, that my results would be similar to those of another researcher. 

In conclusion there is a lot for my to think about when it comes to the methods of research I think appropriate for my inquiry. I am very keen on getting set of results which are detailed around specific individuals rather than a sweeping view from lots of people. But the piloting exercise will be a good way for my to reflect on the pros and cons of each method to make my final decision. 

5c. The reader and professional ethics

Now that I have thought about ethics strictly from my own point of view, I have been advised to look at it using reader 5 and  focus on how my ideas compare.

How does what you have discovered fit in with the ethics of professional inquiry and how does what you have learnt fit into the theoretical ethical framework? 

When concerning ethics, the first thing I have become aware of is, as a free lance choreographer my own personal morals and values are hugely important. The reader talk about ethics having origins in the Greek word ethos, which means character, and then goes on the state that it has further roots in moral philosophy. In order for me to have good, strong and fair professional ethics, my 'moral compass' must be strong as I am not attached to any sort of society or organisation, so therefore do not have a code of conduct laid out by anyone but myself. The importance of your own personal ethics are recognised in most situations because however rooted you are in your place of work how you feel and deal with situations affect each individual person. This idea is demonstrated perfectly using the following diagram. 

This diagram clearly shows the ripple effect your personal views have on your work, the job/ place you are working and then the audience receiving it. 

I developed this idea further by thinking about the fact that personal ethics can be informed by many sources- family values, religion, conscience. As a choreographer I could be asked to work on a project where my own personal views could determine whether I take it or not. A hypothetical situation is I could be asked to work on a piece of dance that is very disrespectful of God and may go against my Christian background. In this situation I would have to decide what was more important to me, my own morals, or the morals of my professional career. 

This personal/ professional debate was questioned in reader 5, under case study two, whereby Kevin Carter chose to let a child die because the ethical role and duty of a photographer is to observe and not interfere. From reading about this, I have learnt that I must be very aware in my professional inquiry that there maybe areas of sensitivity that I have to be aware of. In other words, I must be careful when asking questions that I don't make people question too much their own personal ethics to the point they feel uncomfortable. This case study also made me aware of the grey areas in ethics, and led me on to a debate talked about a lot in reader 5 which also can have grey areas; the debate about honesty. 

Aristotle believed that virtue is a character trait manifested in habitual action. This idea is then further explained using the example of honesty, and how honestly is not something you can't switch on and off, it is ingrained in your personality. Relating this idea to my field of work, there are points in my career already where my honest personality has been challenged and I have had to lie. I believe I have done this to avoid hurting peoples feelings and to stop potential arguments. In other words for the greater good, a theory

explored by Jeremy Bentham and JS Mill. Utilitarianism is described in the Oxford dictionary as the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority.* I think this theory is very apparent in the musical theatre/ dance industry in general. People are not always honest, for example "you didn't get that part because you were too tall", when really the reality may be they were a terrible singer! However what good would it do to upset that persons feelings? Aristotle would argue that by lying to the person they are under false pretenses that they are a good singer and it is doing far more damage not telling them than if someone was honest. However I think this example just demonstrates how grey ethics can sometimes be. Table one in the reader shows the three approaches to lying:

* Consequentialist: Could be acceptable for the greater good

* Deontologist: Always wrong

* Virtue Ethicist: Moral behavior and character as important as action

I believe all three of these ideas have a place in my profession. An example of me using consequentialist lying is me changing a dance routine in a show because the person can't execute it properly but also could avoid injury. By telling them about the injury side, but not necessarily focusing on the fact they can't do the move well, I am helping them but not upsetting them. 

An example of lying being deontologist is my lying to someone and telling them they have been cast in the show and they haven't. In all situations if someone hasn't been cast I should never tell them that they have. 

Finally an example of  virtue ethicist is me giving someone critical feedback after an audition and even suggesting I help them on areas they are struggling with. In doing this I am being honest about their weaknesses but I am offering to help as my personality is very conscientious. 

The debate between the law vs morals is another area I found I could relate to my field of work. Platos theory that ethics draws upon a sense of perception is an interesting idea. In other words, a rule which might not be acceptable in one profession is perfectly acceptable in another. A good example of this is ballet and ballet teachers. Over the years ballet teachers have had the reputation of being incredibly strict, and even using harsh methods of teaching and physical means to make students do what they require. However, against the law of today, teachers are no longer allowed to touch students, unless it is really necessary and are certainly not allowed to hurt them. Do ballet teachers today go against a tradition that has produced excellent ballet dancers in the past, or do they have to go with the new set of rules of today? This grey area is something that as a choreographer I could come up against. The methods of teaching dancers are different to that of many other teachers, and I must always be careful that while I want the best possible outcomes for my students, I mustn't do anything that could affect my career and get me into trouble. 

This theory nicely links on to table 2; professional types. This table shows the distinction between different professions and for me raises the question as to whether you are better qualified for your job through experience or qualifications. This is something as dance teachers is regularly debated. Throughout November I am covering classes at Chichester University even though I don't have a P.G.C.E or dance teaching qualifications. However the table demonstrates that what professionals have (whatever the type (consulting, scholarly or professional)) is the ability to 'profess' and know better than their clients and therefore claim exclusive right to practice. So if I take this literally then I have every right to teach as my experience means I know more than the students I am teaching. 

The final area that I found I could fit in with my professional inquiry is that of negotiation. The diagram below is a good way to show how personal ethics, professional code and employer expectation should all try and work together in order to create a good working environment.

This is something that is very important as a choreographer as quite often you work as part of a creative team all with different visions and ideas, and you have to learn to somehow work all together. In addition to this, you also have to learn to negotiate with the students in the room. This is something I have learnt a lot about working at Chickenshed Theatre. Because my dance background has always been very regimented and technical I was taught that there was almost a right and wrong way to dance. However by working at Chickenshed I have learnt that this is not the case, and therefore I have had to completely later my perspective. I have altered my way of teaching, approaching and choreographing and have negotiated with them to find a way to access their style of dance which works for me. This section in the reader really prompted me to realise and also made me see that negotiation in any form of work is a vital ethical idea to work by. Non negotiation is the reason for the breakdown of friendships,companies and even starts wars. By relating it to my field of work I am making it accessible for me. 

Bringing everything I have learnt together, ethics is a very complex topic. There are a lot of theories explored around it and yet there is not a right or a wrong answer. However, with the nature of this course this way of debating fits perfectly as drawing specific conclusions are not the aim, but rather discovering finding and learning are.
Developing the ideas in reader 5 and then relating them to myself as a choreographer have allowed me to make sense of certain situations that have happened to me in the past and also be aware of things that may happen in the future. I found especially the section on honesty was very interesting as there have been times where I haven't known whether I'm doing the right thing, but by reading further into the topic I can see that I am only doing the right thing in some people's eyes and not in others. This I think will help me be less worried in the future and more confident in my decisions.
In terms of my professional inquiry and how I use what I have discovered, I can see that when writing my proposal there is a lot more factors to think about that I first thought. For example people's own personal views and backgrounds must be taken into consideration as they have a big effect on their professional career. I must be careful when asking questions that I don't put anyone in an uncomfortable position.  This is something I hadn't thought about until I began this topic. Another area is that of qualification. The debate about experience vs qualifications when teaching was something I was keen to debate. However, from looking at table 2 in the reader and making so much sense of it, I am not sure I am so bothered by it. I still want to investigate the area but maybe not put so much focus on it.
Finally I have learnt that so many of the ethics I have researched and related to can be put into any job or situation. The following four especially stood out to me as universal:
* The idea that your personal ethics greatly affect your professional ones
* Negotiation is the key to making most places of work/ relationships work
* Honestly is something that should be used as frequently as possible but in the right context
* The law/ rules can sometimes compromise/ question your ethics and morals

I feel that I now need to re look at my inquiry with this new perspective and I will probably find things have slightly altered!

*http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/utilitarianism 

5b. The broader view on ethics

It was impossible for me to find specific free lance choreographers 'codes of conduct' as they tend to tie in with personal morals and so instead of being written down for the public to view, they are ingrained in each individual person. So I decided to look at a range of theatre's and teaching boards instead. I have selected the following 5 different codes of conduct to study and compare.The reason for this is these 5 are very varied in their history and style, but they all made me think in some way.

Under Polka Theatre's artistic values the following three points are written:

* Resonant – to provoke ideas, thoughts, questions about yourself and the world

* Engaging – to stir your emotions & spark your imagination

* Fun, exciting & entertaining – serious purpose, but with a playful, light touch

The reason I have highlighted these values is because I didn't think about what I wanted my students to get out of my sessions. I was so initially concerned in what I should be doing, and how I should act that I didn't think about desired outcomes of each individual session. By bringing to my attention the idea that each session should be exciting as well as informative, it may alter my approach to how I deliver the material. However I think it is very important to note that this code of conduct comes from a children's theatre company, and that if I was choreographing for a adult professional show I probably wouldn't focus on this. This sparks an awareness in my head- do my ethics alter depending on who I am working with? In general I think nothing should change, however some points my be added or taken away depending on the situation.  

When looking at Chickenshed Theatre under the Inclusive Child Protection Policy, I found the importance of focusing on the progress of the individual very interesting, and also how they approach it.
The conduct reads:

Chickenshed will ensure that there are strong Staff to Child and Inclusive Support Worker to Child Ratios in workshops. Staff and Inclusive Support Workers will offer a range of direct and indirect support experiences to ensure children are able to both progress steadily to managing their own inclusion with as much independence as possible – while at the same time being as “safe” as possible.

Chickenshed will ensure that all children are treated as individuals with their progress, welfare and needs monitored and planned for on an individual basis

I think it is particularly interesting that Chickenshed talk about direct and indirect support. What does this mean to me? I guess direct support literally means having a hands on approach to the work and being there to help with the material, something I think I naturally do as a choreographer and teacher. However indirect support is a bit more complex. I think it partly means that you should encourage the student to find their own way of approaching the material by being an open supportive member of the class. I also think it means you should be sensitive to the individuals personal life and asses whether extra emotional support is needed. I think this is an important element to consider when choreographing as sometimes the vision you want to create cannot be achieved for whatever reason. Rather than just criticising and getting frustrated it may be more appropriate to work through the problem by utalising the individuals talent.  

In addition to this thought, I think the fact that Chickenshed take so much care in the individuals progress really inspiring and something people can forget when choreographing. Sometimes my profession can become selfish as it is all about the choreographers vision and what they want, rather than the overall experience for the student/ company member. I think this is something that should be reminded to people.

The Chichester Festival Theatre's Holiday Activity Assistant guidelines state the following:

The needs of the child must come first – not the workshop activities or the sharing performance at the end of the week.  

This idea really made me think about the practical side of putting together a workshop and about how as a practitioner you have to constantly be aware of the needs of the people you are working with, even if it means compromising the workshop and sometimes affecting the others in the room. I need to as a choreographer, be constantly aware of the health and safety risks especially when working with young people.

The Royal Academy of Dance under the Code of Professional Practice talks about their vision as

Leading the world in dance education and training

I have highlighted this point as it is very contrasting to Polka Theatre's theory of fun and entertainment. The R.A.D conduct does later go on to talk about how classes should be fun, but it is very obvious that the R.A.D's expectations are to train students in dance from a practical and educational perspective. Adapting this to myself as a free lancer, this point has made me aware that I have to be aware of what my desired outcomes are for each individual project. For example, this month I am covering classes at Chichester University and I will be preparing them for their assessments. I must be aware that when I cover these classes it is expected of me to be informative and concise in what I am teaching so that I give the students the best possible chance of doing well in their assessments. This completely contrasts to a workshop I am taking this Friday for the Chichester Festival Theatre which involves me choreographing a fun routine to One Short Day from Wicked,as the workshop is a fun half term activity.

The R.A.D conduct also states that teachers must at all times:

*act with honesty and integrity

*have secure subject knowledge

*keep their knowledge and skills as teachers up to date

*engage in self-evaluation

*forge positive professional relationships, and

*work with parents and guardians in the best interests of their students

*Misrepresent their qualifications, experience or professional status

I have highlighted the two points above because one challenged me to think about myself as an ever evolving choreographer and to be open to adapting my methods of choreography and teaching and the other challenged me how I present/ sell myself. The latter point is something I had't thought about at all but is something I can see is very important. I must always be honest with my skills and qualifications so that I don't mislead anyone or put anyone in a compromising position.

Finally the I.S.T.D conduct was very similar to the R.A.D conduct but just not as detailed. I just wanted to bring up this point purely because it could be argued that a few simple ethics are easily to keep and put in place than too many that you can't remember or practice regularly. I must make sure that the points I put in place are realistic and important to me so that I can keep to them as much as possible.

When looking at all 5 of the conducts there were some common points in all which I think are worth mentioning. They are as follows:

* The importance of communicating with parents/ carers

*The importance of monitoring and planning each individual's progress

* How important it is to be well trained in your area of work

The importance of confidentiality

From studying these 5 conducts I have found that rather than changing my original ideas, I want to add a couple more points, but also I have become very aware of the fact that some situations require me to alter my perspective. This shows how 'grey' ethics can be. There is never a right or wrong, rather a way to help you in different situations. I would like to add the following to my original points: 

* Under professionalism I would like to add that I must be honest with my qualifications and experience. 

* Under prepared I would like to add to alter my sentence to I must take the time to prepare appropriately for the project I am working on. I then want to add I must always be aware of the desired outcomes for the session and try to always fulfill these outcomes.

*I want to add a section called progress so that I make sure that (when appropriate) I am making sure the progress of the students is the fore front of my mind and that I do everything I can to tailor their progress individually. The reason I have put when appropriate is on certain projects this is not. For example when choreographing for the Union Theatre my job was very much to help get the choreography taught and onto the stage, not to improve and help the dancers as they were already professionally trained. 

WOW! I feel so drained yet so excited by all that I have discovered! That was one epic blog! 

5a. The personal perspective on professional ethics

I am looking at my initial approach to professional ethics for myself as a free lance choreographer. The ideas I am blogging are the first ideas I had when I thought about this area.

My professional view on ethical considerations are as follows....

* Professionalism- This includes me being co- operative, fair and considerate with my colleges and students. In addition to this I must be polite, on time and contactable. 

*Prepared- I must take the time to prepare for the project I am working on. I must consider music, style and who I am working with and be sensitive to dance ability. This is important as I must show respect for the project by taking the time to think about it outside of the rehearsal room. 

*Delivery- I must be able to explain my ideas clearly and then deliver them professionally. I must be aware of the fact that people learn in many different ways, and be sensitive to this to ensure the work is performed to the highest level. 

*Safety- This includes me properly warming up and cooling down the company to prevent injury. I must also make sure I take the time to find out whether people are injured, and not put anyone in a situation where they could seriously damage themselves or make a current injury worse. I must also think about safety from a literal sense in that I should be aware of hazards in the room, fire exits and first aid kits. 

*Emotional well being- I must ensure that at no point any company member/ student is made to feel uncomfortable or invaluable.

Now the majority of these points I naturally do already. However, there are some which I tend to neglect, especially under the category 'safety', and others can be compromised depending on certain situations. For example, I was recently working on a professional show at the Union Theatre. The choreographer and I were teaching a routine to the company which required quite high technical dance ability. However, I was not sensitive enough to the fact that some of the cast didn't have as much training, and it wasn't until I went away and thought about it that night that I realised I hadn't attempted to teach the material in a more accessible way. I had just stuck to my guns. This is an example of how ethics can easily be forgotten,and while this wasn't drastic and didn't have any major repercussions I think it is important to reflect on and see how easily you can forget.  

4a.The questions developed

So for the past week I have been thinking a lot about the set of questions I want to ask, and how I want to develop my investigation.

I originally divided up my questions into 3 sections as I felt that was the clearest way to sort out my initial ideas. I have now managed to combine some of these thoughts together.

I have decided that I want to explore the individuals choreographic process; why this works for them and how they then engage with this process and the people they are teaching.
Factors that add to this are different styles of dance, age groups and dance experience and own personal past experience.

My set of questions so far are as follows:

* Do you have a specific choreographic process that you have developed personally for you?
            * Does music influence or choreography or do you create the movement first?
            * Do you tend to plan your choreography before you teach it or do you run off instinct?
            * Does your choreographic process change depending on who you are teaching?
            * Do different styles of dance require a different approach?
            * Do you find styles you naturally enjoy easier to create?

* Has your choreographic process be influenced your past experience?

* Do you think different people's personality's/ personal life effect the way you approach choreography?

* Have you trained as a professional performer?
           * Have you performed as a professional performer?

* Do you have teaching qualifications?
           * If yes, have these qualifications altered your approach/ delivery of choreography?

I realise at the moment that I have a wide set of questions. However, because I feel my initial question is quite complex, I need sub questions in order to focus things more and allow me to get maximum research.

4a. The initial questions

So... After a very long break from the blogging world, it is time for me to get back into it! I feel very nervous and scared that I won't be able to get back into the swing of this course. However, I have just had a skype session with Adesola and Melanie Brown, and now feel ready to plunge back into the module!

Over the summer I kept a sparse general to keep my mind constantly active when it came to this course. From module 1,  I discovered that the idea that really interested me was 'Why do we choreograph in the way that we do?'

Reader 4 states that module 2 is designed to explore a topic that will benefit your work and the work of collegues and fellow professionals. This statement is a good reminder to me that I must not get to bogged down with my own opinion, but rather explore and challenge past opinions and also find and create new ones.

Melanie and Adesola suggested that I blog my initial questions and then explore the world of literature and find out if anyone has explored these ideas before.

I have managed to narrow down my questions into 3 categories....

Choreography 

* Why do different choreographers have different creative processes?
* Are these different processes mainly linked to their personality, past experience, or the situation they are dealing with at the time?
* Does experience mean that you plan less before hand and allow your instincts to take over?
* Do different styles of dance require a different process?

Teaching

* What is more effective to make you better overall dancer, teaching technical exercises and building up vocabulary or allowing students to create work and developing technique as you go?
* How can one class effectively assess the skills of every person in the room?
* What is the most effective way of delivering dance?

Experience

* In the professional industry is vocational training important in order to teach in the industry?
* Do teachers have to have qualifications to be a good teacher?
* Does having performing experience make you a better teacher?
* Can all good performers teach?

Reflecting on these questions I can already see that some are a bit vague and need to be more specific, especially in the 'choreographic' section. This is frustrating, as this is the topic that initially interested me so I am going to try and develop it further.

I feel this whole area is a mine field and I need to slowly chisel away to develop the ideas and my thoughts.

Adesola advised me to think of myself as a butterfly or honey bee, taking little bits of knowledge from everywhere, rather than focusing to much on one area. I am going to try my hardest to stick to this imagery and try not to worry too much. Easier said than done I feel!

3c. The sources of information

In order to have a successful professional network, my sources of information need to be relevant, up to date and easy to access. The five sources of information I use the most are as follows...

 E-mailing 

E-mailing is a great way for me to interact as it allows you to contact person or establishment directly,without being to invasive into their personal lives if you don't know them very well. When I first decided that I wanted to pursue choreography as a career, I used e-mail as a way to ask for work experience with different choreographers and theatres. I preferred this to letters as e-mail allows you to attach documents therefore I could send them my CV and head shot as well. In addition to this, it meant to information was sent to them immediately and with no risk of getting lost, rather than a letter which could take several days and get lost in transit.

Today e-mail is still a fantastic and reliable source of information for me. It is how I quite often get contacted for different jobs, as I am more than happy to give people my e-mail address, but sometimes more reluctant to give out my telephone number. It also means I can contacted people on mass if needs be.


Social media and Web 2.0

I have used social media and Web 2.0 for many years, however it hasn't been until fairly recently that I have used them to benefit my professional career. Facebook, Twitter and blogging are a fantastic way to keep up to date with the latest information and trends. They allow people to have insight into your life and career, and also are a great way for you to promote and advertise yourself. However, they are only valuable as long as they are popular. In other words, there would be no point in me using Twitter if a) is wasn't that popular or b) the people on their weren't able to boost my professional network. Another thing to be aware of when using social media is that everything on there is very exposing. If you allow a Musical Theatre professional to be your friend on Facebook, you are allowing them to see your social life and interests outside of your career. Although this generally shouldn't be a problem, I am always aware of who I allow to be my friend, and monitor what goes up on my wall to ensure my professional career is not hindered.

The internet is another fantastic way to improve your professional career as you are opened up to the biggest pool of information and knowledge you can find. I often use the internet if I am meeting a professional for the first time and want to be clued up on their experience and career. Another way I use it is to find out information on locations for rehearsals using google maps and different theatres and choreographers that I can write too. A big positive about the internet is that it can now be accessed from so many different sources. Since I have a blackberry I am constantly using the internet 'on the go' enabling me to access information 24- 7.

The main thing I have to be aware of when using the internet is how reliable the sources are. For example, if I decide to use wikipedia as a source of research I have to be aware that anyone can alter the information so it may not be true. So it is up to me to decide how reliable the source of information is, and to do further research if needed.

Face to face interaction

I am someone who will always try to use face- to- face interaction where possible. I believe that it gives you the maximum opportunity to give your best impression, and allows you to express your ideas and experience. While I was doing the 42nd Street Gala, I got talking to a person a knew through a mutual friend and through conversation and explaining a bit about myself, I got asked if I would work for him. This kind of thing would not have been possible had we not met in person, as a) he wouldn't have seen me at work and so known that I was efficient and reliable and b) I would have not been able to learn about what he did in so much detail and explain my link to his work.

 I also deal with a lot of different people when it comes to teaching, as I regularly interact with pupils, parents and other teachers. Through this interaction I am able to get a good understanding about what it required in my classes, and provide parents with a sense of security as they feel that they have a more personal relationship with the teacher.

Personally for me, there haven't been any negatives when using face- to- face interaction as a main source, however I must always be aware that I articulate and present myself in the right way. In addition to this, I think appearance can be very important especially if you are meeting with people that can heavily influence your career. The reason for this, is that people tend to make judgments very quickly, and  I would never want to give someone a reason not to hire me. I like to maintain a professional attitude and appearance at all times when it comes to work.

 My mobile; text, call and e-mail

My mobile is something I have on me all day everyday. It allows people to contact me directly, and can be used to call, text and e-mail. This means there is always a way for open line of communication to be available between me and other people in my network. The other positive is that I can get real time information coming through to me all the time. For example if I am going to a rehearsal and last minute the venue gets changed, I am able to be contacted straight away and given the new location. Another scenario is that I have been contacted through text, call and e-mail to cover last minute lessons when teachers are unwell. Overall my mobile is something that I can't be without if I want to have a good professional network.


Word of mouth

I think it could seem strange that I use word of mouth as a main source of information, but it is something I have been using a lot more recently now I have started to expand my professional network. Word of mouth is a rare but a  hugely valuable source, as it generally means that you have either been recommended for a job, or someone has told you to get in contact with someone because they think you will be suitable. I recently got a call from the Urdang Academy asking me to come in and help with their Foundation year end of term show. This was a great honor as they contacted me because the found out about all the work I had been doing since I graduated and felt I would be right for the job.

The only down side to using this as a source, is that it still requires a lot of work your end, as you have to keep you name constantly circulated so you become at the front of people's minds. What I have quickly learnt since graduating, is that everyone leads very busy lives and can either be forgetful or tend to have people they have worked with before so will always ask them. This means that in order for me to begin to work my way into that circle, I have to constantly promote myself and make sure I have covered a wide base.


Other people and their network's

Georgie Bird put down the Pineapple notice board as one of her main sources. This is something I have never used mainly because I don't tend to go to Pineapple for auditions. However, I recognise that it is a very useful way to keep up to date with current classes and events that could improve your network. The only downside is that if you don't look at the notice board on a very regular basis, you will find that things aren't current, or you have missed opportunities all together. In order for me to gain maximum benefit from it, I would have to start going to Pineapple a lot more.

Melanie Brown talked about the value of her agent as a main source of information. I can definitely see how this would benefit you as a performer as agents have very up to date information about current shows and auditions. I would love to have an agent to help me find out about choreographic jobs, but right now I am not well known enough to need one. However, this is a definite goal for the future. The only thing I am skeptical about when it comes to agents is that you become reliable on them and the don't find out about jobs for yourself. This is something I would not want to happen because I am always very conscious that you are in charge of your own career. Melanie also talked about how she has her CV and head shot in a document that she can access on her computer and her phone. This is something I have never thought about doing,but I think it is an excellent idea. This way if anyone contacts you and needs immediate information you have a ready made package to send over. This would be something that is very easy for me to do and could help to develop my network.

When reading through Sarah Robinson's blog I noticed that she put down magazines, DVD's and books. In the future I hope to complete my RAD and/or my ISTD teaching qualifications and for this you need to use books and DVD's constantly to be clued up on current teaching events and the different syllabuses. In terms of my present career I have never really though about using these sources unless its's for inspiration for choreography, but I am trying to think reflectively as to how it might be useful. DVD's of different choreographers work could be a good way to improve my network as I will then be more aware of different styles, professionals and shows. Magazines are a good way to read up on interviews and adverts, but like the Pineapple notice board you have to be careful of how current they are as the adverts are not a 'real time' source. Another thing that came to mind was that magazines and books often come in the form of and e- book or e-magazine which means they are available to you at a touch of a button. Because they are so available I think it would be good for me to make a conscious effort to use them. This way I am literally trying to utilise all my resources and widen my network in as many ways as possible.


And so...

When I reflected back on this blog I noticed that other than face- to- face and word of mouth interaction, all my other sources are reliable on a computer. Although I realise that with modern society today everything is dominated by technology I still believe that a hand written reflective journal source. The reason for this is because it documents everything by day or event but also exposes you thoughts and feelings. It's a great way to keep track of your career, write lists and notes and to generally document what you want when you want. Although I am so grateful for technology I don't think I will ever be able to give up the good old fashioned journal!

3b. The theories related to networking

It has taken a lot of time, research and reflection to get to the point of writing this blog. Before I could even begin to reflect on my own professional practice and how these theories might relate, I had to first get my head around the ideas and history behind each one. I still feel that this is very much and on going developing process but I wanted to begin to document some of my findings.

When looking at cooperation, I firstly looked up the different definitions. In reader 3, Alan Durrant describes it is the will and way to win. This idea is elaborated with the idea of cooperating with others until you reach your maximum benefit. These ideas were explored by Robert Axelrod, the main researcher into cooperation, who builds on this further by asking when should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish?*

If I reflect on cooperation  in this way, I have to look at my career in very black and white terms. Whenever I do something, one person will win or gain, and the other will lose or suffer. It also requires me to imagine that everything I do is purely for my own personal gain, and that at times I might even undermine someone for the benefit of my career. This is not my natural nature and something I would never consciously think, but I can attempt to relate this idea to some of my experiences. For example, there has now been two occasions where a teacher I know has had to ask me to cover her, because of sickness and other reasons. Through conversation with her, she has hinted to me that she is looking in the future to pass this class on to someone else, and is thinking of me as a candidate.  So when I get the call asking to cover, do I think about the teacher and how sad it is that she's sick? Or do I think it's a brilliant opportunity for me to show my skills, and demonstrate how I would be the best person for the job? In all honestly that answer is I think of both, but the fact I think the second question relates directly to this idea of cooperation.

When I research further into the idea of a dominant and weaker person in every relationship, I found that Darwin theory of survival of the fittest cropped up, and was even talked about in an essay related to cooperation. This idea is emphasizing the theory of only the strongest survive. I know Darwin is speaking in a literal sense of strength, but it could be adapted into my career very easily. When leaving the Urdang Academy all of us came out with the same qualification, training and therefore a similar chance for opportunity. However, it is through strength and determination to stay in the profession that some people have manged to get jobs and some not. Because I wanted to go into choreography, it was not necessary for me to have an agent at this stage. And so every job I have got has been through my own personal finding. I believe that I have been given jobs and opportunities through endurance and patience. I have made contacts and waited and trusted they will contact me. I also recently lost out on a job purely because I wasn't proactive enough with it. This drives me to continue and work harder, and could therefore be used as an example of Darwins theory.  

In contrast to these ideas, when typing in 'define cooperation', the following definition comes up the action of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit.** If I think about cooperation in this way, my thinking and ideas begin to alter. This presents the idea that in order to create the best possible outcome it is much better to work together. Every Wednesday I teach for the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre dance company called New Moves. The company is divided into three classes and I teach one and my college Amy teachers the other two. In order to have a good natural progression throughout the groups, me and Amy meet on a regular basis and come up with our term lesson plans together. I think this is a perfect example of this idea of cooperation. It means that we both benefit by working together as we get support from each other, but also the students get the best possible class.

Another example of this is when I worked as Assistant choreographer for Mark Smith. Mark is deaf and so communicating can sometimes be hard for me. The show we were working on had a cast of approximately 100 children, and while they were amazing at communicating with Mark, at times it was difficult. By having me there, I was able to provide a great link between Mark and the children so the best possible choreography could be created for the show. It also meant Mark didn't feel so intimidated speaking in front of so many people so we worked together amazingly well.

By looking at the contrasting ideas of cooperation I am able to challenge my way of thinking. Is my career a constant game of The Prisoners Dilemma? Am I always waiting for the move of the other person, whether it be a college, pupil or choreographer with the chance that what I gain will be some beneficial to me I won't mind that the other person loses? Or am I trying to build a support network to create the best possible outcome overall? In all honestly it tends to be the second one for me, as I am not a particularly competitive person but am very passionate about creating quality work and allowing people to learn from me and  be given opportunity. However it was good for me to imagine myself in selfish situations and challenge the intention behind some of my actions.

* Axelrod, R (1984) The evolution of cooperation.
**http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cooperation


When looking at the theory behind affiliation, I discovered quickly that a lot of what was said related to me personally and in terms of my career. I come from a large family and have been blessed with a wide group of friends from a young age, and so have always provided myself with a web of support and affiliation, which I am now constantly expanding for my professional career. When I first read through reader 3 a couple of sentences jumped out at me, specifically because I believe in them or try to do them. The first was we would suggest that a successful career requires effective professional networking and the second was it is up to each practitioner to see how to grow their professional career networks sideways as well as upwards. Since leaving the Urdang Academy, I have been constantly been trying to build my professional network. Because I wanted to go into choreography and teaching, it wasn't necessary for me to have an agent. Therefore all the work and contacts I have created have been through my own doing. When thinking back on this, I realised that I have always been conscious about how serious a professional network is in order to have a successful career. But until I started researching behind the different theories I didn't know it was explored under a specific title. This led to me challenging myself as to why I find providing a network so important. Crisp and Turner describe a theory relate to individualist countries seeking more affiliation, due to developing lots of very weak friendships. I applied this idea to my career and the Musical Theatre industry in general. Say I imagine myself as the individualist country, therefore a stand alone unit that it not attached to anyone or anything by anything substantial, it is natural that I may want to seek friendships and a wide network of people that have similar interests to me, and make me feel safe and supported.

However, Crisp and Turner always raise the awareness that people have desired levels of contact, and that this desire can change over a matter of hours depending on your mood and situation. How is this relevant to me? Well, I realised that my desired level of contact is always fairly high, but have to be sensitive to that fact that this might not be the same for all. This piece of awareness is particularly important when working on a show. Any person that works on a show knows that it is an extremely intense environment. While most people love it, there are some which find it hard to cope with. It is good to be sensitive to this so that you treat every college with the right kind of respect and therefore have a chance of a longer lasting work relationship.

By challenging my initial thoughts about affiliation, I was able to push my thinking further and find reasoning in my thoughts. Because I connected with the idea quickly, it was good for me to expand these thoughts and ideas. It also allowed to to realise that in order for my career to continue the way it is, then affilation is incredibly important. However I still feel that I need to continue to question what my desired level of contact is and why this may fluctuate.

Social constructionism is an idea that I understand on a basic level, but am finding hard to relate to my own experience. It is the idea that through our interactions we create meaning. Crotty explains that ideas maybe pregnant with potential meaning, but actual meaning emerges only when the consciousness engages with them.* I tried to use this concept to help me reflect on this theory. The conclusions I came to is that by having a large network that has a variety of different people in, ideas are able to be challenged and new ideas are created. Choreography is developing all the time,and by collaborating with others these ideas are expanded. In a more literal sense a group of people may get together because they have had a shared experience and want to create a piece inspired about it. To others this piece won't mean anything at first, but through interaction the meaning will come across and therefore a dialogue and relationship is created.

Another way I can look at this theory is through the eyes as a BAPP student. Through interacting via blogs and meetings, new ideas are discussed and things that I never knew existed before this course are available to me.

As I said before this is a concept that I need to reflect on further and continue to explore in order to gain maximum understanding from it.

*Crotty, M- The foundations of social research:meaning and perspectives in the research process


The idea of connectivism has been created since people started realising the change in how we learn, and how we seek our main sources of information. It recognises that learning should be reflective of underlying social environments, and therefore our traditional method of teaching (from teacher to pupil) is now not always the most effective. I automatically can see both sides to this argument, and so have decided to firstly look at this from a dance teacher perspective, and then from a networking aspect. If I explore the idea that only traditional methods of teaching are used, my pupils rely heavily on my knowledge, and do not have the chance to explore their own thoughts. While I think it is good to use this way in some lessons, for example if a pupil has never learnt how to do a pirouette then they need me to teach them, it does not allow a child to explore their creativity. However, if I teach them no technique and allow my classes to purely be a space for pupils to explore and create, then there is not landmark for progression, and the classes could become very unstructured. And so I combine a mixture of both techniques to allow the best possible classes I can.

When looking at this theory in terms of my professional networking, I think that Siemens explains the the positives of connectivism by stating learning is a continual process, lasting a lifetime.* This demonstrates to me that you can't learn everything from your schooling experience and that learning is continual through many different methods. Driscoll emphasises this idea by arguing that learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences.** I can relate this theory to my experience. While I was Urdang I did a dance show where I was dance captain for a contemporary number. The choreographer taught us and then had to do another job, leaving me to clean the piece and get it ready for the show. At the time I was slightly annoyed that I was given such a huge task, but the outcome worked greatly in my favor. Not only did it give me a chance to demonstrate my dance captain skills, but it also gained me a great reputation which led me to being assistant choreographer on further Urdang shows, as well as being asked to come in as an outside teacher after graduation to work on a show. At the time of the piece I didn't know it would lead to so many opportunities, but through the knowledge I learnt on this project I gained experience as well as widened my network.

It think it is also very important to mention at this stage that this theory will continue to develop all throughout my career. Every experience of my career will widen my knowledge and will broaden my contiual learning process. An idea that is quite exciting I feel...

*Siemens, G. (2004) Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age.
**Siemens, G. (2004) Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age.

The idea of communities of practice is a theory that I can relate closely to my experience at the Urdang Academy. This type of learning can be informal and relaxed, and is more about learning situations of participation rather than being hierarchical. This type of situation usually allows people to come together because of a mutual interest and generate a shared experience. While I was training, this is the type of network I was exposed too. Everyone at Urdang was working towards a similar goal and was opened up to the same level of training and experiences. It is a type of networking and learning that I enjoy, as you have a wide basis of people to challenge ideas with and learn from. Lave and Wegner flag up the point that this type of learning is situated learning. In other words you have to be in the right place in order for it to work. So now that I am not at Urdang, am I still exposed to this type of learning? The answer is yes but not as much as I would like. I live with my best friend who trained at Urdang with me, and still regularly see other friends, so am able to still engage with an effective community. In addition to this, I am doing a work placement at the Chickenshed Theatre which is a huge network of people. The type of ideas explored at Chickenshed is very different to anywhere else I have worked,so it is good force to open my eyes and explore choreography, teaching and even performing from a completely different perspective. 

By using communities of practice as a network tool, I am exposing myself to a wide variety of different people.I am able to establish connections with the professional Musical Theatre industry, as well as wide teaching pool. It allows me to draw knowledge from many different places and learn through shared experience.


So I don't know about you, but my brain feels slightly fuzzy from all this reflecting ! As I said at the beginning this blog was a way for me to document my discoveries about this topic. I guess I didn't realise quite how much I had learnt about my professional network until I wrote it all down! A definite realisation as to how far I have come on this course in such a small space of time...

3a. The current networks

I have decided to approach this task by blogging under the questions asked in the reader. This is a good way for me to clearly research and reflect, as well as think about my current network from a lot of different angels.

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

I started to think about this question by creating two lists; one with my current networks, and one with how I engage with them. However, I realised that a lot of elements linked together, and questions quickly started arising. To make my thoughts clearer I have created two spider diagrams.

When reflecting upon these diagrams I noticed a couple of things. Firstly that a lot of my networks link up to 'friends'. I think this is largely to do with my personality. Although I have a professional attitude when it comes to work, I like to have a personal relationship with people were appropriate as I believe it can only enhance the quality of your collaboration.  I am highly aware though that the point in which your professional and personal relationship blurring is sensitive and you should always be careful how far you let your colleges into your personal life. Crisp and Turner talk say that a strong network will provide support that will help us when needed*, and I believe that by having a friendship with people in your professional practice will enhance this support. I also noticed that 'family' is the only one not connected to another network. I use my family as part of my network in a very different way to any of the others. They provide me with advice and help where needed and listen to my ideas, as well as help my draft important e-mails to professionals and help me think of ways to constantly enhance my professional network. 

When reflecting on how I engage with my networks, I noticed several things. Firstly I noticed how many of my tools are linked to a computer. Although I rely on the computer daily for my career, I am someone who likes to interact with people face to face where possible, as I believe that I give a better impression and am able to elaborate and explain things clearer. I then took this thinking further and realised that I actually have begun to network with people face to face more and more now that I am slightly more established. Although I still have a long way to go, I now feel more confident to ask people personally for their details once I know them, rather than find out their agents details on the internet. I am given the opportunity to meet them through having a larger network of contacts that I am working with. The rectangular boxes with the questions in are a way to encourage me to think about how I acquire these contacts, so I can track how this may change over the course of my career.

I also noticed how a lot of these methods of engaging mean you can contact the person directly and very quickly. Personal numbers, e-mails, Facebook and Twitter accounts are an amazing way to directly get in contact with the relevant person in that exact moment, rather than a letter which may take several days to be delivered. Again, a lot of these 'direct methods' are because a computer, and more specifically the internet. This demonstrates to me how prominent Web 2.0 has become in our networking and professional lives.

What are the established (and different) ways that others use their networks, especially if they are more established or experienced practioners that you admire?

The main distinction I can see between me and experienced professionals is that they use their network to maintain their reputation and contacts rather than create them. For example, a lot of big choreographers that I admire have their own website with contact details on, allowing people to get into contact with them, rather than the other way around. In addition to this, they are able to use their social network to inform people of projects they are working on, and to advertise castings, jobs and opportunities. The internship I recently got was advertised on Twitter and because the person who posted it was a very well established performer, I was confident that the job opportunity would be amazing. This opened my eyes to the fact that at the moment I can't use my network in a way that promotes myself as such a confident polished package, as I have not yet had enough experience or built up such a strong reputation.

Another way a practioner could use their network is through working somewhere and then hiring the students. While I was training at Urdang, a lot of people from the industry came in and taught us. Occasionally they would then ask certain students to audition or work for them once they had graduated. In reader 3, Alan Durrant explains that your professional network is a highly important part of your current and professional life. This idea of creating contacts in college that might help your career in the future is a clear demonstration of this.

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?

I found this question quite difficult to answer, so in order help me think I have given three clear examples of people in my network focusing on how we both benefit and the purpose and value they have.

Since January I have been doing a work placement at the Chickenshed Theatre under the direction of Chris Niering, head of dance. My relationship with Chris is very much geared towards my experiences and career as she is very conscious that I get the most out of my time at Chickenshed. However, it is also beneficial for Chris to have me there as I am a regular volunteer who is working for her for free and has good relevant experience. I would like to think that we both value each other equally as we have a great working relationship. Because of the thesis of Chickenshed, my network here is linked directly to the communities of practice theory talked about in reader 3, as I am constantly learning in the process of engagement through social relationships. I am so grateful for the opportunities that Chris is giving me, and would love the opportunity to work for Chris in the future. 

Dale Rooks, director of education for the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre is someone who I have known and worked with for many years. Dale has taken great interest in my career and has provided me with opportunities, even when she could have given the job to someone more qualified. I believe over the past few years Dale and I have build a good level of trust between us, and have a fantastic relationship. Dale always expects everything to be delivered to the highest possible standard and so through allowing me to have a mixture of learning and doing, she has influenced me to work to a standard similar to hers.  When reflecting on our relationship, I believe it is fairly well balanced, however there is still so much I can learn from Dale. Whenever we work together the level of respect is mutual, but I will always look up to Dale and seek advice from her.

Finally, the relationship I had with Andree Bernard for the 42nd Street Gala I helped with was extremely different. I met Andree through Twitter and so for the first week of us relationship we hadn't even met! It was quickly established that we were working together solely for the purpose of the Gala, and so spent many unsociable hours speaking on the phone, e-mailing and texting to make sure the job was done. However, when I finally met Andree in person, she realised how passionate I was about choreography and so went out of her way to given me extra opportunities. Andree had never had an assistant before, so she was keen for us to get on well, and has kindly asked me to work for her again in the future. When thinking back on our relationship, it was a great way for me to gain experience in something I have never done before, but also beneficial for Andree, as without me she wouldn't have had enough time to do all the tasks required of her to get the Gala ready in time.

What would you ideal network look like and why?

My ideal network would be well balanced between people I learn from and people who learn from me. This is because I think in order to get better at my craft I must constantly be learning. It would have a wide pool of choreographers, directors, producers and teachers, as well as assistants and interns. I would also like to build up my pupil network and depending on their age, have a good relationship with their parents. The reason for this, is because I believe the parents always express to you their outcomes and desires, and so you are able to plan your lessons in the right way.

What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?

I am currently feeling quite happy with the way I am developing my network. However, when reflecting on what I currently do, I think the area I could improve on is promoting myself as a choreographer and teacher. I sometimes don't have enough self confidence and so sell myself as an 'aspiring choreographer and teacher', but when I look at my jobs I am actually doing it!

In order to make my ideal network closer to the one I described in the previous question, I think I would need to get in contact with more directors as well as choreographers so that I open up to a wider spectrum of people. In addition to this, I think I could do some feedback forms for my students at the end of term so that I find out their opinions of the class and what they would like to do. By doing this, their opinion of the class would go up and hopefully their word of mouth would increase my students and therefore my network.

What tools and methods do you need to use? What do you know about your current and intended networks, and importantly, what do you not know?

To sell myself as a product I need to improve my social media skills. I need to use my Twitter account a lot more, as I am quickly learning how popular it is amoungst the Musical Theatre industry. In addition to this, as my career progresses I could create a website for myself as this would be a great way for people to see my CV, photos and appropriate details. However this is something that I know nothing about so would have to research into how to create it.

I have quite a good knowledge on various choreographers,but my knowledge of other people in the industry is not as good. I feel it would be beneficial to me to spend some time on this research as it would help to improve that spectrum of professionals that I want to achieve. I could also maybe write to some explaining my interests and see whether work experience may be an option. Work experience has always been a fantastic way for me to broaden my network as it gives people a chance to meet me and see me at work.

And so...

As I take my research into my network further, I already feel a lot more confident on this area of my career. Through reflecting on this task I can clearly see where I could implement simple ideas in order to improve my network. In addition to this, it has been good for me to see the areas that are working well. It has also given me a clearer sense of what specific areas of my career have a stronger network and I am beginning to question why this is. I believe my teaching network is slightly stronger because I have regular teaching work  and my network is incredibly strong. Combining both the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre and the Chickenshed Theatre allows me to develop my teaching skills on a daily basis. Although I am also given choreographic opportunities in both places, my network is slightly weaker when it comes from other sources, and this is something I want to focus on improving.




* Crisp, J & Turner, R (2007) Essential social psychology

The art of reflection...

I have decided to do this post after the comment that Adesola posted on my blog- 2d. The Inquiry task.

Adesola writes the following...

Looking back at what you wrote what does it tell you about you? Are there things that come through in that you are surprised to notice about yourself? In this part of the module is re-looking at things - re-flecting. What reflects back at you when you look at what you wrote?

The first thing that I have learnt about myself through this module is that I am quite self critical. During the first few weeks of starting the journal I discovered that I actually spend the majority of my time doing things relevant to my career. I am being given amazing opportunities, of which I am so grateful for and can honestly say how happy I am to be working on such incredible projects. However, it wasn't until I started keeping a regular journal that I realised that I can end up focusing on the things in my day that I haven't achieved, rather than the things that I had. Although I have always been hard working, the journal task highlighted to me that sometimes I need to be proud of what I have done, and not focus always focus on the negatives. A belated New Years resolution maybe...?!

When reading and researching Reader 2, I quickly learnt that I use critical reflection a lot. I wasn't surprised by this, but I was very surprised by the difference in the way I approach critical reflection when it comes to teaching and choreography. Looking at my critical reflection essay, I think it is very obvious that I am constantly learning from my own experiences as a teacher as well as learning from others. Although I feel like I am good at my job, in experience is still relatively small. I first became aware of this when I read the section on reflection- in- action and reflection- on- action. From there, my awareness of how I approach different tasks became more and more obvious. But I very much stand by what I said in my essay... 

I believe that my reflection- in- action self is not yet as confident yet in terms of teaching as I haven't been doing it as long...

And so I have every faith that through experience and time I will learn to trust my instincts more and develop the skills and confidence to be able to help my ability to be a choreographer that doesn't need to plan as much before hand, but can go with her instincts.

Finally, by answering the questions in the inquiry task, I was forced to really think deep about myself and others that have an effect on me. When reading back on my post, I realised how many people I admire, and how much I learn from all of them. This didn't surprise me because I think I am someone who learns a lot from others, but it also really made me think about the people I teach and how they could be learning from me. Not literally learning the steps, but learning from my approach and personality. I hope that everyone I comes into contact with me can learn something about themselves, whether it be a step that they couldn't do before, or that they enjoy my class and may want to try teaching for themselves.

I was a little surprised by how much I am unsure of. I am such an organised and dedicated person that I thought I felt confident in what I am doing because I always plan it thoroughly and throw myself into the task. However, when writing the blog, I discovered that I don't tend to go on instinct as much as I would like and can be incredibly cautious. I think this stems from the fact that I can let the 'worried side' of my personality over power. But I am determined that this will not stop me from taking up opportunities that will further my career. It's like my dad always tells me... This isn't a rehearsal for life, it's the real thing!
 

2d. The inquiry task

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?

From a very young age I have loved teaching, and have wanted to be a teacher in some way. Now that I am a dance teacher and choreographer my enthusiasm is driven from many different angles. First and for most I love watching people develop from the beginning of a class or routine to the end. I love helping pupils that want to learn develop their skills and technique, and it makes me incredibly proud watching them leave at the end of class with something they didn't know about before or knew they could do. 

I also get enthusiastic about watching other teachers and choreographers work. Whether its a top West End choreographer who is teaching professional dancers, or a dance teacher at a school teaching 5 year old children ballet, there is so much to learn from people. I recently sat in on a rehearsal for a Gala happening at the London Palladium. The choreographer was Paul Robinson, and it was fascinating to watch how he worked. Although it was obvious that he had a sense of how he wanted the routine to look and feel, he developed the choreography there in the room, totally based on his instincts. This is completely different to how some choreographers work, who have the routine all planned before they enter the studio. I would like to become a choreographer who uses their impulses and instincts more. I believe that through experience and age this will happen for me, but right now I am learning a great deal from people like Paul work. You can check out Paul's website here.

I also admire people who use dance as a way to get messages across, and who teach purely for the enjoyment of others. I will never be able to put into words how much I admire Christine Neiring and all the Chickenshed Theatre staff. Chickenshed is a place where performing is totally selfless. It is not about one person and how well they do, but about letting everyone how the opportunity to reach their full potential. The shows performed at Chickenshed are powerful and beautiful, and I truly believe the work they do there is incredibly special. Please check out the Chickenshed website here.

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 and anger?

Sometimes I get frustrated or worried because I don't know if this is the right path for me. I feel proud of everything I have achieved, and have been given some amazing opportunities  but because this profession is so fickle, it's always hard to tell how far you will go in it. However I am not giving up and will continue to do my best and work hard for as long as this makes me happy. I would like to believe I am an incredibly motivated and hard working person, but it makes me angry that unfortunately that may not be enough to give me a long lasting career. A lot about this industry seems to be about who you know, and what you look like. Your talent can be taken as a given, and so on top of that you need to have so much more. Also you can be the most passionate person, but if you are not presented with the right opportunities to show this passion, then it may get buried or lost. 

My best friend Hannah is someone I will always admire, not just from a career perspective, but in general. Hannah is a beautiful performer and incredibly talented at what she does. Not only that, but she is determined, outspoken and very driven. The path into performing since leaving the Urdang Academy has not been easy for her though. She has had to do jobs that she has not enjoyed and are unrelated to her career, as well as self motivate herself to write letters to agents, go to auditions and have countless meetings. When Hannah got her first job in One Touch of Venus in Walthemstow I was so proud of her. Her hard work had paid off and lead her onto the first step of her career. Although Hannah is still fighting everyday, I believe her determined attitude and talent will lead her on an amazing career path. I have the privilege of living with Hannah and will always look to her as a source of inspiration.

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?

The thing I will always love most is watching something start as nothing and develop. Whether it be a piece of choreography, a show, or just a short class. I love getting involved and being part of a team, and will never mind from what aspect I help from. Over the last couple of weeks I have been working as a Production intern for a charity Gala. Although this is something I have never done before, I have loved every minute of it. I feel so happy to be part of such an amazing team, and can't wait to watch the performance this Sunday. I really hope that I get an opportunity like this again as I feel this could be a way I may want to develop my career. 

Since I was a teenager I have been very involved with the Chichester Festival Theatre, and more specifically in the Youth Theatre side of things. I used to be a member myself and now have the privilege of teaching and choreographing for them. The Youth Theatre Director Dale Rooks is someone who I am so glad I know, and can now call my friend as well as my teacher and boss. Dale is someone who lives for the Youth Theatre. You can tell just by speaking to her how passionate she is, and how proud she is of each individual member and the shows and performances they do. Not only that, she is incredibly loyal. Dale has taken an interest in my career for many years. Although I moved away from Chichester for four years,this has never affected anything between us. She has put her trust in me and encouraged me in so many ways, as well as giving me countless opportunities  I believe I will always learn from Dale, and know that she shares the same passion as me in terms of watching a project or person grow and develop. You can read more about Dale and the Chichester Festival Theatre here.

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 is so much that I don't understand. In terms of my career I am learning everyday as I am recently graduated and am keen to soak up information from all different sources and people. But in general life, I also have a lot I don't understand. There are times where I have felt life to be quite challenging and tough and go to seek help and answers. My dad is someone who I will always go to for this. He has a very similar personality to me, and yet his attitude is so admirable. My dad will never give up hope of getting an answer. He is incredibly knowledgeable and wise, and is always keen to learn from other people and improve. I will always admire my dad's attitude and hope I continue to learn from him.

And finally...

I would also like to briefly talk about choreographers who have inspired me. Since I was a teenager I have been aware of different choreographers styles and work. Stephen Mear will always been the person who first got my interested in choreography. I love that he choreographs for such a diverse range of shows style of shows, and the way he allows character and personality to be central to his work. It would be my dream to meet Stephen one day, and to work with him would be the biggest honour of all! Mark Smith is an inventive and dynamic choreographer. I had the honour of being his assistant for the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre Show 'Noah' and have since worked with Mark on other projects. Mark is deaf and so his style of movement is often influenced by sign language. I love Mark's fun personality and find it shines through in everything that he does. Finally I will always love Bill Deamer's choreography for Babes in Arms at the Chichester Festival Theatre, and Andrew Wright's for Singin in the Rain. Both these choreographers are so classy and create beautiful images and lines.