Questions for 4A

·        Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or vice versa? For example, is it better to be a principal in a small company or an artist in a big company? Why?

·        Why do aesthetics have to have such an effect on the process of selecting dancers for employment currently and not just artistic and technical prowess alone?

·        As dancers are we ever satisfied with our success? And is this a Healthy mind set? Does this lead to setting unrealistic goals?

·        During injury how valued do we feel by our directors? And how much do we think that they want to spend time on our recovery and rehabilitation?

·        How important is it to be made aware of your limits from a young age e.g. During training? Or does this kill our dreams off before they begin?

·        What impact does a negative audition have on aspiring dancers? What makes you carry on and not give up? Is the audition process (negative or positive) thought out with the way it might affect auditionees? Should it be?

All of these questions are born from the experiences of me and my friends, the bruised egos, occurrences within our workplace that have caused us harm mentally and an impulse to discover a better way of dealing with the negative events that happen to us during our training and career. The questions are mainly focussed around classical ballet as these are my personal experiences but the aim of the inquiry is to find a constructive and healthy way of dealing with rejection, under appreciation, disappointment and satisfaction with our success so that we can gain an more in-depth understanding of our profession and to be happy with our growth as artists.

The final question is taken from the blog of Carly Osborne; I found this to be an exceptionally good question as it applies more than ever now due to the recession and there being less jobs available and a record number of dancers, old and new, going for them.

I plan to put these questions to a dancer or hopefully dancers in different ways (video interview, questionnaire, etc.) and get their responses in the hope of finding positive tactics for dealing with these issues; the bottom line is, these are all issues that I would like to deal with out of interest but also on a personal level this should help me go at them with a bit of vigour!

Do's and Don'ts of company life

during my time working in a professional company I compiled information about what to do and what not to do in a company in my Journal as part of BAPP. Although some may seem obvious people still manage to miss some key points or happen to put their foot right in it with a director so in order to pass on my knowledge I condensed it into a list.

Auditioning-
Do- Wear something that will make you stand out be tidy

Don't- Wear all black you look like a student, wear messy 'company chic' this makes it seem like you don't care and are unorganised and messy.

Duties in the company-
Do- Attend every class possible, try your best to be seen working to your maximum (or else why bother), learn other people's work (injuries happen and could get you a shot at the lead), do as your told (just because you don't agree, it's the directors name on the programme, not yours), attend every rehearsal/ blocking (do not leave the theatre to meet your friends during a rehearsal, it sounds stupid but i watched it happen), Be early (it shows you're keen)

Don't- do the bare minimum number of classes and also in class (laziness is not often tolerated), do the bare minimum (be a team player everybody gets injured help out your company by being an unofficial understudy), change choreography that you don't like (it's insubordination and is likely to get you fired, yes i've seen it happen), be late (it is sure to make you very unpopular when the company has less time to prepare because your rehearsal had to run late)

As a company member socially-
Do- try your best to be friendly with everybody (you can't like everybody in life but if you've got to work together be professional), include everybody with anything you do as a group (you would hate to be left out too), be a team player (when it comes to doing extra stuff to make the get out go faster for example)

Don't- start unnesccesary grief with otherrs just because you don't always see eye to eye, leavve people out of anything, sit in the foyer when other dancers are helping with the get out for example (do something useful at least!)

Critical Questions and issues that emerge

So far in the course I have been constantly stimulated into learning new theories, to look at a different spin on a subject that I may know about already  and to think in depth about processes in my profession that I just did on auto pilot and now I have truly learned the importance of networking and Critical reflection. With my new found knowledge of theories that make up why these processes are so vital to succeeding I cannot wait to see what other people's thoughts bring up in my mind! Let the issues emerge!

Sources of information

These are my most frequently used sources of information:

Web 2.0-

Social networking and Job sites-Social networking sites such as ‘network dance’ are great especially when they are purpose built. They allow us to manage all of our job hunting/networking tasks in one place.

·        Dance Europe – Jobs and Auditions

                     http://www.danceeurope.net/site/jobs.shtml

·        Networkdance.net- allows you to have all your media in one place as well as links to your CV, and youtube videos if you have them

·        Ballet Companies.Com – Auditions

         http://www.balletcompanies.com/Countries/Auditions.shtml

·        Dancers international – Auditions

                    http://www.dancers.in/coming_auditions.php

·        Dance.net – Auditions

                    http://www.dance.net/danceauditions.html

Email/Blackberry- Allows us to send pictures, videos, files on the move especially with my Blackberry. It also allows me to keep in touch with any contacts on the move via the blackberry instant messenger (BBM)

Written Word Ads

·        The Stage news paper

                    

·        Dance Europe Magazine

                    

·        Dancing Times Magazine

                    

·        Point Magazine

                    

·        Pineapple Studios Bulletin boards

                    

·        Dance Studio Bulletin boards

A lot of companies still prefer the traditional approach of job hunting by putting their ads on paper. Just because it’s not on the internet certainly doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time.

                 

                                                      

Word of Mouth

·        Go to Open classes and be noticed by other dancers, choreographers, guest teachers, etc.

·        Meet with friends in the business (who work where you want to work)

If you have friends in the business it is important to meet with them and socialise with them in person, this can get you valuable information about jobs or auditions.

Teachers and Choreographers

It is important to keep in touch with any choreographer you meet along the way and it is also a good idea to return to your college roots and ask your teachers about work, they all have contacts (and probably a bit of influence) themselves and it is in their best interest to try and pull some strings for you!

I think if I had to go without one of these sources I would probably be lost as they all seem to work off of each other. But these days the source that I use the most is definitely the social networking sites especially Networkdance.net. The reason for this is it makes it easier for you to keep track of all your info and media but it is more convenient for the employers too and you can make a point of telling them that to make you sound more considerate to them!

Theories relating to networking

The Course Reader on Professional Networks talks about many very interesting theories regarding networks.

Altman’s ‘Privacy Regulation’ Theory, I believe, helps us understand further why some individuals are interested in Professional Networking and others maybe are not so interested. This kind of thinking links well with the theory of ‘Affiliation’. Each individual possesses a different degree of desired contact at any one point in time “If we have too little contact, we feel isolated, but if we have too much contact, we feel crowded” extract from Crisp, J & Turner, R(2007 pp266- 268). For example; you meet a person for the first time who has been in a busy, crowded environment all day (has had their affiliation levels met), they may not be in the right frame of mind to help/get to know you. Their sub conscious need for private time will have begun to take effect they will probably find anything you do or say to be an annoyance or a barrier stopping them from having some time to themselves. In a scenario like this you should note that if you meet the same person again under different circumstances (this time they’ve been doing paperwork on their own in an office all day) their attitude towards you may be completely different. It is for this very reason that I now know it is vital to chase up your leads and really beat their door down till they respond. Say for example you have been given the email address of a contact to try and get you an audition. If you don’t get a reply at first it may simply be because the person is not in the mood to talk to you. Obviously you don’t want to keep sending them emails but maybe another a few days later just to remind them that you’re still interested could work to your advantage.

Obviously social networking is all about people co-operating in a community to achieve maximum benefit, the reader suggests ‘a work related community held together by either close working affiliation or more distant but common work interests or needs’. This reminds me of Game Theory which is mentioned in the reader. Axelrod realised the importance of cooperation, especially the benefits of cooperating fully with others, until you reach a point of maximum benefit, then a choice emerges. This is exactly where the Prisoner’s Dilemma comes into play.

A classic example of the prisoner's dilemma (PD) is presented as follows:

Two suspects are arrested by the police. The police have insufficient evidence for a conviction, and, having separated the prisoners, visit each of them to offer the same deal. If one testifies for the prosecution against the other (defects) and the other remains silent (cooperates), the defector goes free and the silent accomplice receives the full 10-year sentence. If both remain silent, both prisoners are sentenced to only six months in jail for a minor charge. If each betrays the other, each receives a five-year sentence. Each prisoner must choose to betray the other or to remain silent. Each one is assured that the other would not know about the betrayal before the end of the investigation. How should the prisoners act? The dilemma is that the Nash equilibrium for the prisoner’s dilemma – that is the stable, rational solution – is that both should defect, but this results in a much worse outcome than if both were to cooperate.’ (Internet wikipedia)

A lot of these theories have opened my eyes to the inner workings of social networking, what I mean is getting in the head of the person you’re trying to connect with. A particularly poignant case is with ‘affiliation’ and ‘privacy regulation’. These theories delve into the minds of the human beings we need to network such as busy company managers or directors who spend longer in their office than actually directing as they like.

Current networks

Networking is definitely an important part of any professional career but especially between performers. Networking is how we can keep up to date with the ever changing dance world, find out useful information such as auditions that don’t always get posted, meet new people and develop new contacts. The name of the game is getting to know people and influential people if possible.

The widely used quote ‘It’s not What you know, It’s who you know’ instantly springs to mind

Never a truer word spoken. In my experience so far all of my opportunities and those of others close to me have come through chance meetings with someone or even being heard of or seen without meeting at all! For example my friend and I were working in a small touring Ballet company, he was always great at making friends even those that not everyone could get along with At the end of the contract one of these people who everyone else tried to ignore it turned out was a good friend of the Director of Ballet West and then recommended my friend to work as a guest principal with the company, he didn’t even audition and ended up touring China in Romeo and Juliet. Also my friend was very pro-active in finding company class; after working on a one off project with ENB he always goes back to take company class with the help of the human resources coordinator who he had befriended and realised she would soon be company manager, this goes to show the importance of friend making not necessarily with just dancers but influential members of a company.

This statement could be expanded to how well you know the person and not just if you know them at all. This really makes me think of such things at ENB my friend is now really good friends with all the dancers there and all the ballet staff know his name just because he kept letting them see him and get to know him and whenever anything comes up it’s always his name first. Another thing on this same line is sites such as Networkdance.net where you can let people get to know you without meeting you in the interest of employment and networking. It contains a way to blog, put some personal info about yourself, pictures and videos just like facebook. The website is accessed by all the company directors from all the major companies all over the world and again my pro active friend is right in there, he literally just yesterday turned down an international gala opportunity in Chicago but in doing so he had a conversation with the directors of many American state companies and was invited again next year.

My current networks are:
- past and present teachers
- past production managers/directors
- past teachers/choreographers
- friends in the business
- previous colleagues

My tools that I currently use to engage with these networks are:
- Email
- Facebook
- Telephone
- Arranging meetings
- Networkdance.net
- dancerspro.com
Since we left college my friend and I have barely applied for an audition let alone been to one due to the future of networking, the people he knows have got him amazing jobs such as touring internationally with CATS or Mercutio touring in China so he’s never been out of work.

The more experienced we become in our profession, the bigger our networks will be. Other dancers now ask for his contact details for work in the future because he’s so well travelled. This shows that further along we get in our careers the more we are able to give back due to the experience and people we know.

Inquiry

Through reflection I have begun to ask questions which isolate aspects of my work and have shown me what parts of dance and performance I wish to explore and improve

What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about?

I have always been very passionate about Classical Ballet and, although it sounds like a very ‘schoolgirl’ and narrow-minded approach to appreciating dance, It is the finer detail of pure technique and furthermore using said technique to create artistic expression so beautiful or exciting it makes those watching feel moved or enthralled.

What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your

feelings or has found away to work around the sadness or anger?

What angers me so much in this industry is the blatant abundance of ignorance. With Dance now at a fantastic media high I feel it is tainted with ignorance and the impression that what we do is easy or in some cases that your success is proportional to your hardships and sob stories. A fine example of this is the BBC programme ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. Don’t misunderstand me I am actually a big fan of this especially as my friends, Charlie Bruce and Drew Mconie, did very well last year but on watching some of the other competitors who progressed rather far I felt their talent was mediocre but their back stories were extraordinary. This raises two dilemmas; 1: People who watch mediocre, or even terrible dancers in some cases, believe that they are talented and that is what great dance looks like and 2: people are also led to believe that if you have a heart warming back story you can get anywhere in dance. Obviously professionals know that these people are accepted into the show to make entertaining television but members of the public and prospective audience members begin to think that no effort needs to be made to become a dancer and a sob story will suffice. My Dance teacher Terry Wright is someone who I admire who shares this same view; as an ex-dancer and first soloist with English National Ballet and a teacher at Arts Ed Tring for over 20 years she clearly has an expansive knowledge of dance and it’s technique, especially Ballet. While under her instruction she gave me a section to read from-

Beaumont, Cyril, Idzikowski, Stanislas. A Manual of the Theory and Practice of Classical Theatrical Dancing (Methode Cecchetti).Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1975. (first published in 1922).

“Advice to those Contemplating the Study of Dancing.

Pause- and think a score, fifty, a hundred times before you devote yourself to the study of the dance.

Do you realise the difficulty of this art, at once so beautiful and so ungrateful? Do you realise how many obstacles must be surmounted before you can become a dancer, even of average ability? Then think of the labour that must be expended, the injustices, intrigues and jealousies of distinction. If you are still undaunted by these disagreeable facts, you have proved yourself to possess enthusiasm and determination, qualities indispensable to success.

Consider your physical, personal and mental qualifications. If you are too young to do this for yourself, let your parents or guardians give their thought to so vital a matter.

Do not imagine that you can become a dancer in six months. Terpsichore is a jealous goddess, and those who seek fame among her votaries must sacrifice at her altar years of patient study and hours of physical labour. Weigh carefully these words, and if after due consideration you still find yourself consumed with a passion for the dance, the first question that arises is the choice of a master.

I really feel that these words articulate the endeavour of dance and its struggles very eloquently.

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 best part of what I do for me is achieving something that my body shouldn’t be able to do; what I mean is that some amazing dancers that we see today have these amazing bodies that are almost custom built to dance, not that I’m saying they don’t work hard because it is obvious that they do however I am definitely not one of those people! If you’ve seen my legs you’ll agree. What I’m driving at here is being able to achieve something with a perfect body is great but when you achieve something with limitations then that’s something really special. I think a lot of the people I went to college with agree with me as Tring merited itself on being able to make all sorts of dancers whereas places such as the royal ballet looked for a certain aesthetic which stopped many of my colleagues being accepted. I have great respect for all these people as many of them are now either Principals in ballet companies touring the world with contemporary or working the west end in musical theatre they may not have had a perfect body but they worked hard, achieved what they wanted and are now never out of work.

What do you feel you don’t Understand? Who do you admire who does seem to understand it or has found a way of making not understanding beautiful or interesting, or has asked the same questions as you?

Something I have been unable to understand since I began touring ballet is the variety of audience responses; for example the ugly sisters in Cinderella, at some venues the jokes would bring the house down but at others the response was a definite ‘tumbleweed’ moment. Some people who I really admire are the dancers of English National Ballet Company and I remember some of them asking the same question. The conclusion that they came to was very simple ‘we dance exactly what we’ve been instructed to at the best of our ability, everybody is different and not everyone laughs at the same things. Also when the audience is not as experienced at watching ballet they are more reluctant to express their feelings in case of embarrassment...plus we still get paid the same if they like it or not!’