Competition; Good or Bad?

As I have read comments and some BAPP practitioners blog about teaching dance, the word " competition " often appears when we discuss about teaching.

And, I have noticed quite few people encourage dancers competition in dance class to improve dancers standards. Also, some mentions dance class`s competition is a mini world of show business. So, it is good way to get ready for the future.

Ethic hand book`s page 20, there are typical example of using competition as a way to improve dancers. But, with out ethics.

I just do not believe dancers and organisations can provide some thing wonderful to touch people`s heart or change people`s life, if motivation is wrong from the beginning; competing each other, competing each companies to prove they are better.

Dance supposed be a performing ART! Not performing sport, right?

I was watching TV programme, Got to dance and So you think you can dance, with my colleague.
While we are watching it, my colleague made a comment ` This is just like a gymnastic routine, all the competitors doing some kind of acrobats in every single dance piece`.
His comment struck my mind. And I realised what he said was very true.
However, WHY?
I think, to have acrobat skill and tricks are a one of the ways to survive in dance world in 21st century; auditions and competition.

If, dancers go to auditions, there are so many people in auditions and competitions.
If, dancers wanted to get a job, they need to be seen to be picked by judges.
Therefore, they need to find a way to draw an attention to them.
More attention dancers get, more chance of getting a job to survive.
In that sense, I believe acrobat skill ad tricks are a very useful.
Because acrobat and tricks are usually very extreme and flashy, therefore one of the best way to drawn an attention instantly.


One of the interesting fact I have learned from the process of studying my previous module was
thing call Attention Economy.
For example, if you look at this blog, which word comes in to your eyes first? The word Attention Economy, is not it? It is because purely it stands out, because of the colour is different, it is bigger letter etc.
I have learned this during my research about Google on my previous module.

Attention economics is an approach to the management of information that treats human attentionas a scarce commodity, and applies economic theory to solve various information management problems.

In this perspective Thomas H. Davenport and J. C. Beck define the concept of attention as:

Attention is focused mental engagement on a particular item of information. Items come into our awareness, we attend to a particular item, and then we decide whether to act.(Davenport & Beck 2001, p. 20)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_economy

What dancers are trying to at auditions and competitions are exactly the same!




Anyway, as I mentioned I feel like nowadays dance world is becoming very competitive as people encourage it, I guess.
All these dance programmes are COMPETITION. There are always winners and losers.

However, I find this whole things very strange, as supposed be all the dancers are individual and so are the judges!
Judges give comments to dancers as they know every thing. Well, I am sure they do know a lot about dance, but end of the day, these are just their opinions, it should not matter too much, as I see dancers cry after judges comments, because dancers received great comments or because dancers received bad comments.
I feel whole attitude and direction is strange in show business these days.
I believe, it all starts from encourage competitiveness of dancer in class. Students and dancers  do their best to dance nicely, but because they want to? or they are dancing because they want to be liked by judges? or director of company? or dance teachers? or some times by parents.

I come at this from a figure skating perspective. There is currently a large and on-going debate in the field about the artistry of skating being lost to the need to develop a solid marking structure that does not allow for biased or subjective and inconsistent judging.

As a result of the need for such a structure the sport has now become closely linked to gymnastics with multiple and growing required elements that see skaters trying to contort their body into certain shapes – for example stretching their leg behind them and upwards, grabbing it with their hand, so that their skate touches their head. The closer to your head you can get your foot, the higher the tariff of the performance and more marks you can be awarded. Subsequently however more and more skating performances are looking the same – with the required moves filling the performance and leaving little opportunity for expression and creative freedom. In my mind there is only so much you can push the body to do at such a young age before it become not only unpleasant to watch but dangerous.

Also, in order to maintain the sort of structure needed for marking an ‘aesthetic sport’ many skaters, judges and coaches report a loss of creativity, artistry and the ablity to keep audiences interested

This is a comment from http://danceadvantage.net/2009/04/30/pros-cons-dance-competition/
I found this it very interesting and I would like to share with every one.
I do agree with the person who commented this.
Dance is becoming like Ice Skate; Artistic Sport?
More dancers desparately want to drawn the attention to them, as more attention they have, they are one step ahead of the other dancers, dance will become more like a sport.
Because of that I do not encourage the competition from young age.
However, I think dance is going to be come more physical, athletic and gymnastic soon.


My dance teacher use to use the word ` Healthy Competition`. Now I think, what is it? What is healthy competition? Is it not just the way of covering down side of competition? Some teachers know competitions are not healthy, but they want to encourage it, so they have created a word like this to make it sound right?

Or am I being too bitter about it?

Focus Group questions

I have discussed with my focus group about dancer`s diet;

1, when dancers have a bad diet; eating disorder, taking pills to sweat extra more, etc, how do they effect on dancers body and mind?

2, How do these common wrong practice occur physical injuries?

3, Are we, professional dancers sending wrong messages to young dancers? As young ones always look up on professionals and try to copy them.

When I discussed these with my focus group, it was generally a nice balance; no one tried to dominate and talk over each others. However, I have noticed that, generally female dancers have more opinions about these topics, as they always think they need to loose weights, because that reason, they are interested in topics more than male dancers. It does not have to be a dancer, generally women are interested in loosing weight compare to men.

However, also male dancers explained to met hat, these wrong habits started spread on male dancers too recently. Even male dancers required to be tall and thin these days.
I see some male dancers diet started to become more like female dancers, for example foods they bring for lunch. And, when we were discussing about the topic, we realised it seems like happening more often on guy sexual male dancers. I am not sure exactly why. I assume they spend a lot of time with female dancers? Or because They try to fit into female dancers group?

5c adding thoughts; Are we disposable?

I have been reading " A Dancer is A Person" website, which is a hyper link from Reader 5 ethics handbook, http://www.ethicsdance.co.uk

This web site made me think about my work place and how dance company treat dancers.


“Many teachers and choreographers don’t deaden the person now
as they did ten years ago”
Tony Geeves [in his opening remarks at the Moving Matters Conference 2000]


Is this really true? I really do not know as I have not dancing long enough.
However, some times director makes comments to dancers and I can see a glimpse of reality of dance world by it.
Director often mentions to us dancers that, there are a lot of dancers who has no job and it is possible to bring someone in to the company instead of us.
I am not sure what the director trying to say to us, as I do not really listen to what people say anyway, which I should because I often get in to trouble of not listening to people.
However, I can clearly see director`s comments effect on female dancers of the company, especially young ones. I saw some new dancers tears after director gave his  "speech".

I often wonder we are that easily replaced? or are we disposable?
However, what I need to discuss is ethics, not we are replaceable or not.

Dancers has given a handbook of policy and ethics, then, I wonder if we have one, there must be a handbook for director too, right? The hand book which tells how to behave like a director.
I wonder, what is out of order and what is not at work place as being a director of the company. Because, being a director can be a very powerful position and if not being very careful with the consequence, some people take director`s action as a powere harassment.
In this case, is it ethically right to talk to employers like this? I know it works on some people, as some people are worried of loosing the current job and work even harder to hold on to it.
I guess, end of the day, ethics changes by how we understand it and how we received the situations, soem people take things negatively, some just go with it.

However, at dance world it is understandable that better dancers have more value, so dancers can be treated differently. It is not ethically right, but end of the day, dance companies are not voluntarily organisations, they need to make profits. So, every companies are desperate to have great dancers, like a foot ball clubs need great players.

Survey questions

I for got to paste the questions of survey.

1,Which part of the class did you enjoy the most today? And, why did you like it?

2,Would you tell me which part of exercise you find hard, and how?

3,Do you find what your teacher ( Daisuke ) says during the class?

4,What did you learn today?

5,What is your aim for your next class?


When I look back and check the answers, some dancers wrote a lot and some are just one line answers.
Also, I always worry about dancers fully understand what I am trying to explain as English is not my first language. I often talk a lot and fast if I am nervous. I have received positive feed backs, however, I am not sure honest they were, maybe they were just being polite.
I think I need to speak less, and explain better. That is my aim!

Critical Evaluation of inquiry tools

I have used inquiry tools for my investigation, then I have analysed and compare inquiry tools to decide which tool can be most suitable for my inquiry task.

However, as every researchers can see that every tools have advantages and detriments.

As I explained on my observation blog, also by inquiry handbook that, observation is most common inquiry tool in dance, as dance is a part of performing arts and researchers need to see the practical side of it.

Interview is very personal, so, if researchers investigate only in practical side of performing arts, this tool is possibly not as important as other tools.

Survey is useful tool, however, not necessary for practical side of investigation.

To me, I found observation most useful in dance to evaluate participants behaver and events.
However, it is not the matter of which tool is most useful for researchers, what I have noticed by using tools is when researchers use all the tools right, researcher can see the participants and events in 3D. I think, it is very important for researchers to know how to corroborate these tools right, and as handbook suggests, we all need to learn what is the necessary questions and what is not in every tools. Other wise, it waste researchers and participants time.

For example, as Sophie suggested me on my blog  interview does not have to be a time consuming tool, only if researchers know exactly how to use the tool and to know how to function every tools to maximum potentiol.
However, we are all practitioners and we all learn from the experience; try and error.
I took quite a long time with my participant at first, however, by the third person, it got faster as I got the rhythm of it and started to understand more, also because I got tired too.

SIG became very handy and useful too, however, as I mentioned on my blog, if same specialists talk about their field of profession, it seems often discussion goes only one direction, we can only talk from our point of view. It is a useful tool, but if researches look for fresh answers or different approach to the inquiry, researchers need to take the question to different, new SIG.



Survey provides answers to researchers,

Observation provides practical side and bigger picture,.

Interview provides opportunities to know the participants as a person,

A good example is the audition.

1, Research by checking dancers CV,
2, Observe the dancers by audition,
3, Interview to check who they really are as a dancer, as a person,
4, Discuss and have a meeting with Special Interest Group to decide which dancers are suitable for the company and evaluate the dancers value from their point of view. SIG in this case is like board of directors and teachers of the company.

5c

Process of going through task 5a and 5b made me realise of the gap between my assumption of code of conduct in my working place and what company expect from us dancers.
I have researched about code of conduct for dancers, then I came down to a conclusion.

I understand our Code of conduct as a guide line.

Employers and workers need to follow the code of conduct at work place, to make all employees work as smooth as possible, so companies can receive maximum benefits from workers and also to avoid the problems.
Problems take time to solve, time is money, therefore, more problems, more time to loose; the organisation loose more money if there are problems which company needs to sort out.


Therefore, if dancers break the code of conduct at work, dancers will get some kind of consequence. However, the regulation is not unbreakable; as some people made these regulations up, therefore  this can be changed any time company wanted to! Because of that reason, I am not going to take it too seriously. As I mentioned on my previous blog, regulation changes where ever we go, so I believe it is important to have a flexible mind and sense of adaptation.
As I mentioned, code of conduct of working place for dancers should be faire and equal which ever companies dancers work for. However, unfortunately the fact is not simple.
Again, this equal and faire policy can be tricky.
Because, we define equal and faire is differently. An example, my company pays same amount of salary to all the dancers, equal, right? therefore, the company does not provide a hierarchy system for dancers; equal and faire policy. However, is it really? Some the members are working for the company over five years and always dance main role, as these dancers are good, therefore they have higher risk of injury. And, some of the members are teenagers and never worked as a professional, so they have no idea what is going on. However, all the dancers provide same salaries.
However, regulations are individual by each companies, and this is my company`s policy, so I accept that. I do not have a any problem with the company policy, it just made me wonder.


  Also, I know some small dance companies take advantage of dancers, one in five dancers and choreographers is self-employed; most employment is part-time work    without important benefits like health care, sick leave and retirement. Most dance artists must hold secondary jobs in order to manage the uncertainty and risk of a dance career. 
( Reader 5 Professional Ethics )
As dancers are disparates for a job, and especially dance students often have financial supports from their parents. Fortunately, I have not worked with these companies before, however I heard a lot of bad thing about them. For example, dancers wages are under minimum equality salary.
I thought clearly that is illegal, so I have used my professional network to discussed about this fact. And, we came to a conclusion; it is both dancers and companies responsibility. It is terrible fact that, small dance companies take advantages of dancers, however, dancers are also aware of the limits of what these companies can provide for dancers. These small companies are not forcing to dancers to work, end of the day dancers make their own choices. I wonder, what is the code of conduct of these companies, I am interested in comparing the regulation to find the difference of each dance companies.




The example of Kevin Carter from reader 5 Professional Ethics made me think about our obsession for career and ethics as a human.
Kevin Carter did what he needed to do as a professional photographer when he capture the famous photograph. He probably just wanted to take some great pictures as all other photographers do. And, he did an amazing job and he received the award. However, later on he started to realise he was probably obsessed about his profession and lost the priority of human right.
Some times the obsession for our career leads us to wrong direction.
So, I would like to believe that, code of conducts are there to prevent these sad incidents too.
However, I actually do not see any policy to prevent incidents like above, it is almost opposite.

For example, if you are in a big dance company and there are so many competitions and most of dancers always feel under the pressure to survive.

Then, there is a question.
If, you see your colleague is struggling by injury or private matters, how do you feel? and what would you do?
The circumstance is extreme, you are desperately want to get the higher position which you have been working hard for a while at your work place or want to be in the cast of the new production.

1, Yey! Less competition!

2, We need to support our colleague

or

3, I do care about my colleague, but  I am running late for reheasal, I do not want to break the reulation because that effect my reputation, therefore effect my career as a dancer in company

Honestly, when I was in the situation I use to feel 1, because I was young. I was obsessed by the reputation and I wanted to prove to the others that I am good, and tried hard to be more than I was.
However, I think slightly different now. I understand the consequence and my experience shows me a bigger picture. I feel like nothing is worth doing it if we know our action clearly upset some one. I finally realised success is an instant illusion. If, people do not benefit from my success or if my success do not make people happy, then, that is not a success.

I see people who need a help on street before rehearsal and class, I will choose to be late and help the people who need help.
I believe, we need to be a decent person first. There are always a regulations where ever we work,
But, I have learned from the process of investigating section 5s that, most important thing is to think and value by our own major, not just relying on code of conduct.

My thoughts of 5b

I have blogged my company`s regulations at 5b.

As I mentioned most of my company`s code of conducts are common sense, however, some of the regulations confuse me.

For example, section 8; company dancers should act as a role model to students. The other day, some of the company members has been warned from the director not to smoke if students are around; smoking at the interval will give wrong message and impression to students.

I totally see where director`s concern comes from. It is not good for the company reputation. However, this wrong message and impression confused me.

Yes, people should not smoke in front of young students, does not have to be a dancer to know this.

So, when dancers are with students, does company request us to be some one who we are not?

I remember, when I was young I had a school performance, and I saw the guest dancers having a smoke out side during the interval. It did not shock me, also that fact did not necessarily wanted to copy them.

Only thing I thought was, some dancers need to smoke during the interval, that was all.

As I am discussing in my SIG on Linkedinn;  I do understand importantness of being a role model in front of students. However, I think we also send a false and fake message to students for being a image of dancer which people expect dancers to be. 

The other day, students and parents asked us about how and what`s kind of food professional dancers eat. We answered appropriately, we told them dancers eat sensibly and eat healthy balanced meals. Later on, we have met the parents and students on the street as we are eating chips, kebabs and pizzas! It was an awkward moment.

Students are young, but not stupid. I think students know more than we assume.

So, I think we need to act as a good adult to protect them. However, it is good for students to know what professional dancers like, if students ask us.

Also about section 14, about being open minded. I understand as dancers expected to do our best when choreographers come.

However, this can be tricky. Because, a while ago at my previous company, we had a choreographer came and requested us dancers to be naked at the workshop for the piece. After the choreographer asked us, there were a long silence. And, no one took clothes off. The choreographer got annoyed and told us, we are silly for not being naked and shame on us. But, really?
I would do my best at the workshops to learn some thing new to improve my self.
I do my best for myself.  I have a contract with my company and there are company`s code of conduct, however, I have not sold my soul to company.

Company had a meeting the other day with all the dancers to make sure every one understand the regulations. I thought it was a wise thing to do, as I have learned from pilot of survey; people read same thing, however, every one understand individually. So, it was a useful way to avoid any misunderstanding and confusion.

5b

After I did task 5a, I have looked in to my company`s code of conduct as a dancer.




  1,Costumes and props must be returned to wardrobe and placed back where they came from as soon as possible after a performance.  Costumes should also be returned on the hangers they came on.

·         2, After a performance the dancers should make themselves available to sign autographs or to talk to members of the audience if required.

·         3, Dancewear for class should be appropriate, especially when members of the public are present.

·         4, Dancewear for workshops should be neat and tidy; company t-shirts are provided and should be worn.

·         5, Dancers should be punctual for both workshops and class.

·         6, Dancers leading workshops must plan appropriately so they are presented at the highest standard.

·         7, Dancers are expected to perform certain extra duties if the situation arises, for example, the male dancers should help with the get in/get out on rehearsal days, dancers should help to tape the dance floor and the female dancers may need to help the wardrobe department on occasion.  These extra duties will be shared out fairly amongst the company dancers.

·         8, Our dance education programme is an integral part of the company’s ethos and therefore company dancers are expected to undertake training for workshops as well as to lead and assist in all dance education activities such as workshops, summer schools and courses and our ballet associate programme. Dancers are expected to be responsible and act as role models during all education work and to participate enthusiastically.

·        9,  If company transport is not required then the dancer should tell both the director and the technicians.

·         10, If a dancer would like a guest to use the company transport then the dancer must first confirm this with the director and the technicians.

·         11, Dancers should be punctual for the leaving times of the company transport.

·         12, The company transport must be kept tidy and all rubbish removed.

·         13, The drinking of alcohol is not allowed on the company van.

·         14, Dancers may not bring guests to stay in company accommodation.

·         15, Dancers are responsible for reading and understanding all the information contained in the contract, handbook, company etiquette and any other documents relevant to the role of company dancer, any queries may be made to management.  The dancer’s signature will be taken as confirmation that the documents have been read and understood.

·         16, The dancers have the right to elect a dancer representative from the company to liaise between the dancers and management.

·         17, The company dancers are ambassadors for the company and should behave likewise at all times.  This includes information or pictures published on social media sites that could compromise the reputation of the company.

·         18, At times, dancers may be required to participate in extra activities such as working with artists and taking part in research activities. Dancers are expected to be open minded and accommodating in these circumstances.

  19, The management tries its best to be accommodating.  If there are any queries or problems then dancers may speak to the dancer representative, education officer, assistant director or director.

It seems like a lot of restrictions, however, I had a discussion in my professional net work and other dancers told me, usually there are a hand book code of conduct for dancers, and it is often very thick. So, maybe my company`s code of conduct section is not too bad. And, most of the code of conducts are common sense.

5a code of conduct

I have been working as a professional dancer for six years.

So, I believe I know basic code of conduct at my working place.

However, I have worked at several ballet companies; big one and small ones, also different countries.

What I found interesting was, I do same profession where ever I go, but code of conduct changes with country and by company!

I worked in Serbia`s national theatre of ballet, which employs over seventy dancers. The organisation was big enough that, employers do not remember each other’s name. Especially costume people had to work for Opera, Ballet and Drama, so they clearly had no idea who is who in Ballet. Costume people use to call me Bruce Lee. All of my costume`s name tag was typed Bruce Lee, Is it ethical? Well, probably not in the UK. 

Also, smoking in public place was very common too. Dancers use to smoke in a lift! Also, pianists smoke while they are playing for class and rehearsals! Is it ethical? Probably is in Serbia!

However, rest of the companies I worked and working for seem quite normal.

Ross Dunning mentioned about registering ourselves in morning on his blog, but all the companies I worked I never signed in and out. Usually people from the office come and check during the morning class to resister.

I understand code of conduct as mainly as common sense.

So, I believe my cod of conduct as a dancer will be like these?

Dancers need to be punctual for rehearsals and morning class.

Ware appropriate clothe during class and rehearsal

Do not bring private matter in to work.

If dancers need days off from work by being ill or injured, dancers need to show a proof from doctor.

Avoid physical contact with children during the workshops.

Equal opportunity policy.

Act with respect to costume people, to the technicians and the driver.

Ethics on dance; Images of Dancer, expectation of being a dancer

I wonder what kind of answers I get, if I ask people for an images of a perfect dancer?
Pretty? Skinny? Beautiful? Light?

I would like to investigate what dancers do to keep this expectation from people and from dance companies.
I would like to look in to how these images effect on dancers mind and body, and to work out the consequence of it.

Also, are we supposed be a role models for young dancers?
Are we sending a right message to them for being skinny and pretty?

Evaluation of Inquiry tools; Focus Group

I have discussed my inquiry tasks with my focus group,  I chose my focus group as my work colleagues.

I am not sure it was a great choice of group, as I see them everyday and work together. As I have written on my observation journal that, people do tend to pick up each others habits with out noticing and also people`s life style has become very similar if you work at same place as share the same time schedule, if life style becomes similar, people`s personality and onions become similar with out realising.

Advantage;
Advantage of choosing my colleagues as a focus group was I could ask some thing I usually choose not to ask participants, as I know my colleagues more than participants and my colleagues know me well too. So, in that way I received very honest answers as we did not have to worry about consequence of the answers.
Also, every single people have a different back ground, yet every one of them has professional knowledge, so it was very good way to correct quality, yet very individual opinions.


Detriment;
As it is a group of same interest, a bunch of specialists. So, every one can provide useful, quality information, but some how never get to the answer or solution, because every single participants in Focus Group has same problems.