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.
I could imagine many directors in the world saying that. Truth it may be, but I find it unethical to express that in front of the dancers.
ReplyDeleteDancers may work harder out of desperation when they are threatened like that, but that is totally different from working hard striving to grow artistically in a creative environment.
I believe that a great director builds mutual trust and respect between him(her)self and his staff (including dancers) by treating dancers as artists and management staff as experts in their field. He (she) brings the best out from every individual who are under his directorship and thus maximizes the human resources.
The above may be a 'code of conduct', or otherwise just 'personalities that suits the particular role and position of an AD'.
I guess that with a board to watch over the AD or a general manager with equal power, (who are able to listen to the dancers', staffs' and audiences' truthful voices), any dictatorship and mis-direction could be prevented....
But am not sure about these political things.
HI Mina.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment.
All these political things are complicated and better don`t think about it, I think that is the best.I just choose not to listen these negative comments.
I agree with your opinion of some dancers work harder for the desperation for a while. But, that will not last long, because motivation and the reason is totally wrong. With that kind of desperate attitude, dancers and organisations will never be able to produce some thing wonderful to touch audience heart.