Observation

I was observing my company`s workshop the other day.
Then, I realised a strange habit, relation about how teacher pass on their knowledge to the others.

It was during the ballet workshop. The person who lead the workshop told the students to use their `core muscle` and `inner muscle`  to stabilize them selves, as he pointed out his stomach.
Also, described to the students these muscle are important for core stability.

Then, suddenly I realised that is what our company`s teacher tells us often.

Our teacher uses the words; inner, core muscle quite often like he explained to the students.
Also, our teacher explains us dancers how important to feel them and use them right.
Then, I remembered that, our company teachers often use phrases like `My teacher use to teach me  blah blah` or
` That is how I taught at the school when I was young!!!!` etc, etc.....

Then I realised, my colleague is teaching exactly like our teachers....
\then I wonder, do my teachers really completely understand what they are saying?  How about my colleague? Does my colleague really understand about how to activate inner muscles?
Because I don't.

Do we explain things to the students often by using the similar ways to how our teachers teach us? Or do we use almost exactly same ways to explain things to next generation?
Why do we do it? Is it because we agree with what our teachers teach us? or we just copy how our teacher teach without realising? is it because it is easy to just copy or mimic?
Do we teach like our teachers did to us?
Are we even aware of it?

And, Most importantly,  Is it good for others to teach as we taught by our teachers?


By observing my colleagues taking the workshop, I have noticed  the way we teach is based on how we taught or the way our teachers taught us effect how we teach others.
I have no doubt about it, as I saw the way  my colleagues teach, also the way I teach has definitely effected by the way my teachers teach me.
However, I do not think most of us are aware of it. By observing the workshop made me think, and I teach like my teachers do or did to me. Which I did not notice till I wrote this journal!

And, I am not sure it is good or bad to teach other as we taught.
However,  if we teach others we all need to think what we taught, and go through our body to digest and understand truly what we really know and what really our teachers wanted to tell us. Other wise, we become a parrot; there are no meaning or understanding in what we are saying to the others. If, teachers do not understand about what really they know, there are no chance for students to improve.
Doctors tell us totally different ways to prevent illness every few years.
Long time ago, it is good to have a cold bath when we caught a cold, but doctors tell us not to have a cold bath when we have a cold, because it is bad for us! But, they are changing their mind because they are researching and trying to find the best way to find the cure for people.
I personally think,  us teachers need to have a same attitude toward our profession.
There are a lot of text books and method how to teach dance to people. and, a lot of teachers blindly follow it. The brand of the methods blind teachers.  But, we must ask our selves, if people do not improve, what is the point? 
What I want to say is; Most important thing is to help people to dance, not blindly follow the methods or relay  on how our teachers taught us. I think we all need to ask our selves again; is the way we teach the best way to bring people's potential? I especially need to ask my self every day.

Anyway, then why lots of us become a parrot when we teach without realising? I guess, in that way we do not have to re think or check how much we really understand about our profession. It is painful to re think and realise how much we do not really know. Ignorance is bliss.

At last,  what is Inner muscle? I did my own research to find an distinct answer.

Us, all human have muscles. Therefore, we have inner muscles.
Well, cut the story short. Medically, there are no such muscles call inner muscles, as there are no distinct line between inner and outer.
So, the word inner muscle is just a made up word for people who do not know much about the body.

Dance Brain!?

I have found an interesting video about how dancers brain work.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17120495

The question

The question has appeared on the process of studying BAPP.

And, I got to the point which I actually find it hard to ignore, I have
discussed with my colleagues about it, however, in the end, discussions
I had with them did not take me anywhere.
So, I need to ask your opinion. I am aware that, no one can really give
me the answer I am looking for, as I do not even know what the answer
is. What I want to know is how other practitioners major other
practitioners opinions or knowledge.

We, practitioners learn new things every day, and these new experience
takes us to different place, not just different level, I think.
And, these experiences clearly change our opinions, point of view and
sometimes changes who we are as a practitioner. That is only natural
and that is the way should be, otherwise no point of learning and
experience new things, I think.

If I am right, more we learn about our profession, well, we learn about
life itself or Deeping the understanding of life through learning our
profession; through this process we see things from different
direction; we started to see the dimension which always  exist but
because of the lacking of knowledge or experience, we just could not
see them.
For example, first, we see things one dimensionally, but as we deepen
our knowledge, we see things two, three dimensionally. If,
practitioners carry on learning, possibly be able to see through even
what is going on in side of it!
I guess builders or doctors learning process is close to this, I
imagine.

The question is, as we are all practitioners, we are constantly
learning and that effect our opinions or the way we value things, which
we cannot avoid and should not avoid! Then, how can we surely teach or
criticise others?

For example, there are quite few painters or musicians, composers, who
no one really knew till years after they have died. However, time has
passed, people started value things differently, then, these artists
suddenly became famous! Especially, this happened when a lot of
communism countries have vanished.
My point is these artists have always existed, but people did not see
their value.
What does it tell us? Does it mean meaning and value changes with time
or as people deepen their knowledge? Can time or people`s knowledge
change even meaning and value of fact?.
If, we have decided someone`s opinion has no value. But few years
later, as we learn and experience more in life, then, we realised that,
the person`s opinion was meaningful and valuable. Do we have any
responsibility about the decision we made at the time?

I had so many embarrassing discussions based on faulty or uncertain
knowledge. Since I realised that, I am quite quiet and very careful
with what I say in discussion.

Also, since then, before I teach people, I try to explain everyone I am
teaching based on my current knowledge and experience, so my way of
teaching or
What I teach can be changed as I deepen my knowledge.
I wonder what students think of me as a teacher....

Ｓｕｒｅｖｅｙ ２

I have been teaching at a local dance school for last few months.

And, I have discussed with the main teacher; the owner of the dance school to give them out a survey.

1, Because I thought it is a good opportunity to improve my quality as a teacher, and to know how much students understand what I am trying to tell them.

2, I usually teach dancers as an one off workshop, I usually do not have opportunities to teach dancers for more than a week. So, I will benefit as a teacher to know myself better and by answering the survey, students realise abut them self, also makes them think about aim and recall class to re learn and re understand things differently. The students will benefit from answering the survey.

3, My aim of this survey is to understand them better and understand myself more as a teacher through students point of view.

4, The age of students age are 15 years on wards, So it is appropriate to ask them these questions as they are old enough to understand the questions.
I also asked them lay thir to name to make sure protect their privacy.

This time, my survey contained simple Five questions as last time when I gave a survey, I have received answers which I was not looking for, because I did not specify the questions. So this time I tried to make it as simple and as clear as possible so people get the point.

QUESTIONS

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 the exercise you find hard, and how?




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




4,What did you learn today?




5,What is you aim for your next class?



Questions 1 and2, I have mainly focused on technical issue. By writing down, students realise what was happening in them in class.

Question 3 is to know how much students my English, as it`s my not my first language.

I wanted dancers to think back and realise what they have learned from the class. And, also to have an aim for next class. So we can start where we ended in previous time. That was the aim for Question 4and 5.

Feed Back.

Students seemed enjoyed the class.

Most of the students explained how difficult is to bring the leg back, as we can not see behind of us.

it seemed like students are understanding my English.

Questions 4 and 5`s answered were very individual! Some students were very specific about aim for next class, some of them wrote as they will try to remember where they need go.

My thought

Feed back was very positive.
However, I am not sure they were answering 100% honestly. I am not saying that, they are lying or deceiving the answers.
Because, I know my English is not wonderful. I try to use words and demonstrations both to cover that problem. However, some times even I do not understand what I am trying to explaining to the students, so I am not sure how they possibly understand me well:( Or maybe students are just being polite....hmmmmmmm......

Can we teach? or Do people just learn?

The other day, I witnessed something which will help one of my question; Can we really teach others? Do great teachers really exist? or is there just good students?

It was one afternoon, my wife, her mum and her sister was singing ABC alphabet song to my seven months old son, to teach him alphabet.
I guess, they were just having a fun with him as he does not speak yet, so they can not expect him to sing a song straight away!
And, I have noticed there were a two years old girl sitting opposite to them.
I have noticed her, because awhile after they tried to teach my son the song, the girl suddenly started to sing the song which they have been trying to teach my son to sing! It was not clear and perfect, but she was singing! We all gob smacked! We asked her that, did she learn the song just by listening us singing repeatedly? She had a big smile on her face.

We had no idea we were teaching her the song.

As long as people learn something from the others, can we call it as teaching? or is there just good students?

What do you think?

4b Award Title

I propose my award title as The award I seek as a result of doing
this programme is BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performing Arts.

What do I gain from teaching others, as a professional dancer? 

How teaching effect me as a professional dancer?

What is the best ways to pass on tacit knowledge to the others in performing arts?

What can I give and share with the other which normal qualified teachers can not provide?

Based on my experience as a full time professional dancer, also as a part time dance teacher,
I would like to explore these questions by teaching , observing, communicating with third party by using inquiry tools; survey, observation, discussion.
Also, most importantly I am going to use my own body to experiment and check how and where these results; current answers will take me as a professional performer.

My aim for this award is to deepen my understanding of Learning Cycle in performing arts, also life in general.

WBL; Work Based Learning.
However, I see this course as LBL; Life Based Learning. 
I totally agree with what WBL suggests; to deepen our knowledge and improve as a partitioner, we MUST interact, discuss with the other to check where we stand and re think the way we are as a practitioner. And, try to find or realise the new side of what we already know; try and explore different approach to the questions.
When I am teaching others, some times it is hard to see what is going on, but if I keep a distance from them and see the whole picture, I often see the problem much clearer. Because of changed the point of view. 
I also often given great advice about my dancing by people who is not a dancer.
So, I understand the importance of it through my experience.
If we yruely open our eyes, we can learn from any thing. From the books, films, nature, cooking; we can relate everything to improve our profession.
I often explain ballet technique to students based on cooking theory.
Also, especially, children remind me so many things which I have forgot or lost by the process of growing up. Every time adults teach kids something, kids loose something to learn new things.
My point is we can learn from any thing! We can relate our profession to any thing! I always remember; The world is our oyster;D

Survey 1

Recently, I have been asked by a ｐｒｏｆｅｓｓｉｏｎａｌ dance couple to coach them.

I was happy to help them out and I also thought this could be a good opportunity for my Module.

First, I gave them a simple survey which I made, I asked fill them up before we start coaching them.

Then, I asked two things before they fill up my survey.

1, I asked them not to ask me any questions about equations. Because I needed to know how they understand the questions.

2, Answers must not be longer than one line. I wanted them to specify the problem.

Question 1; what is the problem? Or what do you assume as a problem?

Male dancer believed the problem occurs because of the clothes which his partner wares.

Female dancer believed the problem is her partner does not support her properly.

Question 2; why do you wish to fix the problem? Also, who would you like to solve the problem for? 

Male dancer wanted to fix the problem, because he did not want to fear the problem. Also, he wanted to fix the problem to boost his confidence, and to boost his motivation

He would like to fix the problem for himself and for his partner.

Female dancer wanted to fix the problem because she wanted to dance more freely.

She wanted to fix the problem for herself and for audience.

Question 3; what would you like to do when the problem has solved?

Male dancer wanted to spend more time for practicing other steps, as they do not have to spend any more time for solving ｔｈｅ problem. So, he believed the quality and quantity of practice will be increased by solving the problem.

Female dancer thought once the problem has solved, she can try some different steps.

Question 4; who does benefit by fixing the problem,?

Male dancer believed, himself and his partner will benefit by solving ｔｈｅ problem.

Female dancer thought only she will benefit.

After I have read through their survey, I have noticed few interesting facts about them. So, I have asked them to swap the survey and read each other`s answers to understand the difference of what, and how they define the problem.

I have talked to them after they have read through each other`s survey.

Then, I spoke through the questions and answers one by one with them.

About first question, I have pointed out about they both believed that they are not the reason of the problem; he believed and blamed on the clothes she wares, she blamed on is his partner`s technique.

I did not discuss more about question 1 with them. What I needed to them to notice was to them to understand they both believed they are not causing the problem.

I found the answer of second question very interesting.

They both wanted to fix the problem, but for completely different reasons!

It was also very important for them to understand that, they are not looking the same direction, and I need to understand that the difference between why they wanted to fix the problem.

Male dancer wanted to solve the problem to prove he can do it. Also, wanted fix the problem for him and her partner.

She wanted to fix the problem, purely to improve her dance technique. So, she can be happier.

She wanted to fix the problem for her and for audience. But, interestingly not for her partnerL

Third question, their answer was quite similar. They are looking at the similar direction. I told them that is a good.

Forth question proved that, the male dancer wanted to fix the problem for both of them. However, the female dancer wanted to fix the problem purely just for herself.

It was interesting to see their reactions too. They have married and danced together for a long time. However, they have a very different vision about dancing.

This survey was very important for me as I have asked them to coach them, and also important for them to see each other`s point of view, to know what they want, to know where they want to go and why they want to achieve the goal.

While I am going through this survey and talking about it with them, I found an interesting fact, even when people read or hear same things, people understand very individually; very differently. Some of the answers were totally different to what I expected, in a bad way! They did not get what I meant or I should of written the questions differently for them to answer what I wanted to knowL I expected to them to focus and analyse on their technical problem rather than blaming on clothes or partner.

However, I also needed to know how they understand the questions to see how they think of ｔｈｅ problem. I found it very tricky to explain people what`s kind of answer I am looking for.

Maybe I need to more specify the questions....