Critical Reflection on Pilot Survey

As a starting point for collecting information on my chosen topic, i think doing a pilot survey was a great idea. It helped me to see how many people had taken a Street Dance exam, how many had taken any dance exam and how many had never taken an exam at all. Most importantly, the survey allowed me to see how many had thought an exam was beneficial to enhancing their dance careers and how many disagreed with this. I was able to get the personal opinions of those who completed the survey which was definitely a bonus.
 From the results, i was able to see that only 20% of those who had taken the survey, had taken a Street Dance exam compared to the other 80% who had taken an exam in another dance style. The 20% who had taken the street Dance exam explained that it was Freestyle, meaning it did not focus on any one area of the Street dance Technique.
Questions such as, "do you feel (taking an exam) has enhanced your development as a dancer," allowed each participant to give a qualitative answer, effectively allowing me to receive more in depth answers that could be analysed like those of an interview.
Using social networking sites such as Facebook and the Ba Professional Practice Discussion page, i was able to share my survey and generate a greater response. I think this tactic is a lot better than trying to approach dancers on the street as firstly you can never be sure who is and secondly this tactic would involve time, which many people do not have. This would also mean the dancers filling out the surveys would be from a much smaller demographic. By posting the survey to a social networking site, i was able to get answers from males, females, dancers of all ages and most importantly dancers from different backgrounds.
The most interesting finding from this survey was the fact that the majority of those who answered, were all in favor of exams for various different reasons. This was exactly what i wanted to find out. Are exams needed in order to enhance your development as a dancer?
The general census i got from this survey is YES exams are beneficial. So how does this this relate to Street Dance? I have seen that exams enhance so many different dance styles but what about Street Dance? Although as a dance style it may not be right for it to conform to formal exams, due to containing self-expression and creativity, I am starting to discover that there must be a way of giving Street dance students something to focus on, develop their technique and retain the fundamentals of their style, whilst still fueling their creative and choreographic skills.
In doing this questionnaire, i have have already gathered some much needed and very important information which just shows how effective a pilot survey can be. I still think that most of my in depth research will come from my pilot interviews but i will definitely use surveys as a basis for research in the future.

Thinking about an Award Title.....

Looking at the type of questions asked in both interviews, i have tried to make the questions as relevant to the subject of inquiry as possible.
These being:
Can a dancer develop without the use of exams?
Is a syllabus needed to further development of Street dance within the community?
Should Street dance be formalized within education?

Award Title thoughts:
Ba (hons) Professional Practice Community Dance Development?
BA (Hons) Professional Practice Street Dance Development?
BA (Hons) Professional Practice Developing Dance in Education?

I focused my award title on the word development as i feel that my inquiry is leading me into the development of a dance form and trying to take it places through progression.
I do teach dance in schools but also in community and private settings. I don't want to limit myself to just education as this could become to formal. Instead, i want to focus more on community and the development of Street dance learning and it's progression.

Proposed Interview questions for Ricardo Small

An Interview with Ricardo Small

Artistic Director of ABYSS Street Dance Crew

(Questions)

What inspired you to create a Street Dance crew?

How was ABYSS founded?

What is your role?

What skills are needed to be an Artistic Director of a Successful Street dance Crew  such as ABYSS?

Have you ever taken a dance exam in any dance style?

Would you say it is important to be a member of an examining body such as the IDTA, in order to run or teach within a dance company? Please explain your answer.

Do you think exams are important to measure the development of a dancer and what are the alternatives?

As a Choreographer and director of ABYSS, you have assisted your dancers developing them technically and mentally. How is this achieved?

Throughout the past years, Community Street Dance teachers have managed to maintain their art form without any major support from the industry and without being able to gain a qualification to prove their level of competence in their field of expertise.

If you were to create a Street Dance syllabus, what would be the most important fundamentals included?

Is formalizing a dance form within the education system the best way to maintain the real history of the pioneers and their contribution to dance?

Proposed Interview questions for Beverly Glean

An Interview with Beverly Glean

Artistic Director of Irie! Dance Theatre

(Questions)

What inspired you to create a community dance company?

How was Irie! Dance Theatre founded?

What is your role?

What skills are needed to be an Artistic Director of a Successful dance company such as Irie! Dance Theatre?

Would you say it is important to be a member of an examining body such as the IDTA, in order to run or teach within a dance company? Please explain your answer.

Do you think exams are important to measure the development of a dancer and what are the alternatives?

Can you talk briefly about how the Foundation Degree (Dance FDA), created by Irie! Dance Theatre, in partnership with London Metropolitan University, was put together?

Is formalizing a dance form within the education system the best way to maintain the real history of the pioneers and their contribution to dance?

PILOT SURVEY AND INTERVIEWS SO FAR

Within the last few days i have conducted a pilot survey and have proposed questions for two pilot interviews.
So far, i am happy with the information gathered but still feel that i need to know more in order to aid my line of inquiry, hopefully the the pilot interviews will do this.
By conducting a survey i have managed to gather varied information, more so as statistics. This does help my inquiry in a way but i know i need more in depth answers if i am to get any closer to solutions.

I have conducted the pilot interviews via email which has allowed my interviewees time to read through the questions, answer them and then email them back. I will then be able to analyze and evaluate each question asked.
I chose to interview Beverly Glean Artistic Director of Irie! Dance Theater and Ricardo Small, Director and Choreographer of Street Dance Crew Abyss. Both are at different ends of the spectrum in terms of Community dance. Glean, has already founded her company and gone on to co-create a Foundation degree which focuses equally on Ballet, Contemporary, African and Caribbean dance forms. Small directs and co-choreographs a community Street Dance Crew which over the past few years has progressed immensely and is still growing.

Once the interviews have been returned to me, i will be able to blog fully about which research method i found most suited my inquiry.

http://www.iriedancetheatre.org/

http://www.streetdancers.co.uk/video/abyss-on-the-street-dance-xxl

SURVEY

Hey, i don't think the link to get to my survey was working in my last blog, so i have reposted it again.

Thanks

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BMXLGLQ

SURVEY

Hey guys!

I have put together a survey to gather information for my final line of inquiry. Please can you take a few moments of your time to complete it.
Much appreciated. <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BMXLGLQ">Click here to take survey</a>
Thanks!

Just click the link ;)

Task 5B...Codes of conduct within the workplace

Although i am not actually working for a professional organisation at present, i have had to do extensive research into the code of conduct used within community dance companies and organisations in order to provide my own company with a code of conduct and regulations.

Code of conduct for Community Dance Company students:
Have fun!
Arrive on time
Adhere to the dress code (appropriate uniform for style of dance)
No talking in class
Notify your instructor immediately if you are injured or ill
Do not wear dance shoes outside the studio
Maintain a positive attitude
Absolutely no exclusive social cliques
No foul language
No sitting down during class (this is harmful to the body)
Always give 100% of your effort and heart





Code of conduct for parents:


Maintain a positive attitude
Give uplifting feedback to dancers
No foul language
Have a great time watching your children grow and learn
Drop off and pick up dancer(s) on time. We are NOT responsible for children outside of the dance classroom.
Do not leave children unattended at the studio. Your children and their conduct is your responsibility. If you bring additional children to wait while class is in session, bring something for them to sit and do quietly.
Unruly behavior of children in the waiting area will not be tolerated.
Trust the professional advice/assessment/opinion of teachers.
The Staff reserves the right to dismiss anyone at anytime due to misconduct.
 

My take on Professional ethics

As a Dance teacher working within a professional community there are many things i have to think about.

Proposed Code of Conduct:

• Safety: Making sure risk assessments are carried out before classes.
• Timing: Important to stress that being punctual is crucial for both teacher and students
• Equal opportunities: All have any role within an organisation are treated equally regardless of disability.
• CRB: All those in the presence or care of children need to have a CRB.
• Studio cleanliness: No eating within the studio at any time
• Respect for all: There is a level of respect for all students and teachers. Respect for the company or establishment you work for.
• Correct attire: Correct clothing to be worn to get the best out of a class.
• Personal finances, tax returns, studio hire
• Commitment: Sporadic attendance not tolerated, both students and teachers should be committed to taking part in classes, performances and overall personal and group development.
• Responsibility: As a teacher it is your responsibility to ensure students adhere to the company ethos

Further thoughts of inquiry

After my talk with Adesola on Friday afternoon, as well as starting to think deeply about my line of inquiry, i had to think of how i was going to research answers and solutions to my questions.
This weekend i participated in the Making Tracks Masterclass with Thomas "Talawa" Presto. http://www.iriedancetheatre.org/education/professional-development/making-tracks/ 
Presto is the Artistic Director of  Tabanka African and Caribbean Peoples Dance Ensemble based in Norway. I knew that by attending this masterclass, i would be able to get an idea of how other practitioners taught their technique, most importantly without being part of an examining body.
I noticed that although the Masterclass wasn't set, it still maintained the fundamentals of the African and Caribbean dance technique,whilst still allowing a freedom of improvisation and self-expression. I was also able to learn about the history of the movements i was taught, the culture and how the movements had been developed. 
This weekend i also attended Collabo 2011 held at East London Dance.
Stratford Circus - Dance - Collabo www.stratford-circus.com. I was surrounded by dancers who specialize in all forms of  Hip-Hop, Locking, Popping, Vouging, Waacking and House to name a few. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hold a small discussion with one of my oldest friends whilst on our way there. She has been dancing since the age of three and in the earlier years of her dance career, took IDTA exams. I basically wanted to get an idea of how she felt as a dancer now, in relation to taking these exams when she was younger.
 She stated that she DID NOT think these exams had helped her progress as a dancer, her main concern was the fact that she or her guardian at the time had to pay for them....and they are not cheap! Although as a dancer she feels exams are "a waste of time and money" she did express a genuine interest when i asked her if she thought Street and Hip-Hop dance forms needed some way to measure the development of a student.
She mentioned that it is vital for students of these dance forms to know the fundamentals, the history and the culture in order for them to grow within them. Stylizing through self-expression is encouraged but without knowing the basic movements, the original style will be lost.



So it got me thinking..

• WHAT IS A SYLLABUS REALLY?...CAN IT COVER ALL ASPECTS YOU WANT IT TOO? 

or is a syllabus, in effect, having information and passing it on?.....If that's the case could i not create my own?

• WHAT WOULD I INCLUDE?
• HOW WILL I  BREAK IT DOWN?

I would want students to have an understanding of.....

• Why they are doing a movement
• Where the movement came from
• Cultural aspects

Thinking back to Communication Technologies and Networking, i know i am going to have to connect with other practitioners,masters and community Companies, in order to discover answers to these questions and in effect, find my final line of inquiry and my award title.

I want to....

• Conduct interviews
• Look up examining papers
• Create an SIG group
• Network 

AND SO IT BEGINS....

I need to think about the bigger picture. I need to clear my mind of panic and doubt and just focus. I shouldn't see this as a task but more as an on going learning curve. Inquiry questions i had previously thought about now seem a bit lost or maybe far fetched as no one has really had the opportunity to see how they came about or why they were raised. 

Yes i spoke of opening my own community dance company and of issues and obstacles i have faced but i now think about weather the questions raised as a result of this will have a direct impact on what i'm doing? As i said in my previous blog, most of these already have answers so what would be the point of further inquiry?

 I know that reflecting on the process so far will lead me to discover further lines of inquiry that will possibly be more suited or directly associated with what i am trying to do. Which is?.....

Create a community dance company, which allows children and young adults to acknowledge their potential within dance and grow as creative artists at the same time.

• HOW?
• WHY?
• WHAT IS MY ROLE?

Initially, i had decided that i didn't want dance students within my company to partake in exams because i feel dance is largely about creativity and freedom of expression therefore no limits should be placed.

• HOW WILL STUDENTS REALIZE THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND ACHIEVEMENTS?
• DOES THIS MEAN THERE ARE NO STANDARDS?
• WHY ARE THEY DOING IT?
• HOW WILL THEY GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING?

Whilst in the early stages of setting up my company i went to look at several venues. Whilst viewing one of these venues the lady who owned the premises asked me a question. The question was this;

"Are you a member of an examining board?"

My answer was:

"No, do i need to be?"

She replied:

"It would help"

My thought at this point was one of confusion. Why do i need to be part of an examining board in order to hold classes in your hall? Was it a matter of standards? Or does my not being a member of an examining board or planning to hold exams "ghettoize" the image of my company? 

What i should of done straight away was come away and reflect on the situation by blogging, asking fellow Bapp students for feedback and using my social networks to find an answer to this. Instead i thought about it for a number of days before finally seeking out a solution. I was told to look into membership with The Foundation for Community Dance.http://www.communitydance.org.uk/metadot/index.pl

Through the FCD i was able to acquire:

• Public liability insurance
• CRB
• Personal accident cover
• Members Directory

Reflecting further on this part of the process it leads me to further thoughts of inquiry.

• ARE EXAMS IMPORTANT?
• WHY DOES A DANCE FORM NEED TO BE FORMALIZED?
• WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

...........

Thoughts of Inquiry

Planning a professional inquiry has actually come at one of the most significant points of my career...the beginning. Being in the process of opening and running my own community dance company has allowed me to open my mind to questions relating to the problems i have faced and obstacles i must still overcome. 

Going from a dance student to company manager is not an easy transition as there are so many issues to consider but from these issues, i managed to formulate questions that will lead me to my conclusive line of inquiry.

• What skills are needed in order to go from dancer in training to Company manager/leader?
• How easy it to obtain funding now that funding for the arts have been slashed?
• What are the legal requirements when setting up a dance company?
• Will the choice of venue impact on a target audience?
• What qualifications are needed to be effective in a teaching role?
• Do you have to be a member of an examining board such as the IDTA in order to run a successful dance company? 
• Do all dance forms require a syllabus to measure the development of a student?
• Can urban dance forms such as Street, Hip-Hop and Afro-Caribbean hold a formal place within the national curriculum?

 In the Bapp reader, which has been the basis of my research, it states;Work based learning "promotes awareness of the workplace as a learning environment and uses this to extend the learners capabilities and individuals effectiveness." (Durrant, et al 2009 p.1)

 Therefore and undoubtedly, many of these questions have already been answered. By joining the Arts Management SIG group discussion on facebook and by actively working and building upon my own organisation i now have the views, ideas, suggestions and experiences of  other practitioners who have been through or are in the process of making the transition from student to manager/ leader just like i am and that knowledge is priceless.