So Far...

Qualitative Data

Interviews

The people I chose for this process are from a cross section of the dance profession. Interview one is with a successful dancer who is currently working. Two, an older successful dancer with an injury. An ex-professional dancer turned teacher and trained Pilates instructor and the fourth with the course co-ordinator at the college. I chose these participants as I feel they collectively give an all round perspective of the training dancer and a career in_­ dance. The dancers careers have involved many varied different dance contracts including; Land, on Cruise Ships, Television/Music Video's, Concert Tours and the West End.

First Set of Student Survey/Test results

I was surprised that the student’s knowledge of basic anatomy and physical fitness was so poor. This is what triggered the idea for the intervention. How can I improve the student’s knowledge and understanding in a way that would supplement their Body conditioning training?

What could I do...?

I decided to set them tasks during their spring term to help them learn about the importance of body conditioning. How with better knowledge of anatomy and physical fitness a dancer/ training dancer can maintain a body at peak physical condition. Thus improving injury prevention and help injury management.

How could I tell if it worked?

Second Set of Student Surveys and Contextual Test Results

To be completed after intervention to test its effectiveness.

Review of Literature

I based the intervention on many teachings from the literature (literature blog to follow). 

Quantitative Data: 

Survey Monkey Results

• 77.8% have a fitness regime now and either swim, run, work out, visit the gym 2-5 days a week, or take part in more than 40 minutes of exercise every day. These can be ideas outlined within my professional artefact.

This one point shows the need to promote physical fitness within the students BC classes. It is well known that it is important for dance professionals to maintain peak physical condition to prevent or manage injury.

Observations and Register Results

I have recorded injuries and level of effort throughout the term so I can compare these with the observation results taken from the ballet assessments. To hopefully show if the extra academic training as well as concentrated stylised training had any effect on performance and injuries during the term. Furthermore, did working hard in BC facilitate other dance classes? E.g. stretching and strengthening in BC help Grande Battement in Ballet. Observation of Ballet assessments to right up and comparisons with register data to follow. Is there a correlation?

Intervention Process then Review/Assessment

Intervention is still underway. 

So Far...

From my findings the inquiry will involve an intervention. This will consist of the teaching of a range of training styles to improve the dancer’s fitness. Circuit training, pilates/yoga, personal training style partner work and aerobic style classes. Furthermore, contextual study style homework provided by myself designed to improve the student’s knowledge of anatomy, fitness and injury prevention/management.  

My inquiry is to see if any of the above will improve the students understanding of their training as well as preparing them appropriately for their other classes and self motivated training. The artefact as a BC guide then is something to keep, helping inform their practise and injury management as many injuries re-occur throughout a career.

Quantitative data from observations in relation to register recordings of injuries and performance during class will be evidence of the above. Along with a fitness review at the end of the ten week intervention, a second survey will hopefully show the effectiveness of the intervention. Further qualitative data will include a second interview with the course coordinator that will confirm whether I have been successful in my inquiry. Her opinion and thoughts are imperative for the event of its release. The desired outcome would be the allowance of my guide to become a part of the curriculum material.

After a conversation with Paula the idea to add a report form for the recording of injuries within the artefact formulated. We discussed allowing students to record injuries, information about injury prevention/management, advice/exercises given from the physio and myself. To avoid negative attitudes towards the subject it would be important to accompany this with an explanation that injuries happen and it’s all a part of a dancers training and career. This artefact will inform a dancer how to deal with the event of an injury and alleviate any anxiety due to the fear of the unknown. As well as giving BC guidance to compliment their course at the college.

Phone Conversation with Paula

Today after a phone conversation I am really happy with the way my Inquiry has taken form. I feel Im really getting to grips with the purpose of this module and will be updating you with my findings very soon!

Paula informed me today that on Libguides you can access journels through another channel. I found this very useful and you might too!

First of all go to Libguides:
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/homepage

• Here you can find a subject that may specifically follow your chosen theme. For example I clicked on Dance. This took me to:

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/dance

• From here I clicked on the journals link and this brought up literature directly linked to dance. Incredibly useful because everything I might need within the library that is directly linked to my Inquiry is right there listed for you. I have been really struggling with Athens and accessing literature to review and finding the right key words, however this is a God send:

 http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/content.php?pid=67146&sid=495986

• You can log into Athens or copy and paste the title into the eJourals search from your 'My Study' page in your UniHub account. FAB!

Teaching the foundations

A converstation with a collegue and a guest teacher currently working in London and teaching around England proved interesting this week. During observations at the college, the purpose of my inquiry led to the discussion that arose concerns of the poor technical attainment within certain dancers. This being due to the lack of technical attainment within Ballet. We agreed that the importance of Ballet within the course is the same of that for Body Conditioning as it supports the body for every dance style. We as dancers learn from a very young age how imperative a solid foundation, like that given though ballet lessons is for the success of technical attainment throughout a dancers career. This foundation can be critical for securing employment successfully, injury management and the correct alignment that ensures injury provention.

Not only experience tells me this, teachers and professionals from all over the globe would second the above statement. We hold a good foundation and continued practise to be of upmost importance within a dancers journey. Right through from vocational exams, training for a career in dance performance, and/or becoming a teacher, professor, an expert in their field. Laying down the foundations with correct body alignment can without a doubt make not break a dancers prospects and working longetivity.

First Blog of 2012 FINALLY!

After what seems an age I have come to a point where my internal critical thinking is driving me crazy! I haven't gone a day since December without thinking of possibilities for my inquiry. Now, I am ready to continue my hard work and hopefully achieve a great outcome.

I hate the feeling of being left behind and I hope that many of you are still checking out your blogs. I felt I had to stay behind so I could do justice to my inquiry. I wanted to start a mild intervention in my classes at the college (which is now underway, more about that later) to enable a collection of physical results that I can apply within my professional practise. I have ensured my inquiry is ethical and in the best interest for my test subjects by intsilling the understanding that the participants will be directly benefiting from what we learn.

With the extra time I have had, I was able to finish last term with two dance shows from the dancing school and organised exams to complete around Easter. Including seventy class reports, many assessments and presentations. End of year is always a busy time and I'm glad I can now concentrate more on the task at hand.

My Internet has not worked since the 24th January and I have been trying to use the Internet at my mothers house as the Library is not open late in the evening. This is difficult for many reasons you don't need to know. It has been a frustrating few weeks, but I thought I can use my phone to check up on you lot and I can write my thoughts and save them as word documents for now.

I hope your course work and presentations all went well guys. I'm very jealous at the moment, but I'm not far behind and will soon be catching you all up!

Look it's my School!

Triple Threat Academy

We were invited to dance at our villages switching on of the lights day! Im so proud! X
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHOP_6lBL4s

Professional artefact and other developments

After a conversation with Nikki and sharing ideas with professional friends and students at the college, we came to the conclusion that my professional artifact should be a guide booklet. With further consideration this booklet will include all the information I am looking for and will advise a dance student how to maintain a well conditioned dancers body. This guide will focus primarily on physical fitness and well being maintenance. When researching body conditioning in training and physical fitness, especially in literature there were heavy links to injury prevention. Therefore, within the guide I have decided it would be important to cover frequent injury complaints and how to avoid and recover from them.

I have progressed and developed my inquiry drastically as I continue to ask the question; what is it I want to know? This has meant that my theme has not changed but the content of my inquiry has. I have followed my plan as much as I could but circumstances have prevented a smooth investigation. This is because it was not as easy as first thought to combine my work-load with research, organizing activities and finding a time that suits all participants.

Here are a few things that I have had to contend with in the past few months:

• I have left employment at the dancing school stated in Inquiry. Thus carrying out an investigation here is no longer an option.
• I have had a cut in hours at the dance college meaning less time to instill body conditioning within a particular course. The gym at the college has also been out of action due to a ongoing improvements therefore, gym programs have not been looked at due to lack of time and facilities.
• I have started my own dancing school. Preparing for this, a show and other performances along with everything that comes with starting a school from advertising to costume organization, has proven difficult with such limited time.
• I have had to add hours to a cafe job that helps pay the bills taking up more of my researching time.

Never before has prioritizing been more important. It seems I am still developing this skill even after I thought I had done so well last term. Things seem to be escalating and time is escaping. I need 'Bernard's Watch'!

Interviews are going well I only have one more to complete. I will right a small summary over the next week and post my recordings and findings. 

The survey I posted needs many changes. Thank you to everyone that participated. The results I gathered have lead me to develop my questions further. Also, I now need to add questions about common injuries to aid the creation of my artifact.

My brief overview of 'Survey Monkey' findings

• 88.9% trained at a Trinity accredited college. I choose to find out this information as I am currently working in a Trinity accredited college, this is my area of professional practise. I will cross reference this with my findings later on in my research.
• 77.8% had a ballet class every day. This percentage and the next three bullet points show me what emphasis was put on a particular style of class within the course thus allowing me to understand what is important when training.
• 0% had a fitness/body conditioning class everyday. At first I was concerned about this. However, I realised that a weekly fitness regime can consist of classes and personal fitness regimes combined.
• 33.3% of participants took part in one to three classes of body conditioning a week.
• 66.7% had access to the gym when training.
• A third of participants use the gym now either less than one hour a week, one to two and three to four hours a week.
• 22% of training focused on fitness within weekly training at 10/20%, 50/60, and 70/80% of the course content. These results varied immensely. I was surprised at this as I assumed Trinity Colleges were standardized. 33.3% at 30-40%. Therefore, most colleges focus less than half of there course content on fitness. This alone outlines the need for a guide that helps students to maintain body condition within and around their college timetable.
• 77.8% have a fitness regime now and either swim, run, work out, visit the gym 2-5 days a week, or take part in more than 40 minutes of exercise everyday. These can be ideas outlined within my professional artifact.
• Only 10% work on flexibility and core strength. Leaving one guessing what else they work on, maybe I should have added a question that required a more specific answer here as this is not very helpful for my research.
• 100% agree they were correctly trained for their career. Conversely in the comments box a few participants added that knowledge of strength and fitness was not covered within the course. The course focused on correct execution of technique. This also supports the need for a guide to help students understand their bodies and how to keep them well conditioned.

New Survey

Hello again!

If you are a professional dancer or underwent professional dance training, I would really appreciate it if you could take the time to answer a few questions. Any comments are very welcome. Please take my survey and let me know what you think...

Click here to take survey