If life is what happens to our plans, then dance is what happens to our steps.
ideas sometimes when you wait they come to you.

Preparation for starting with BAPP

Sunday 2 October 2016

Developing Lines of Inquiry _ Friday 7th

On Friday October 7th at 8pm (time in London) we are having a Module 2 group skype
{of course anyone else is welcome as talking about Module 2 might be useful for someone starting Module 3 or someone wondering where the yare going as they start module 1}
Also remember the First Tuesday Group Chat on Oct 4th 10am or 7pm see the post below this one for more details.

We will be talking about Developing Lines of Inquiry: This is about how as you start Module 2 you need to have a field or topic, or question you are interested in finding out more about. This will become the field or topic or question you will find out more about through your inquiry activity in Module 3. It is not about finding the perfect question in order to find the perfect answer. It is much more loose than that. You need to have a general idea about the area you want to develop so that you can begin the rest of the activity in the Module 2 – designing a research inquiry.

How do you find the field or topic or question? Well in Module 1 you looked at what and how you have learnt over the start of your Professional Practice as you have emerged into your practice from formal compulsory education. The journey to your practice is unique and for many there have been surprises along the way and for others there has been a realisation what you trained for at school and what you want to do as your professional practice/career do not match up completely. All these shifts towards finding where your passion is career-wise have come from the experience of starting into your practice. Therefore, there may very well be areas you wish you had learnt more about, classes you didn’t think important back then but are relevant to you now, or classes you were not offered but would value now. In other words, areas, fields of practice or questions you have come across as part of the development of your career but that you want to learn more about. This course is your chance.

But it is not about turning a new corner completely (maybe you’ve always fancied being a skydiver) it is about filling the ‘hole’ that already exist for you. For instance Mary did musical theatre training and now having left college she is singing professionally but she has been getting jobs and find a passion for singing Jazz. When in the studio people are talking about Jazz singers and jazz references she does not know what they are talking about. She can smile and join in the conversation to some extent and these conversations don’t affect the fact she is doing well with her Jazz singing. But she wants to find out more about the background of Jazz singing. She wants to better understand the songs she is singing. So her area is going to be looking into the history of contemporary Jazz singing in UK. She’s got an area its big at the moment but as she works through Module 2 she will refine the area down to a plan for finding out more. Making the plan will help her get clearer on what she wants to know more about. At the moment it is just everything but she knows she need to have informed questions about Jazz in order to find the area she doesn’t know exist yet. So the research she will be doing to plan the inquiry will help her better understand what she doesn’t quite know yet.  

When we have the group skype on Friday we will be talking about Lines of Inquiry. Please indicate in the comments below if you can to join the chat. Also please add a line or two about what you have been thinking about as your line of inquiry. Have a look at each other ideas so we can also share ideas so you can come to the chat we some thoughts about other people’s ideas too. If you can’t come to the chat please still put in a comment on what ideas for inquiry you have been playing with. Then we can al talk about the ideas people have and strategies for developing them.

Looking forward to reading your comments

Adesola

9 comments:

  1. Please can I join the Skype on Friday. The line of inquiry I have been looking into is 'what makes a good teacher' I have been thinking about different qualities a teacher needs, and what types of teacher get the best results also behaviour management methods, I have looked into meditation and mindfulness behaviour management techniques rather than the usual time out/loose break etc... I feel this inquiry is too broad and needs to be refined. Hopefully the Skype will help.

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  2. I would like to be there on Friday please.
    My three potential - do all dancers have a similar personality type or trait?
    The link between mental health and dancers.
    And why dance in high school is significantly overlooked and not treated in the same way as other sporting subjects.

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  3. I'm hoping to join the 7pm Tuesday session if I'm free. I'll definitely be able to make the Friday session.

    The topic I wish to explore is Benesh Dance Notation.

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  4. I'd like to join tomorrow evening.
    The topics:
    1. Mind and it's effect on performance and vice versa.
    2. Importance of cross-training (and education on correct warm-up/cool-down) being part of a dance curricular/training.
    There are another two which I mentioned on my blog but I feel they might not be suitable for research....

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  6. I would like to join this evening's Skype please. My current areas of interest are:

    1. What should a dancer know in a musical theatre job? (This in relation to skills and knowledge across the various departments, how this may have changed over time, how it benefits you moving forward into other jobs)
    2. What makes a dancer 'successful'?
    3. How does 'lifestyle' impact on a dancers ability and success? What is considered a 'healthy' lifestyle for a dancer?

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  7. Is this still going ahead tonight?

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  8. Hi, I would like to join tonight and I have been interested in looking at the transition from performer to teacher / How theatre and performing stimulates special needs children

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