Helena's interview

My Interview with Helena. She as been in the business for a couple of years.

Summary of important findings so far in 100 words

• A dancer’s professional life depends heavily on physical condition and ability.
• A dancer has more chance of getting work however the longevity is shorter than other disciplines.
• To be a dancer or teacher you must maintain flexibility, a good body tone and all round fitness.
• More than 50% of professional performers/teachers only “sometimes “go to class.
• Generally dancers are more expendable; singers are treated better and get higher wage.
• Most performers find auditions to be intimidating.
• Professional Dancers living in London are more successfully than a dancer outside of London.

I have completed in-depth research for the above bullet points.

Writing a research proposal

Strangely enough one of my very talented student’s (who is wanted to go into professional training) made me realise why I was doing this inquiry. At the end of class she asked me “What college do you think is best for me?” she explained that she was worried as she only danced and in all the auditions (she wanted to attend) she has to sing, dance and act. I thought about it and I realised at the time I just auditioned for one college (Italia Conti) and looking back I feel it was not the best college for me. The training did not develop me into the performer I wanted to be.  I asked her “Where do you want to be in five years’ time?” I feel this is a question everybody needs to ask themselves as going to the wrong college could change your future. 

I viewed some blogs and Mina outlined her project using Booth, Williams, & Colomb, 2003-The craft of research. I thought this would be a good idea for my inquiry research so I could identify where and what I wanted to do on paper.

Topic: this project will study...the different paths that a performer can take in order to have a successful career. Looking at different practitioners within the arts, some who are multi-skilled others who are specialists at their chosen discipline.

Question/problem:  to find out... Do modern performers need to be multi-skilled in order to have a successful career?  Is it best to concentrate on one style or conquer all? What will enable my career to progress? Learn how to manage time for classes and being able to pay for them.

Significance: I am highly invested in this topic as my conclusions will inform how I proceed as a performer and perhaps more importantly as a teacher, facilitating the development of the next generation of arts practitioners.

Primary resources: My main source would be my pilots as the information will be from experienced performers within the arts as they can connect with my inquiry- Focus groups, SIG group, Interviews, Survey Monkey. My literature review will also be a main source.

Secondary sources: additional data will come from other literatures. I will research the history context and the way the arts have developed over the years.

Methods: Analysing my pilots, speaking to professionals, researching literature, and general investigating.

Justification: Connecting to an audience who are in the arts will help find the answers as they have the experience and the understanding of my inquiry.

Limitations: I think my limitation is not finding in-depth answers as the topic is quite broad.

Results from Surveys and Questionnaires

My development tools offered me a huge amount of reinforcement and answers which have further developed my thinking. I had presumed that most people would have similar opinions and experiences however they couldn’t have been more different, and this has reminded me to keep looking at my inquiry from a variety of angles. This was daunting at first as I already felt like I had so much analysing and research to do. Funnily enough, that anxious feeling is very similar to the way I think about my career; the mind-set of having to be always good at everything, which is fast becoming clear as impossible to achieve. This in itself links back to my inquiry, feeling stressed as I am trying to conquer all. Reflecting on the previous module, we discussed personal true virtues and values and how they relate to our profession.  One of mine was “Ambitious”, and it is clear to me I do have a strong desire for success and achievement in my work. In January 2011 I started my own business, and after 6 months I want to aim higher still, so now I am in the research and planning stage of opening my own theatre school. Some people would say I will never be happy with what I have and honestly, I have to agree. Maybe only ambitious people have the same problem as me? I know I have gone off topic slightly, but on pursuing these thoughts internally I found that they linked quite easily and comfortably with my inquiry: Ambition is surely a relevant condition to consider when it comes to my inquiry on multi-skilling. Surely it is a certain type of person who pushes themselves to be the best at not just one, but a variety of things?

Organising Pilots

This module will prove to be challenging in light of the breadth of the topic and the multitude of angles that can be considered. I thought that I would use my blog page as my notepad in order to collate my feelings and findings into one resource.

As I looked back at my inquiry plan, I was reminded to carry out my pilots early on in the process, as this may influence where I take my inquiry next.

I have already uploaded a survey titled “Are you a triple threat?” I feel this makes a good starting point with this straightforward question being so close to my inquiry line. I am extremely interested to see other people’s views and how they view their own abilities.

I will post my special interest group by the end of the week to capture my peers early on in the process. My special interest group is titled “How can we achieve longevity in the Performing Arts?” I hope for a lively debate full of stimulating answers.

I have organized my focus group to take place in the comfort of my own home on the 16^th October. The focus group theme is “The Business of the Performing Arts”. I will be filming this discussion for further analysis. This will include the following people:

·         Naomi Morgan

·         David Carboni

·         Emma Hughes

I also propose to conduct three individual interviews for the purpose of my inquiry. These will take place during the month of November as this is my during my Pantomine season and I will therefore have access to a selection of professional performers. This will I hope give me a range of experiences from which to gain some varied perspectives. For this pilot I have identified the following interviewees:

·         Holly Robinson
·         Helena Waite-Roberts
·         Nicola Weeks

After exploring the Reader 7-professional inquiry I have decided that I wish to present my data in a variety of formats to help with producing an engaging presentation, including images and film. The survey results which I obtain will be formulated into various charts, and I expect that this primarily visual method will impact positively on the audience’s understanding of my findings.

SIG Group

I do hate to be bossy but can a few people post on my SIG group please. Its called "How can we achieve Longevity in the Performing Arts?"

Link is http://www.facebook.com/#!/topic.php?uid=145821545478191&topic=155

Reflecting on my professional inquiry plan.

Revisiting my inquiry plan has been extremely useful in helping me to consolidate my thoughts and intentions for the project at hand. To reiterate and clarify, my project is focused largely on one question:

        “Do performers need to be multi-skilled in order to have a successful career in the arts?”

Using this as my line of inquiry I intend to use the full variety of investigative tools available to me. To take the subject further, I would also like to examine the issue from some other angles; I want to look at the business of the performing arts as a whole, evaluate other practitioners’ experiences, approaches to work, and their achievements.

The impetus for this inquiry is the limitation in my career progression which I have often felt, through a lack of clear guidance from any discernible mentors around me and the sometimes too broad range of options I have been fortunate enough to have. It has been a constant concern for me and I have anecdotally learned that many of my peers have at one time or another felt hindered in much the same way.
In my professional inquiry plan I stated:

“For some time I have questioned which path to take, do I concentrate on one particular style or do I conquer all?”

I need to discover which approach will work best for me and will therefore offer me greater career opportunities and fulfilment. The Performing Arts industry is very competitive, so the most obvious tactic for a focused performer would be to aim for competency in as many skills as possible, theoretically leading to a higher success rate in securing work. However, to master even one skill as a performer you need focus, dedication, good work ethics, and many hours of training. To try to equal this skill level in a variety of disciplines could prove to be near impossible.

As I pursue the avenues of employment available to me, I am discovering that even in a depressed economic climate there is a lot of work to be gained if the skillset matches. The paradox is that this deepens my concern that I will at some point make the wrong choice and end up closing as many doors as I open, resulting in unemployment.