I can't believe we are here at Module 3 already! Scary but exciting! I've started to realise how much reflection I keep to myself within my own thoughts and I am really going to push myself in Module 3 to keep blogging and sharing my BAPP journey.
I come up with blogs in my head about my experiences during the course and yet never write them down. After spending much of January reading other peoples blogs and experiences however, it has inspired me to share mine with others.
I seemed to struggle in Module 2 to define my inquiry and my feedback reflected this. Unfortunately for me I seemed to have a revelation post hand in that all I had to do to specify my inquiry was to look at sub-topics and pick ONE which interested me the most. HINDSIGHT. That is just my nature to try and take on the whole world! - What was I thinking preparing an inquiry that looked into every single pressure a dancer faces in their training!? It would simply be unmanageable for a small scale work based project!
To begin with I found it very frustrating. Why could somebody not have told me this was what I needed to do?! As performers, we strive for the best - its how we work and how we've been trained. This meant although I wasn't expecting my best module grade I was still disappointed that I had slipped below my goal. A few days later I looked back and thought about the process. Although I had been frustrated that I was unable to refine my inquiry pre hand in I began to notice that this whole process had actually been a huge learning curve for me. I now feel like I can take on board the feedback from my tutor and begin an inquiry which is manageable and hopefully achievable.
I would definitely recommend reading other peoples blogs and journeys and also to communicate with fellow students who may not necessarily be doing the same inquiry to you but whose research, literature and discussions may support/inspire your own. I did find that I was almost traipsing through hundreds of blogs to find this information so I thought I would share my TOPIC or AREA with you now so if you are reading this you can decide whether or not my blog may be of use to you!!
For my inquiry I am looking into the physical and psychological effects caused by Injury for a dancer in professional training.
I have kept a list of blogs and discussions which will help me with my own research and those which although unrelated to my topic, will be useful for the structuring and 'putting together' of my project.
Good Luck everyone!!
It's so interesting to hear about your experience! I spent the first half of module one looking at the course from a very performance/cabaret context as up until then, that had formed the bulk of my professional experience. However halfway through the module I completely changed my mind about what I wanted to do, research and pursue as a career which meant a huge shift in focus for me. It was really difficult and I felt that my final reflection seemed a bit jumbled and incoherent as that was kind of what I felt like anyway!
ReplyDeleteStarting Module Two I had so many ideas about things to research and I found that mind-maps and my journal were the most useful tools for pinpointing an enquiry subject. When I spoke about these ideas with my network they too got most passionate and interested in one or two subject areas which helped narrow my focus more and now I feel a lot calmer!
As a dancer who has faced injury (I got told while I was training that if I continued to dance at the level I was at that I'd be in a wheelchair by the time I was 30! I'm 30 later this year and have just been sent for x-rays to determine the extent of the problem!) I am interested to see how your enquiry progresses.
xx
Hi Rebecca, your post has been extremely helpful. I am starting to focus my inquiry questions on injury, why dancers work through them and how it effects the dynamics of a cast as a whole. I am looking forward to reading more about your inquiry as it is something I am very interested in. x
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments! I think it is so important that vocational dance schools and the teachers are aware of the effects of injury. If teachers are aware of the effects they can find the right kind of support for their dancers whether that be physical, mental or emotional. I think injury prevention is not practiced enough within training however injury is, in my opinion, inevitable when in this industry, due to the high demands we put on our bodies and the intensity of training.Therefore I think it is crucial that we not only look into prevention but also aftercare and support. I am glad to hear that my research and this topic is of interest to you both. Hopefully we can share some of our research and useful information! Sarah - I think to look into the effects within a cast is an interesting take on an inquiry based around injury. Especially if you are currently working within a cast! Dani- I can relate with you on the injury front. I was told that 'my body was not built for dancing' ..... but who's is?! Best of luck x
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