Informal interview confirmed

Today, I have confirmed a day and time for an informal interview with the Head of Dance. I think I will be able to gain lots of insightful answers and feedback from someone in this authoritative position, as almost all happenings in the school are run by and checked with the head of department.

I have prepared some questions which I will need to further cut down/combine but for now I wanted to write down anything I could think of appropriate and useful for my inquiry research, so that I did not miss anything crucial. By doing this, I now have a week to narrow them down and also receive feedback from my tutor and other BAPP colleagues.

I will show a copy of my questionnaire to the Head of Dance for approval and also to check if the school would like to add any questions to benefit my research or for their own research. I think that this co-operation and process of working together to draft a questionnaire both myself and my employer is happy with will help instil a sense of confidence and trust between the gatekeeper and I.

I am looking forward to this next step on my inquiry.

Please share your opinions or thoughts on the below questions - they are still a work in progress!

 

Interview questions for Head of Dance

  

The Teacher

• What is your role/duty as Head of Dance?
• Are teachers sufficiently and regularly trained? What training is available?
• In the studio, are support and ‘coping’ techniques being embedded into training? What support systems are used?
• How can I (as a teacher) do a better job? What more can teachers do to support their students?
• What advice can I offer my students when they are injured?
• What support organisations are you aware of for injured dancers? (List provided)

The Student

• Are students assessed and observed? Notes shared with other teachers?
• Do you think dancers are given adequate recovery/rehabilitation time? Who decides when a student can return to training?  
• What are the types of injuries that students sustain? Why do you think that is?
• How are students made aware of injury procedure and the help they can receive?
• Who pays for treatment? 

The School

• What policies are in place for injured dancers at your dance school?
• Does the school record injuries? How?
• What is the usual routine/action taken for dancers who become injured?
• What help/support/treatment is available to your dancers internally and externally? Type most frequently used? Why do think this is?
• Do you provide or advise on both physical and emotional support?

Comments

• If you had the time, opportunity, and funding, what more would you do to support injured dancers?
• Compared to 5 years ago, do you think dancers are now…(From Dance UK)

a) Better prepared for full time dance training?

b) More knowledgeable about health and injury issues?

c) Experiencing less incidence of injury?

d) Expected to have greater physical facility/prowess?

d) Better prepared for a dancing career?