From birth we are encouraged to grow by learning through a variety of sources. The information we gather within our lives is what creates who we become and the importance of receiving constant information is no different when it comes to approaching our professional practice. As a dancer I am always having to keep in constant awareness of what is happening within the dancing world whether it is a new technique, choreography or audition so that I can reach my full potential within my career. In task 3 we are encouraged to explore which forms of information are the most important to our practice. I have been able to define which possible ways of gaining information is possible.
Internet
Possibly argued as one of largest methods in how our current generation receives information. The internet has become of huge importance into how I find out about nearly everything to do with my career. The phrase "google it" has become extremely common and I must admit that if I wish to find out something quickly this is the main way I would go about it.
In terms of my profession I use the internet to access the range of social networking websites I use to learn of any upcoming auditions as well it being the main way I am contacted about any of my successful applications. As I have previously discussed, I also use different social networking sites to keep up to date with my personal life.
Recently I have used the internet to gather information about up what is happening in the ballet world through the popular media sharing site "YouTube". The ability to be able to access videos on demand of almost anything that has been published is of great use when trying to find certain works as well as to guide with any choreographic help I may need.
You do, however, need to be careful with information on the internet and be integral about the credibility of the information you have read. A popular website for gathering "facts", for example, is wikipedia. This website can be very helpful for most subjects although the realisation that anyone can in fact post their views on the topic. Making its credibility quite low and therefore not often used by myself.
Communication
Communication is vital in my practice so that I am aware of is happening in the dancing world.
The forms I use mainly for communication are my phone for texting and calling and emails. Letter writing has become far too slow as many people need to know the answers to their questions almost immediately. Luckily I am able to access my email on my phone so that I can reply just as instantly as a text, which has made a big difference to whether I get the job I applied for as it can be about speedy organisation.
In terms of my learning, face to face communication throughout my training was of the greatest importance. It is the through having our teachers tell us in person how we should go about various movements and seeing their live demonstrations that we are able to improve so rapid and thoroughly. Without this kind of communication much detail could get lost like a "chinese whispers" effect and so not giving us, or particularly me, such an improvement. Once we have obtained the amount of knowledge by graduation, everyday contact is not so highly important but I still have the strong opinion that though it may no longer be vital, keeping up such a high improvement rate as in training can only be achieved by this form of communication and no technology would ever be able to replace it.
Documenting
When it comes to my career, keeping on top of things is extremely important for remembering certain audition or working days. To make sure I do not miss anything I am booked for, I am a religious keeper of a daily diary. In this I log everything I am supposed and wish to achieve that day so there is no room for error. Although this is not me learning new information , it is reaffirming important aspects of my practice and so comes with the same importance.
Recently, due to this course, I have also taken up journal writing. The information I can gain from keeping my daily reflections of my practice in written form allows me to look back at my previous work and take from it anything I can to improve in the future. I do struggle with journal writing daily and so only do it when I feel necessary but as I was advised by another member of the course to keep reflecting for future use, I have found this very beneficial in terms of my professional growth.
Experience
There is no denying that the best way to learn from anything in life, is through experience. Experience is a word that is given to young dancers in their final years of training in order to encourage to seek out new things and be a part of everything possible in terms of our profession.
The experience I have gained throughout my training, such as the teaching, performing and choreographing, has lead me to become a wise professional and I still try to be apart of many new experiences to learn further.
The experiences that I have learnt from since graduation is auditioning, open classes, company classes, charity productions and other projects as well as on going company work which with every new choreography learnt comes new experiences and further education in a ever growing profession.
Literature
In my opinion, one of the most traditional ways in which we gather most information in through publications. This includes books, newspapers and magazines. Newspapers and magazines are ideal for keeping updated on what is happening in the world around us. Many magazines also being available specifically for those interested in dance.
The Dancing Times is a magazine subscription I have used in the past, especially when I was in training and is very interesting for learning about new findings within the dancing world. The information I received from the articles also came in very handy when it came to doing my diploma course previously to the BAPP I am now a part of.
Tuesday 17 December 2013
Thursday 12 December 2013
Networking: LinkedIn?
On looking further into potential professional networks I could use I came across LinkedIn.
Defined as a "social networking website for people in professional occupations" I was wondering if anyone used this website or found it beneficial to careers within dance?
Defined as a "social networking website for people in professional occupations" I was wondering if anyone used this website or found it beneficial to careers within dance?
Tuesday 10 December 2013
3a: Personal Vs Professional Networks
I noticed that fellow blogger Bethany Bullman had included Facebook as one of the many networks she uses for her profession and I found this posed an interesting question.
Can you benefit from joining you personal and professional networks?
In a previous post I wrote about the range of networks I use or have considered in terms of bettering my career as a professional ballet dancer and the importance I have found in keeping my personal life away from these networks. But am I being too strict about this?
Bethany opened up the idea to me of using Facebook to connect with the many people I know that are in the same profession for advice. Much like using "Word of Mouth" which is what I consider to be one of the networks I currently use and therefore Facebook would be a perfect addition to my way of doing this.
I realise that Facebook does offer very strict and specific choices in terms of privatising our profiles but for some reason I have trouble finding it ideal to use it as a professional network. It comes with the argument that we must be careful about what we publicly or even privately post as we never really know who may be able to read this and so it involving anything profesional with my personal life may not be the wisest decision.
I already use Flickr to contain an album of what I have done in my career but I also have an Instagram account that is private and purely for my personal entertainment.
I have seen that many businesses and professionals use these networks to promote their companies and a much wider scale than any smaller advertising could do. Also many companies use websites such as these to keep costs of owning a store down. However, I feel that in terms of my profession, given that I am new and not exactly established within it, keeping a distance between these parts of my life is the safest way for the time being.
I am interested to know if like Bethany who uses these social networking sites on a professional level and whether my views towards this is too strict and infact holding me back.
Can you benefit from joining you personal and professional networks?
In a previous post I wrote about the range of networks I use or have considered in terms of bettering my career as a professional ballet dancer and the importance I have found in keeping my personal life away from these networks. But am I being too strict about this?
Bethany opened up the idea to me of using Facebook to connect with the many people I know that are in the same profession for advice. Much like using "Word of Mouth" which is what I consider to be one of the networks I currently use and therefore Facebook would be a perfect addition to my way of doing this.
I realise that Facebook does offer very strict and specific choices in terms of privatising our profiles but for some reason I have trouble finding it ideal to use it as a professional network. It comes with the argument that we must be careful about what we publicly or even privately post as we never really know who may be able to read this and so it involving anything profesional with my personal life may not be the wisest decision.
I already use Flickr to contain an album of what I have done in my career but I also have an Instagram account that is private and purely for my personal entertainment.
I have seen that many businesses and professionals use these networks to promote their companies and a much wider scale than any smaller advertising could do. Also many companies use websites such as these to keep costs of owning a store down. However, I feel that in terms of my profession, given that I am new and not exactly established within it, keeping a distance between these parts of my life is the safest way for the time being.
I am interested to know if like Bethany who uses these social networking sites on a professional level and whether my views towards this is too strict and infact holding me back.
Task 3a: Networking
Being in the world of professional dance, especially within this current economic climate, networking has become one of the most important ways in which to find work. I am a true believer that in this chosen profession "who you know" can be extremely vital for staying in employment and I use many networking forms to stay in the so called loop.
Network Dance
This website was introduced to me whilst I was in my final year of training and comes with extreme appeal as unlike many networks for dancers, it is free. Consisting of the ability to create a personal profile where in which you can upload your CV, photos and videos for other members and in fact anyone with internet access to see. The greatest advantage of using this site, however, is that daily new posts are published with worldwide auditions, also covering most styles of dance. The added option to search specifically for certain genres of dance making the search hugely simple. Without websites such as these, knowledge about auditions would be near impossible.
Most recently I have used this site to look at specific companies I have been interested in as the network is also used as a database in which worldwide companies keep their contact information. The opportunity to be able to contact directors and companies individually is always beneficial as you then create a more personal relationship when its comes to wanting to show that certain director how specifically interested you are in working with their company.
I must admit that I do not use this network to its full potential as the fact that anyone who "googles" my name would be able to see what ever I publish about myself to not be ideal. I like to be able to keep some distance between what I do in my dancing career and what I do outside of it so that is impossible to effect any professional opportunities. I have always felt it is better to be safe than sorry on this subject.
Dancers Pro
Much like Network Dance, Dancers Pro is a website aimed to help dancers,choreographers, photographers, teachers and directors advertise themselves or their businesses on a much larger scale with very little difficulty. There are two types of memberships that can be chosen to suit the users need consisting of "Dancer" or "Job Post". Both of these choices are in fact free but to be able to apply for any of the posted jobs, a lot of them not being advertised on free websites like Network Dance, a monthly charge has to be paid.
I only discovered this website after my graduation and it is the main source of networking I use. This is maybe due to the fact that I have to pay for it and therefore wish to make good use of it but also most of the work I have done outside of company work since my graduation, such as the flash mob that I used as my first post on this blog, has been due to responding to advertisements on this website.
The profiles published on dancers pro have the same amount of privacy as Network Dance in the sense that your profile can be accessed by any domain and so I limit the amount of media I allow to be published. However one the most ideal aspects of this website is that photos and pre written cover letters can be stored privately, making applying for advertised work a lot quicker and easier if I am on the go.
Dance Europe
As well as a website that posts upcoming auditions. Dance Europe enables you to purchase a book containing almost every ballet company and contact globally.
This opens up the option to network and promote yourself via email.
Through the entirety of my final year in training, I sent a large amount of emails to companies I was interested in working with alongside my classmates that did the same.
The importance of writing the emails personally yet formally is vital as every vocational schools graduates are competing for the same attention from the directors.
Word of Mouth
Throughout my time in the dancing world it has become extremely apparent that although it is a global profession, oddly everybody within it is connected somehow.
This realisation can be used to a great advantage by dancers as it enables us to continuously learn how to improve within the career. Since I have moved to the london area, this being the best location to pursue dance within the UK in my opinion, I have found my connections have grown immensely and in turn I have found myself finding employment with much more ease than before I relocated.
It is also always greatly encouraging to meet those that are in the same position as your self and learn from each others experiences.
Having classmates that are placed all over the world, speaking to them about what they have experienced in their career and taking from that the knowledge of how I further better my own pursual of professional dancing is probably the most beneficial form of networking in terms of self improvement rather than direct employment.
Agents
I do not as yet have an agent as it is usually used by dancers who wish to work more towards the commercial and musical theatre sides of dancing and my current preferred genre is ballet. Although I can see the benefits of having at least one agent in terms of self promotion, particularly with these career paths.
I have previously in my career spoken with agents to learn about the benefits, most of which being the vast amount of knowledge and connections they usually have about upcoming auditions and opportunities that may never be advertised on public or even charged websites. Many auditions particularly for musical theatre and cruise ships can come with the option for auditions made especially for those who have agents. This of course would make your employment chances much greater as you are not amongst the masses auditioning (hundreds have been known to turn up to open auditions in London).
Blogging
Blogging is the newest form of networking I have been introduced to by taking part in this course. I am aware that many successful and famous dancers write blogs regularly so that readers can see how they are progressing in their career and give advice based upon their own experiences to future generations of hopeful dancers.
Personally other than learning interesting information about these professionals lives, it is in writing your own blog that I can see the most benefit. I am still very new to this type of networking although I can see the potential in voicing your own opinions and questions to a wide audience so that the accumulation of others experiences can help with your own professional growth.
My Ideal Network
It would be hard to say what my ideal network would be as the all of the above which I use benefit my career in very different ways. I also like the fact that I have to use more than one form of networking as I feel finding the "perfect" form that had it all would in fact limit you as you would no longer be searching for ways to improve your networking further.
I would, however, rather have more privatisation when it comes to publishing personal information such as my body dimensions, photos and videos as when it comes to applying for certain employment it is sometimes best to not show certain past experiences that would not appeal to what they are ideally looking for in an employer. Having a network that was useful and free would also be perfect but I understand I am being a little silly when it comes to the idea of that.
Improving my Networks
In terms of my use of the networks above, I need to look into using them to their full potential to widen my database and knowledge further.
Network Dance
This website was introduced to me whilst I was in my final year of training and comes with extreme appeal as unlike many networks for dancers, it is free. Consisting of the ability to create a personal profile where in which you can upload your CV, photos and videos for other members and in fact anyone with internet access to see. The greatest advantage of using this site, however, is that daily new posts are published with worldwide auditions, also covering most styles of dance. The added option to search specifically for certain genres of dance making the search hugely simple. Without websites such as these, knowledge about auditions would be near impossible.
Most recently I have used this site to look at specific companies I have been interested in as the network is also used as a database in which worldwide companies keep their contact information. The opportunity to be able to contact directors and companies individually is always beneficial as you then create a more personal relationship when its comes to wanting to show that certain director how specifically interested you are in working with their company.
I must admit that I do not use this network to its full potential as the fact that anyone who "googles" my name would be able to see what ever I publish about myself to not be ideal. I like to be able to keep some distance between what I do in my dancing career and what I do outside of it so that is impossible to effect any professional opportunities. I have always felt it is better to be safe than sorry on this subject.
Dancers Pro
Much like Network Dance, Dancers Pro is a website aimed to help dancers,choreographers, photographers, teachers and directors advertise themselves or their businesses on a much larger scale with very little difficulty. There are two types of memberships that can be chosen to suit the users need consisting of "Dancer" or "Job Post". Both of these choices are in fact free but to be able to apply for any of the posted jobs, a lot of them not being advertised on free websites like Network Dance, a monthly charge has to be paid.
I only discovered this website after my graduation and it is the main source of networking I use. This is maybe due to the fact that I have to pay for it and therefore wish to make good use of it but also most of the work I have done outside of company work since my graduation, such as the flash mob that I used as my first post on this blog, has been due to responding to advertisements on this website.
The profiles published on dancers pro have the same amount of privacy as Network Dance in the sense that your profile can be accessed by any domain and so I limit the amount of media I allow to be published. However one the most ideal aspects of this website is that photos and pre written cover letters can be stored privately, making applying for advertised work a lot quicker and easier if I am on the go.
Dance Europe
As well as a website that posts upcoming auditions. Dance Europe enables you to purchase a book containing almost every ballet company and contact globally.
This opens up the option to network and promote yourself via email.
Through the entirety of my final year in training, I sent a large amount of emails to companies I was interested in working with alongside my classmates that did the same.
The importance of writing the emails personally yet formally is vital as every vocational schools graduates are competing for the same attention from the directors.
Word of Mouth
Throughout my time in the dancing world it has become extremely apparent that although it is a global profession, oddly everybody within it is connected somehow.
This realisation can be used to a great advantage by dancers as it enables us to continuously learn how to improve within the career. Since I have moved to the london area, this being the best location to pursue dance within the UK in my opinion, I have found my connections have grown immensely and in turn I have found myself finding employment with much more ease than before I relocated.
It is also always greatly encouraging to meet those that are in the same position as your self and learn from each others experiences.
Having classmates that are placed all over the world, speaking to them about what they have experienced in their career and taking from that the knowledge of how I further better my own pursual of professional dancing is probably the most beneficial form of networking in terms of self improvement rather than direct employment.
Agents
I do not as yet have an agent as it is usually used by dancers who wish to work more towards the commercial and musical theatre sides of dancing and my current preferred genre is ballet. Although I can see the benefits of having at least one agent in terms of self promotion, particularly with these career paths.
I have previously in my career spoken with agents to learn about the benefits, most of which being the vast amount of knowledge and connections they usually have about upcoming auditions and opportunities that may never be advertised on public or even charged websites. Many auditions particularly for musical theatre and cruise ships can come with the option for auditions made especially for those who have agents. This of course would make your employment chances much greater as you are not amongst the masses auditioning (hundreds have been known to turn up to open auditions in London).
Blogging
Blogging is the newest form of networking I have been introduced to by taking part in this course. I am aware that many successful and famous dancers write blogs regularly so that readers can see how they are progressing in their career and give advice based upon their own experiences to future generations of hopeful dancers.
Personally other than learning interesting information about these professionals lives, it is in writing your own blog that I can see the most benefit. I am still very new to this type of networking although I can see the potential in voicing your own opinions and questions to a wide audience so that the accumulation of others experiences can help with your own professional growth.
My Ideal Network
It would be hard to say what my ideal network would be as the all of the above which I use benefit my career in very different ways. I also like the fact that I have to use more than one form of networking as I feel finding the "perfect" form that had it all would in fact limit you as you would no longer be searching for ways to improve your networking further.
I would, however, rather have more privatisation when it comes to publishing personal information such as my body dimensions, photos and videos as when it comes to applying for certain employment it is sometimes best to not show certain past experiences that would not appeal to what they are ideally looking for in an employer. Having a network that was useful and free would also be perfect but I understand I am being a little silly when it comes to the idea of that.
Improving my Networks
In terms of my use of the networks above, I need to look into using them to their full potential to widen my database and knowledge further.
Sunday 8 December 2013
Task 2b: Continued
Today I took part in a filming at Bournemouth University as I spoke about in a previous post.
As part of reflective practice I have created another mind map of how I feel the filming has gone. This time, however I thought I would try to find a way of making a mind map online so that it is clearer to read as well as store for looking back at a later date for further reflection.
I managed to find a very useful "App" that enabled to make a mind map quickly and easily. Although this is a form of journal writing I wouldn't usually think of, it does help with the difficulty I have in bringing out all my feelings towards my practice. Using mind maps and traditional journal writing is probably my preferred depending on how deeply I wish to go into my reflections.
I realise that the picture above is very difficult to read. I had separated the main word of "Reflection" into the categories of:
-Dancing
-Filming
-Choreography
-Emotion
With all my positive and negative feeling towards each category. By continuing to produce reflective mind maps I will be able to look back and see patterns in how I approach and what a achieve in my practice so that I can see how I can improve within my profession.
Here are some pictures of what I did in filming. Hopefully I will be able to publish the finished article soon after it has been edited.
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