4d(continued) Finding Literature

As I have been turning to various pieces of literature, whether online or within books, for references and information that will help with my professional inquiry. It has been increasingly difficult find different sources of information. It was brought to my attention that "Google" had a page to their website called "Google Scholar". This page enable you to search whatever you wish and produces a wide range of articles, reports and literature related to your search. My first search was "Healthy Dancer" and many weblinks were listed.

I was able to find an article named "The Dancer as a performing athlete" which referred to my line of inquiry. In particular the article referred to professional ballet dancers and their diets;

"The Dancer as a Performing Athlete", Sports Medicine, August 2004, Volume 34, Issue 10
Prof. Yiannis Koutedakis and Athanasios Jamurtas

 "...body weight targets are normally met by low energy intakes, with female dance students and professional ballerinas reported to consume below 70% and 80% of the recommended daily allowance of energy intake, respectively, while the female athlete 'triad' of disordered eating, amenorrhoea and osteoporosis is now recognized and is seen just as commonly in dancers.

An awareness of these factors will assist dancers and their teachers to improve training techniques to employ effective injury prevention strategies and to determine better physical conditioning."

This quote recognises the same need of more nutritional education for dancers that has inspired my wish to research it for my professional inquiry. It confirms my belief that I am not the only dancer who struggles as a result of my lack of knowledge but shows that malnutrition within dancers is a common and very effective problem.

4a (Continued) Inquiry Questions

Following my initial inquiry ideas, I have created a list of questions for the research line of my professional inquiry:

• What does Nutrition mean to dancers?
• What are the physical or psychological repercussions to a dancer's diet?
• What are the dietary requirements for professional dancers?
• How does a dancer approach achieving the correct nutrition?
• What is the current education situation concerning nutrition in vocational schools and professional organisations?

These questions will be the foundation of my inquiry research. From here I will be able to branch out within the subject with the results I collect.

4d) Literature

As the reasoning for my investigation into nutrition for dancers is a result of the lack of knowledge in currently have on the subject I felt I should research into the generalised topic of nutrition before branching into the specific dance related areas.

• "Nutrition for Dummies" 2nd Edition by Nigel Denby, Sue Baic and Carol Ann Rinzler

This book, however generalised and basic, was helpful in helping me understand the basics of nutrition and our bodies digestive needs; "Glucose is the basic fuel your body uses for energy". Structured into basic chapter I was able to determine which would be most helpful for my later inquiry research. One chapter in particular gives advice into the best nutrition for when you are travelling on the road. This topic in particular is one of my main points of investigation as a dancers struggle to maintain good nutrition is on tour. This is a problem I have discovered myself whilst performing in my current ballet company. Below are the examples of recommendations of healthy options available in service stations, a main source of food or drink on tour.

"Here are some suggestions for healthy choices in service stations:

• Bottled water
• Cereal bars
• Fresh fruit including fruit salad
• fruit juices and smoothies
• individual cereal pots with milk or yoghurt
• low calorie hot chocolate
• low fat milk
• low fat savoury snacks like plain popcorn, pretzels and trail mix
• low sugar squash and fizzy drinks
• pre-packed healthy eating sandwiches or wraps
• ready-to-eat salads with dressing on the side
• tea or herbal/fruit teas"

It will be this kind of basic information that I will take into my inquiry in order to research further and adapt for the needs of dancers.

Professional Inquiry Ideas

Thinking further into what I wish to base my professional Inquiry on and what therefore I would like to achieve from my research, I have begun to look more specifically into the subject of "nutrition" I am referring to.

My inquiry will be an investigation into the importance of nutritional knowledge for dancers throughout their time in training and professional careers. Also, therefore, how they would benefit in terms of performance, stability, stamina and injury prevention from having correctly nourished bodies.

I do believe that this is an important aspect of the maintenance and health of dancers of which there is very little awareness, information or guidance, particularly throughout my time in training and within my career so far.

From these ideas I have begun to create an ultimate question of what my professional inquiry research will entail and its benefits. I will be improving upon in throughout this module.

What is the appropriate nutrition for dancers throughout rehearsal, performance and rest periods to achieve maximum ability throughout their work?

I would really appreciate any advice on how this can be improved upon.

Task 4a) Nutritional Health for Dancers

I have decided that my professional inquiry will be based on the topic of nutrition. It is a topic I find extremely important to my practice as a professional dancer, and one that would benefit others within in the professional in terms of staying on form for rehearsals and shows throughout their career.

I have created a beginning set of questions that I will be developing into my deeper research questions for the inquiry.

How much knowledge do you believe you have about nutrition? 

Where did you learn this?

Is it an aspect of your profession you find important? Why? 

Are you always able to fill your dietary requirements? 

What do you find most difficult about keeping to your dietary needs?

Does your profession affect your opinion about your dietary requirements? 

Were you advised about nutrition during training? 

How helpful did you find it? 

Do certain foods seem to affect your dancing abilities? 

Have you been injured during your training/career? 

What was the injury? 

What do you believe caused the injury? 

Do you often feel tired or unmotivated when dancing? 

Do you find it difficult to stay focused whilst rehearsing/performing? 

If given the opportunity, would you wish to learn more about your nutritional requirements? 

These questions will give me more insight into what others within my practice know about this topic. Also seeing how further knowledge may improve their profession. 

Career Inquiry

Reader 4 provokes the thought into our current working situation and what our goals are for the future. As a ballet dancer within a small, touring company, there are many responsibilities and aspects which need improvement. Being a dancer, as I am aware, is not a part of my career that I can continue for a long period and so has made me need to think deeper into what my aspirations are for the future. Using the topic I have decided upon as the basis for my professional inquiry.

Out of interest I decided to interview colleagues, ex classmates and teachers about their own achievements and goals within their career. Here are the questions followed by some examples of answers that I found particularly interesting:

1. What is your current working situation?               
2. What do you feel you have achieved so far within your working situation?
3. What are your goals within your current working situation?
4. What are your goals for your career?

    What is your current working situation?

I am a dancer.

What do you feel you achieved so far within your working situation?

I am stronger than day one. I have learnt ballets that I did before with new choreographies. I am improving everyday in my dancing and knowing more myself thanks to the people I am surrounded with.

     What are your goals within your current working situation?

Getting stronger and ready for more coming auditions. Be proud of every show. Help my collegues for them to be better dancers.

      What are your goals for your career?

Became a ballet teacher no matter where. Study psychology, bioneuro emotion. Choreograph my pieces. Have my own company.

   What is your current working situation?

Graduate Intern

   What do you feel you achieved so far within your working situation?

Confidence in delivering workshops to Masters level students

    What are your goals within your current working situation?

Continue to research within my subject field and to develop teaching skills

    What are your goals for your career?

Lecturer in higher education or working as a support figure for professional, pre professional and 

vocational dancers.

What is your current working situation?

Part time ballet teacher

 What do you feel you achieved so far within your working situation?

Confidence and skills in a new area of work and experience working and managing young children

 What are your goals within your current working situation?

Not sure just yet, i have only worked as a teacher for 1 month so still deciding whether I want to go full time into this area or dance for a little longer first before becoming a full time teacher

 What are your goals for your career?

I think I would like to dance a bit more first but after that I would like to become a really great teacher and pass on my love of dance to others

What is your current working situation?

Employed Ballet Mistress

What do you feel you achieved so far within your working situation?

I have worked on all productions for the past 3 years, and believe the standard of production both in standard of dancing and general rehearsing of productions have improved since I have taken on the role. I also believe I have achieved in forming more structure within the company day to day life.

 What are your goals within your current working situation?

Goal 1: To have the current production looking well rehearsed and recovering outstanding reviews at all venues.

Goal 2: To have another ready for stage within the next 3 weeks. Goal 3: For all dancers to have made visible improvements to technique by the end of the season

 What are your goals for your career?

To become a Repetiteur at a larger Ballet company.

All of these answers have come from professional, or ex professional dancers who have built their career aspirations whilst remaining within the practice. Most of the responses I have had have been connected to teaching. This seems to be a very common next step for ex professional dancers as it can be greatly rewarding to pass the knowledge you have spent years collecting to other aspiring young dancers. Upon approaching these answers my self, however, my future goals consist of helping dancers with aspects of the career that are often ignored and I have never been given a large amount of education in i.e nutrition and injury prevention. I will be doing that same type of survey with my professional inquiry questions in the beginning of my further research.

Competences and Capabilities

From identifying what is expected of me within my professional practice, I was then able to decide what categories I feel most able and which I need to gain further knowledge.

Competences and Capabilities

• Maintaining Technique
• Personally Correcting 
• Learning Choreography
• Remembering Choreography
• Applying Corrections
• Supporting Colleagues
• Time Organisation

I feel confident in my abilities of the above subjects. Many of which I have been working on throughout my vocational training with the constant advise given to me by teachers and classmates. These parts of my training, although may not have seemed so important at the time, having become vital for my successes in my dancing career so far, however small this may be.

Lacking Qualities

• Maintaining Physique
• Injury Prevention

Although I do feel have some knowledge in these areas, and neither I have particularly struggled with throughout my time in training or as professional dancer. I do believe there it an absolute importance in these topics within the dancing profession of which not enough information is given. Knowing what the correct nutritional values are in certain foods, and from this what is beneficial to a dancer in order to be able to perform the to best of their ability as well as improve, is something I have a great interest in. Injury prevention is also often ignored and we are taught more how to do with an injury once it has occurred. More attention to this aspect in terms of how to look after your body correctly, also related to nutritional values is a topic I feel will not only improve my current professional practice but also by very beneficial for my future goal as a nutritional adviser for training and professional dancers, once my own dancing career has finished.

I am intrigued what 

others within the same practice as myself believe to be the most important aspects to be knowledgeable in to better there career and will be making an appropriate survey to follow.

The Responsibilities of a Professional Dancer

In order for me to able to decided which aspect of my career I wish to research further I first wanted to make note of what my responsibilities are as a self employed professional ballet dancer. From doing the exercise I was able to identify my strengths and weaknesses.

Below I have noted what I can of the responsibilities I have to my current career...

Maintaining Technique 
Much like when in vocational training although less personal corrections and time for correcting is given for professional classes and so it is up to the dancer to be constantly thinking about what is the correct technique and how to adjust my body appropriately. Various strengthening and stretching exercises should also be done as well as daily class to keep on form.

Maintaining Physique
This important for both during the working season and off season. This requires eating and exercising properly.

Staying Healthy
This is important for rehearsals due to limited rehearsals time and for tours as I am a part of small ballet company with limited casting and so being able to perform in all shows is extremely important.

Injury
As above this is important for rehearsals and tour. Injury also means you are not able to participate in classes, rehearsals or performances which causes a decrease in strength and stamina.

Personal Appearance
In many cases, dancers need to be blank canvases that can be moulded into any role. Particularly for classical ballet dancers. This includes not having any obscene piercings or tattoos, disfigurements or major imperfections to the face or body and even haircuts that can be easily reshaped in some cases.

Auditions
Each dancer is personally responsible for finding, applying, organising and attending auditions. This includes budgeting for any travel or accommodation necessary.

Curriculum Vitae
Must be created under the appropriate format for auditions and constantly updated to show achievements and therefore potential to possible future employers.

Headshots
Whilst a professional photographer is hired to give guidance on the best shots and produce the appropriate photographs,it is up to the dancer to choose and hire the photographer they think is best for the desired look. Headshots and dance shots are needed for almost every audition for all styles of dance.

Above are examples of what I believe I have a responsibility of doing as a professional dancer in order to sustain my position and better my career. I then looked at my current contract to see what it is my employers expect of me:

Time Organisation 
Being punctual for rehearsals, meeting the tour bus, class and performances.

Costume
Keeping my costume for each production stored correctly, maintained, clean and to fix anything that may happen to it (eg. broken hook) that is within my capabilities during the tour.

Make Up
Having the correct equipment for each performance and applying it in the desired way which is advised by the ballet mistress.

Shoes 
Always having at least two pairs of the necessary shoes for the performance that are clean, broken in and prepared (eg. pancaked)

Tour Bag
Correctly pack tour bag for performances ahead and being responsible for communicating with the technician who transfers it between theatres.

Money Management
As a self employed dancer I have to be responsible for managing my payments given, tax, national insurance and storing the correct receipts.

Choreography
Learning, practicing and performing to the best of our ability. this means using free time to go over choreography, notes and corrections given to be able to improve.

Going through these responsibilities has helped me identify what I believe my capabilities are and with this, what it is I would like to further research in my professional enquiry in order to progress within my career.

I would be very interested to know what other bloggers believe are the most important aspects of their career and with that what their professional enquiries will be based on.

Introduction to Module 2

After having to defer my last term, I am very excited to get back into writing blogs although I fear I may be a little rusty. 

It is in this Module Two we begin to further explore into our own professional enquiries. I am working through Reader Four and enjoying thinking deeper into what my profession entails and what is expected of me as well as what I expect of myself. I am also thinking more into what I would like to achieve from my career. It is through this though process I will be able to decide upon which line of enquiry I would like to research.

I will posting all the processes I am going through to reach my decisions and would love to hear any feedback or alternate processes you fellow bloggers are going through.