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.