Artefact

As I am approaching the end of my professional inquiry I have begun to produce my Artefact. It has taken me a long time and I had many ideas cross my mind before and during the research process of my inquiry and finally came to the decision to create a recipe book that encompasses what I have learnt in my research.

One could argue that their is a large amount of recipe books out there for athletes, dancers and anyone wishes to improve their health but the intention within mine is to focus less on food and project the importance of other aspects of a dancers needs for nourishment. The audience for my recipe book will be professional dancers who are mainly on tour. This is because this is what I am currently doing in my career and evoked my entire reasoning for choosing this inquiry topic. I am also of the impression that is very easy to create a recipe book that requires a kitchen, innumerable utensils and vast space but not so easy when you are limited to cold, prepackaged meals. However as I am not in anyway shape or form nutritional expert or therapist (although I intend to be) I will be making clear to readers that the recipes within have been created to explore more than just the food and in no way should be used as a dietary guideline.

Front Cover (first draft)

As this course has given me limited time to create and produce both the recipes and book I am by no means intending on producing work that would be ready for publishing. I am however using my artefact as an opportunity to highlight what I have been researching, what I have found and possibly create a platform for which to eventually publish after further work in the future. My artefact will consist of a handful of recipes ranging from cookies to tea that will promote the importance of love, confidence, rest and preparation as they have been my findings of what can be used in the definition of a dancers nutrition. "Love" for instance will consist of an Oat Cookie Recipe. The cookie will contain ingredients that can be altered by the reader to include something they "love".  I will be encouraging them to realise that the time and effort taken to make them should be appreciated as a sign of care and "love" for oneself, with the cookies cut into heart shapes to remind them when eating it and the opportunity to "share the love" with colleagues, friend or family as my research has shown that doing something out of love for others has benefits to both people.

Negative Thoughts & Self Affirmation

I previously mentioned how my Inquiry research had introduced me to the importance of Self Affirming and my arguement of its potential to constitute an important role of a dancers need to nourishment. Further research into the topic lead me to more sources that have recognised into it's importance for a dancers well being and professional ability.

Setting The Barre, (2015). on negative thoughts. [online] Available at: 
http://settingthebarreblog.com/2015/01/13/on-negative-thoughts/

Also found by a fellow BAPP student Gabrielle, this blog has been created by a professional dancer who uses their own experiences and findings to support and advise other dancers or aspiring professionals. The post I was most interested in was the one that refers to the importance of having positive thoughts as a dancer. Something I have recognised in my own practice since starting my research. It is common knowledge for dancers that some days in the studio are better than others and yet even the awareness of this does not seem to provide any comfort for the dancer experiencing a bad day;

"When a dancer is having a bad day (and believe me, we have plenty!), it usually means we are hyper focused on our flaws, tearing our technique apart, and subsequently hating what we see in the mirror…ultimately, as you can imagine, this is completely crippling.  But not surprising, considering we spend our days and nights striving for perfection"

I have always been of the opinion that the main problem for a dancers emotional well being is the fact that we are always trying to be "perfect" and yet I vividly remember being told at age eleven that "Practice will not make perfect, it will only make you improve" by my vocational teachers. Meaning that a dancers ultimate aim can never be achieved. Often leading to a negative attitude towards ourselves and our work. This dancer's blog recognises this problem and lists a few suggestions of how to help with the negative cycle and encourage a more positive attitude.

My attention was immediately drawn to the final tip;

"Practice affirmations.  I have a very good friend who swears by self-affirmations, also known as sweet nothings whispered (or better yet, spoken loudly with conviction) to one’s self each day in the mirror.  It may feel strange at first, but studies show that sending your brain these positive reinforcements triggers a growth in confidence and an improvement in overall mental health."

Eureka !!!!

Apart from the direct discussion of the benefits of self affirmating in (Hungry for Change, 2012) and (BlogTalkRadio.com, 2013) this blog was the first I had come across that argues it is especially helpful for a dancer. This professional dancer has not only heard of self affirmation but has taken the opinion of herself and a friend to recommend it. This helped me to confirm the importance of affirmations to a dancer and wished to pursue the subject in my interviews. 

Jarrett, S. (2007). Healthy-Minded. Dance Spirit, (5), p.20

This article also claimed to understand what a dancer needs in order to dance to the best of their ability;

"Without a strong body, a healthy mental attitude and proper nutrition you'd never be able to train, rehearse, perform, tour and compete".

Also listing tips for a dancer who wishes to improve in their practice. Affirmations were also mentioned in the approach of recognises your own achievements within your practice and using it to create a positive approach to future work. I have not until recently thought about how far I have come since I wished to be a ballerina at age four. Many of my sources are able to recognise how much blood, sweat and tears are necessary in the battle to become a professional dancer but very little encourage you to recognise it. Whilst in training we were visited by a professional dancer whose advice consisted of telling us to always raise the bar of expectation. Although I do agree this is important for the improvement of the dancer how many of us actually take the time to congratulate ourselves for what we have accomplished? I know I certainly.

"Give yourself positive mental encouragement. Congratulate yourself for mastering a step, and psych yourself up to try a challenging move one more time. By saying 'I can do it', you acknowledge that your goals are within reach, making it more likely that you'll succeed"

It is becoming an ever growing realisation of mine that to define nutrition as being merely food would be to say that all a dancer needs for "nourishment" in their lives and therefore career would be to eat the "correct" food. The exploration I have made through literature and my interviews seem to being saying otherwise. Although my interviews also seem to be showing that, like my own opinion, the importance of self affirmation does not seem to be widely promoted, considered or practiced.

Interviewing Myself

As my inquiry is investigating the role of nutrition for dancers, I also needed to identify my own opinions on the subject for later comparison to those of my interviewee's. As well my on going my reflective journal I was able to use the interview questions I asked two other professional dancers. This will hopefully help me with ease of triangulating all the data I have collected for the "Analysis and Findings" part of my critical review. I thought I would share with you some of my more interesting questions and answers. If you have any particular agreeing or debating opinion on any of these questions I would be interested in knowing.

Can you describe how you would define "Nutrition" and what it means to you?

"Nutrition" in its simplest form before beginning this inquiry process has always meant nothing more to me than food. The accumulation of different types of food that allow a human to survive. Essentially what constitutes as a healthy diet. In my exploration into nutrition so far my personal definition has altered. I now consider nutrition to be the aspects of a humans life that enables the body and mind to function in the best way for them. I wouldn't say that merely my food intake is responsible for this but the balance of food intake, emotional well being and physical exertions.

In what way is nutritional knowledge important to your career?

The main difference I would say there is between being a professional dancer and most other careers is that I am completely exposed. With no desk, bench or canvas to hide behind as the subject and result of my work is in fact myself. This is where nutrition is important. Without the correct nutrition, whatever that may be, I believe I more than likely would not be able to work, improve or perform to their best of my ability, which is essentially failing in my career. As a dancer I am always striving to be better, it has been in my nature and training as a performer to think this way. I am also aware that my nutritional knowledge is lacking, and I still have much improvement and aspirations left in my career and maybe knowing my nutritional needs as a dancer would help me achieve this. I have yet to find this out and am aware that there may not ever be a defining answer on such a controversial subject.

How have you found your diet to affect your professional ability?

Personally I have found that when I am hungry, I begin to feel quite weak. Luckily on stage adrenaline is usually there to support me through the low energy points until I am able to eat. In contrast if I eat too much I tend to feel very heavy and lethargic. I can only describe the feeling as when your body tells you its time for a nap, but on stage I do not get this luxury. I wouldn't say that my performing ability is effected too much, although I do prefer when I am feeling neither so I have less "don't show your food baby" thoughts. Rehearsals and class are probably affected most by my food intake. Recently I did class after a very high sugar intake that completely backfired. This class was in the evening and I was feeling particularly tired that day. I had eaten quite of a few sweets in order to get a "sugar boost". I would say a lot of dancers would be familiar with this. However I spent the majority of the class feeling quite sick. In fact I didn't do everything in class because of this. I'm sure my tiredness would have had some part in this but I am pretty sure the sweets were the main culprit.

How does time management between eating and work affect your dancing ability?

During rehearsals we are not always given a lot of time for food breaks. So I usually eat small amounts when I have the opportunity. The rehearsal part of my working season is very short and intense as we usually have a lot to learn and practice. I don't think this has really had any effect on my dancing ability, although at the end of a long rehearsals day my concentration does begin to dip, but I wouldn't say this was because of my diet. On tour the only breaks we are really given are when we are on the tour bus, travelling to the theater or home. Meal times depend on the time of warm up class and shows. This means I usually eat a strange times of the day i.e 11 o'clock at night on the way home from a show. In my company we have a term called "tour belly". Its the feeling of discomfort, usually bloating on my part, that worsens as the tour progresses. I would say this was due to the strange eating habits, in terms of timings, that we suddenly put our body through.

How does being on tour/ performing affect your diet/eating habits? What affect does this have on you?

My professional experience so far has been only with a touring company. This means that after a month of rehearsals, we no longer have a main theater or rehearsal space. Each season consists of travelling in a tour bus throughout the UK, and being in a different city every day for around 3 months. I would say each season period causes a drastic change to my diet and emotion. Tour bus life means I am not always at home each night, I spend the majority of my time off stage physically and mentally drained to the point where on my days off I am not motivated for any activity. This includes cooking. My diet throughout each season usually depends on my mood, time spent travelling and the amount of performances I have that day. If we are away from home, my diet consists of what is available in the nearest shop/service station. A cooked meal is a rarity during the season. Spending 3 months eating sandwiches and salads alone usually make me want to not look at one for a long time in between. I tend to get very bored with my meals, and usually the health factor goes out of the window as the tour progresses.

What would you consider to be the key qualities that are necessary for a professional dancer?

This is what I would say every dancer aspires to have:

• Strong, toned, slender physique
• Flexible limbs
• Versatility in movement
• Versatility in artistry
• Determined attitude
• Strong work ethic
• Confidence
• Stage presence

What do you believe causes your professional dips or "bad days"?

I have by now accepted the fact that I will not always have the best day in terms of my dancing ability. And I am best not to expect to. My tool is my body and some days it wont be as able as others. Tiredness is my biggest issue when in season. When I'm tired its much more difficult to motivate myself for the day ahead. Personal issues can also alter my attitude at work. In my training I have been taught that it is important to separate our personal and professional lives, and I would argue that at crunch time (performances/rehearsals) I am able to do this. But at the end of the day I am human. Sometimes I will slip. The only time I have ever walked on to stage with a "just get through it" attitude was when I had the flu. Cold sweats between diverts was a will breaking experience and unfortunately I let my self expectations dip. I will be forever learning more about myself and my limitations throughout my career and I won't know how to deal with each hurdle until I am faced with it.

Why is confidence important for a dancers ability?

From the very beginning of my vocational training at age 11, I was taught that confidence is key to a dancers success. I have learnt from myself that the more confident I am when approaching my dancing, the most likely I am to do it well. I wouldn't say I am a naturally confident person. I would also say that I do not miraculously find confidence when I need it. What I can do, however, is it fake it.

What is your opinion on "Self Affirmation"?

My understanding of self affirmation is the ability to essentially accept and love yourself.  I was only introduced to self affirmation very recently and so have not had much of experience of practicing it and its argued benefits. I am fascinated by the idea that accepting myself will in turn allow me to find a greater happiness within myself and achieve more in my life and career.

What effect do you feel self affirming has/may have on your dancing ability?

I am not entirely sure. I think maybe taking the time to appreciate how far I have come in my career could have great benefits in terms of my self confidence. I tend to spend more time thinking about what I need to do or what is wrong with my dancing  rather than my achievements. I suppose this negativity could be holding me back mentally. I often have the mentality of "I am not good enough" and "I'm never going to be able to do that" in my work and this probably isn't very helpful to my professional development. I am aware these feelings have stilted my approach to auditions. I also know that on days when I am feeling more confident I usually have a much better day at work. These are the days where I achieve more and so I would believe that if self-affirmation can lead to better self-confidence, then my approach to my work ethic and ability have potential for great improvements.

What would you say to be the attitude the "dancing world" has on self affirmation?

I don't think the dancing world encourages it. It is a rarity that I have gotten positive feedback from my trainer about what I have achieved. Usually throughout training we are told what we need to do further. An established ex-professional ballet dancer commented on my improvement since graduation recently and my reaction was surprise rather than acceptance. As a performer I look for the approval of others (teachers, directors, audience) rather than myself. I usually come off stage thinking about how I could have done better and I would argue that this is a mentality that has been promoted throughout my training and career so far.

What do you believe a professional dancer needs in order to rehearse/perform to the best of their ability?

I think the main thing a dancer needs in order to succeed (as well as the qualities in above question) is happiness. Becoming a ballet dancer has been a very long and hard process and I still have much further to go. At the end of the day the reason I want to dance and do dance is because of my own enjoyment. I wouldn't say this career is worth it without that factor. And although I could try, I would not succeed in this career if it did not make me happy.

I am expecting my thoughts to me a lot more developed than my interviewee's as I have already explored the subject through various literature, which lead me to wishing to ask them these questions. This will, however, hopefully highlight the gap in guidance or information given to dancers about this topic which will lead to my chosen form of Professional Artefact.

Throughout my time in this BAPP course I have found that although it may be easy to ask the opinions of others, considering my own has not come so naturally. My mind, particularly during this final module, has decided that running at 100 mph is the only way to get everything done so reminding myself through the use of my personal journal and taking the time to "Interview myself" has allowed me to stop and determine my own opinions, emotions and developing thoughts.

Introduction to my Inquiry

Today I began to write my introduction for my Critical Review. I have always (and most likely will always) find beginning any piece of work to be the hardest. I also have no doubt that my first draft will be completely different to my final submission.

I am aware that my introduction needs to these address  main points:

What am I doing for my professional inquiry?
What experiences with my professional practice and my time in the BAPP have lead me to this?
What are my intentions for the inquiry?
What am I hoping to achieve?

My Inquiry

My Inquiry is an investigation into what defines a dancers nutritional needs and the impact that good or malnutrition of these needs have on a dancers professional ability.

My BAPP Journey

When considering what I have been through during my time in this BAPP course I realised that my transition from graduated student to professional ballet dancer has taken place exactly within this small amount of time. It has been during this course that I have moved away from home and begun working with a UK touring company, been a part of charitable dancing events and worked with graduates within other universities who have required a dancers help. All of the knowledge I have gained during my time in training has been put to the test and new, unexpected obstacles have arisen. One being my struggle with staying happy and healthy whilst in tour. This is what inspired my inquiry topic.

My Process

My intentions for this inquiry was to gain a little more insight into what could possible define nutrition for dancers through the collection of various opinions. To do this I conducted a series of interviews with dancers, a teacher, a mother and a chef for their perspective. I used literature sources ranging from documentary to podcast in order to develop the direction of my inquiry.

What I Have Achieved

My research has enabled an introduction of new terms such as "self-affirmation" which have broadened my understanding of what a dancers need in order to succeed in their work. A new, positive outlook has been highlighted within my career that focuses on a dancers need outside of merely food and have created a recipe book that shows this.

The introduction to my inquiry must encompass all of these areas, touching on every aspect without too much detail as that will come later in my critical review!

Happy Writing Module 3'ers!

Half Way!

Hi Module 3'ers,

So we are half way through our 12 week study period so I thought it was a good time to asses what I have achieved so far, and difficulties there has been, findings I have made and what I have left to do.

At the beginning of the term, I separated the weeks into thirds with a plan of what I wish to achieve in those weeks.

Week 1-4

• Write feedback response
• Use these weeks for literature research
• Start literature review
• Plan and organise interviews
• Create interview consent form
• Write my initial reflection/thoughts on inquiry topic

Week 5-8

• Conduct interviews
• Analyse data collected
• Write "Introduction" and "Evaluation" of Critical Review (first draft)
• Continue literature review 
• Brainstorm "Artefact" ideas

Week 9-12

• Further Analysis
• Decide Artefact
• Complete Critical Review
• Complete Artefact
• Final proof read (May 11th 2015)

As we are now in Week 7 here is what I have achieved:

• Feedback response written and sent
• Literature research is continuing, have so far found useful Books, Articles, Podcasts, Films and Blogs.
• Literature Review is ongoing (I have been delayed in literature due to the vast change in my inquiry topic at the beginning of this module.)
• Initial thoughts about my inquiry topic have been logged in my journal.
• Consent form has been created and signed by the interviewee's so far.
• 4/5 interviews have been conducted, the final interview is arranged for week 8 (This is due to the interviewee's busy work schedule.)
• I have not yet begun analysis of the interviews.
• Introduction and Evaluation first draft will be done in week 7 and 8.
• I have not yet brainstormed my artefact as I still have data to collect.

I am relatively pleased with what I have achieved in my inquiry so far, and I am finding out new things about my topic constantly which has taken it into different directions, very much away from food which I wanted. I have been delayed slightly because of being able to arrange the time to conduct the interviews (Dancers and mothers are very hard to get hold of with an hour of their time to spare) and I am glad I have nearly finished them. Although I am behind I did not want to rush them as I would probably miss out on some of the interesting responses I have had so far.

My SIG group (fellow Module 3 students on a Facebook Messenger group) have been a great help in terms of keeping me on track and giving me advise about where I am in my work.

Here's to the next half! 

Your Last Meal?

I am currently going through the interview process of my data collection and have been left so inspired by a particular part of this evenings that I feel I must share it with you.

Tonight I interviewed a chef in order to get their perspective on the aspects and definition of nutrition. During the conversation I asked about peoples possible emotional involvment with food to which they gave a most marvelous and interesting aneccdote:

The interviewee had been a part of a group discussion where they were asked what their chosen last meal would consist of. A question that I believe many of us have adressed rather casually. As expected, many of the others in the discussion group answerd with the most luxurious and expensive food items i.e lobster, caviar and steak but my interviewee did not. They replied that their perfect final meal if given the choice would consist of a ham sandwich, packet of crisps and a "White's" lemonade. I found this absolutely fascinating as it was an answer I had ever heard before and never expected of a chef who has worked with the most pretigious of companys, creating the most lavish of meals. The reasoning, however, was very heart warming. The interviewee said this was because as a child they would run home from school every wednesday to be met with this meal waiting for them, made by their parents. In further discription of the amount of overwhelming condiments used it sounded the most awful of meals, but to them it was perfect. Because tthis meal was more than just food, a source of survival, it was a memory. And forever loccked within this meal would be that memory.

A lot of my research so far has brought me to how negative emotion can effect our eating habits and therefore circle back to our emotions but this response was a completley differrent perspective. The sheer fact that the most simple of gestures (looking further than food) can have such a massive effect on a persons emotions and attitudes is remarkable. This is a power that can greatly benefit a persons well being if we are able to channel such positivity so easily. For this outlook I am very grateful to my interviewee and look forward to anaylsing their responses further.

I would love to hear what other people "last meal" would be and why? I am going to have a very serious think about mine...

Hungry for Change - Must Watch!

"Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly what you will experience in your life" - (Robbins, Hungry for Change, 2012)

Upon the recommendation of Adesola I decided to watch the documentary "Hungry for Change". My inquiry research has intended to explore what is necessary for a dancers well being, away from the scientific nutritional ingredients in the food we eat. The main aim of this documentary is to highlight the importance of eating less processed sugar, fat and carbohydrates however they do also address other aspects of a persons life that will affect their mood, attitude, food intake and overall health. This is what I was most interested in for my research.

"From the moment we are born, we equate love with safety." (Hungry for Change, 2012)

This documentary has opened my eyes to the importance of love for a persons well being. It discusses the fact that without love and care from our parents when we are born, we can not possibly survive and so this attitude is forever present in our mindset as we mature. In terms of a dancers needs, love would not be something I would have ever considered and yet this film seem to make it very obvious. I would argue that in the dancing world, positive encouragement and care isn't very well promoted or stressed within a dancers education and it occurred to me that somewhere along the lines of my training and starting my career, I had forgotten about the importance of loving and caring for others and the importance of loving and caring for myself. 

"I accept myself unconditionally right now" (Hungry for Change, 2012)

The documentary suggested an exercise that everyone should practice daily for their emotional well being. The exercise was to look at yourself in the mirror and say the above quote. Repeating the phrase every time your own negative thoughts about yourself began to attack. This exercise is known as "Self Affirmation" and is possibly one of the most powerful phrases I have come across in my research. I have always been aware of the importance of having confidence in my dancing (as many things go wrong if I don't) however my training only seemed to teach my how to fake confidence when it is necessary. And I am sure I am not alone about this. Self affirming encourages a person to recognise their achievements, their goals, their positive attributes and channels the mind to release the negative weight that many of us carry into our day. Since discovering self affirmation I have been able to approach my work with a much more peaceful attitude. Before if I was having a bad day it would follow me into class and usually I would not perform so well. In a recent class I realised that now when I am dancing, it is all I think about. My focus is directly on my work. Only time will tell the true affects of self affirmation in my work but it has so far been enlightening to both my practice and my inquiry research.

Had you heard of "Self Affirmation?

Do you practice it?

I would love to know your thoughts! And if you have netflix I highly recommend this documentary to everyone!

All Module Discussion 1- 3rd March 2015

Taking part in an "All Module Discussion" with Adesola was a new experience for me and one that I needed to ease into. The aim of the discussion is to communicate with others taking the course on a much more personal level in order to help each other with the process of work based learning. The previous discussion I have taken part in have been more factual and about learning about the module I am taking part in and so I expected the same from this. After a tentative start and a brief explanation of the aims from Adesola, the other students and I started to feel a little more comfortable with each other. I believe this will improve with every discussion I am able to join.

Each of us involved have decided to blog about different topics we discussed throughout the skype session. I have decided to blog about the problems that may occur with using interviews as a research tool and how I intend to approach avoiding these issues.

The main issues we felt that would be in interviews is the difficulty in creating interview questions that will ensure you get the best answers from the interviewee. The scariest thing I believe to be in an interview is to have nothing more than simple "yes" and "no" responses, particularly as my inquiry research is solely dependant on qualitative information. It is important that my interviewee's give their complete opinions but how do I achieve this? How can you control an interview without affecting the interviewee's answers? Another problem is knowing how it is possible to know that you are getting truthful answers from the interviewee. This is of course being an almost impossible problem to solve.

I have had to consider these factors when planning my interview questions, interviewee's, interview time, setting and ideal atmosphere:

Questions

I've found it can be difficult to decide upon what questions would be best. I began by referring back to my original mind map that I created at the beginning of my inquiry research. With this I was able to remind myself what the different possible aspects of nutrition were that I wished to ask about. I drafted my questions into sections. This will hopefully help with the flow of my interview as the better the flow of conversation, the more likely the interviewee are to feel at ease. I also believe that it is important not to be closed minded with the questions. It is my intention to approach each interview with the confidence to change, add and remove questions where I feel it would benefit the interview. I wish my interview to be more like a discussion so that the interviewee's opinions can be developed where appropriate. I think it would be wrong to expect anyone to answer a question I would not be willing to answer myself and so I have made sure that I haven't included questions that I feel are too personal. I have, however, written open ended questions that made lead to more personal answers if they interviewee wishes, this is of course completely up to them. As I am wishing to compare all of the interviewee's opinions, despite their minor or major differences in career and lifestyle, much of the interview questions will remain along the same theme although may not refer to dance in particular. Relating the conjoined opinions to the needs of professional dancers will be something I will process in the analysis part of my inquiry.

Time

It is difficult having to limit yourself to a time as you worry that you may not retrieve enough information within that limit. I do believe, however, that it is important to create a time limit so that the interviewee is aware before hand of the possible amount of time I am asking of them. I have chosen to limit each interview to an hour. I believe this will give me enough time to discuss everything I have planned and leave room for any extra discussion that may arise during the interview. I also believe that one hour would the maximum amount of time necessary for the interview in terms of keeping the interviewee's interest, avoiding repetitious answers, not taking too much of their time which my deter them from wanting to take part and avoiding having too much dialogue to analyse afterwards.

Atmosphere/ Setting

I am of the impression that the more comfortable the person is, the more likely they are to be honest and open in their responses. Because of this I want all of my interviews to be in a setting that is decided by them. I preferably would have all of them face-to-face but I am aware that this is not always possible with conflicting schedules. Interviewing via skype has been my chosen alternative to face to face interviews as I believe it is more beneficial to get immediate answers from the interviewee rather than practiced or pre determined answers that may not be as honest. From what I have experienced from being an interviewee, it is very unnerving when you do not fully understand a question. This could make the interview more stilted. To avoid this I will give the interviewee my response to the question in order to give them a better understanding of what I am asking. Although I am weary of determining their opinion with my answer so I will need to be light a vague in my response. I may also give a variety of possible conflicting responses for them to pick and develop as their own.

Interviewee's 

I have been quite lucky with my chosen interviewee's in that I have worked, been taught or spoken to them before. This will give me an advantage of an already quite comfortable rapport with the interviewee. I am, however, approaching each interview as though I do not know them. I do not want to make any assumptions about how they may answer and so it is important not to miss out questions that I believe I already know the answers to.

Later on in the inquiry process, when all my research has been acquired and analysed, I am going to organise a debrief with the interviewee, according to their agreement and availability. This will help with how I have perceived their answered as it is important to make sure you have used their words in the most honest form rather than altering to suit my needs. I also believe that it is respectful to those involved to show them my final work to make sure they comfortable with their involvement and included in the final parts of my inquiry.

If any one else has any opinions or advice that they believe would benefit an interview I would love to know as the discussion process we has via skype proved that although we may agree on a lot, each person learning, writing and researching approach can be very different. 

At the end of the discussion Adesola asked us all to come up with a time management tip for present and future students on this course. I completely agreed with Adeola's tip of writing "to do" lists to help you identify what you need to do. Unfortunately for me, Adesola got there first on that one so here is another:

Managing Time tip:

My tip for time management is to always carry a notepad/notebook with you for every day. The mind can not always be convinced to come with ideas on the spot or when you wish it to so being able to note down any thought processes at any moment can be very helpful. I have always found that my mind wanders when I am travelling to/ from work which then meant I was able to maximise the limited amount of time I had in front of a computer.

First Skype Session- 24th February 2015

After having my first group skype session with Paula, I feel so much more confidence about Module 3 and what it entails. As I was very rarely able to be a part of the campus sessions and skype sessions in previous Modules I understand how helpful it is to blog about to discussion and notes I have made during the session.

The session began by clarifying what the final results of my  Module 3 work will consist of:

Critical Review

Described as a formal written explanation about what my professional inquiry is it about, the research I have made and what I have discovered. Consisting of around 6,000 words and estimated to make up 50% of my final submissions, the Critical Review will be separated into 4 sections.

Introduction
Within this section we describe the beginnings of our professional inquiry. 

Evaluation- Literature Review 
The evaluation section is where we will put our literature review. The literature review will be a summary of the main points, arguments and debates raised within the literature. Describing what the individual sources of literature give me as an overview. Paula stressed the importance of keeping up a bibliography throughout the inquiry process to avoid problems later on in the term. We were also told that as the word count limit is quite tight, A longer literature review can be attached as an appendix if I feel it would be necessary.

Analysis
The analysis section is my opportunity to triangulate the information I have collected within my chosen research tools. Identifying and using what similarities and differences there are that seem the most beneficial. It is at this point in the critical review I will be considering what audience I will be creating my professional artefact for, as well as what it may be.

Critical Reflection 
The critical reflection is of the same format as those we have done in previous Modules. Using appendices from the sources I have used in order to explain the process I have been through throughout my inquiry and reflecting upon any trials and success I have come across.

Paula recommended  that we start writing these sections as soon as we feel ready so that it can be improved upon throughout the process. As I have broken the study period into 3 thirds so that I keep on track with my research and inquiry development I intend to begin writing my Critical Review at the end of the 4th study week. 

Professional Artefact
The second part of the inquiry is the professional artefact. The artefact is a way of explaining my professional inquiry topic and discoveries in a form specifically aimed at my chosen audience. The form that it take is open to what I feel to be the most beneficial for my aim. The examples we were given included a website, pample, video or even a choreography if it is appropriate to my topic. The word count for this part is approximately 3,000 words although if written words aren't used it easier to be described as making up 25% of my final inquiry. 

Oral Presentation
The final 25% of my inquiry will be an oral presentation. This will take place after the 12 week term and submission of the aboves pieces. The proal presentation is my opportunity to voice my inquiry topic, researching, findings and experience to a peer group. It was suggested that we can also design and create a powerpoint presentation to coincide if it would be helpful.

Keeping On Track 

We also discussed ways in which we can see if we are on track with our work. Much like the helpful weekly targets given to us in the previous modules. The diagram of the 5 steps of creating our professional inquiry is a very helpful to reference throughout the study period.

"The five stages and corresponding steps in the professional inquiry"

Middlesex University - WBS 3760 Module 3 Handbook BAPP Arts, Institute for Work Based Learning 2014-2015 page 13

Looking at this diagram I now consider myself to be between stages 2 and 3 of my inquiry. Already well into my literature review, I have also begun interviews which is my main inquiry tool. Continually identifying where I am in the diagram will help me to keep on track throughout the term.

Useful Sources

Below is a list of useful sources we discussed in the skype session that will be helpful with inquiry research as sometimes finding literature can become difficult.

• Schonol - Can use other university libraries to search for books, this is the format used to do this through Middlesex University.
• Online Library Site
• Libguides
• My Unihub > Library > Summon 
• b.o.b reading list module 3

We were also recommended to use "citethemright" website in order to create the correct harvard referencing for all written work.

Inquiry Update

It is a rather daunting feeling knowing that after months of work, tasks and self exploration that I am very quickly approaching the end of my BAPP course. Module 1 and 2 have enabled me to explore certain realms of my profession, aside from just the physical act of dancing, that although I have had a small amount of interest I have never really researched. And for this reason I am rather excited (although desperately nervous...eek!) about what I am going to find out about my profession, myself and fellow dancers in the hopes of benefiting my own career as well as the future of others.

"The Role of Nutrition for Dancers and its Physical Impact"

My inquiry topic has gone through a lot of alterations and development since the end of Module 2. I have since established a better focus within my original inquiry topic of  "Nutrition". I have decided to remove my undivided attention on the food aspect of nutrition, but instead explore what defines nutrition and what this then means to a dancer. This change has enabled me to broaden the themes within my topic:

Preparation
Time Restraint
Location
Availability
Attitudes
Emotion
Health
...(to name a few) 

I am going to be researching into how all of the above factors may effect a dancers dietary choices, professional behavior or ability and emotional and physical well being. As well as hoping to discover any more I may not yet know about. My main inquiry question therefore is "What does nutrition mean to a dancer?" as I believe a greater understanding of this would be very beneficial for dancers such as myself. 

In order to gain further insight into the mindset of others I intend to conduct a series of one-to-one, informal interviews with the following people:

Female Professional Dancer
Male Professional Dancer
Vocational Teacher
Mother/Parent
Chef

I do not want to merely interview those within the "dancing world" as I am of the impression from my own experience in training and performing career, that many dancers do not have enough knowledge about their own nourishment. My aim is to learn more about these peoples understanding and opinion of what nutrition is/ what nutrition means to them/ where this has originated/ how certain aspects of their career or life has affected their opinion/ how their life, health, well being may have improved or suffered during their career and why/What steps they take or need to take in order to improve their personal or professional health. Keeping an open mind about what I may discover in the process.

All of my interviewee's will remain anonymous as their identity is not of importance to my inquiry and the freedom to be able to speak without concern of repercussion from identification will hopefully result in honest, open and personal responses to my questions.

I will also be researching my topic through the use of literature. As I have changed my line of inquiry considerably I will almost be starting from scratch in terms of appropriate literature for what I wish to find out. After speaking with my tutor about research possibilities i tend to look further than books and broaden my search to all audio, visual and written works.

Finally using my own thoughts and opinions of the inquiry topic, and almost interviewing myself at the beginning and throughout my research process in order to reveal how much I have learnt during and conclusions I can take from it.

Joining all three of these form of research will enable me to identify any themes, similarities or differences their are between the opinions. From that I hope to create an artifact (of which I have not yet decided) that will present my findings in a form that will educate, advise and help other dancers like myself. As I do not yet know what I will discover I have also not decided upon my audience, other than them being dancers, as I do not yet know at which point of a dancers training or career this knowledge is lacking most and there would be most beneficial.

It is undoubtedly going to be an emotional 12 weeks (in every sense of the word)!

Good Luck Fellow Module 3'ers!

:-)

Critical Reflection on Professional Practitioner Research

I approached the start of this module with an overwhelming amount of ideas for my professional inquiry. I decided at the end of the first module that I wished to base my inquiry on nutrition as it is a subject I have always been interested in. I confirmed that my career would benefit from researching this subject by identifying my professional competences and capabilities (Appendix 1). This highlighted what I feel the weaknesses are in my profession. However it was in finding an article that referred to my nutritional weakness as a common problem for dancers that I realised the importance of my inquiry subject (Appendix 2).

With the support of my tutor enabling me to feel confident in my pursuit of nutrition, I began the development of my inquiry questions. By creating a list of potential survey questions (Appendix 3),  I was able to condense the interview style into five specific questions upon which to base my research (Appendix 4). Producing these questions helped me focus on my goals for the inquiry.

I had never considered the ethics of my profession thoroughly until this module brought its importance to my attention. Through discussion with my colleagues and special interest group (SIG) I was able to clarify the ethical standards of my profession. It was, however, in speaking with my ballet mistress that an ethos was created and therefore a solid ethical foundation for my professional practice was created (Appendix 5).

Reader 5 provided a range of case studies for me to reflect on the ethics. I had particular interest in the first case where due to a hospital's negligence, many patients unnecessarily died and I decided to refer to the official reports for more information (Appendix 6). From further research into this case I came to the conclusion that there can be no complete separation between personal, professional, organisational and societal ethics, displayed in simple diagram within Reader 5 (Appendix 7). As a result of my exploration of professional morals, I created an ethical checklist that I will be able to use when approaching my inquiry (Appendix 8).

I feel that my new and more detailed understanding of ethical standards has helped me establish a solid foundation upon which my professional inquiry will develop.

The construction of my inquiry depends greatly on resources and methods I use for collecting information on my inquiry subject. Reader 6 suggested the possible tools and through research and a pilot survey I was able to identify which would be best for my inquiry (Appendix 9). On reflection I believe that the survey questions would be better suited for an interview as there is better opportunity to go into more detail.

I joined this course in the hopes of broadening my knowledge of my professional practice. I have since then struggled with my ability to reflect on my own professional and personal experiences. The freedom to explore my inquiry subject has created a feeling of purpose of my work and therefore my reflections.



Appendix 1:
http://berniebellp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/competences-and-capabilities.html
Appendix 2:
http://berniebellp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/4dcontinued-finding-literature.html
Appendix 3:
 http://berniebellp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/task-4a-nutritional-health-for-dancers.html
Appendix 4:
 http://berniebellp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/4a-continued-inquiry-questions.html
Appendix 5:
"To give every member of (company name) a secure and complete understanding of their professional roles. Thus allowing all performances to be the highest standard possible."
http://berniebellp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/5b-ethics-of-professional-practice.html
Appendix 6:
http://berniebellp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/5c-case-study-1-mid-staffordshire-nhs.html
Appendix 7:
WBS 3630 Module Reader 5, BAPP Arts
Institute For Work Based Learning
2014-2015
Page 5, Fig 1: Contexts in which ethics operates

Appendix 8:
"Upon thinking about how I am going to approach my Inquiry research I designed the checklist using my own ideas as well those provided in the reader:

• The research proposal must comply with ethical standards and be approved by the Research Ethics Committee.
• To conduct research to the agreed protocol and codes of practice.
• The research data collected must be true to results.
• Those involved in the study must be fully aware of their input and be respected throughout.
• Attention to the confidentially of the results and those involved must be paid.
• The integrity and professional security of those I will be working with must be considered throughout.
• To remain in contact with those that have been involved so as to have clear communication about my intentions with the results for their consent.
• The information given by my the nutritional experts in various interviews must be used to their consent.
• All personal findings from the dancers must be used to their consent.
• During my nutritional experiments, the health of those partaking is of the highest importance.
• To keep my mentor up to date with my findings and research ideas so as to remain compliant with the ethical protocol.
• To be ethically critical about what information is used in terms of their reliability and accuracy.
• To reference the research of others appropriately to avoid plagiarism."

Appendix 9:

http://berniebellp.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/6b-inquiry-tools.html