5d. Ethical Dimensions of My Proposed Inquiry.

I listed the ethical considerations for my proposed Inquiry in the previous blog.  I had started to write down ideas and answers to these questions in my journal for the previous Inquiry topic I wanted to explore, however I felt I was quite limited with my participants. I have now answered these questions with my new Inquiry topic and would now like to share them with you all, so they can be discussed.  I will post the link from this blog post into my S.I.G, so we can discuss these ethical dimensions further.

What is the motivation behind the Inquiry?

I feel this Inquiry topic will be very beneficial to me as it will allow me to explore what employers look for in a dancer in order to want to employ them. I thought it would be useful to use the knowledge and experience of my current employers to get an insight into their thoughts and opinions and then I can apply this knowledge when later returning to auditions, in the hope it might increase my chances of being successful.  Eventually, I would like to teach dance, so I feel this knowledge will be very useful when preparing my students for their auditions.

Does the Inquirer want to bring about a social good?

The knowledge from the exploration of my Inquiry will not only benefit me, but I will make sure it benefits other performers when choosing how to present my artefact.  It will also benefit many of my students, when I have stopped performing and wish to teach. Therefore, I feel by researching this topic, it would help a vast number of performers as well as myself.  

Who stands to benefit most from the research?

At present, I will benefit from the research as I will constantly be returning to auditions once contracts have finished and most dance contracts tend to be short.  I can then pass on my knowledge to the students I will eventually be teaching in the future, which will in turn benefit them.  However, I still feel I would also be benefiting in this situation as it will help me know what to focus on in my classes in order to get them prepared for their auditions, which in turn will hopefully make me a better teacher. 

Who are the participants (role, experience, age)?

I would like to interview my current employers to get their views and opinions and I would also like to contact a casting director for a show I would like to perform in.  I would also like to involve my fellow dance company members, who are approximately the same age as me and are also professionals.  It would also be interesting to involve current students who are just about to enter the dance industry.

How have you chosen these participants?

I wanted to involve my work community at the moment, in a way it will also help me in the future.  I can also speak to them easily as I see them on a regular basis.  Therefore, my employers were the first people I thought of when I wanted to explore this question, as were my fellow company members.  I have not yet tried to contact a casting director as I have not had my ethics form signed, however once I have I will be trying to contact one I have in mind.  (I have not stated who in case they wish for their opinions and responses to be kept anonymous).  I would like to contact students from the dance college I used to attend as I have easy access to the college and I feel the college is more likely to allow me to use their students if they are familiar with me. 

Why were these participants chosen?

I would like to interview my current employers as I will get an insight into what physical and psychological traits they look for in a dancer.  I feel by interviewing someone I know and work with will benefit me, as it will feel more relaxed and they might feel they can open up to me in more detail as we already work together.  I would like to interview a casting director of a show I would like to be in, as this will enable me to take on board their views and opinions and work to prepare for the audition.  I feel it would be interesting to get the opinions of both professional dancers and students just about to attend auditions, to see  what they think employers look for and then compare their expectations to those of the employer. 

How will you contact them?  Will you need to talk to Gatekeepers to do this?

I will ask my employers and fellow dance members of the company in person, as I see them on a regular basis. However, with the students I don't see, I will need to contact the college with a formal letter or email to see if it would be possible to use a selection of their third year students, who will be graduating in a few months.  I will also have to contact the casting director in the same way.  I feel a formal email will probably be more efficient, as it is quicker and easier to make contact.  As all the participants will be over 16, I won't need to talk to many Gatekeepers.  However, the casting director might be very busy and have a Gatekeeper who deals with requests, but I will find that out once I have had permission to contact them.      

How will you make sure that your participants can leave the Inquiry if they desire to do so?

I will inform the participants that they can leave the Inquiry when they wish, before asking any questions and carry out any of the gathering data process.  I will also inform them of what their data will be used for so they know exactly why they are answering the questions asked.  I will also tell them they don't have to answer any questions they feel uncomfortable with at any point.  I will make sure all participants feel at ease and not pressured at all.  They will also be told their data will be anonymous.  

Do the participants have your contact details?

Yes, I will make sure the participants have my contact details so they can inform me if they aren't happy with carrying on with the Inquiry.  They would also have my details from when I originally contacted them and my current employers and dance associates already have my contact details.

Are you storing the participants data safely?

Yes, if the data is a hard copy, then I will make sure I keep their data secured in a locked filing cabinet and will continue to put all future data in there too.  If the data is in a digital format, I will be putting it into a folder on my laptop which only I will be able to access, as a password will be needed to access the account.  However, I will also be trying to print off most of the data in digital format in order to obtain a hard copy of it, in case anything happens to my laptop and I lose the data.  Therefore, I will also be storing this in the locked filing cabinet.

I also mentioned previously that I will:

• Stay neutral and not influence any of the participants answers.
• Represent views and opinions even if they go against my own.
• Use the correct citation where it is necessary, so I don't pass off the work as my own.
• Make sure I get the Ethics form signed before contacting any of the participants and gathering any data from them.
• Make sure my current Employer is aware of why I would like to use their knowledge, support and opinions for my Inquiry, before they sign the Employer Support form.
• Make sure all questions asked are relevant and won't make the participants feel uncomfortable.
• Make sure they are aware that all data will be confidential and anonymous.

At the moment, I am in the process of drafting my Ethics Form and once I have discussed my new topic in further detail with my fellow B.A.P.P course students and Paula, to make sure this topic will be appropriate, I will get the Employer Support Form signed by one of my current employers.

Update...

So after a lot of thinking, mind mapping and speaking with Paula this week, I have decided my original Inquiry topic on the effects of rejection on a dancer wasn't personal enough to me.  Even though I have experienced rejection many times through out my career, as have many other dancers, I wanted to focus on something a bit more positive and relevant to my work at the moment and for the future.  I am lucky enough to be working for a couple of different companies at the moment, one focusing on bollywood dance and another company focusing on tribute shows around the UK and also shows within care homes.  I would like to incorporate these employers within my Inquiry and fellow company members in order to further my knowledge on a particular element of the industry.

I have always been interested at looking into the "audition" aspect of the industry, as we are forever going to auditions in order to get our next job.  However, I thought it would be interesting to have an insight into what employers look for in order to employ a dancer, whilst I am working along side them and can obtain this knowledge.

Therefore, the new topic I would like to explore for my Inquiry is along the lines of:

"What makes a dancer employable?"

I'm still not 100 percent sure how to word the Inquiry question, but I think once I have researched this area more thoroughly, it will hopefully lead me to a question I am happy with. 

By exploring this, I feel it will help me in my career as I can apply the findings to myself and make sure I prepare myself in the correct way for future auditions.   Also, I eventually wish to teach dance and I feel this knowledge would also be useful in order to prepare my students for auditions as I would be aware of what employers are looking for in auditions.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this new Inquiry topic.

5c. Relating Ethical Theories to my Inquiry

The three main contexts where ethics are considered are shown below:

• PERSONAL

• PROFESSIONAL

• ORGANISATIONAL

Source from - http://ethicseducationonline.net/

These contexts can be informed by many sources.  For example:

PERSONAL - Family values, Religion, Conscience

PROFESSIONAL - The norms of particular Professions/Code of conduct

ORGANISATIONAL - Relates to Organisational Culture / Ethos (Greek word meaning character)

"Ethics is frequently not a case of black and white - where an action is either right or wrong.  Often, it is rather a grey area where there is uncertainty and where other issues and considerations can affect outcomes".  (Middlesex University WBS 3630 - Reader 5)

Many Philosophers have different opinions and theories about ethics.  Below are some of these theories:

Ethics can be traced from Plato and Aristotle and the Greek Philosophers saw ethics as a notion of good and bad.  Ethics stem from moral philosophy and focuses on the right/good way to carry out actions.  Aristotle was concerned with the character of an individual.  I feel I agree with this theory because everyone has their own personal views on what can be morally right or wrong.  I feel a lot of it stems from character traits and the individuals background and experiences. 

Another Philosopher who considered the issue of ethics for a social good is Hobbes (1651). Hobbes believed that in order to achieve a peaceful and co-operative order amongst society, a set of moral rules would need to be followed.  

In the 13th Century, Aquinas placed ethics within a religious and Christian context by believing that all things created by God, provide a natural underpinning for Christian moral values.  This is one theory where religion is closely associated with morals and ethics.

Immanuel Kant (1779), based his philosophy on reason, rather than religion and he believed that you should help people no matter what your desires are.  He believed lying was wrong no matter what the circumstances were.  I agree with this to a certain extent because lying is seen to be morally wrong, however if you are going to help someone and no harm comes to any one else then you are in a sense doing it for a good reason.

However, in contrast to Kant, JS Mill (1861) believed that doing right was to produce the greatest good for the greatest number.  Therefore, if doing wrong would eventually help out a greater number of people then it would be right. The example given in the Reader is a very controversial one that many people will have difference opinions on.  This theory suggests, "If you killed one person, in order to save nine people" then this decision would be justified. Logically I agree with this, but morally I think it would depend on that one persons intentions and the situation.  For example; if the one person was completely innocent then what gives any one the right to take their life.  However, if that one person was threatening to kill the other nine innocent people then in that instance I feel for the safety of the others it would be morally right to kill that one person as they are going against the law.    

There are three theoretical approaches to ethics:

CONSEQUENTIALISM - This theory agrees with JS Mill's theory that an act can be morally right if the consequences benefit the greater good.     

DEONTOLOGY- This agrees with Kant's theory, that the only good thing is good will and that a motive behind an action determines whether or not it is morally right.

VIRTUE ETHICS- This theory can be traced back to Plato and Aristotle where they is a greater emphasis on being rather than doing.   

The passage of time can have an effect on the notions of what is now morally right.  For example; Homosexuality used to be illegal in the UK in 1967 and now same sex marriage in the UK has been made legally and morally right.

The Hart-Devlin debate is interesting as Hart (1963) argues the law's purpose is more about a necessity to prevent certain harmful acts e.g. killing, theft, violence.  Where as, Devlin (1959) argues that the private behaviour should be regulated morally deriving from Christianity.  Therefore, ethics is being argued between Law and Religion.

Ethics are considered and thought about in every aspect of our lives. For example; personal, professional, public and private.  It governs our actions and guides the decisions we take and what we do.  Codes of conduct have been developed in established professions, by which professionals follow in order to uphold certain standards.  This is why as performers we have to sign contracts and codes of conduct. 

Laws have been put in place to uphold standards and make sure no harm is placed upon anyone.  Going against these Acts is seen as being legally and morally wrong.

• Data Protection Act
• Human Rights Act
• Childrens Act
• Equality Act

Morals and Ethics raise NORMATIVE questions such as "Is it right to..?" as opposed to factual ones.  This leaves the question more open in regards to peoples answers.  By answering a normative question they are more likely to give their opinion and share their morals and beliefs.  These types of questions would be more beneficial when gathering information for my Inquiry as the factual questions don't allow others to expand on and justify their answers.

Three processes and definitions of moral philosophy are:

METEATHICS: An analysis which involves trying to discern what moral terms are generally understood to mean.

THEORETICAL NORMATIVE ETHICS: Involves making moral judgements and developing moral theories.

• Moral axiology - theories of good and evil
• Virtue Ethics - theories of moral excellence in character
• Theory of moral obligation - what kinds of actions are morally permissable.

APPLIED ETHICS: Finding acceptable resolutions or moral problems e.g. professional ethics/research ethics.

There are different ways of discussing an ethical problem.

Descriptive ethics: 

• An objective description of the reasons behind moral choices and values in society.
• Does not examine or question issues
• States "What" the case is

Normative ethics:

• Examines the norm or principles that people use when they make moral choices
• Raises Deontological questions about the values expressed through moral choices.
• Whether an action is "Right or Wrong".

Ethical Arguments see the premises (the facts, situation and norms of behaviour used by yourself or those involved) move logically to the conclusions.  It is important to acknowledge objectivity and subjectivity in ethical arguments.  It is more likely to follow universal principles if the ethics are based on reason and objectivity.  

There is also an argument of moral relativism, which holds the view that there is no universal moral norms.  It depends on the context.  For example; What is right or good in one society or time may not be the same in another.  I feel this relates back to my views on the question "Is it right to kill one person to save nine people?".         

Ethical Considerations for my Professional Inquiry

There are many ethics I need to consider when dealing with the people I will be gathering data from.  I will need to consider the points below and I have started to answer these questions in my journal:

• What is the motivation behind the Inquiry?
• Does the Inquirer want to bring about a social (professional) good?
• Who stands to benefit most from the research?
• Who are the participants? (role, experience, age?)
• How have you chosen these participants?
• Why were the participants chosen?
• How will you contact them?  Will you need to talk to Gatekeepers to do this?
• How will you make sure that your participants can leave the inquiry if they desire to do so?
• Do the participants have your contact details?
• Are you storing the participants data safely?

I have also made an "Ethics Checklist" below in which I must follow when gathering data for my Inquiry:

• My proposals must be Ethical and Legal. 
• I must conduct research to the agreed protocol and in accordance with the legal requirements and guidance.
• To ensure I treat the research participants with honesty and respect by informing them of the purpose of the study.
• Ensure the participants safety and well being through out the research procedure.
• To ensure data collected is accurate, relevant and valid.
• To ensure the data is suitably stored and archived and attention is paid to confidentiality.
• To manage resources efficiently e.g finances, time.
• Report any project-related problems, failures, adverse incidents, misconduct in the appropriate way.
• Provide participants with feedback and intentions of the results obtained.
• Provide accurate, truthful and complete reports.
• Ensure the work is available for critical review. 
• Make sure any digital data is handled correctly to ensure it is not manipulated or shared with the wrong people. 

It is also important when representing myself as a researcher that I find a balance between the power of the researcher and the participant.  I need to make sure I stay neutral and don't influence any of the participants answers.

Through out gathering data for my Inquiry, my duty as the researcher will be to present findings as accurately as possible.  The data should represent the views and attitudes of the participants, even if it goes against my own thoughts and opinions.

Many ethical issues have been brought to my attention through out this module. I will make sure I use citation for all sources found and referred to through out my Inquiry.  I will not pass others work off as my own, as Plagiarism has serious consequences.   I will also make sure the participants are at ease and fully aware of what my intentions with their results from the research are for.  I will also make sure I obtain the appropriate form of permission from the participants, this could mean getting a written signature.  I need to make sure I protect my data and store it securely.  If conducting a questionnaire, survey or interview I must make sure the questions I am asking are relevant and all their results will be confidential. I do not intend to use the age, name or class of the participants as all findings will remain anonymous.

I look forward to conducting a safe and ethical Inquiry. 

   

5b. Ethical codes of practice/regulations in the workplace

The online dictionary defines ethos as:

• (used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.

• the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.:

medical ethics; Christian ethics.

• moral principles, as of an individual:

His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.

• (usually used with a singular verb) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.                                                                                         http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics?s=t

I have signed many contracts/codes of conduct during my career at the beginning of a job.  I knew it was a guideline for my behaviour and what was thought to be good and bad behaviour by the employer. However, I had never connected it with the word Ethics.  

It is hard to generalise the correct ethics for a dancer because every company/employer will have their own codes of conducts and regulations to abide by.  However, the basic principles and morals will be the same.  I have seen Dani and Sarah have spoken about the 1945 "Theatre Workers Code of Ethics" by Kathleen Freeman,  in the LA Stage Times and I couldn't agree more with what Kathleen Freeman has written.  Even though these codes of Ethics were written in 1945, it is interesting that they still apply today.  This shows peoples expectations of morals and professional behaviour has not changed.

The rules stated:  

1. I shall never miss a performance.

2. I shall play every performance with energy, enthusiasm and to the best of my ability regardless of size of audience, personal illness, bad weather, accident, or even death in my family.

3. I shall forego all social activities which interfere with rehearsals or any other scheduled work at the theatre, and I shall always be on time.

4. I shall never make a curtain late by my failure to be ready on time.

5. I shall never miss an entrance.

6. I shall never leave the theatre building or the stage area until I have completed my performance, unless I am specifically excused by the stage manager; curtain calls are a part of the show.

7. I shall not let the comments of friends, relatives or critics change any phase of my work without proper consultation; I shall not change lines, business, lights, properties, settings or costumes or any phase of the production without consultation with and permission of my director or producer or their agents, and I shall inform all people concerned.

8. I shall forego the gratification of my ego for the demands of the play.

9. I shall remember my business is to create illusion; therefore, I shall not break the illusion by appearing in costume and makeup off-stage or outside the theatre.

10. I shall accept my director’s and producer’s advice and counsel in the spirit in which it is given, for they can see the production as a whole and my work from the front.

11. I shall never “put on an act” while viewing other artists’ work as a member of an audience, nor shall I make caustic criticism from jealousy or for the sake of being smart.

12. I shall respect the play and the playwright and, remembering that “a work of art is not a work of art until it is finished,” I shall not condemn a play while it is in rehearsal.

13. I shall not spread rumor or gossip which is malicious and tends to reflect discredit on my show, the theatre, or any personnel connected with them-either to people inside or outside the group.

14. Since I respect the theatre in which I work, I shall do my best to keep it looking clean, orderly and attractive regardless of whether I am specifically assigned to such work or not.

15. I shall handle stage properties and costumes with care for I know they are part of the tools of my trade and are a vital part of the physical production.

16. I shall follow rules of courtesy, deportment and common decency applicable in all walks of life (and especially in a business in close contact with the public) when I am in the theatre, and I shall observe the rules and regulations of any specific theatre where I work.

17. I shall never lose my enthusiasm for theatre because of disappointments.
In addition, the document continued:
“I understand that membership in the Circle Theatre entitles me to the privilege of working, when I am so assigned, in any of the phases of a production, including: props, lights, sound, construction, house management, box office, publicity and stage managing-as well as acting. I realize it is possible I may not be cast in a part for many months, but I will not allow this to dampen my enthusiasm or desire to work, since I realize without my willingness to do all other phases of theatre work, there would be no theatre for me to act in.”
All members of the Circle Theatre were required to sign this document. And they must have-because the theatre, and the group into which it evolved, was successful for many years.

http://lastagetimes.com/2009/08/a-1945-code-of-ethics-for-theatre-workers-surfaces/

These are all important ethical codes in which all performers on stage should follow, in order to keep a happy work ethos between the cast and production team as well as produce a successful show.  It allows the cast members to all be of equal importance.  I found the last point very interesting as it links in with what I have been researching for my Inquiry.

"I shall never lose my enthusiasm for theatre because of disappointments".

"I realize it is possible I may not be cast in a part for many months, but I will not allow this to dampen my enthusiasm or desire to work, since I realize without my willingness to do all other phases of theatre work, there would be no theatre for me to act in."

I have been looking into how constant rejection can affect a dancers well being.  It is easy to say you shall never lose your enthusiasm for theatre because of disappointments, however it is hard to accept and can be soul destroying.  Some dancers are emotionally stronger than others, so they won't be affected as much as the ones who aren't.  I think the idea of still working in the theatre even when not performing is a good one, as you are still in the environment you want to be in and you don't lose sight of your ambition as you are still part of it.

I steward at a theatre part time when I am not performing and I love watching the shows because it inspires me and reminds me why all the hard work and knock backs are worth it, making me more determined for my next audition.

I can not put up copies of my contracts on to my blog for privacy reasons, however a lot of the points stated on the contracts are very similar to those above.  Some consequences of not abiding by these codes, even result in having to pay fines to the company.  For example, if I use any of their material such as choreography, music etc and pass it off as my own, I have to pay the employer up to £500.  Also, if I confirm a booking and then can no longer attend the show three weeks prior to the performance I have to pay 80% of the performance fee and 100% of the performance fee two weeks prior to the performance. However, if a show is cancelled on their behalf, they don't have to pay me any percentage of the fee.  I also have pay deducted from my fees if I am late for any rehearsals.  I have also had other contracts were it states, you will get a set amount of warnings before they take it further and replace you.

What are your thoughts on this?  Should we be made to pay?  Does it make dancers abide by the rules more seriously if they know they will be fined? Or is it an easy way out for the performer, as they would rather pay than get fired?    

I typed "dance ethics" into the Google search engine and the article by Julia Buckroyd was an interesting read.  Within this article she talks about Professionalisation, Values and Ethical Issues.  http://www.ethicsdance.co.uk/downloads_assets/Ethics%20in%20Dance%20%20%20A%20debate%20yet%20to%20be%20held.pdf  

The sections in the article that stood out to me were:

Ethical issues

My view is that the dance profession is at a point in its history where its importance in our culture demands that it begins to develop an internally evolved code of ethics and practice to address all relevant issues within professional dance. There has been an attempt in the United Kingdom to develop such a code. It was initially devised by the late Peter Brinson, a dancer with the Royal Ballet, who became a notable supporter of the development of improved practice in the dance world. The 1990 Dance UK Healthier Dancer Conference owed much to him and was the first time that what I should call ethical issues within dance had been aired openly. I was a contributor to that conference myself and presented one of two papers on eating disorders. I remember very clearly the mixture of horror and satisfaction which greeted the very mention of this problem. The Dancers Charter was an attempt to codify some of the insights arising from that conference. However, it consists of a list of instructions of what members of the dance community 'should' do. For example: ‘Choreographers should resist the pressure put on them to innovate and push back the limitations of physical achievement’. Although Brinson's charter can still provide a useful beginning to thinking about the ethical issues that arise in dance, it needs to be preceded by a statement of the values and principles on which it is based otherwise it becomes yet another list of arbitrary instructions. It also needs to be embedded within the profession in such a way that there are sanctions for those who fail to abide by its requirements. Indeed the charter itself needs to be reviewed in the light of recent standards for the profession and increased knowledge of the requirements for physical and psychological health. For example, if I draw from my own area of expertise which is eating disorders, I am concerned to make it known that failure to menstruate regularly has an absolute relationship to the thinning of bone density. The demand that dancers maintain weight below which they menstruate is therefore, in my opinion, unethical.

Peter Brinson (1992), has attempted to put in an ethical code that dancers can abide by called the "Dancers Charter" however, it is describe as a list of "should do's" and the values and principles of which it is based still need to be addressed.  She mentions that there should be "sanctions for those who fail to abide by its requirements".  This shows it is a serious matter and there will be consequences if you don't follow the regulations.  

Is this forcing people to follow the codes of conducts even if they personally believe it is morally wrong?  Everyone's morals and values are different depending on their background and experiences, therefore people are not all going to feel the same.

Maybe this is why employers feel it is necessary to fine or fire employees if they don't meet the required codes of conduct?  

However, the codes of conduct are not only there for the benefit of the employer but they should be there to protect the welfare of the performer.  There could also be consequences for the employer, if they don't treat the employee in a safe and respectable way. 

It will be no easy task to devise a code appropriate to the dance profession. In fact I would like to propose that the development of such a code depends on our capacity to understand that the dancer needs to be at the centre of the dance. For all our techniques and traditions dance, as a thing in itself, does not exist. There is no such thing as 'dance', only people dancing. Our love affairs with technical excellence and choreographic innovation have allowed us to disregard the physical and emotional welfare of the dancer and the result is the continuing dismal toll of physical and psychological injury. Yet fundamentally dance is a celebration of life given embodiment by the dancer. We need a paradigm shift whereby the dancer will no longer be seen as an 'instrument' for the choreography or a success story for the teacher but rather as an equal collaborator in the creation of an art form. On that basis an ethical code might have power to transform and re-enliven our profession. Furthermore a code of ethics for dance needs to be evolved from within the profession and to involve the contribution of dancers and dance students. They are what are called within the health profession 'service users'. Their point of view is essential since they are the ones on the receiving end of training and employment and know best the realities of that situation. If individual organisations can begin formulating values, principles and codes for dance the debate, which needs to take place, can begin.

Here Buckroyd has acknowledged that we need to follow ethical codes to protect the individual dancers, rather than dance as a discipline.  I agree with this as the regulations need to be there in order to make sure no harm comes to the performer physically and psychologically.  Choreographers push dancers to their limits in order to achieve what they have envisioned,  however they don't always take into consideration the strain it has on the performer.  I think if organisations do begin formulating values, principles and codes for the dancers, I feel it will benefit both the performers and the choreographers. The performers will be prevented from any physical or psychological injury and the outcome of the work will be better for the choreographer as the dancer has looked after themselves and is able to perform to their full potential. I also feel if the choreographer has more respect for the dancer, then the respect will be returned by the performer making it a safer and more enjoyable working atmosphere.

I also teach dance workshops to children aged 6-10, and it is extremely important to follow ethical codes whilst in their presence.  Below, Buckroyd explains that by setting in ethical codes and values you will protect those involved from harm.  These legislations determine how power is to be limited and constrained. 

Values 

The fact is that once an activity develops from the private project of a few dedicated individuals to a large scale activity, recruiting members from a wide range of sources and in receipt of public funds, it inevitably becomes subject to regulatory authority. The main thrust of this regulation, whether it is in the health professions, education, employment or other areas of activity, is the protection of those involved in it from harm. Dance schools and companies within the developed world are now subject to large numbers of these constraints. Underlying legislative and regulatory constraints are values which determine how power is to be limited and constrained. In some professions these values are expressed in ethical codes which try to articulate the principles which guide behaviour, especially behaviour between people of unequal power, and often refer to situations which are not covered by legislative codes. Ethical codes are particularly useful and likely to be developed in professions which deal with people in the role of patients, clients, students and children.

I mentioned in my previous blog, the ethical codes of which I must follow in order to teach dance to a class of children safely.  These regulations are important and after reading these articles and Reader 5, it has enabled me to understand the reasons WHY they are of importance in more depth.

5a. Ethics in the workplace

It is extremely important to be aware of the many ethics involved  working as a performer/teacher.  In this blog post, I will discuss the ethics of a performer working in the UK and abroad and I will also write about the ethics I need to consider when teaching a dance workshop to children, as I also do this quite regularly.

Ethics I must follow in order to be a professional performer

Auditions:

• Present yourself well e.g. appearance.
• Remember to follow good etiquette towards panellists and other dancers (which some people may find difficult as they are in competition with them).
• If not successful, be respectful and hold in your feelings until you have left the room (you never know when you might have to audition for them again).
• Be considerate when other dancers are performing the movements/routine.
• Respect the audition criteria e.g. height restrictions, special requirements.  Don't turn up anyway when you don't fit that criteria , because there is normally a good reason why they have asked to see people with that criteria and you will waste your time and theirs.
• Do yourself justice and perform to the best of your ability. 

Rehearsals:

• Respect the choreographer and the other dancers around you.
• Always dance full out unless stated to do so otherwise.
• Make sure everyone is involved and no one is left on their own as you are a cast and will be working together.
• Don't be lazy just because you have the job.
• Follow the directors/choreographers instructions.

Performance:

• Perform exactly what has been choreographed/practised.
• Perform to the best of your ability.
• If you want to film the show, make sure you have gained permission from the choreographer and the other members of the cast.
• The director/choreographer should make sure the movements/costumes/theme of the show is appropriate for the age of the audience.

I have experience of working abroad and in the UK and the ethics whilst working abroad are a lot more relaxed and sparse on their part, compared to the ethics working in the UK.  However, it is important you remain professional and follow the personal ethics you would abide by when working in a professional environment in the UK.

My experiences working abroad

When I danced in Cyprus, touring Paphos dancing in various Hotels, bars and even a boat show, it was obvious they had a much more laid back approach to health and safety and also sadly our welfare.  We would turn up to the venue and be given our changing space, which was often any space as close to the stage as possible.  Many of the hotels were very helpful and either gave us hotel rooms, or a backstage dressing room with mirrors and lights, which gave us plenty of space for our quick changes.  However, in some of the smaller venues such as the bars, we were often put in a tiny store room with lots of stock in, or cornered off areas with hardly any room at all.

When we performed on the boat show, we had already done a previous show and by this time the boat had sailed, so we were put onto a speed boat each week to take us to the boat in order to do our show.  It would be pitch black by this point and the boat was tiny and we had to fit four of us onto it, each with a suitcase of costumes and also the driver of the boat.  The Cypriot driver used to mess around and tip the boat from side to side thinking it was funny.  This however put our safety at risk, not to mention the engine cut out one time and we were left stranded in the sea until he got it to work again. Our changing area on the boat was in an open space behind the bar with nothing to cover us so all the male employers on the boat would watch us get changed and any passengers needing the toilet would also have to walk past.  It was hard to cover up and get changed discreetly, because we just had to throw our costume off and get the next one on in order to make the next routine in time!

Many of the floors were also a  health issue, this hindered us from doing the routine properly so we didn't put ourselves at risk of injury.  Many of the hotels had a clear dancing area, with an even dance floor which was safe to dance on.  While in many of the bars, we were required to dance outside on uneven concrete floors.  At one particular venue there were many pot holes in the floor, which made us very wary and we found ourselves concentrating more on not falling down the holes rather than performing the routines.  

Although we knew a lot of it was wrong and would be against health and safety, we would all just get on with it, as we knew it was just their more relaxed way of life.  Should we just grin and bare it or should we complain more?  I think in our case, the problems were small and we knew it was only for a short amount of time, as we would be at the venue for a maximum of an hour, so we would just put up with it.  However, if someone had got hurt or the matters were more serious we would then have to stand up for ourselves in order to claim our rights and prevent anything happening to other dancers.

The pay for working abroad is quite low and some jobs I have seen advertised recently are asking dancers to work for free?! You wouldn't expect any other employer with a specific skill, who has trained professionally through blood, sweat and tears, to work for free, so why is it okay to ask us?  I feel when you are out of training, it is not about gaining the "experience" for your CV, it is about trying to earn a living!  

I am a member of Equity, which fortunately has our welfare and best interests at heart and will put guidelines down as to what is acceptable and what isn't.  There has recently been a debate about performers working for free for a "Kylie Minogue" music video.  I have put the link below:

http://dancelounge.com.au/news/kylies-dancers-expected-to-work-for-free-paythedancers/

We are lucky to have organisations like these supporting us and we have to stick together and let people treat us how we deserve to be treated.


Ethical codes and conducts to follow as a teacher/choreographer

As a dance teacher it is important to follow many ethical codes for the safety of the children and also to cover yourself.

• Must have a current DBS check.
• Must be first aid trained or have someone in the building who is.
• Don't be left alone with a child.  Luckily, I teach the workshop with another dancer which limits the chances of being left alone with a child.  
• Always ask permission first if you have to physically correct the child e.g. put them into the correct position.
• Make sure I carry Public Liability Insurance.
• Always get permission from the parent/guardian if the child is under 16, if you want to film a dance or take photographs for marketing purposes to promote further workshops. For our workshop the parents/guardians have to sign a consent form, this allows all parents to take photos and videos during the show at the end of the day.  However, if one parent refuses to sign the form then no one is allowed to take photos or film.  We have had someone refuse to sign the form before, however in order to please everyone we got the children to do the 10 minute performance twice.  Once without photographs and then the parent took their child home and on the second performance the audience were allowed to film.  However, if the show had been longer we wouldn't have been able to do this.
• We make sure we have up to date information of any medical issues any of the children have e.g. asthma, injuries etc.  They also eat their lunch together during the day so it is always important we check if the children have any allergies and ask if any of the other children have that specific food.  We then make sure they don't eat near the food they are allergic to, to avoid any reactions.
• I did a week summer school with children aged 7-11 and I had to be aware of the copyright and licensing laws regarding the music and script I was using. 
• It is important to be enthusiastic to encourage the children.
• It is important to not raise your voice in an aggressive way.
• Make sure you have a good discipline method.  When I teach the workshop, I give the child three warnings and then if they still aren't behaving they have to sit out for the amount of years they are e.g. 6 year old = 6 mins etc.
• It is important to be approachable and fun, yet still hold authority.
• I make sure the surroundings are safe before the class starts e.g. check the low plug sockets are switched off and covered, all wires are taped down or hidden, the floor space is clear and clean.
• I always make sure the clothes they are wearing won't put them at risk of falling over and hurting themselves e.g no socks, no jewellery.
• I make sure I do a sufficient warm up and cool down.
• It is also important you do not copy other dancers/choreographers work and pass it off as your own.  This is known as Plagiarism.
• I plan the end performance so every child in the workshop is at the centre and the front at some point of the performance to make it fair.  It is important not to show favouritism as it could discourage some students.
• I always make sure I use praise where it is due.  This rewards the child who has worked hard and encourages the other students to do well so they can also receive praise.

Discussion from my SIG

Sarah Smales posted an interesting story in my SIG over the weekend.  

https://www.facebook.com/MindBodyGreen/posts/10152779964659372

It shows the different effects rejection can have on certain individuals.  Some people find it hard to deal with and it destroys their self esteem leaving them to not want to carry on dancing and on the other hand it can set a fire inside someone which makes them even more determined and makes them want to keep fighting until they succeed! 

It brought to my attention there must be underlying reasons why one individual can take rejection to heart and how someoe else can just let it go and move on.  It made me intrigued to find out  why this happens e.g personality traits, environmental factors, family/personal background, emotional state at the time and their journey through training and what they have experienced. I think a lot of it stems from self belief! If you believe in yourself and have confidence you are more likely to carry on fighting because you believe you have what it takes and that someone will like what you have to offer at some point. Where as if you don't believe in yourself people can sense that at auditions and you are more likely to believe you aren't good enough when rejected. 

We also discussed whether a good personal support system could help an individual stay more positive and focused on their ambitions as they have family/friends etc there to encourage and reassure them, lifting their spirits back up.  I certainly feel this is the case, however I feel if the individual doesn't believe in themselves they will find it hard to accept their personal supports opinions and beliefs.

Thanks again to Sarah Smales for bringing this article to my SIG for discussion :)

I am looking forward to sharing more articles with everyone and discussing them. 

4d. Literature and Research

Over the last few weeks I have been to my local library and ordered some books I feel will be useful in exploring and developing my inquiry.  I have also been searching for articles online and on "Summon".

What points in Reader 4 about research will I use to develop my topic?

• "The professional Inquiry approach to practitioner research introduces a process of determining knowledge that is valuable to individual learners and their networks". (Reader 4)  Therefore, It is important I choose an Inquiry that will benefit me and others in my professional community.

• I will need to "investigate" and research "case studies" to help develop and explore what other professionals are doing in the practice.

• The use of academic literature will be valuable as it "is often peer - viewed by other experts in the field in order to ensure the research is genuine and that it follows the formal conventions of the discipline. - By including this research, my findings should be reliable and accurate in order to gain information to develop my Inquiry. 

• I found Penelope Hanstein's comparison of research to dance in her "Balancing the Systematic and the Serendipitous" very interesting and feel it is a very good comparison and one I can relate to. "In this sense, research shares much in common with dance making.  Just as choreography is far more than assembling steps, scholarly research is far more than collecting and assembling data.  Like dance making, research is a purposeful, creative, interpretive, and intuitive process that is often circuitous and improvisational.  The quintessential element of both choreography and research is discovery- we enter without knowing, in order to discover what we need to know to lead us to what there is to know.  The skills that we know so well as choreographers are also the skills that we use as researchers". (1999,23). - This quote stood out to me and really made clear the definition of research.  I will be using the skills I already know to help me discover new things which will hopefully lead me to find out what I want to know.

• I will be using primary research whilst exploring and developing my Inquiry.  Primary research includes; interviews, questionnaires, surveys and observations.  I feel this type of research is extremely important as you are gaining first hand information from peoples experiences.

• As well as using primary research I will also be using secondary data such as census statistics and reports, books and journals that may be a mixture of academic and professional analyses and critique, newspapers, television and radio programmes. Reader 4 states many reasons why secondary data analysis is useful and effective. For example; if the data you want to use already exists then it will save time, it could complement the primary data I have collected, 

• I will also be using experiential knowledge through extracts from my journal.  This will allow me to work with my experience at work as "evidence" rather than "conjecture" (Wong, 2010).  

• I will need to include concepts and theories in order to explain my practice, which I will find through research. 

• I will be using the SIG groups, to share ideas and knowledge with other B.A.P.P students to explore and develop ideas.  

• I need to include literature in order to understand my topic in more depth.  This will help me as I can read what other professionals and researchers have written about the topic I want to explore.  I can then use what they have written to back up my findings at a later point.

• It will be useful for me to annotate as I go, when reading through literature.  This means it will be easier to see the main points that stand out to me and what I want to refer back to.

Useful Literature to develop my Inquiry

I ordered the book "Advice for Dancers" by Linda H. Hamilton (1998) from the library.  Even though this book was published in 1998, I feel the topics discussed have not changed since then and will always be the same due to the demanding industry.  This book addresses the social, emotional and physical needs of a dancer.  Linda H. Hamilton is a clinical psychologist who previously danced with the New York Ballet.  The fact she used to be a dancer and has had first hand experience and knowledge of the dance industry was important to me, as I feel people will never fully understand what a dancer has to go through unless they have experienced it themselves.  In this book Linda H. Hamilton discusses many issues I'm sure all dancers can relate to.  For example; Body shape, appearance, eating disorders, what makes a dancer, dance training, competition between dancers, the audition package,performance anxiety, psychological pressures, injury and life after dance.   

I have been looking at the pressures of the dance industry and I feel this book really pin points the pyschological and physical effects those pressures can cause.  I have been looking at the effects that constant rejection has on a performer and I have found this topic crosses paths with a lot of the issues listed above.  

I feel this book will help me to discover more psychological and physical effects the dance industry has on a dancer in more depth and even inform me of some effective coping strategies.   

I have found a few articles online that will be useful in developing my inquiry. 

This article "Dealing with rejection" from "Life in the Theatre" by Tuirenn Hurstfield discusses many key points about rejection.  Tuirenn Hurstfield is a Freelance Theatre Director and Playwright and this article is interesting as it shows the audition and rejection process from a different view.  Instead of getting the opinion from an auditonee, this shows the opinion of a director.  He discusses the audition process, reasons why dancers get rejected, why rejection feels so bad and also how to cope with audition rejection.  I feel this will be helpful in realising "why" dancers can get rejected.

http://lifeinthetheatre.com/dealing-with-audition-rejection/

Another article I feel will be useful in order to understand my Inquiry topic further is "The truth about life as a background dancer" by Will Storr in "The Telegraph". I feel this is an interesting article as it discusses the life of dancers from someone looking in from the outside and explains the pressures even successful dancers feel from the industry, as well as what dancers have to sacrifice and go through in order to be successful.  This will once again, give me another view on the pressures dancers have to face and explains many reasons why dancers may feel disheartened when they are not successful. 
http://lifeinthetheatre.com/dealing-with-audition-rejection/  

I previously posted an article on my blog during Module 1, which I found very interesting. This article was called "Here's the real reason you didn't get called to audition" by Phil Willmot and it was published in "The Stage".  Phil Willmot is a Director, Artistic Director, Playwright, Composer, Dramaturg, Arts Journalist and occassional Actor.  He explains how he makes his initial cuts before the audition process even begins.  This article proves how cut throat the industry is and how you could be cut or not asked to an audition and it has nothing to do with your talent.  He explains how when he can't cut the CV's down any more he will just simply "cut every third one".  I feel this is a risk on the Directors behalf because he could be cutting someone perfect for the job, but he simply can't see them all.  

The last paragraph in the article stood out to me, as it explains the reasons why you may not have been successful but also that it can just simply be down to luck.  "You might not have got the job because you don't look right or haven't got appropriate experience.  You might have an agent who doesn't know the right people for that job, or just isn't very good.  But equally, it might be that luck wasn't on your side that day".
http://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2014/real-reason-not-called-audition/

Whilst looking online I came across an interesting article about the pressures of staying thin as a dancer and the effects it can have.  It turns out this has been written by my ballet teacher from dance college.  It is a useful article because she is looking at these psychological issues from a teachers point of view and eventually I would like to teach. Therefore, by recognising and being made aware of these issues I will hopefully be able to try and prevent them and help my students.  
http://www.istd.org/courses-and-training/resources/food-for-thought/

The article below is from the online magazine "Dance Fullout" and it explains different ways in which a dancer can cope with rejection.  This article could be useful to the more positive thinking auditionees but for the one's who have really been affected psychologically and physically by the effects of rejection I feel they would need more help in order to get back to the emotional level they need to be at to stay positive and give them the best chance of being successful at an audition.
http://dancefullout.com/2011/03/rejection-and-dance-audition/


What I am still wanting to research:

•  Statistics showing how many dancers are affected by psychological issues such as depression, eating disorders etc.

• Coping strategies for these issues.

• I have also ordered more books from the library to do with the psychology of dance and finding a balance between being successful and remaining healthy.