As you can see, I've had a very slow start to Module 2. But that is all about to change!
I was quite stuck to begin with. I work for so many companies doing a variety of things I was really struggling to find a path to go down but after discussions with Paula and a colleague that has also done the BAPP arts course previously, it started to make more sense. I need to start simply by looking at what I know.
So currently in my profession I work for 3 different companies, as well as running my own fitness classes and volunteering in a Secondary school to gain some experience.
For one of the companies I work for I am a Level 2 teacher, where I take on various classes from street to rock and roll to creative dance to line dancing and many more! I am also and Educating Dance teacher, this is where we go into school and do cross-curriculum classes, and the subjects could be anything! I even had to teach gumboot dancing last week which was brilliant. I am also a Level 2 Active armchairs Facilitator. This is where we go into care homes / residential homes and have dance classes with the elderly, catering to them on their specific needs. This is probably the most rewarding job of them all. And on Tuesday this week I am off to London to get my circle dance qualification.
For another company I teach regular after school classes in street, and each year all the local schools get together to have a competition. We are currently preparing for that and if i do say so myself they are looking good!
The last company I work for are a stage school in tenterden, kent. Each saturday I teach 3 different classes based on their age/ ability. So they range from 7-16 years old. I've been working there coming up to 3 years now. We have 2 shows per year, and have just finished one of them. So at the minute I am trying out different styles/ ideas with them for the next show. Quite a few of the children that come to this school have a learning difficulty, which is no problem, and I love how much they shine in my dance classes. It's so great to see the children gain confidence and come out of their shell.
I also run my own fitness classes. I used to teach Zumba, but now I teach TAPfit. I love doing this, it's so much fun and the participants love to tap away! As this is a very new form of exercise I am struggling at the moment to get the right marketing. But hopefully they will start to pick up soon.
And finally, I have been volunteering in a local secondary school, with a fantastic dance department. All of the students really get involved with dance and it's such a positive atmosphere. I have learnt so much from the teachers at the school already. I am hoping to do my teacher training there.
So as you can see I have a lot I can choose from. But I would really like to inquire about a subject that almost covers all of them.
So I started to make a few mind maps trying to find the links between them all.
I found a few images like the one above, which also helped me find links.
So basically my idea is to look, research and question community dance and how it has changed in the past 20 years or so. After being in the 'performing arts world' since I was 2/3, and now being 25, I can already see the changes. But what I want to look into further is how this happened. There are a lot of assumptions around dance/ performing arts, but now I believe there a far less than their used to be, opening up more opportunities for everybody to get involved.
I have come up with 6 questions to start me off on my inquiry. I will look, explore and evaluate these and also ask them to colleagues/ peers to see if what their reactions are.
Starting off simply.
What is community dance?
How has it changed throughout the years?
it is more available? who can do it now?
Why has community dance changed?
Has the changes made a more positive impact on dance?
What are the benefits?
What more opportunities have been made, if any?
As always please feel free to comment. If you have any answers to my questions please feel free to post them too!
Comments
Post a Comment