My initial wonders

 I found the recent Module 2 zoom call extremely helpful for getting started again with the BAPP course. The main topic of discussion was 'little wonders' which are topics or areas of your practice which make you curious, and you might want to look into more. It was great to hear what initial ideas others on the course were having, despite everyone being at a different point of understanding which direction they will go.

My initial 'little wonder' stems directly from one of my Module 1 AoLs- the use of language in dance teaching. This is something which I have always been interested in and very conscious of from a young age, not only specific to dance but also in general life. I constantly find myself considering (and perhaps over-thinking) the ways in which my language choices may affect others. As a dance specific example, often phrases like "suck your tummy in" can have negative connotations for a young dancer and their relationship with their body, whereas a more considerate alternative such as "engage your core" is instructing the dancer to do the same thing the other phrase was, just in a less problematic and damaging way. Nearly all dancers I've ever spoken to have experienced teachers using questionable language choices at some point, which proves to me that it needs to be looked into. 

Helen explained on the call that we need to find up to three avenues to investigate which are relevant to our 'little wonders' by considering how your topic is determined as a field, what falls into it and what is relevant to it. I think finding these will be very helpful to me as I need to narrow down exactly what aspect of language use in dance teaching I will investigate (although it seems quite specific the more I look into it the more I realise it can lead to multiple things). I imagine my next blog may be about these potential avenues. Currently I think my main focus would be with the effects language choices can have on a dancer's self esteem with a focus on body image, however that is nowhere near set in stone. I also investigated Dweck's theory of growth vs fixed mindset in Module 1 and how that can be projected onto a student so I may also look deeper into that.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you're thinking! So far I have noticed a good few of us in Module 2 are looking into things either directly related to mental health or which could have an impact on a performer's mental health so perhaps we will be able to group together on some things/ use some similar sources etc.

Comments

  1. Ellie Owen4 October 2021 at 02:05

    Hi Becca,

    I think your idea of use of language is really interesting and I'm looking forward to reading more of your ideas and research. Perhaps you could research how language has changed in the last couple of decades? How different generations use different language choices?

    Ellie

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  2. Emily Ward7 October 2021 at 01:45

    Hey, I think your topic could be extremely useful to you. I am also focusing on mental health and want to inquire about the benefits of applying mindfulness to my job as a ballet dancer. I'm looking for literature that could help find comparisons between the approach to mindfulness and ballet on the body. I think it would be great to put together a group in Mod 2 of people that are all focusing on this topic as well. I think I'll write on the BAPP page and try to form the group... look out there :)

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  3. Shannon Campbell14 October 2021 at 03:43

    Hi Becca!

    I very nearly looked at the impact of language choices as a teacher on students. I had a really negative experience with the way my college teachers communicated with me, and as a teacher myself now it's something I'm so conscious not to pass on, as it changed the entire way I see myself and my career. Maybe historical context of the industry might be helpful here, as the landscape of the industry has changed quite dramatically over the years - i.e. the stereotype of 'skinny' dancers is what inspired language such as 'suck your tummy in' in older or more traditional teachers vs why we all view it so differently today. Body image makes up a huge part of my investigation too so I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of your thoughts!

    Shannon x

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