Dancer's Professional Ethics

At what stage in a dancers training should they be informed about Dancer's Professional Ethics?

In module two of our BAPP course we researched Ethics and discussed our codes of practice and conduct within dance teaching.  We all blogged about our personal values and codes of conduct in dance.

Dancers of all genres should be aware of dance Ethics and the value on how you are perceived as a dancer.  History tells us and so do current stories from professional belly dance colleagues tells us that there are still some dancers that will experience 'casting couches' and give 'favours' to 'men in power' to get to a certain status level for a short period of time only to be dropped as the hot flavour for new 'meat' that comes along.   Blogs and comments are being written about Ethics and this has particularly came to light in some cases in Cairo within the belly dancing scene today.  This prompted me to remind ourselves about Ethics in dance and to make sure our dance students are also aware of this.

Here is a great piece of writing about Dancer's Professional Ethics.

Dancers' Professional Ethics

My first documentary film on Salsa Dance

Here is the link to my documentary film on Salsa Dance submitted as my artefact with my professional inquiry in January 2013.

It is on my recently set up Vimeo account and is for private viewing only.  Permission has been granted to show this piece of work .  Hopefully my settings shouldn't allow for it to be seen commercially or for public viewing or copying.

I intend to continue documenting dance as a hobby for now and have joined IAC - the film and video institute for help and advice going forward. 

I would love to hear your comments. 


Documentary film on Salsa Dance

Sergei Polunin returns to Royal Ballet

Sergei Polunin

I remember reading about Mr. Polunin last year and mentioned this on my blog about the pain he was living and feeling since he became the youngest solo dancer with the Royal Ballet.  This report gives his reasons for walking out on the Royal Ballet.  It highlights his passion for ballet or is it a conditioning, as this is the only lifestyle he knows and is holding on to?  He has endured a difficulty childhood as the report states with family breakdown and his mother 'choosing' his career path, then being 'owned' by the ballet company with his future life planned and mapped out.   He seems to have an obsession with wanting fame.

I understand how his spirit wanted to break free and regain control of his body.  The break away from dance gave him a window of opportunity to taste freedom from controlling elements in his life.  It is good to hear he is back on stage but I do wonder how he will progress.  Is he truly ready for what is expected of him? Has he returned because he has understood what is expected of him and of his own expectations? We hear about the pressure and stress, the hard physical work, the relentless drive ballet dancers endure when working for the top ballet companies and what springs back to mind again is the current situation of funding cuts within the Arts.  

Mr. Polunin is a very sought after product after all.  He will be the next product of the  company’s longevity.   I see him as a sensitive, unique soul that will require thoughtful and attentive nurturing even though the company treat every one the same.  Should the ballet companies treat everyone the same?  I think care should be taken with each dancers mind, heart and body. Are they the right people to do this?

Mr. Polunin will be performing this month.  I intend to see him in performance soon.

Read the report below

The Telegraph's interview with Sergei Polunin

Dance Critics - Is their purpose being redefined?

I've just read a report from 'Huffpost Arts & Culture' about dance critics (click on and read 'The Role of Contemporary Critics) and how their role should be seen as educating the public and encouraging discussion to a 'point of view that promotes engagement' with new audiences and artists.

Some very valid points of view were made encouraging critics to give constructive criticism, what with continuing budget cuts for the arts and companies 'folding'.   I agree with the author, a wider audience should be reached to promote further inquiry thus promoting and encouraging new dancers and dance supporters.

It's about time critics where examined..

The Role of Contemporary Critics

What is your opinion of dance critics?

Final - my oral presentation for my BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Dance

Hello fellow BAPP learners,

We've come to the end of our BAPP course.

I found this course invaluable.  The tasks in the modules have developed critical awareness in my professional network, ability to reflect, analyse and change my work and practices and more importantly I have the academic ability to communicate my ideas to a range of audiences.  I found the course to be flexible and I was able to fit it around my family and professional practice as a freelance dance teacher.

My oral presentation was a summary of my findings of my critical review.   The BAPP course allowed me to research my subject and I acquired historical and cultural knowledge of salsa dance.   This made me aware of my passion for cultural studies in dance.  In addition, I realised the importance of media tools and developed a particular interest in filming and editing.  My artefact was a documentary style film of salsa dance.  I intend to continue and develop this type of filming.

I would encourage fellow BAPP learners about to start module three to persist in their progression and to keep lines of communication constant with their advisers for constructive and exemplary information and support as I have experienced.

Congratulations to my fellow BAPP learners in completing their degree and in their onward journey and thank you for your support during this course.

Looking forward to seeing you at the graduation.

See below my slide presentation.  I intend to add my artefact documentary digital film on salsa dance once permission has been granted by the teachers.

Corinda

Fusion - the modernisation of traditional salsa dance.

Is fusion in salsa effecting the conservation of traditional dance?

The Value of Culture

BBC Radio 4 -  Melvyn Bragg explores it's value today.

The Value of Culture

Interesting debate and discussion on Culture or culture and it's definitions.   

My Interviews - Salsa Dance Teachers

Super Mario - Million Moves Man.

The interview was conducted  at his base in London in October 2012.

I started dancing Salsa socially in 2000 and Mario was one of my first teacher’s.  Mario has a degree in Mathematics but decided to teach Salsa in 1998.  He has an impressive Biography, listing numerous awards to his contribution to promoting Salsa world wide, best UK teacher and more titles.  

Super Mario's web site Salsa 4 Fun

Bar Salsa teaching venue

Mario has taught in more than 70 countries and continues to travel abroad almost every weekend to teach Salsa. 
He teaches cross body style (New York) which is in a ballroom hold starting on beat 1 and 2.

What strikes me about his teaching is the ease in which he teaches the men's to lead.  He has an excellent grasp of the leading technique for social dancing. With no previous dancing or teaching background he is able to produce and execute so many imaginative moves and unique combinations. 

My observation as his assistant  dance partner confirms his affirmation to teach the basic fundamental steps of New York style Salsa.  His main objectives for teaching Salsa are;

• to promote and develop the social interaction through the fun element
• develop the practitioners style by encouraging them to experience and explore other Salsa dance styles, thus promoting fusion.

Mario constantly evaluates his own teaching.  He injects new found music into his club from his travels.

Mario is a seasoned interviewee and was a great respondent and we concluded the interview promptly. 

Mario the DJ, talks about what type of music he likes and plays and why,  the importance of the influence the music is to the dance in the London circuits, fusion in music, competition amongst the DJ’s and his concerns for the type of music that may be played in the future in connection with Salsa.

Mario has stated that a very small number of practitioners in the UK are not interested in knowing about the traditional dance but in his travels internationally there are Q & A sessions after every class where practitioners ask about the origins of the dance.

Marchant and Davina Birch -  Alchemy Dance Academy

The interview was conducted at their base in Winchester on 8th September 2012

Marchant is from CapeTown South Africa with a formal Ballroom dance background. 

Davina is from the UK with a dance background in ballet, jazz and tap and teaching qualifications from the ISTD.

Alchemy Dance Academy

Interview with Merchant & Davina in Salsa Mag

Together they have developed an almost unique jazz style of Salsa with a specific teaching programme at all levels from novices to performing style.  They have continued  in their endeavor to combine their individual styles. They each transfer and fuse one other’s style. Marchant is an expert in partner dancing and leading and Davina had to learn this methodology.

They are both experts and understand the history and culture with considerable knowledge of Latin Dance as well as their own dance backgrounds.  Some interesting points raised;

• ‘imitating’ one dance and another does not mean this is fusion.
• Marchant acquired the knowledge of the foundation Salsa steps known as Cape Jazz in Africa.  
• He grew up in Africa encompassing the rawness of the culture and music, plus his personality and dance expression produces a unique Alchemy Salsa dance style    
• Davina points out no one culture can claim ownership of salsa, it’s a sauce, a mixture. 
• It’s important to have absolute expertise and knowledge in the field to be able to fuse the dance styles 

They have both embraced this new style and they are focused on their objective and persist with the original foundation steps.  They are aware more trained dancers are getting involved in the Salsa scene and are diluting the traditional style by fusing their own background conditioning to a point that it has become a performance dance with more and more acrobatic moves and tricks. It has become evident in most cases these dancers lose the essence of Salsa as a social dance.  My observations in the UK show a broad split in Afro Cuban traditional dances compared to those in Cuba but with emerging professional dancers in Cuba fusing Afro Cuban 

I’ve become proficient at setting up the video equipment with ease and with preparations made the day before which include charging the battery, making sure of enough space on the SD storage card and a packed video tripod.

My interviews average three quarters of an hour because I was aware of the specialists teacher’s time.

The interviewee commented on enjoying the experience of my interview and found the questions interesting and enjoyed the discussion.  I have permission to quote them in my critical review. 

As I analysed my interviews I became aware that my interview technique could be much improved by;

• remembering the questions 
• remembering the order of the questions and looking less at my list of questions
• better articulation of questions
• not expressing my opinions 
• less fidgeting  

The interviews revealed teacher’s thoughts and expert knowledge.  Recording interviews for this project has been an important learning tool for me.  It has allowed me a deeper insight thus giving me a richer view of current expectations, participants likes and dislikes in various hub areas of the UK.

What has emerged from these two interviews is that both Salsa styles are contributing to a new style of dance and the original traditional style has been modernised with no evidence that the roots of Afro Cuban culture being offered as a subject of historical interest.
Both interviewees agree the effect of fusion today within their style of Salsa dance can be damaging to the traditional origins of Afro Cuban dance but they are adamant to keep the basic foundation step even though both interviewees express this to a different music style.

I have a further interview to analyse.