After reading Sonal's initial questions and Alan's comments I started to think about the transition from performer to dance teacher, as this questions seems to fit in with my initial question on private dance schools or more so dance teachers having to undertake a degree or even a course on 'teaching'. If Dance is to have a place within the education sector surly we need to take steps in order to assure teachers are not just inflicting good toes and naughty toes on teenage ballerinas.
I personally think the transition between performing and teaching is huge, I know other would disagree. Even though I have studied dance from the age of 6 and have been to a full time dance school and college, have studied anatomy and dance history, along side nutrition and music. I am still completing a course with the imperial teachers of dance to maintain and improve my level of teaching. Most importantly as a dancer to transfer the tatic knowledge into learning, to explain why or how you change a move and transfer it into another dancers knowledge or learning. In the reader it states that a dancer who is also a teacher has inter-disciplinary knowledge because more than one disipline is being used to contextualise the knowledge. I do believe this type of knowledge is invaluable because you have a varied view and a wider outlook of knowledge to form your teaching on, because like teaching there is no limit to learning and this means we never know what might arise within an teaching situation.
However I do believe if it were compulsory to undertake a course, that was recognised throughtout the education sector, we would start eliminating the views of dance being a softer subject. MPs are now defending these comments Nick Gibb states some interesting facts in his talk about the role of dance within the education system. The link may be of interest to any one looking at dance education.
Reverting back to my professional inquiry and developing questions and the thoughts of Judi Marshall describing her process as 'self reflective inquiry' (Marshall, 2001) Every time I walk into a class I have questions when I leave a class I have even more questions, I like the idea that she suggests in questioning we are always inquiring. I might start writing my questions down as not to lose them in my days events and these may help expand and finalise my initial questions.
Going back to knowledge and the idea of university or college knowledge being disciplinary knowledge because there are boundaries and transdisciplinary when we cannot pigeon hole the knowledge. I would say that I work within a disciplinary situation but my knowledge is inter-disciplinary because it is characterised and formed from more than one discipline. I have started reading 'The Art of Dance in Education' as this looks at the relationship between these two types of knowledge.
From this mass of thoughts I have re asked myself what I want from this course and what I need to deepen and enhance the understanding of my profession. From reading Adesola's blog 'First Tasks' I have come the conclusion that it is not an answer I require but a deeper understand of a subject that plays a huge part in my professional practice and is of great interest to me.
What kind of Education is dance? and how can it be beneficial in a child's education development?
Hi Nicole - it looks like you are going through some interesting developments with regards to deciding on your inquiry topic. I too found Judi Marshall's notion of 'self-reflective inquiry' very useful - I think it's a great idea to make a written log of questions that come up during classes or rehearsals. So often questions arise but are then forgotten, but if we find a way to record them and put our questions into words I think it helps. Again, it's about unlocking 'tacit knowledge' - something that I now see is really vital for those wishing to teach in the performing arts.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right to question the value/necessity of having a mandatory teaching qualification. I don't know enough about teaching to say where I stand on this, but I do believe that children deserve a guaranteed level of quality and also that being an excellent dancer/actor does not necessarily make an excellent teacher. Do you agree? Teaching others how to do something seems to require a whole different set of skills to doing it yourself....this is what has always scared me about teaching!
Hey Nicole, I think we've got a huge discussion in our hands...I'm finding the subject on a qualification really interesting. Reflecting on the comments your made on my blog, I do think its important. You said that you know alot of dance teachers that have little knowledge on dance and more naughty and nice toes, this is very valuable but I also believe they should be vocationally trained or have a degree in the subject. This connects with have a "Accounting or High School Teacher' It is very difficult to get into these professions without some sort of qualification so why shouldn't we make Dance Teaching or Drama Teaching harder to become a profession. I am going to blog what I have wrote here and I will add some more let me know what you think!!
ReplyDeleteSonal- I have looking at my questions and have been trying to link them into an award title, I think our joint interest and blogging our thoughts has aided me in doing this. I have decided on a question that covers all aspects, I hope we can keep our SIG going!!
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