The Sequel – professional ethics, codes of conduct “etcetera, etcetera, etcetera”.

In Part 1 I discussed personal ethics and how what we learn and experience throughout our lives, where we live and our upbringing gives us a basis of our own personal ‘code of conduct’ and moral standards by which we live.

In Part 2 I want to focus on professional ethics and codes of conduct in the world of dance.

I wrote down a ‘code of conduct’ based on my own recollections from previous studies I had done on the subject for GCSE dance and Diploma without peeking at my assignment essay and so these may be in a somewhat jumbled order and in no order of priority;

           

• It is really important to ensure a dancer does a warm up before a class or rehearsal to ensure the body is ready for physical exercise and so it is important to be punctual for classes/ rehearsals.
• A dancer should wear appropriate clothing and foot wear to dance.
• A dancer should drink lots of water to replenish loss of fluid and stay hydrated.
• A dancer should not train if they are injured and should let the instructor/choreographer know of any health issues before training/rehearsing.
• A dancer should take responsibility for their own and others health & safety to ensure the studio/rehearsal space is safe to dance in (trailing wires/untidy, cluttered space/ faulty lighting etc) and report any potential risks.
• A dancer should be respectful and courteous to other dancers and the instructor – be focused and pay attention to the instructor/choreographer and consider spacial awareness to avoid accidents.
• Have respect to the studios/premises and the possessions of others.
• Sign in and out of the theatre/studios/premises in case of a fire.
• A dancer should do a ‘cool down’ at the end of the session.
• A dancer should keep themselves fit and healthy and also get the right amount of sleep to rejuvenate the body.
• A dancer should make sure they know the fire exits in an event of an emergency and the emergency procedures to follow.

I remember doing an assignment essay on the subject of risk assessments and I learned we are all governed in whatever profession by Health & Safety legislation and Employment legislation but from a dancers point of view this is more about the physical conditions and ensuring certain steps are taken to ensure the dance space is safe and that we all take personal responsibility for our Health & Safety in the workplace.

All educational institutions including vocational dance colleges are subject to inspection and monitoring (Ofsted Reports) and some degree of control by government departments of education as they are subsidised by public money.

Dance companies are required to operate within the constraints of employment legislation and conform to health and safety standards, ie: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which is supported by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, and international directives such as the European Code of Human Rights. Legislative and regulatory constraints determine how power is to be limited and constrained and in many professions ethical codes try to articulate the principles which guide behaviour, especially between those of unequal power and often refer to situations which are not covered by legislative codes.

Significant improvements have been made in the physical conditions for dancers but they still remain one of the lowest paid in the industry and are subject to discrimination and inappropriate behaviour by those in positions of power.

I found an article by a psychotherapist called Julia Buckroyd, that discusses the damage physically and mentally to dancers who are forced by aesthetic demands to keep weight below that which allows the body to menstruate. That in her opinion is unethical and I agree. It is completely unnatural in my opinion and very sad that they are not allowed to develop normally.  I have heard girls talk about taking pills that stop you reaching puberty.

As far as professional ethics go in dance it is very much an on going debate and the development of ethical standards in dance teaching and the employment of dancers is very much in a developmental stage. Whilst legislation has helped the dancer with environmental factors, such as unsuitable floors and cold studios etc, there are still issues around eating disorders and the physiological well being of the dancer.

As I have found from the discussions on the SIG’s and blogs and discussions with other dancers there is still much unethical behaviour in the dance world. I have heard many accounts of bullying and humiliation by teachers in professional schools and anyone who has seen the film the ‘Black Swan’ [which was allegedly based on Balanchine himself] will witness also from those in power within dance companies.

This has been my developing line of inquiry throughout this module.

Isn’t it time that there should be an internal code of ethics to address all relevant issues within professional dance which is not a list of instructions but is based on ethical values and principles to promote a humanistic approach to dance?

It would need to identify how teachers should conduct themselves, identify a moral code and detail good practices and develop a complaints procedure whereby dancers could bring complaints to the attention of an ethics committee. A dance teacher should have to justify their behaviour such as bullying and humiliating students and persistent negative feedback. This is what happens in many other professions.

Attempts have been made to embody ethics into dance practice and develop a code before but without an inbuilt system to monitor behaviour. Ex Royal Ballet dancer, Peter Brinson tried to develop a Dancer’s Charter following a UK Healthier Dance Conference in 1990 where for the first time ethics in dance were openly discussed and an attempt was made to codify some of the issues from that debate, however it was basically a list of instructions and never embedded into the profession. 

When you are the subject of such behaviour you often feel ashamed and alone and you feel if you did complain it would just be ‘tokenism’. If there was a grievance procedure laid down to follow by an outside body then teachers could not pay ‘lip service’ to the code. They would serve penalties if they didn’t.

I think that the power base around technical excellence and aesthetic standards for dancers has allowed the profession to disregard the dancer as a person and ignore the physical and emotional well being of the dancer and this can lead to physical and psychological injury. In my research there are so many ex dancers of prestigious companies who ‘kiss and tell’ when they finish their performing careers and write books on their own personal experiences that it would suggest that there is a need to change from being body centred to person centred.

Every dance ‘flick’ I’ve seen focuses on these issues yet are criticised as your typical clichéd dance movie with all the usual story lines [eg; ‘Centre Stage’, ‘Dying to Dance’]. One review of ‘Centre Stage’ was; “the territory is so familiar that it's almost excusable”. Doesn’t that tell us that the ‘territory’ is the reality of the dance world and these issues do still exist? In the latest cinema, block buster, the ‘Black Swan’, all the same issues are raised again – same old ‘territory’ - eating disorders, self loathing, self harm, body issues, self destruction, obsessive behaviour linked to dancers.  

I think there is a basic lack of understanding of the negative impact of unethical teaching methods. Having ‘good intentions’ is not an excuse for unethical practices. This was given as a reason to me when I had a ‘one to one’ with my ballet tutor at college. He told me, ‘We toughen you up and prepare you for the professional dance world.  We deaden the person and then try to build them back up again’. His reasoning behind this approach was that it had been used for years and everyone had survived but what about the damage done !?

In my research I found an article that discusses the issues of non ethical teaching methods and I thought it was one most people could relate to;

“In one of the scenes from Billy Elliot we see Billy practicing pirouettes over and over again in his quest to get them right. The delight on his face is obvious when he shows his teacher his achievement but the delight is instantly turned to disappointment when no praise is forthcoming. Instead she criticises his arm placing.

The scene characterises the teacher intent on correcting technique whilst neglecting to consider the impact of negative assessment on the person.”
[Extract from the Journal of Dance and Medicine & Science (2000) Vol 4, No. 4 p146]   

A different approach would be to praise Billy for his efforts in his achievement and the progress he has made and then go on to say we now need to work on the arm placement and put it together as a whole. This positive approach gives his hard work some value and encourages him to do more and makes him feel good about himself.

This is something I can personally relate to. Constant negative criticism is destructive as it demolishes self esteem and confidence, whether it is about weight, size, height, ability. As dancers we expect to be constantly corrected but if we are never praised for the things we do well we become obsessed by the negatives. Criticism in my view should be constructive and always include positive as well as negative feedback. This way we help the dancer to develop and flourish. We need to value and respect the individual as a person and not suffocate the inborn gift of dance.

Quote: “Long before the dawn of history, long before he could sing or even speak man danced. Moving to his own internal rhythms, the pounding of his heart, the beating of his pulse, primitive man discovered dance. It is within us always.”

[Gene Kelly from the film ‘That’s Dancing’]

Dance has become part of our culture and is increasingly popular due to TV programmes such as ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘Dancing on Ice’ which brings dance right into our living rooms and encourages people to join dance activities as a way to keep fit. ‘Zumba’ is the latest keep fit activity craze and makes keeping fit fun through dance based fitness which is all good for promoting our profession. The teacher of a social dance student is offering the opportunity for social contact, enabling people to enjoy dance as a method of keeping active, reducing stress and contributing to their well being. However the teacher of a serious or promising dance student is contributing to a possible future career.

I believe dance is not just about the practical aspects of dance but about the theories and principles of health education so we encourage the well being of the dancer physically and mentally through the appliance of dance science. I think it will benefit my individual development in the profession of dance to develop a long term interest in learning more about health and health education and consider psychological and ethical issues in dance and raise awareness of the importance of ethical issues for others etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Reference:

Ethics in Dance – A debate yet to be held – Julia Buckroyd.  
The Journal of Dance and Medicine & Science (2000) Vol 4, No. 4 p146 – Sho Botham MA. Risk Assessment Essay – Emily Rose Harris, Bird College, Year 2 Diploma (2008).