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).

So, my bum does look big in this?!
or is it a case of mistaken identity?

Thought I would just share this little anecdote..............................
yesterday I was doing a final audition for a role in a new musical show to tour Europe from January 2012.............
we were put through our paces all day and learned several different routines which were showreeled.......... the choreographer said "I chose people for this audition because they looked so attractive in their headshots"................. the dancer next to me said, "I would prefer to have been picked for my ability!"
(actually all those present yesterday were very good but it does take the edge off I suppose).

We were given costumes to wear for the filming of the promotional showreel which all the girls had to pin themselves in because they were far too big.

At 6.30pm after a full day of dancing and singing  from 10am and filming a promotional showreel the casting director told us we had the job and he would email us the finer details.

Turning to me and another dancer the choreographer said, "Oh and by the way before rehearsals start in November you both need to lose 5 kilos, your bums are too big!"

Turning to me she said , "You look much thinner in your showreel!"

What showreel? I don't have one!?!

Argh !?! Don't you just love showbusiness  !!!

Professional ethics, morals and codes of conduct, traditional values and cups of tea!

Thinking about professional ethics and codes of conduct  - I realise my line of inquiry has raised some ethical issues about the teaching practices in dance colleges particularly vocational institutions which I think are relevant and useful in my professional practice and for my future career.

“Put the kettle on – I think this is going to be a long blog!”

I was interested in other blog postings regarding ethics and codes of conduct. Mark wondered if the fact that he took a job in Malaysia when he did not agree with the rules on homosexuality in that country made him ‘unethical’.

My understanding of ethical is whether something is morally right or wrong. For example if I witness an accident I might stop to phone the emergency services but I am not professionally qualified or have the required knowledge  to  perform any type of rescue or medical assistance but if I was a doctor in the same situation it would be considered unethical of me not to help as I would have the relevant professional training to do so.  We cannot be held accountable for failing to do something that we do not have the ability to do.

Therefore I think in Mark’s situation he is not able to change the position in Malaysia so it is just a personal issue for him based on his own moral judgement and his own principles. He has no power to alter the situation in a professional sense.

I have often wondered how a defence lawyer can defend a murderer or rapist or paedophile  in court when they know they are guilty because they have confessed to their crime,  but our laws say everyone, regardless, has the right to a competent defence, is innocent until proven guilty and that the rights of the accused form part of our justice system. So the defense’s job is to make the prosecution prove its case with sound arguments, real evidence, and reliable testimony. In a sense, the real client of a defense lawyer isn't the defendant at all but the integrity of democracy and the justice system. And within the criminal justice system there is a strict code of professional ethics for both prosecutors and defenders.( As any regular CSI junkie will know (like me) that this doesn’t mean that they always follow these rules!)

In my blog posting of  Friday 10^th December, ‘Do we reap what we sow?' for the first Module I discussed morality,

“It is our moral development from childhood that motivates our behaviour and gives us the ability to imagine ourselves in the place of another and to feel their emotions and this then triggers our behaviour.”

http://emilyrose91.blogspot.com/2010/12/do-we-reap-what-we-sow-i-have-been.html?showComment=1300103508087#c2047127002162899684

I think this links into ethical considerations in our profession as often our decisions morally are deeply rooted in our personal virtues and beliefs from our upbringing and some of the decisions we make professionally and the principles that guide our behaviour are rooted in our upbringing, education and personal experiences.

Adesola suggested I further develop a quote from another blog I made in the previous module which I also think links to how I develop my own personal virtues and beliefs ;

“............ embedded in my culture, geography and historical time and I have been influenced in my thoughts and opinions by my upbringing, my parents, peers, education and tutors and this all plays an important part in how I learn and the conclusions I draw from that information and any experiences." 

http://emilyrose91.blogspot.com/2010/11/reflective-theory-how-i-learn.html

I think our values inform our principles and all our experiences influence our thoughts and opinions. We develop a behavioural conduct that sets our own standards and principles.  

As I discussed in my blog , “Was I born to dance or taught to dance?” our genetics play some part in our development not only physically but socially and psychologically too. On top of that many of our influences come from our parents and peers and our teachers.

My love of dance and the desire to perform came I think from my early influences watching productions my Mum was involved in and accompanying her to rehearsals and performances and also numerous trips to the theatre to watch musicals, plays, ballets, pantomines etc. Because my Mum loved theatre my childhood was full of it – our house was, and still is, always full of piano students or singing students having their lessons so it is bound to influence me one way or the other I think. I was bound to grow up to either love it or loathe it !
One of my early memories is a trip to London for my 8^th birthday to ride the London Eye and see ‘Cats’ and this has influenced me ever since. I still dream of being the white cat and  I think if I had to pinpoint a moment, that was the moment I wanted to be a dancer!

I noticed throughout my blogs as I looked back at the above that I do “quote” my mum and grandma a lot and their little sayings and these do follow me through life and influence how I look at things. They are my own little personal ‘code of conduct’, my inspirations and beliefs.

I think we all have a code of conduct which we apply in our personal lives and these are based on our influences as we grew up and our life experiences. Many of mine are based on Christian beliefs. I wasn’t brought up in a strict religious family but with ‘Christian’ morals and beliefs. Many of my family are involved in charitable and voluntary work and I think this sort of ‘rubs off’.

I suppose then the ten commandments were the first ‘code of conduct’. These Commandments came at a time when the Israelites as a tribe of nomads, living as one large community, needed some basic rules of conduct and a belief in a higher power than Moses who would enforce them.

Pretty much like the laws our governments make today.

Many of those commandments still provide the basic laws in our society (murder, stealing, not giving false testimony) which give us, a set of rules and regulations in law that we must all abide by. We all know it is a criminal offence to commit murder or to steal or lie and cheat and that we have to take individual responsibility for our actions if we break those laws. For example if we are caught lying in court it is ‘perjury’.

It is the greyer areas that perhaps are harder to explain, eg: greed and envy, social injustice. The issues that have no black or white and are open to individual  interpretation. Therefore my upbringing, I strongly believe, not only taught me to respect these rules and regulations but also influenced my beliefs in respect for others and injustice and why I probably struggle with some of the issues I have witnessed and experienced pursuing dance as a vocation and why I want to pursue as a line of inquiry that being a dancer should not be at the expense of the person. A dancer is a person who dances for a profession but most importantly they are a human being with the same capacities of ‘personhood’ as any other human being in any other profession and I think they deserve the same respect as a professional.  

This is what I meant in my statement about how cultural, geographical and historical influences affect how I think ‘morally’, my principles and decisions. Some are traditional values that refer to those beliefs and moral codes that are passed down from generation to generation within a family, culture or community. Traditional values give us an identity, ‘it’s who we are’, without seeking any notion of whether they are good or bad, they are not universal and give us identity, something we belong to and feel a part of where we feel secure and safe. These traditions help us develop values.

Besides the once-a-year-type birthday or holiday traditions, there can be shorter-range traditions. Some cultures and many families have religious traditions on Saturday or Sunday. There can be traditional ways of cooking a particular meal or of getting ready for school or of packing for a trip, eg: the traditional family roast with Yorkshire puddings on a Sunday in my part of the world, a turkey at Christmas etc. Some traditions are real rituals, involving a particular sequence of events. There is comfort and security in these rituals. I was always encouraged to have open and free communication and we always sat down together to eat our meals and discuss ‘our day’ and give our opinions on what was happening in the world.   

 I can think of a little quirky example. On Friday I was out to lunch with some friends and we were discussing this very issue and why our parents always said that we shouldn’t eat meat on Fridays. None of us really knew why. We knew it had some biblical connection but weren’t sure what but it is a ‘code’ that has passed down from one generation to another but these things stick in our sub conscious. Without thinking I ordered fish but then I don’t eat much meat anyway and usually do choose the fish, but it was uncanny that most of us did the same.

So how does this fit in with codes of conduct and professional ethics in dance?

I think I will let you go get another cup of tea, have a comfort break and then I’ll continue in a sequel as I’m conscious I do write a lot when I get going and this blog is probably long enough already and as my Grandma would say,"Enough is as good as a feast!" and my Mum "Always leave with them wanting more!"

[P.S.   Just on a little light note, my Mum’s friend is Dutch and when she came to stay she found it really funny how we English deal with everything served with a cup of tea! It’s as if a cup of tea is the answer to everything whatever the news, good or bad. The answer is to put the kettle on. Another traditional value?]  

Cinderella?

No worries! You shall go to the ball  .................... well at least if Matthew Bourne’s running the party!

“Wow, wow and more wow!”, would be the phrase that springs to mind!

In the words of Lady GaGa – “Mr Bourne, you left me speechless!”

There are only a select few dance pieces that have actually made me feel like that – American Ballet Theatre - In The Upper Room, Rambert – Alinah Curva, Northern Ballet – Wuthering Heights are others.

Cinderella was thoroughly enjoyable and so cleverly adapted and created. The choreography was amazing and the characterisations from every single individual were brilliant and of course Prokofiev’s score. Theatrically it was one of the best pieces of dance I have seen in a long time and while I was a student a Bird I was as regular as the theatre cat at Sadlers Wells watching almost everything that came.

The set, the costumes, the attention to the authentic detail of 1940’s Britain in the blitz was just awe inspiring   - I could just go on and on and on and on about the brilliance of this production! I am not at all surprised it won best new dance production at the Olivier Awards.

I noticed that throughout the performance everyone was their own character and were dressed specifically as that character – there was no certain point where characters were dressed the same, even down to the uniformed pilots. This demonstrates how Matthew Bourne thinks about the concept of realism and knows that everyone in any particular situation is an individual with their own character traits. No two people at a party are dressed the same whereas in Cleopatra all the corps de ballet were dressed identical and costumed the same which is more staged than reality. In real life we are all different and unique and this is what he embraces!

The performers were individuals, different sizes and shapes – one guy was really quite small and was cast as a young boy in the production and with the help of his very good characterisation skills he was a very believable child and you knew instantly what his character was.

I’ve always admired Matthew Bourne’s choreography and how he choreographs for his story and characters not wholly for the element of dance. All the dancers in his company are trained either from ballet, contemporary or musical theatre colleges (which gives hope to more of us) and the majority were English, which was also refreshing to see – home grown talent showing they are brilliant dancers and just as good as the Americans and Russians.

There was the most beautiful bedroom pas de deux between Cinderella and the pilot (the prince) which was both beautifully danced and performed, you could really feel the passion and connection between the two dancers which made it very believable for the audience.

Kerry Biggin, who was performing the role of Cinderella, was fantastic as not only did she dance beautifully but she performed amazingly too, you really believed that she was Cinderella. She was just as amazing with her ballet technique as the girl the week before who was Cleopatra but she was a ‘normal’ shape and size. She did not have the typical aesthetic ballet dancer shape and in her ‘ball gown’ she looked stunning – what a dress! She was very toned and muscular with a nice womanly shape to her. It was so nice to see the lead not being played by a small, skinny girl who looks anoerexic or the piece looking a bit perverted in love scenes with the lead looking as if she has not yet reached puberty. So there is hope for us who are aesthetically challenged, we Cinderellas can still go to the ball?

I remember when I participated in ‘The Place’s’ Easter Course 2 years ago which was run by Matthew Bourne’s company and he even came in to watch the showing at the end of the week, I had the pleasure of working with Kerry. We were learning repertoire from ‘Edward Scissorhands’ but before we started learning any of the choreography we did a whole lesson on characterisation and creating a character. We had to go away and create a profile of our individual character and ask each other questions about it in the following session. Kerry told us Matthew is very keen on characters and loves to work with people who are brilliant dancers but are also theatrical performers. Very encouraging !!!

Matthew Bourne cannot be particularly hung up on body image as most of his dancers are ‘normal’, which again creates this sense of realism as not everyone looks the same. His focus then must be on their dance ability – they were all amazing dancers and the lifts were just as spectacular and graceful as NBT!

Thinking back to watching Cleopatra the week before, both productions had female leads and both were beautiful dancers but Cinderella blew Cleopatra off the park with the ‘WOW’ factor!

It was inspirational and encouraging that diversity in dance does exist and that realism is being embraced – especially as Matthew Bourne’s ‘New Adventures’ is labelled ‘ballet’!!!

 “Mr Bourne I love you – thank you for restoring my faith and hope for the future of dance and for a wonderful theatrical inspiring experience – may many more ‘Cinderellas’ go to the ball!”

P.S. “My CV is in the post !!”

Response to SIG

Posted as a response on SIG discussing body imagery and self:  

I  was asked to keep a food diary and talk to the health & fitness tutor once a fortnight when I was weighed in. My mum helped me keep a food planner. Each week on a Sunday we’d plan my meals every day for the next week over the phone following the ‘Diet for Dancers’ regime of healthy eating. My problem really was not weight. I have a very muscular physique so low body fat and of course my shape – I have curves!

I have tried to open up my line of questioning around the ethics of teaching methods – see my recent blogs  over the last couple of days – lots of interesting questions around genetics and how this effects our shape and the ‘teaching by terror’ regime.

I know weight is an issue that seems common amongst dancers but I am interested in the whole body imagery issue and how negative feedback about any aspect of our self can be damaging to self esteem and confidence. What about dancers with racial or disability prejudice? Has any one experienced this ?  

I suffered from comments from other students as well as tutors.

For example at my college it was always the same few people who were picked to represent the college at outside events – open days/Move It etc and on one occasion after checking the notice board and commenting that my name wasn’t there again, I was told, “Oh they only pick the attractive people!” So  you go home and obsess some more  - you’re not only too big but you’re ugly as well!

I often felt I was not worthy. If you didn’t have legs like so and so you were not attractive, if you didn’t have a six pack like so and so etc etc etc and on it went day after day and the constant comments  affect your self esteem and confidence. Tutors would say – isn’t so and so beautiful – Emily you need to look more like so and so! Well baby my genetics and body shape and height say otherwise!!! They always implied these would be the ones who got work and such as me would be left behind – this actually in reality has not been the case!

I don’t think people realise just how damaging the affects can be. It is a form of bullying! I want to use my experiences in my professional practice to try and help others who may feel as I did. I often felt alone and ashamed and it was only the support from my Mum that kept me ‘in the game’.

Another example is I was constantly at war it seemed with the ballet faculty. They would not allow girls to wear bras under their leotards but the regulation college uniform leotards did not have in-built support and someone like me with boobs needs support. I even went out and bought a navy leotard which I hoped they wouldn’t notice was not uniform,  that had in built support but if they noticed ( which they frequently did) I was in trouble for that too. Ballet which had been the love of my life for years became a nightmare and I dreaded the lessons. If I tried to explain I was told I had attitude problems. I was in a no win situation and I was very miserable. No one it seemed understood and I got no support (pardon the pun!) People can be so narrow minded!

So I would love you to  share your experiences as I consider the ethics behind the teaching and coaching methods and how this links into dance science  as I try to develop a question for my inquiry. Please read my blogs and get posting some discussions.

And what about you guys out there? I know these issues are not strictly confined to girls. Many negative and humiliating comments were made to the guys at my college too – about muscles, pecks etc and stamina.  I know a friend who auditioned for ‘Priscilla’ and the first requirement was to take your kit off to your underpants to see body shape and ripples.

A friend of mine left college and deferred for 2 years to combat an eating disorder. Fortunately he is now well and is back at college to complete his training. So come on guys give us the benefit of your experiences to add to the debate.  

Some would argue it’s only in our best interests, preparing us for the professional world – what do you think?   

Was I born to dance or taught to dance?

Reflecting on body image issues and questions it raises in relation to my line of inquiry I touched on genetics in my last blog after a comment from Hayley- Jane about inherited curvy hips but I wanted to pursue this line a bit further.

As a child I had a very normal up bringing in a small mining community. Dance was just one of my hobbies. I loved to dance but I also had swimming lessons, and was a competition swimmer. Always sporty and competitive I was an excellent runner and I also joined gymnastics, did horse riding and was a Brownie and I learned to play piano and flute. At such an early age I was just having fun, enjoying all my pursuits and had no idea what I would choose as a career path. My early indications were to be a writer as I loved books and stories. The passion to perform and for dance as a career choice came a little later.

 However thinking about my genes – my Dad was very sporty, a championship runner and rugby player and got a degree in engineering, my Mum trained as a concert pianist and then after a  career performing  became a musical director for local amateur dramatic companies and turned her hand to teaching and coaching singing and musical theatre in theatre schools. My great grandparents ran a ballroom dancing school and my grandad was a singer in the working men’s clubs in their ‘hey day’. So is it all in my genes or is it nurture rather than nature?!

People often say to me, “you take after your dad, he was very athletic”, or similarly relations on my mum’s side will say “you take after your mum with the performing it’s in your genes!” But is there any truth in it?

Some philosophers of genetics tells us we are born a blank slate and that through conditioning alone a child can be raised to be anything (B.F.Skinner) – the belief that children can be taught to attain  anything and it is how they are influenced in life as to whether they can reach their full potential. Others believe that 50% is genetics and whatever you are born with sets the potential and limit on what you can become.

So the question is ‘nature or nurture’ and which is the most influential?

Most researchers have concluded that both are interactive and both affect the other and influence who we become and how we behave. When you watch people do you wonder if they were ‘born to do that’ or if someone ‘taught them to do that’.


The common conclusion is that some are born with the potential to become a pianist others are not. Some of those will reach that potential if they are born into a family that can provide them with the support to learn the piano.


I think I can relate to this as  not everyone who has dance lessons has the potential to become a dancer some just do not develop the relevant skills no matter how much their parents pay for expensive training. Had they been a blank slate it should have been happening but genetically it just wasn’t happening. Therefore the reality is it is impossible to be a blank slate without any genetic traits and it is impossible to develop completely as a result of your genetic traits without any influence from your environment – we are both, our genetic coding and the experiences we have in life. We develop through information, experience and relationship.


How many times do we see children follow their parents down the same career path? This happens particularly in our performing industry, the arts and sports and even careers such as lawyers, doctors etc often follow suit.

I suppose my childhood was immersed in music and sports due to my parents’ influences but how would they know which to nurture as a potential career? They always said to me it had to be my choice of what I wanted to do, what made me happy and not what they wanted for me but they would be there to support me in whatever my choices may be.

How does this link in to my lines of inquiry and body image? Should my parents have encouraged me to follow my personal dream to dance when although having potential and all the facility for dance my own body shape could in the end stop me from realising the dream?
Should they have had me 'genetically' tested first to see what my inherited genes implied I should be suitable for ?

Apparently ballet schools can tell with children from about the age of 7 or 8 if they will have the required body shape! Perhaps if I’d been told at that age I wasn’t suitable for ballet I would have been saved years of frustration by recognising and accepting the advantages of my body type. I am learning to come to terms with it now in my professional life but I wasn’t prepared for that horror when I first left home at 16 to go to vocational college. At 11 when I suddenly became more into my dance than my other pursuits I was the right body shape it wasn’t until I was 14 that the curves started to appear and if you look at my family they’re all small, I certainly was never going to be tall, both sides of my gene pool are petite and slim, no one can work out where the boobs have come from on either side – a throwback somewhere in the gene pool? There must be some curvy ancestor somewhere in my family tree?!
Perhaps my parents should have checked back a couple of generations for any flaws before encouraging me to pursue dance?

Mina added a comment to my last blog that said ; "I've heard that the Vaganova Academy and the Paris Opera School check the applicants' grandmother's figure at entrance examination".
I certainly had to insert my parents height, weight etc on an application form for Royal Ballet associates.
How do others react to this? Do you think this is ethical? A sort of genetic selection of dancers?

I found an article where it discussed the selection of children in China and communist Russia for ballet and gymnastics from as young as 3 years old based on their genetics. In China they are taken and sent to special state-sponsored "boot-camp-style" training centers, where they endure rigorous training programs and are prepared for international competition. Some schools stress only sports and can be viewed as little more than athlete-producing assembly lines. They often require six hours of training or more a day.
Quote; “Many Chinese athletes have devoted so much of their time to training they can’t read beyond the fifth grade level”.  


This may well link into Melissa’s line of inquiry where she is discussing different forms of training in different countries and if other countries methods of training produce better dancers? Do we in this country find the ethical issues of applying genetic testing of young kids to choose our future dance and athletic stars morally wrong or to find that future Olympic champion would we embrace it?

Should parents only encourage their children to pursue activities that they are genetically suited for?

Does this take away our freedom to be who we want to be and freedom of choice?


I think this is a fascinating subject.

Mina also commented on my last blog; "I do agree that the genetic inheritage has great influence on one's physique, but it would be such a loss if that system excludes young talents from training, because physical perfection alone does not make a great dancer". I couldn't agree more and that is my reason for my research in this line of inquiry.

Just one more thought on how we are governed by our genetics reflecting on my own experiences.
We can also be a certain shape due to the activities we pursue as children and this may not be compatible with dance. For example; a dancer can have too much muscle. Some people can be genetically predisposed to a very muscular body type (mesomorphic genes). They can have a very low percent body fat yet still be considered ‘too heavy’ for their college specifications. I also come into this category. I have very defined muscles in my legs, I think inherited from my dad. There is little research been done on this subject but there are ‘body therapies’ one can try to elongate and change body shape such as pilates and yoga. It is trial and error and other than giving up dancing for a while to concentrate in these techniques I have to accept my mesomorphic genes may win out.

Some exercise outside of dance also interferes with the muscle groups and shapes the body in a way that doesn’t fit the mould for a dancer.
For example; I was a competition swimmer up to the age of 13 and particularly good at breast stroke and butterfly technique. When I arrived at Bird I was told the muscle bulk developed in my shoulders through swimming were wrong for a dancer and I had to lose that muscle. Of course as a young swimmer this had never entered my head that the muscles and body shape developed through swimming were wrong for dance. After 3 years at college, doing no competition swimming, I have finally lost the bulk on my shoulders and they’ve slimmed down.  

Our body shape then is governed by our genetics, how much we eat and how much we exercise and the kind of food we eat and the kind of exercise we do. This is dance science.

A dancer needs to be constantly aware of the body and focused on the process to achieve their goals by getting there in a healthy way through diet, exercise, well-being and a  knowledge in the prevention of injury. This is the bare bones of dance science. This is where my inquiry blog began in Module 1 and where my line of inquiry is developing. I want to pursue why young dancers should obsess about their body image when with the support of dance science and the right education in colleges about the body many could be saved the pain they go through obsessing about their image and could learn how best to improve their performance applying dance science.

As an academic discipline this is a relatively new phenomenon.
Dance science is the scientific study of dance and dancers as well as the practical application of scientific principles to dance. Its aims are the enhancement of performance, the reduction of injury and the improvement of well-being and health. Its specific concerns include the biomechanical, physiological, nutritional and paediatric and psychological aspects of dance.

If we could get more colleges on board to include dance science in the timetable  from an early age  then such horrors as being put on a fat list or told to do a class in cling film should be history and we should be able to save girls from thinking they should be ‘Portmanesque’ as portrayed in the 'Black Swan'.


I want to question whether the impact of such methods used in our colleges, ie: 'teaching by terror', is properly considered by dance professionals ( teachers, coaches, dancers, students choreographers and directors) and raise awareness to encourage debate about such ethical issues. The profession needs to be able to justify such as bullying or humiliating of students and persistent negative feedback as being desirable methods of teaching dance. I think there is a definite lack of understanding in the profession about the negative effects. This will be the subject of my next blog as I develop my line of inquiry with these ethical questions.






   

Reference:

Diet for Dancers -  Robin D Chmelar & Sally S Fitt

“Cling film?
I’m not a chicken drumstick!”

                                                                                                         

I was ‘gobsmacked’ (as we say in my part of the world) to read Hayley-Jane’s comment on my blog that a tutor at her college suggested she wrap herself in cling film for a whole ballet lesson in order to lose weight!

Remember Dave ( Mark Addy)  in ‘The Full Monty’, the lovable, insecure security guard who wraps himself in cling film in a desperate slimming attempt before the boys' big night?
He immortalised the line -  “Cling-film ? I'm not a chicken drumstick!”

And then there’s the really funny scene where he is sat in the shed wrapped in cling film eating a Mars bar!

It’s hard to believe a tutor could say that to a dance student and even harder to believe that they might be serious.
Ethical question again here I think? Is this 'Teaching by terror' - employing bullying and humiliating tactics to  try and get a desired effect? 

If you google the question;  Does cling film really help with weight loss? You may or may not be surprised how many hits you will get and how many desperate people have actually tried it. However according to most bloggers who tried it, it doesn’t work and I couldn’t find any evidence on any medical site to support it either so why on earth would a tutor at a dance college suggest it to a student and in front of other students. How degrading for Hayley-Jane?

Such inappropriate and humiliating tactics should not be allowed to happen in colleges and attitude such as this towards a dancer can cause a backlash of psychological problems and ruin someone’s life. I think there is a definite lack of understanding by professionals on the devastating effect this attitude can have on individuals. A dancer is a person! A dancer may not be 'average' but they are human beings.

Positive body image and support is needed not constant criticism and negative feedback.Just because a dancer’s particular body shape is out of the range of aesthetic requirements for such as the ballet world does not mean she/he cannot have a fulfilling career in dance. 

 One question I haven’t asked yet in relation to all this.
How come any of us were accepted in colleges in the first place – must have shown some potential in the audition?
Do these type of teachers think that they are just toughening us up for the professional world? This was suggested by tutors at my college.
Do they think that becasue unethical methods have been used in the past and dancers survived this makes it right?

I'm sure if challenged most would say they have only your 'best interests' at heart and I'm sure the majority do have 'good intentions' and only want the best for us but that does not justify those methods. I remember such a conversation with my ballet teacher at college.

Hayley – Jane also said in her comment that she inherited 'curvy hips' and cannot do anything to change them and this led me to think along the question of genetic influences on body composition and how this can be important in how dancers respond to the demands for thinness.

I read a research document conducted by former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton who compared dancers from a normal background to those who had gone through the strict regime and selection process from a very early age in company schools (eg; the Royal Ballet). She found that the dancers in company schools were naturally thinner, could eat more and maintain dance weight and had a significantly lower incidence of obesity in their families than those from a normal background.  She concludes that for dancers seeking a professional career within a ballet company they should carefully consider their DNA.

Dancers who do not naturally tend towards thiness may have to choose between battling their inherited body traits and modifying their dance goals. She suggests dancers who realise they were not born with sylph –producing DNA  should apply their energy to refocus towards dance careers that do not require an  ultra-thin body and also toward maintaining a healthy, fit body composition rather than trying to force an unhealthy skinny one. Her message is that counselling should be given to dancers whose family traits do not lend themselves to strict ballet standards as it does not mean that dancer is untalented or a failure as there are many other alternatives in performing, choreography and teaching that can be equally rewarding and fulfilling. (Hamilton et al.1988)

I never thought about it till now but this is obviously why when you audition at 11 for the Royal Ballet Associate Programme you have to put on your application form your parents height, weight, shoe size etc so they can consider you ‘genetically’.

 

Arlene Phillips in her review of the Black Swan in the Mail article says, “When I was 14, some of my friends went to the Royal Ballet School, but I wasn’t physically right. My body wasn’t perfectly ­proportioned; I had boobs and a bum. I went on to study tap, jazz, ­ballroom and musical theatre before setting up my own dance group and ­choreographing. But I never lost my love of ballet and was doing it up until my late 30s”.

According to one ex dancer with the New York City Ballet only 2% of the population are actually the perfect body shape for ballet.

Although appropriate diet and exercise may help a dancer get nearer to a desired goal weight, it seems we will be as curvy as our DNA dictates and it  seems it is widely accepted in the dance world that the aesthetics for ballet are written in ‘tablets of stone’ and therefore cannot be challenged.

I think I can easily answer my own question of why do dancers obsess? It is social pressure of what is accepted as the norm for a dancer and the expectation that all dancers will be 'skinny'. Discussing this issue on the SIG and blog shows this is still a very current issue in our college system and there is still a view amonst the teaching fraternity that  'skinny' has to be the expected norm so of course we obsess. 

My question not yet answered is why does this have to be?
Why can’t dancers be who they really are?
Why can't we embrace the good points in each and every one of us as individuals, not concentrating on defects or trying to re-shape us but respect us all so each can bring their own personality and individual colour to the world of dance?

Gene Kelly said, "If Fred Astaire is the Cary Grant of dance, I`m the Marlon Brando". Of course both had very successful acting careers in their own rights although very different so why shouldn't this apply to dancers?




Reference:

Diet for Dancers – Robin D. Chmelar & Sally S. Fitt.

 http://www.4dancers.org/2010/10/review-the-dancers-way-by-linda-hamilton-phd-and-new-york-city-ballet/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1349062/Black-Swan-Anorexia-dark-sexual-encounters-ballet-brutal-film-portrays-it.html