Tutorial (Tuesday, 11th October)

Tutor: Paula Nottingham
Learner: Megan Louch
Current Tour Location: Manchester, The Palace Theatre

I was feeling overwhelmed by module 2 so arranged a tutorial to:

a) get some clarification on what was required from me during this module 

b) get some feedback and alternative opinions on my current ideas:

http://www.dalerodgers.co.uk/come-new-blog-post-ideas/

1. What makes a dancer successful?

2. What is the recipe for success for a musical?

3. What skills & knowledge should a dancer have when commencing a job in musical theatre?

*you can see my brainstorming of the above on previous blog posts*
http://meganlouch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/inquiry-topic-what-makes-dancer.html
http://meganlouch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/inquiry-topics.html

Before communicating in the session I decided to break down the previous module and the current to help get some clarification for myself. Also to help visualise the journey and how each component connects.

Module 1

Professional communication technologies
- Ideas from reader 1: human rights in the work place, marketing, mental & physical
health.

Reflection
- Ideas: what has dance taught us apart from dance? The concept of 'mirror image' and the use of mirrors in training/rehearsals/auditions.

Networking
- Ideas: cooperation, affiliation, communities & circles of practice.

Module 2
*some members of SIG's from BAPP

Developing lines of inquiry (October 24th)
Initial ideas:
- leadership and communication when putting on a production (*Tom Hulyer)
- The affect of tour vs town on a dancers mental health (*Lizzie Bell)
- Value of a good company member
- Importance of the swing in a production
- Does knowledge increase with experience
- Is it better to be an expert in 1 skill or good across the board in today's MT scene
                                         TO
Current ideas:
- what is a successful dancer (*Emma Fitchett)
- What skills/knowledge should a dancer have when commencing an MT job 
- The recipe for a successful musical
- Does lifestyle choices affect performance and what is considered 'healthy' (*Bethany Huckle)

Ethics (November 21st)

Inquiry Tools (December 16th)

*Final assessment: The Proposal Plan* (January 6th)
1. Plan, bibliography, appendices
2. Critical reflection
3. Ethics release form, employer support form, award title

TO DO:

Continue to read/explore reader 4

Continue to blog about my questions and other people's responses to them

Continue to engage with SIG's and blog about the conversations 

Discuss new ideas with employees, blog their response in relation to my previous ideas

Search for literature and conversations surrounding my areas of interest 

Paula's key points and advice for moving forward:

What have other people said about my ideas?
Look online at literature and discussions. Research the university library of the town I am in. Look at my own ideas and compare them against those of my company, cast, production.

Use expertise
Who are the experts in my chosen area? What have they said? Take advantage of the environment that I am in and those around me who are more knowledgable than me.

Courtesy
I asked about the employer support form and if this is required in the initial stages of module 2. Paula explained this was something created towards the end of the module in preparation for the next as we are currently only planning the inquiry. It is more conversational at this stage. However, a chat with the company manager for example would be a nice courtesy just to explain what I am studying, the purpose of my degree and that I am being supported by the university during the process.

Inside researcher
I consider myself very lucky to be in the working environment that I am in. I believe it is one that many performers and trained dancers would find interesting and love to have the access to. Paula made me aware of how having the ability to become an inside researcher, is such a great tool for inquiry and one that allows valuable and deep understanding. I get the opportunity to observe and communicate with experts every day and from all different departments.

"Think of your ideas like countries on a map. Some are big, some are small. Some are close, some are far away." 

(Skype, P.Nottingham. 2016)