Understanding How to Survive Off The Arts I've been dancing since I was three years old, but never thought about dance being anything more than a hobby until I started looking into college. So when I started looking at it as a serious career choice, I was concerned with how I would make it work. "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life," right? I'm interested in researching how dance became a viable profession, and when it became socially acceptable to pursue it as a full time job. Beyond this, I would love to research how professionals in my field have made a sturdy living, as well as the do's and don'ts of the daunting task of starting your career in the Arts. This topic is important to me because I feel as if the Arts are just transforming into a profession that is being taken seriously. I still find that when I tell people I study dance, they become skeptical of how i'll make it work. "What are you going to do with that?" I'm ready to sit down with professionals who are already successful in this field, and figure out how they did it! I believe this will start to open more eyes to the possibility of making a viable living off of dance, or even theatre and singing! But before I can see how it works, I need to understand how it originated. Even just 100 years ago I doubt dancers were looked at as real working women, and if they were, the image was a stripper or taxi dancer. I want to break this image. I believe that understanding these topics better will help me become a successful dancer once I graduate. If I can understand the origination of the career, and how it has progressed into where it is today, then I will know how to maneuver my way through the profession. Once I understand this, I can apply my conclusions from interviews with professionals (such as Broadway Choreographer, Jesse Robb, whom i've worked with before www.jesserobb.com/ ) in New York City, Chicago, and Boston to understand what will make a successful post-graduate life. I'll be adequately prepared on how to get my foot in the door in one of these cities! My timeline to make sure I complete this research paper will include the following: Week 1: Gather a list of professionals I would like to interview (minimum of 3, each from a different city) Create a list of questions for interviews (keeping them similar for each interview) Week 2: Follow through with 1 interview over phone or email Create spreadsheet of answers and info gathered Week 3: Finish 2 other interviews Continue with spreadsheet on answers received Week 4: Begin looking into history of dance as a career Find sources in library about the Arts 100+ years ago (3 sources by book or scholarly article) Week 5: Begin a ROUGH outline and draft of research article Bring to writing center or IDS office Week 6 Revise paper off of critiques Begin draft #2 Week 7: Bring back to IDS office and speak to Bonnie or Robin about where it's at Bring to writing center for grammatical checks Week 8: Submit! Connecting The Community Through Dance Last year I was involved in an Empowering Youth Through Movement class, where I held a workshop for troubled youth. This wasn't solely a dance workshop, but more of an active day to get kids out of their homes and moving. We played a lot of ice breaker games, and let them choreograph their own movement piece at the end. Here is the video from the past workshop, demonstrating one of the groups self choreography ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzdpg452abQ ) ! It was so fun to watch them create this and perform it. The end turnout was amazing, for me and the kids. I saw so much joy in them, and saw some kids come out of their shells by the end of the 4 hours. I would love to hold a similar workshop for my applied project, but make it more dance oriented. I want to bring in some fellow dance friends who are also elementary education majors, so that I have others present who are more aware of a child's psychology and mannerisms. I feel as if dance is very competitive in society today. You have to be able to flip and kick your face, or drop into splits on command. While I want to make sure the kids are moving and dancing throughout the workshop, I feel it needs to be mainly fun and easy-going for them. I want to send the message that this can be a way to relieve stress, even a way of communication through the body.
The goal for this event would be to bridge kids in the community to an exciting and RELAXING (also free) day of dancing. Kids will make new friends of all ages, learn some new moves, and even get to make up their own combinations/choreography. Everyone moves differently, so it's important to let them express their individual movement! I think this will help me grow as an educator and mentor in the dance world. I enjoy teaching classes to youth at dance studios in my spare time, and working with choreographers in musicals. This workshop will make great practice on interacting with the youth in the community, as well as picking up skills from my elementary education friends! Creating a safe and fun environment for these kids will be really important. Allowing them a day to get out of the house and dance around could make a world of difference in their lives. While I wish to dance professionally when I leave Plymouth State, it's really important to me that I spread dance to others. I would love to continue teaching and assisting with classes once I move to the city. I can see myself teaching classes for some side money while getting started, so understanding how to organize something like this will be vital. On top of this, it is on my radar to possibly open a studio once I settle down in my 30's and can no longer use my body to the degree of professional dancing. Allowing others to share the passion of dance is going to help children grow up to be happy and healthy adults. They'll have an outlet for their emotions, because you CAN communicate through movement. Timeline to make sure project goes smoothly: Week 1: Find a space to hold workshop Dance Studio on campus? Acting Studio on campus? HUB courtroom? Get permission from building managers Week 2: Gather a list of dancers from Amanda Whitworth and David Lynch Go through my studio contacts and send out emails regarding dancers interested in taking workshop Contact Elizabeth and Erica Morrissette to create a poster for the event Set a list of classes that will be taught (ballet, musical theatre, jazz, improv, choreo class) Week 3: Create a webpage to allow an easy signup for workshop Pick a deadline for signups Week 4: ADVERTISE!! Reach out to Jess Simpson, Kendra fox, Emily Middleton, Ashley Marsh (other education/dance folks) to help lead workshop classes Follow up with kids signed up so far VIA email Create the waiver to be signed in person at drop off (to allow pics to be taken) Week 5: Hold workshop! Have participants take survey at end Week 6: Create ePort post about workshop Send out follow up emails to participants to thank them for joining! RELAX
1 Comment
3/10/2018 01:35:34 pm
Hi, Molly. I can't wait to see what the research shows and how your community outreach through dance works. Really enjoyed watching the young dancers creating and working together!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |