Literature Review 5: "Can Ballet Lessons Improve your football skills?"

During one of my discussions with fellow dancers/ teachers in the industry, we came across the topic of what can be done to prevent an injury, or what help/ guidance was given to us personally when we each had our own injury’s. 

     When I became injured my foot went into plaster cast and then I had to wear an air cast boot for some time afterwards.  Once I began walking steadily again I began my physio treatment.  The physio itself built up the muscle strength in my leg and I received ultrasound treatment on my foot.  Once the physio treatment began to take effect I decided to begin my gradual journey in getting back into dance.  A previous teacher of mine suggested that ballet was the best place to start.

   It was whilst we were discussing this theory that someone mentioned that athletes such as footballers do ballet to not only help with their injuries but even to help with their game.  This interested me greatly so I decided to take it further by investigating this theory.

I came across this article and found this quote:

 “England captain Rio Ferdinand was so good he won a five-year scholarship to the Central School of Ballet before becoming a professional player. Former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin used the dance discipline to aid his recovery from a career-threatening injury. Queens Park Rangers had a tie-up with the English National Ballet, prompting the unforgettable sight of 6ft 2in, 100kg centre back Danny Shittu in a tutu. Even Wimbledon during the years of the so-called ‘crazy gang’, featuring the likes of Vinnie Jones and Dennis Wise, trained with a ballet.”

I have highlighted a certain part of this quote as it refers specifically to an injury.  Although ballet did not cure him, it aided his recovery and although ballet was only a small contribution to his recovery, he was still willing to do it.  I wonder though whether this was recommended by a professional in the medical industry, someone within the sports industry or someone in the dance industry.

I referred back to my own experiences, the fact that a dance teacher recommended ballet to me to aid my recovery process made me wonder if other teachers were encouraging this.  Further into the article it states:

“Zalcman, a former professional ballet dancer who trained at the Royal Academy of Dance, has been taking classes at Pineapple for more than 20 years. ‘Often people are either very supple but weak, or strong but their muscles are tight,’ she says. ‘With ballet we try to achieve both strength and flexibility – it’s very unique in that way. Dancers need to be very supple but very strong. My classes are designed for anybody, regardless of experience, ability or physique, and I have people from all walks of life.”

I remember being hesitant about joining a ballet class as I didn’t want to draw attention to my injury by disrupting the class or by not being able to join in with certain exercises and having to explain myself.  I commend this person for opening up their class to all no matter what their ability or physique.  If this message was included in the advertisement of a dance class, would dancers recovering from an injury feel more willing to attend?  Are there enough dance classes out there opening up their lessons to those of all different abilities and physiques?
Another quote from the article is:

“‘Ballet is also very disciplined so it focuses the mind, which is crucial in football – there is a lot going on mentally in a match and you have to be aware of what’s going on around you, and my classes are the same. It’s also very elegant and very graceful, traits which could be attached to many of the greatest footballers to play the game.”

If ballet focuses on the mind as well as the physical aspect of it, could this aid how a dancer copes mentally with the recovery process of an injury?  The way in which ballet focuses on the mind can be very calming and help you to control your feelings and emotions, e.g. not getting overwhelmed/ or overreacting to the outcome of an injury and its effects on you personally. 

   “Joining Zalcman’s class on a busy Monday night isn’t scary at all. Sure, there are participants of a higher standard than me, I’m aching from the previous day’s game and I’m one of only two blokes, but once I’ve had a good stretch and mastered my stance, the backdrop of classical music makes the experience quite therapeutic”

Music has been said and proven to be a form of therapy for some individuals, but can it calm and aid dancers too?  From experience, dance classes always free me of any other worries or stress and I do find them to be very enjoyable and calming.  However, it’s only as soon as that music starts that I feel that sense of relaxation and letting go of all my problems outside of the studio.

This particular teacher who teaches at Pineapple dance studios states:

“‘We work a lot on the correct posture, which is very important not just for ballet but in everyday life, especially if you sit in front of a computer or have to stand all day,’ says Zalcman. ‘I teach people how to stretch properly so they can go away and do it safely themselves. This helps to prevent injuries such as pulling your hamstring or calf strains. For anyone doing any kind of physical activity ballet is really going to help them. You don’t need to be physically fit, but come regularly and you will get fit. You’ll be blown away by what you can achieve.”

I am pleased to know there are teachers out there who are addressing this issue and ensuring that people are made more aware of what they can do personally to prevent injuries.  In the last module I came across an article where a woman observed a dance class where the teacher did neither a warm-up or cool down.  During my training I did have a “led cool down” from the teacher, however, we were always instructed to cool down ourselves.  At the age and standard I was at, this was something I should have been able to do myself.
    The sentence that stood out the most to me personally was “You’ll be blown away by what you can achieve”.  This is a positive, forward thinking message.  More messages such as these and advertisements to the public encouraging all abilities to attend dance classes need to be put out there for all dancers to see.

http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/818437-can-ballet-lessons-improve-your-football-skills

Literature Review 4: "One Giant Leap"

My Inquiry investigates the possibilities of being able to still have a career within the chosen industry once injured.  Whilst choosing who to conduct my interviews with,  I specifically chose who I was going to interview as I knew that by choosing randomly I would not necessarily find a variety of different options.  In order to conduct this Inquiry fairly I chose people of all different training backgrounds’, job roles and outlooks on the industry.

    One person I chose in particular was some who was in the year above me during my vocational training who found themselves injured and overtime managed to change career paths whilst still continuing to work in her chosen profession.  She decided to study Theatre Design as she was lucky enough to have the support around her at the time from those who knew how to go about it and the means (financial wise) to be able to go ahead with it.

   Whilst I was researching I came across an organisation called “DCD- Dancers Career Development”.  This is their mission statement:

“Dancers’ Career Development (DCD) offers a holistic and comprehensive range of specialist and confidential career support and retraining services to professional dancers in the United Kingdom.

We offer practical, psychological and financial retraining support services reaching from educational advice, career coaching, emotional counseling, CV & Interview guidance and school workshops for dance students to grants for retraining & business start-up grants for eligible professional dancers.

Our mission is to empower dancers in all dance forms, so that in overcoming any insecurities arising at the point they cease to perform, they are able to develop the remaining part of their career, within or outside the dance profession, by building on their distinctive strengths and transferable skills”

It was through this website that I came across a link to an article published by “The Stage” about someone who had a similar experience to the girl that I interviewed.

The man the article was written about was called “Jean-Marc Puissant”. 

“He studied ballet at the Paris Opera Ballet School and as a professional dancer he came to the UK to join the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1990.  In 1998 he got a grant from The Dancers Resettlement Trust to study Theatre Design training at the Motley theatre Design course founded by Margaret Harris in London.”

Although the article does not state why he decided to go down a different career path (as that information is private to him) it does make me wonder.  He only began his career as a dancer in the UK for 8 years, so could there be a contributing factor to this such as an injury?

His training as a theatre designer paid off though as he went on to design theatre opera and dance in the UK, Europe and the US.

Jean Marc says: “Having been a dancer, I know the need of dancers both from the point of view of uncultured set-design and the use of fabrics but I really enjoy designing for Opera and Theatre- perhaps even more than dance”

Having trained as a dancer, working in this mind set has its advantages.  It is very similar to the girl I interviewed as she claimed without her knowledge as a dancer and performer she would have struggled more with this particular career choice.
   This is why it is so important to retain a positive attitude if ever in a situation such as this as skills are transferable and should not be wasted.

  The article goes on to describe all the various projects and shows he has worked for and his ambitions for the future.  This is a positive example and should be admired and valued by others who wish to venture down a different path.

I noticed when I came across this article that the organisation offers counselling.  In one of my interviews, a lady mentioned that she wished there had been the option of counselling provided for her during her injury whilst in training.  It’d be interesting to hear how someone may have benefitted from this kind of help.

http://www.thedcd.org.uk/documents/8%20The%20Stage%20Jean-Marc%20Puissant%2023-10-2003.pdf

Literature Review 3: Biography of Bob Fosse

At present I am in the process of conducting my interviews and organising my workshop for my Inquiry.  I believe it is important that I am constantly learning new things as I conduct this Inquiry in order to achieve the best possible results/ findings.

     Part of my Inquiry focuses on whether there are other options for dancers once they have become injured.  From my research and through surveys and interviews so far, many believe this to be true.  Some of these people talk form experience whilst others from what they have learnt from others around them, or by reading about famous icons in the dance world. 

  One person I interviewed mentioned “Bob Fosse”.  Although Bob Fosse never suffered from a specific injury, his body was not built/ designed to be a traditional dancer.  But in a way, this is a perfect example of how if you feel a love for dance inside you, you can adapt your body to a different area of dance, besides just performing.   Bob Fosse is a perfect example of this as my interviewee pointed out.

    In a biography I found, it describes why it was that his body was unable to meet the demands of a dancer: “Though he was physically "wrong" as a dancer, Bob Fosse never let those limitations impede his artistic ambition.”

“Though physically small and asthmatic, Fosse was a dance prodigy; by high school, he was already an experienced hoofer in Chicago's burlesque scene.”

“With pigeon toes and slouching posture, Fosse hardly fit the dance ideal so he focused more on rhythm and style to make up for what he lacked physically.”

The Biography also indicates that he started dance lessons at age 9, it was about this time that someone may have pointed out to him that he was “physically wrong as a dancer”.  This is difficult information to take in at such a young age and could have had a negative impact on his outlook on dance; however it had the opposite effect and only made him want to work harder.  At present I have been discussing with fellow dancers/ teachers whether dancers should be told at a young age (particularly if they’re injured) whether there are other options out there besides performing.  We had also been discussing the negative impacts something like this could have on someone so vulnerable and whether it’s worth addressing these options at an early stage or leaving such decisions till a more suitable time.  If Bob Fosse had been told at age 9 that there was no point in him continuing down this path, we would have never had such shows as “Sweet Charity” or “Cabaret”, etc.

      Instead of Fosse reacting in a negative way to his non-idealistic body structure, he chose to embrace it and make what he could of it.  This is how he created and choreographed his movements which led to the creation of his own individual style, which in time became one of the most danced jazz styles throughout the world.

    Is this something that all dancers should be made fully aware of? Not just of Fosse’s achievements in life, but how because our bodies may not represent the ideal dancer, the way your mind works still can.  I remember studying Bob Fosse in my training, I wrote an essay on him and we studied his style of dance in class.  I don’t remember much emphasis on how he managed to adapt his own way of moving into a different area of the dance industry.

    He focused on Choreographing and Directing as his career developed as he still had the mindset of a performer.  Is this the case for everyone who trained as a performer but finds later in life that they’re unable to fulfill this dream?

   One of my interviewees believed this is only the case if you truly want something enough.  If you truly want to continue down the dance path, you can make it happen, but you have to be prepared and willing to go down a different avenue.

     I am extremely pleased with the fact that I decided to investigate Bob Fosse further purely because someone I interviewed used him as an example.  What that person had to say was interesting and because I was listening I decided to take it to the next step.  This is what this Inquiry process is about for me; listening to people, constantly wanting to know more and never stopping until I have found the answers this Inquiry will lead me to.

http://movies.amctv.com/person/90209/Bob-Fosse/details

Progress and new encounters

This last week has been half term for the high school and primary school I work at which has been ideal for me as I've been allowed a whole week to get up to speed, make a plan and get myself organised.
As my first draft of the critical review is due in 14th November, I have exactly 2 weeks today to get to grips with what needs doing in that time.
I am conducting the first of my interviews on wednesday which I am keen to get started on.
Also, I found that whilst I was travelling on the trains over the weekend, I met a woman who specialised as a Nutritionist.  We began discussing what I did for a living and once I explained about my ongoing injury, she asked if I had ever been given advice from my doctors on how my nutrition intake could contribute towards the healing process of my foot.  This was something that had never been suggested before to me by any of the doctors I had seen, however I was interested to hear what she had to say.
She said that by changing what I eat could provide stronger cells in my body, therefore could rapidly increase the time it will take for the injured ligament in my foot to be repaired.
She then went into detail about what I should be eating and doing and then offered me her buisness card which included contact details and a website if I needed any further advice.
I found it interesting to hear a different perspective on the matter as this is what my whole Inquiry is about, finding different opinions and ideas on the subject.
I'm now at a stage where I am thinking about my Inquiry in my everyday routine, whether it be work or social activites. I feel I am really making a connection with the subject in hand and I am truly passionate about how it can develop my knowledge further.

Second literature Review, Dance UK announces £30,000 Donation from Harlequin plc towards the creation of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science

Upon reading this article, I went through a series of different opinions.  The article title itself automatically shows a positive doing in the world, that was the writer’s intention.

    The writer has also highlighted the fact that even those outside of the dance industry have shown interest in the project and have even contributed towards making it possible.  The writer points out that an ex-football player now working as a manager expressed interest in the project.  Although he trained as a footballer whom is completely different to a dancer, the reason why his football career ended was due to the fact he suffered from an injury which prevented him from continuing to play.  However, this shows that on his own wave length, he is able to relate to how a dancer must feel if they are unable to continue with their chosen profession due to an injury.

    He stated: “Dancers, like footballers, are elite athletes who train intensively from a young age to work in a fiercely competitive arena, and their careers can be ended at any time by injury. I was shocked to discover the lack of health facilities in place to look after dancers, compared with that available to sportsmen and women. What Dance UK and their partners are trying to achieve in setting up a National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science will make a huge difference to dancers across the country.”

The article also goes on to state that a discussion was held between a group of professionals, these were Dr Emma Redding (dancer and Head of Dance Science, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance), Rambert Dance Company dancer, Angela Towler, Kate Prince, Artistic Director of ZooNation and Camilla Dallerup, TV presenter and 2008 Strictly Come Dancing champion.

  I fully support the idea of forming a discussion on the topic, especially one that includes such a variety of different roles within the industry.  It is a good way to voice your own opinion, listen to others and to create solutions to problems.  In the previous module of this course we were recommended to create a discussion group on our chosen topic.  Personally this helped me to develop my enquiry and helped me to develop my knowledge of my chosen subject even further.  I believe there is still much to learn from this industry and talking to people is one way of acquiring that knowledge.  I commend Dr Emma Redding for holding a discussion group as it reflects what I and the rest of the students have done on this course so far.

   It is important for an article such as this to establish what the foundations intentions are with the money, or they called it, “their vision”.  However, it was at this point that my opinion changed.  It was not the writer’s intention to do this; however I let my own views and experiences cloud my judgment; however I feel others in my situation would reciprocate this feeling.

  The article stated: “The vision for the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science is that all top level dancers will have access to the high quality, comprehensive, dance specific healthcare and dance science support services they need, on a par with those enjoyed by elite athletes and dancers in the largest ballet companies.”

  Although this was written with a positive outlook in mind for those who read it, it did not have that effect on me.  Only top level dancers are to benefit from this cause, is this fair?  What about the dancers who are at the highest quality but have not yet been recognized? What about those who have just graduated from their vocational schools?  And what about those who have made a career out of dance but are not in the top companies?  In the last module this was something which I investigated as part of me enquiry, I wanted to know how many support groups/ charities were out there for injured dancers.  However, although this is a good cause, it only helps a minority of those who are suffering in the industry.

     Although this article continually states how the organisation can do a lot to help the “top dancers”, and have found evidence that their strategies and ideas will work, I cannot help but think of those that they are not helping.  Although one organisation alone can only do so much, are there organisations out there specifically helping dancers with no financial aid?

   This is something I am passionate about as I feel everyone should have the same rights.  If a dancer has done their sufficient training and is making a career out of dance alone then they should have the option of knowing that they will have support/ the right medical treatment if they should become injured.

http://www.danceuk.org/news/article/dance-uk-announces-30000-donation-harlequin-floors-towards-creation-national-institute-dance-medicin/

First Literature Review

First Literature Review:

Dancer says “Four injured contractors is not it strange,” Recovery “Spider-Man,” by Jennifer S. Altman for The New York Times

AND

Arts Beat, The Culture at Large

“Injured Performer Heading Back to Spiderman Early” by Patrick Healy (April 21^st, 2011)

I first came across this story whilst I was searching on the internet.  This story immediately caught my attention, mainly because it had received so much media attention. 

   The first article I found which was written by “Jennifer S. Altman” was one of the earlier articles released on this subject, which included an interview with the person directly involved.  The article was about a man named Christopher Tierney who was a stuntman in the Broadway musical, “Spiderman”.  When a stunt went wrong during a performance, the actor fell 30ft from a ramp when the harness rope snapped.  He suffered extreme injuries including broken rips and three fractured vertebrae.

  This article focuses more on the stage of his current stage of injuries, his overall look on the incident and his aim for the future.

This second article was written to inform the public of the recent major event of the theatre world; however, it will appeal more to lovers of the arts.  The article was published in America and received heavy media attention over there.

    It is clear after studying the style of text that the writers intentions were to reassure the public of their doubts regarding the show, management, procedures and of course to reassure the readers of the injured performer’s stage of recovery.

  The section of the article regarding this man’s progress is what caught my intention when I first read this article.  Mr Tierney was an experienced Professional performer facing a traumatic injury which prevented him from continuing with his job, but did it stop him from continuing with his profession?

   The first article stated that Doctors were unsure as to whether it would take months or years for the actor to recover from his injuries, however, just weeks after the incident, Mr Tierney appeared on “Good morning America” promoting the show.  To me, that shows determination and the fact he was promoting the show that led to his accident shows how determined he was to get back into it.  It also stated in the article that it was his first injury in his 20 years’ experience of dance, he simply stated and I quote “all this good karma cannot last forever” and “You have a lot of time to think, when you are in the course of physical therapy, and all I can think about is my body, where it was, and returning to the show.”

   In the second article it shows the difference to what was originally stated about his future to how he has progressed: “Mr Tierney, who managed to be up and walking two weeks after sustaining four broken ribs and three fractured vertebrae, had the pins taken out two weeks ago and is healthy enough to return to rehearsals for “Spider-Man” on Monday, his father, Tim, said in an interview on Thursday.
“The doctors originally thought he’d have the pins in for another three months, but his physical comeback has gone well and they gave him the O.K. early this week to go back into the cast,”
   From the way Mr Tierney was talking in the first article, it shows he was planning to achieve this right from the start.  Not only did he work hard physically to get his body back into shape but he worked hard mentally too to stay positive and achieve his goal.  This man did not let this injury stop him from continuing with his profession, mainly because of his incredible passion and strictness to staying in a forward thinking state of mind.  However, the Broadway show has a history of accidents/ injuries, so is returning to the show an option for everyone?
   In the second article, it states “A third cast member, Natalie Mendoza, suffered a concussion at the show’s first performance on Nov. 28 when she was struck by a rope backstage; Ms Mendoza, who had played the spider villainess Arachne, quit the show weeks later.”  Upon reading this I became intrigued in knowing the exact reason for why she left the show.  I researched this and found her first comments after the incident, as she refused interviews at first.  She stated “It has been a difficult decision to make, but I regret that I am unable to continue on 'Spider-Man' as I recover from my injury."  I found it interesting that one person was able to return to the stage whilst another could not.
   However, this makes me wonder, was this purely because she was not well enough to return to work, or did her mentality towards the situation affect this outcome.  I also found out she was left rather traumatized not only after her accident but after Mr. Tierney’s too.  Could the shock and distress of the situations cause her to have a negative outlook on the situation?  Her accident alone was traumatic, but to of witnessed yet another accident could of put up a barrier in her mind, that this was not the path for her.  Plus, her head injury left her suffering with headaches and other symptoms, could this of triggered her final decision?
   In the previous module whilst planning my Inquiry, I investigated the possibility that by having a positive outlook on the subject of an injury, this could increase the recovery process.  In this situation, Mr. Tierney’s positive outlook derived from the fact he was determined to get back to work and to continue working in this show.  However, Miss Mendoza did not show any sign of seeking treatment in order to recover for the show, she was given a number of weeks of rest but from that, still decided not to return to the show.  If she had had a positive outlook and a set goal/ recovery plan in mind, could she of returned to the show?  Was she given the support needed?  These two people had very different injuries, 1 more extreme than the other, yet it was the individual who suffered the more traumatic injuries that returned to their job.  In the article, Mr Tierney was pictured with his father “Tim” outside the theatre, his father also gave an interview regarding his sons progress.  This shows he has support around him at this difficult time, he was strong enough to begin walking after 2 weeks to appear on a television show and to go and see the show itself.  He faced his fears head on and because of this positive mentality, was able to conquer his injuries too.
   Although there were different outcomes to the situations, only 1 out of the several who suffered injuries from the show did not return to the production.  In conclusion to this review, I feel that it is good that the media focused so much attention on the recovery of Mr Tierney and his return to the show as it is important for readers, particularly those involved in theatre, to be reminded that anything is possible.  The articles only focused a small amount of attention on Miss Mendoza’s situation; I believe this was done intentionally as it immediately draws negative attention to the show and the theatre industry.  The writers intention was to not only promote the show, but to promote the fact that Performers can continue with their profession, no matter what may come their way and that Mr Tierney is an inspiration to performers everywhere.

http://elec-doll.info/four-injured-contractors-is-not-it-strange-recovery-spider-man-dancer-says/

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/injured-spider-man-performer-heading-back-to-the-show-early/

Tackling Module 3 WBS 3760

At first when I recieved all the new information for the new module of this course, I reacted the usual way which was by panicking.  After working abroad for the entire summer, returning to what seemed like "the impossible" was very daunting.
However, what this course has taught me to do is to stay calm, sit back, rationalise the situation and then proceed a bit at a time and by making a set plan/ timescale for the completion of my work.

After reviewing my feedback from the previous module I became more at ease with the module in hand and was able to look back over my work and familiarise myself with what I need to focus on the most.  Once I had read through Reader 7, I was able to get a better understanding of what I hoped to gain from this literature review.  In the last module I came across many artciles, publishings of work, journals etc, which all related to the topic of my Inquiry.  What I have to ask myself now is should I use one of those pieces of literature which I am already familiar with?  Should I use a new source of literature altogether?  Or shall I use the names of the Authors/ Publishers I have already found to research more articles or their own?

At present I am currently discussing dates with the guest speaker for my "Discussion Workshop".  This is something that will require organisation and consideration for both mine and their own daily schedule.

I am looking forward to carrying out my workshop, talking to more people and by expanding my networking unit both professionally and socially throughout this module.