I first read this question before reading the first reader and my initial reactions was 'omg i have no questions!' my mind went compleatly blank and i started to panic! i calmed down and read through the reader, after that i began to think why did i start this course and what i wanted to gain from it?
i started the course to gain further education and qualifications and to hopefully in the long run gain better jobs and progress within the teaching profession.From this thought questions started to emerge in my mind;
1)how relevant is education and qualifications to propelling
yourself in the world of dance teaching.
From this i also thought about the elements of owning your own dance school and thought about these questions which relate to the above;
2) how essential is it to have performance
qualifications to run your own dance school?
3)
To own a dance school is owning a business should business
qualifications be taken into consideration as well or get over ruled by
performance ones?
From these initial questions i began to look more into education in dance as this is what i have and intend to focus on during my degree so then also thought about these questions.
4) in todays society today should a dance class be geared more
towards education and exams or fun based as a hobby?
5)With so much of this year being focused on the olympics and fitness i wanted to question how fitness based and conscious a dance
class should be?
These are just afew ideas that have came into my mind, they may not be perfect or a great path to go down in the long run, but at the moment they are a starting point for me and i intend to research into them in more depth and see what my outcomes are.
Hi Steph,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post.In response to your question, do we need business qualifications to start up our own performing arts school? I have just started my own business private tutoring students for speech & drama and LAMDA exams. I am really enjoying it so far and have surprised myself at how much I actually knew about business. I have been totally fine with insurance and invoices etc. The teaching itself didnt worry me as I went to college and studied the subjects but it was the business side that did. I still ask my accountant so many quections as I don't really understand the self employed side of things as this is my first time, however, keeping records and invoices etc has proved okay and quite fun! Both my parents own their own businesses and so do my uncles so I am not sure if it runs in the family, but I haven't had to ask many questions. It would be great to know how you are getting on with your own school?
As for dance being about exams or fun, I think both is fantastic, don't you? exams teach discipline and order but having dance as a hobby encourages fitness, confidence and passion.
Thanks so much for your post. I am wondering if it would be ok to add you to my SIG group?
Thanks
Rebecca
Hello Steph.
ReplyDeleteI think your question around dance classes being a fun hobby or exam based is very interesting but also very tricky. I personally feel that if I went to a more serious dance school as a child I would have been better prepared for my professional training. And I would now a better technical dancer. However I don't think it would mean taking exam after exam.
At such a young age it must be hard for dance teachers to establish the line between the children having fun but also learning something.
There is a dance programme in the US called Dance Moms, there has recently been a lot of interviews on whether the teacher pushes the children too far.
Please watch this clip on an interview about the series you will probably find it interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7VjH5UDoQQ
Thanks
Kimberly
Hi Rebecca I would love to be part of your SIG group and thank you to responding to my questions.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question I do not have my own school at the moment that is something I am looking to in the future, however at the moment I am self employed and do teach for a number of schools and so far so good. I have been self employed for just over a year so have filed my first tax return and managed to get through it all! I feel keeping as organized as possible and keeping everything! Really helped me so when I came down to it, it was all in front off me. I am worried however that when I do start a business and have it all on a much larger scale I may struggle, but if I follow the same format I am at the moment I don’t see why I should. So watch this space haha.
Kimbery thank you for that link it was a great watch! Id love to watch more of that show! It is interesting I think it is all about finding the balance between the fun and the pressure to improve ect but again I think it all depends on the individual and what they or there parents would like them to achieve from the class. With children’s classes even though it is the child taking the class other aspects like the parents opinion do need to be taken into consideration as seen on the show. I think this question is a tough one to have one straight forward answer to. Thank you for your comments! And I intend to delve further into this
Steph x
Steph,
ReplyDeleteThat's great. Yeah just stay organised. I have folders and all my invoices and letters already printed to just fill in!
My SIG link is n my profile! On the right hand side! Feel free to explore. I would love to be part of yours too.
Thanks
Rebecca
Hi Steph,
ReplyDeleteIn response to some of your questions, these are my initial thoughts and feelings:
1)how relevant is education and qualifications to propelling yourself in the world of dance teaching? - It is my belief that the more credentials a teacher has, the more knowledgeable they are of the given subject. However, this does not always mean that they have the experience and skill set required to teach. I believe that learning how to engage your audience (your clients or students)and the process of teaching a variety of steps to a variety of different aged participants with a vast range of abilities is learnt through experience. It goes back to module one, Schon's process of using refection-in-action and reflection-on-action.
Dependent on what the Employer / Person looking for a class for themselves or their child is looking for in a teacher, their qualifications and place of study can be valuable, as this shows the level and standard of your studies and ability to teach, commitment to your work and self-improvement, professionalism and so the list goes on...If qualifications held no strength or purpose, then why would put ourselves through it?! - Come to think of it - we are doing this degree to add to our credentials are we not?
2) how essential is it to have performance qualifications to run your own dance school? - I would question whether it is essential to have performance "qualifications" to run a dance school. I think performance experience, knowledge and skills again, add credibility to the school / principal / teachers. Performers have an innate way of sharing their experience with others using their ability to project their passion onto others in an exciting way.
3) To own a dance school is owning a business should business qualifications be taken into consideration as well or get over ruled by performance ones? - Again, I would question the necessity of a "qualification" as it would be more important to gain knowledge and different skills to run a business. I am self-taught. I spent a time managing a retail shop which helped me to improve my business skills such as forecasting, anticipating peaks and troughs and learning about how to market a product. There are short course available through Business Link which are often free and are incredibly useful as an introduction to the different facets of running a business and being self-employed.
4) in todays society today should a dance class be geared more towards education and exams or fun based as a hobby? - I find this the most difficult of your questions to answer. I was trained in the I.S.T.D Syllabus from an early age up to my graduation at 19 years of age. At the time, it was essential for me to attend structured classes as I wanted to gain my teaching qualifications and to become a professional. If I base my answer on classes for young children, I have witnessed a demand for both approaches. Some Parents are looking for a class that their children will "enjoy" for fun, whereas others want the child to attend grade exams to show that progress is being made. Evidence that the child is doing well. I must say that I have enjoyed experiencing non-syllabus classes as a teacher much more than the classes I attended as a child. This may be because I now realise the faults of my teacher which encompasses that fact that I do not like the idea of disciplining children in a harsh way, like shouting and pressurising them to "get it right". I like to think of my approach as being a lot more organic and natural. In short - there is a place for both styles of classes.
To be continued as I'm waffling...
5)With so much of this year being focused on the olympics and fitness i wanted to question how fitness based and conscious a dance class should be? - I love this question! This is much closer to where I am at the moment. I teach adults, but the question can easily cross over to children. As an example I have a client's Daughter (approx 10 yrs) who attends one of my dance fitness classes with her Mum. She is attending the class to try a lose a little bit of weight but because the focus is on having a good time with lively music and dance steps, she experiences the class without feeling as though she is at the class to get fit and lose weight!?! In the meantime, that is exactly what IS happening! Brilliant! So, anyone attending a dance class is benefiting from the fitness aspect, perhaps without realising it at the time.
ReplyDeleteI hope these answers help. Your questions have helped me to think about different aspects of my practice too, so thank you.
This is a great start! :-)
Best Wishes,
Jo