When reviewing the carers responses to the questionnaire, my findings were not only very motivational, but supported my opinions as one of the students teachers.
It was unanimous that the carers believed that, overall, the students had more energy and showed elevated levels of happiness and motivation during dance class. There was also no conflicting opinions that certain students with communication and social problems seemed much more willing to participate in dance classes than in other activities. I also discovered from the questionnaire that dance was one of the preferred classes of the students, who they believed viewed the lesson as an energetic, fun activity where the students got to reveal some personal creativity.
I had my own opinions about the students happiness levels during lessons, and their opinion on the participating in dance class, but what really intrigued me was whether that happiness and benefits were noted more in some students, if it was carried into other activities, if it had any effect on their behaviour or feelings to other activities, and if so did it transmit positively.
The results show that carers felt that some students, since beginning dance class, appeared more open socially, more expressive and showed improvement in posture and self expression. Results showed that some students were often calmer and more willing to maintain concentration after dance class. The carers felt that the students appeared to be more relaxed due to one hour of freedom to express themselves which meant higher levels of concentration in other activities.
The carers believed that the students benefit from dance classes, assisting with the learning’s of various competences such as movement, expression and communication.
Upon finishing this sector of research I have found myself wanting to look into other opening lines of inquiry within my chosen SIG.
I would be interested in taking the time to individually find out from students what they feel they have gained from dance classes. Whether it is mainly dance skills or a combination of skills. It would be beneficial to know if the students and carers view the benefits of the dance lessons on different levels, in a comparison of personal and professional.
If I were to further my inquiry within my SIG I would be very excited in choosing a specific disability group to focus on. I would be interested in recording ease/ difficulties during specific movements and how I could work around those, working on improving the difficult sections. I enjoy the idea of doing a research programme whereby as a teacher I would journal my findings, gain the opinions of the students and work alongside them in correcting movement issues.
As a teacher for APPACDM, I was always more focused on the levels of enjoyment the students were having, but I do feel there is a lot deeper I could go to reaching great levels of improvement within my students. Happiness just scratches the surface of the possibilities of the dance classes, happiness brought on by better mobility, improvement in strength, changes in personal attitudes and personal achievement will definitely be a focus of mine in the future.
Questionnaire Results.
1. Do the students have any noticeable changes in , energy, happiness, or motivation during dance class?
1. Yes.
2. Yes- in happiness.
3. Yes- they all show elevated levels of motivation.
4. Yes.
5. Yes- the students are more enthusiastic to follow the instructions of the teachers.
2. Do the students show a different amount of interest in dance class than in other activities? If so which do they show more/less interest in?
1. Yes- its one of the activities they enjoy the most- everyone.
2. The students show interest in all activities- although their interest levels are elevated with dance lessons.
3- Yes.
4. They wait anxiously for Friday’s dance lesson.
5. Some students wait impatiently for the class to begin, because it’s an energetic, fun activity where the students get to reveal some personal creativity.
3. Do you notice a different reaction from students with specific illnesses in dance class compared to other activities?
1. Yes.
2. Yes- the students who have more social/shyness/communication problems, appear to have more confidence and freedom.
3. Yes- more motivated.
4. Yes- the feel free to be open and share.
5. Some students show more desire to participate in dance than in other activities such as rowing or gymnastics.
4. Have you noticed a change in any particular students since starting dance lessons? If so what changes have been noticed?
1. Yes- I think some of the students are much more open, more confident.
2. Yes- some students have better expression and improvement in posture.
3. -----
4. Yes- some show signs of being more open socially.
5. During the lesson some students appear happier, more expressive and show a better ability to move more freely.
5. Do the students wish to participate in more dance classes?
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.
5. Yes, no doubt about it, all activities are beneficial for the students. Dance is one of the activities that lets the students feel and show they have the same potential and ability as people without disabilities. (which means they don’t feel different)
6. How do the students behave after dance class? Does it differ than behaviour after other activities?
1. The students are calmer- they are more concentrated.
2. The happiness is displayed on their faces and they never want the lesson to end.
3. Yes- some students are calmer.
4. Calmer and more relaxed.
5. They definitely show more happiness than in after other activities, they express how its one hour of opportunity for them to feel free.
7. Do you feel dance class benefit’s the students? If yes/no please state in which ways?
1. Yes- it makes them happy.
2. Without a doubt- in helping the students development in assist in the learning of various competences, ie: movement, communication, expression.
3. Yes.
4. Yes- responsibility, concentration, relaxed and happiness.
5. Yes- because besides of the physical and mental challenges and benefit’s the lesson brings, at a social level its very important also. The students get to say they can dance too!!
Instead of using names in this enquiry, I have numbered the people asked from one to five.
Questionnaire
1. Do the students have any noticeable changes in , energy, happiness, or motivation during dance class?
2. Do the students show a different amount of interest in dance class than in other activities? If so which do they show more/less interest in?
3. Do you notice a different reaction from students with specific illnesses in dance class compared to other activities?
4. Have you noticed a change in any particular students since starting dance lessons? If so what changes have been noticed?
5. Do the students wish to participate in more dance classes?
6. How do the students behave after dance class? Does it differ than behavior after other activities?
7. Do you feel dance class benefit’s the students? If yes/no please state in which ways?
This is the questionnaire I have created to ask the carers of the students who are constantly observing the dance lessons. I feel it is important to involve the carers in my enquiry as they see the reactions of the students to the dance lessons, which can be compared to other activities they are involved in, and whether they feel dance is in any way beneficial.
I hope to get some interesting results from this questionnaire. When I have the results of the questionnaires back I will be post the results!
The award I seek as a result of doing this programme is BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performing Arts.
My rationale for selecting this title is due to the fact that I feel the words ‘Performing Arts’ best fits all of the educational study and work related projects that I have carried out over the past nine years and provides a rounded and informed view of the dance industry.
Reflecting on the many years of experience that I have acquired as a performer, I am able to acknowledge that not only have I performed on stage as a dancer but also as an actress, singer, entertainer, director and costume designer and more recently shown that I am confident in regards to teaching performing arts to both children and adults, within my own stage school.
The title ‘Performing Arts’ allows one to recognise that you are capable of developing your original talent and in addition learn new techniques that will enhance your performance. To me this has been achieved through a prior course of study and whilst working as a professional dancer in Portugal.
Since the age of three it became apparent, to both myself and observers, that dance was my strongest discipline and one that I hoped could be developed further, to allow myself to gain employment within the ever demanding world of entertainment.
The undertaking of my first professional course of study enabled me to recognise that dance, as a single subject, would not secure me a future within the entertainment industry and if I wished to be selected for auditions, I needed to combine my love of dance with performance and come to recognise the history behind the dance techniques that I had acquired and now wished to perform in front of others, on the stage.
Through my previous course of study I not only developed my knowledge surrounding dance techniques and musical theatre but also developed an understanding of related subjects such as anatomy, sociology, media and culture. I was also, through regular performances, able to develop the skills that are sought after by all of employers, including
· confidence;
· self-presentation;
· teamwork and collaboration;
· time management and organisational skills;
· self-awareness;
· self-discipline;
· an open mind and the ability to move beyond boundaries and experiment with different ideas;
· communication skills;
· analytical, critical and research skills;
· the ability to cope with criticism and learn from it;
· stamina.
These skills, together with my love of dance, secured my future within the entertainment business and as a dance teacher. It has also enabled me to recognise that for those individuals who wish to make it in the entertainment industry, it is important to teach them all aspects of being a performer. This is necessary as it will allow them to build on the skills they already have and develop new techniques that when put together as a package will allow them to participate fully as a performer.
4a, Initial Questions, Lines of inquiry.
Since finishing Module 1 of the BAPP course I have opened my own Dance School in Portugal, I have also began teaching dance lessons in gyms and teaching teenagers/ adults with disabilities both mentally and physically.
Throughout Module 1 of the course I mainly focused my work based on my own experiences as a Performer, but as I completed reader 4 I found myself thinking about initial ideas for questions that revolved more around teaching.
I believe my lines of inquiry have taken this new route as I am less experienced as a teacher but extremely enthusiastic to better my knowledge to improve my teaching technique.
Finding a set of questions to use as my initial line of inquiry came to me easily, as I ask myself questions on my teaching technique everyday.
Dance School
1. How do you maintain discipline/ gain respect as a teacher, within the lesson?
2. How is the best way to encourage and motivate children?
3. What changes do I have to make to my teaching technique depending on the age of the children?
4. When it comes to correcting posture of the body, what is/ is not appropriate?
5. How long should it take before I notice some improvement in technique?
6. How do I ensure every student receives the attention they require?
7. How do I structure a lesson using the time efficiently?
8. When dealing with ranges of ability within one group of children how can I correct the children that are having difficulties whilst keeping them motivated.
Gym
1. In which ways must I change my lessons to be gym appropriate?
2. What are gym members really looking for from a dance class?
3. How much time do I allocate to warm up compared to choreography?
4. Should I expect to see improvement in the participants of the class?
5. If the lesson includes participants of both beginner and intermediate levels which level should I choreograph for?
6. Should I ask if members are getting what they expect out of my lessons?
APPACDM ( centre for individuals we mental and physical disabilities)
1. How is the best way to conduct the lessons safely for both the students and the teachers?
2. How can dance benefit the members of the centre?
3. Do they enjoy dance class? If so why/ why not?
4. What Is the students favourite part of the lesson?
5 How far can we push the students? Ie technique, choreography and performance.
6. Do the carers who work alongside them on a daily basis notice any difference in the students since starting dance lessons?
7. How can I make the one hour lesson an enjoyable experience?
8. What would happen if a student tried to bring harm to themselves, another student or one of the teachers?
9. How are the students reacting towards each other during the lesson?
10. Are the students retaining choreography/ corrections?
11. How can I involve exercises that will help strengthen muscle groups that are weakened within students with certain disabilities?
The 3 sets of questions would all benefit further exploration, but I have decided that I would like to explore the questions I have regarding my APPACDM lesson.
Some of the question I listed from my Gym dance class, and my Schools dance also apply to my APPACDM lesson and can therefore also be researched.
