The wonder of choice

Taking control of your life and choosing the direction it is to go in is a massively frightening prospect to many. Stepping out if that comfort zone into the unknown is the biggest (and can prove to be the most exciting) step one can achieve. 

The thing I emphasise here is the choice... The option to chose will more often than not lead to a more positive transition. 

Within my inquiry I have delved into areas of career transition disecting professionals' routes and their reasoning for the transitions taken. 

Within the arts, it is often seen as a luxury to have the option to seize a performing career, as the majority would see an end to their dancing life as a scarier catastrophe (I for one felt this at stages); with elements such as de-selection and injury being a common factor, harming self confidence and cutting the journey short. Here many feel a loss of identity and enter a grieving process for what they know and love. The shift into comfort within a new career obviously takes longer in these circumstances. 

I think personal courage in both situations is vital, and as performers you would think we hold this in bucket loads. But as most of us struggle through, unaware of possible external support we exist in the transition often treading water for a while, even being blinded of possible opportunity as we cling I to the 'what ifs' and the very recent past.

Having, through investigations within my inquiry, personally identified professional dancer support systems that are already in place who give psychological, financial and educational aid to dancers in and around their career transition I hope to share my awareness with others. 

Hopefully the stage of resettlement can be reduced in length if we remember to go with our hearts, take courage in the daunting challenge, believe in the light at the end of the tunnel and most importantly seek the support (professionally or via friends and family) if we so need it. 

Writing up the data



Writing up data = a long and arduous task!!!

Despite waiting a significant amount of time for the completion of many questionnaires and the meetings to record some interviews I am now reigniting my passion for the results I have so eagerly awaited. I am especially pleased that my participants allowed me to record the interviews as I am now able to re-listen and cast my ‘fresh’ eyes and mind over the responses made at this point of analysis.

The benefits I am finding when comparing the audio samples to the emailed responses are that I can actively remember the emotion and personal elements given to an answer…sometimes body language, tone of voice and eye contact can say a thousand more words than what is actually being heard. It is these subtleties and the occasional hesitation that have been encapsulated that spring me right back to the point of intrigue with discovering more about the specific candidate.

I have also been able to analyse my personal approach from the position of interviewer. I went in these meetings with the hope to remain non-bias, straight to the point and to leave room for the participant to feel comfortable in giving their response, from a place where they did not feel there was a right or wrong response. I must admit this section of the inquiry has definitely held good training in the development in the non-bias voice! (Albeit i cringe every time I hear myself speak…is that how I really sound!!? You can tell I am a dancer with very little voice training!!! Still it has left me laughing at moments, always a nice uplift!)

 Looking back I also acknowledged  how I conducted and presented myself, the way I remembered sitting, if I was fidgeting ( which I know I always do) and if I interrupted by contributing to the discussion, which could sway the direction of the response.  It highlighted many things about the researcher techniques I do (or do not) hold.

Within the ethical framework of my inquiry I will not submit any audio files and i will transcribe/ document the interviews, where some quotes are used and the full interview will be found in the appendices. Phew, it all seems like so much writing now. I still find myself getting lost in the enormity of the project. I keep trying to break it down into sub-sections, but this doesn't always work – I’m always finding my mind runs away with itself!

I guess the next lesson of the day is to achieve a successful ‘compression’ or relevant data to transcribe and use. I have found an easier method, that doesn’t mean I am sat writing the whole interview pout word for word to start with. I am note taking with making sure I write the time down of a particular point of interest I uncover…this way I am able to rewind the audio. I mean for research projects I guess you should type everything up but I see this is more about ‘you’ and ‘your process’ of learning and discovery than it is about actual findings??

I have these moments of excitement when I hear something I instantly know challenges or support something stated in my literature or expectations during my intro, so you can imagine my delight upon ‘rehearing’ or discovering these comments as I gather and write up my data.

Hearing how many others go through the grief and identity issues has made me realise it is OK and absolutely normal (although immensley difficult). It is not a problem with me...it is just an adjustment to a scenario; we all act and react differently even before the option of help is offered, it is an individual learning curve that in the end we all find settles as we find our feet once again.