The power of a book

I have enjoyed reading everyone's reflections on the Zoom sessions that took place last week, but would it be completely out of the ordinary for me to say I felt more confused. Everyone seemed so confident and in tune with their opinions (which was inspiring) but for me, I felt lost in my own thoughts.

So I read a book. An actual book that had arrived in the post from the Middlesex Library. As someone who is not much of a reader, I became completely engrossed by this book and finished it in three days. I was amazed that after only the reading the first chapter, I had already made a mind map of all my new ideas. Two topics have particularly resonated with me, and I would love to share them and hear what you all have to say...

• Feelings and emotions of the dancer, and how they can effect the dancer's movement and ability to perform

When I was studying dance, a reoccurring correction of mine was to forget about the technique and perform more. There was something blocking my learning, and when I reflect back, I recognise it was phycological. I was so anxious... Was my technique good enough? Was I ever going to be good enough and achieve a successful career? It wasn't easy to overcome, but I am grateful for the journey I took as I learnt a lot about myself. I now question how much do negative emotions effect the dancer's ability to perform, in both educational and professional settings. Some dancers can use their emotions to cultivate movement, but others need a free headspace. But what is the difference between these two types of dancers?

• The relationship between a dancer and a teacher, and how collaboration can allow for the dancer to fully flourish

I think all dancers, singers, actors can think back to a time where a teacher or choreographer has given a piece of criticism that made you feel crap. Or received criticism in front of a whole class and made you feel embarrassed. Does this type of feedback help dancers improve? For some, this can give them the motivation to work harder, but for others, it can make them feel incapable, possibly causing mental health issues, eating disorders or even tempting them to quit dance altogether. Can corrections be given in a way that encourages students rather than the opposite? Can a healthy relationship between the dancer and student help student's gain more from their education? And what is needed for this 'collaboration' happen?

I have so many questions brewing now, but I know that I am not looking to solve anything yet. However, I think it's important to have an idea of what makes me 'wonder' so I can discover what it I want to investigate further.

The book I read is called 'The Student Dancer' (Buckroyd, n.d.) and it covers many different emotional and phycological aspects of learning dance at a professional level. If anyone has any questions about it or wonders whether it could help them with their research, I would be happy to help x

References

Buckroyd, J., n.d. The Student Dancer.

deMilked,  2021. [image]  Available at: <https://www.demilked.com/book-installation-the-castle-jorge-mendez-blake/> [Accessed 21 February 2021].

Off on a tangent... Qualitative Research

The idea of 'researching research' seemed bizarre to me at first because I just wanted to start researching ideas around my inquiry topic. But I went with it and I am glad I did. I began reading the Kortext book 'Qualitative Research for Physical Culture' (Markula and Silk, 2011). I would especially recommend chapter three to anyone who hasn't had a look yet. It discusses how to structure a qualitative research project, as well as some very useful tips on producing a successful Literature Review.

I was interested to learn about the process of qualitative research in comparison to quantitive. Quantitive research is the process of collecting and analysing numerical data (Base and research, 2021) and is known to follow a rigid order as shown below...

 (Markula and Silk, 2011, p. 58)

Qualitative research is more flexible and is what we will be using on this course. Although the process still needs order, it is possible to complete certain stages simultaneously. Additionally, certain parts of the research will continually be shaped throughout the process. An example of this is shown below...

 (Markula and Silk, 2011, p. 59)

For anyone who knows me well will know how much I loved planning and organising. This morning when I woke up, I made a plan of exactly what I wanted to achieve today from exercise, study and even planning time for myself (I am a bit of a Monica Gellar). I will need to learn to embrace uncertainty and 'go with the flow' this module.

A certain key word kept popping up during my reading - meaningful. This means that the purpose of the research must be valued by the researcher. The researcher will also have to reflect on the differences between the researcher and the participants, as well as be self-reflexive throughout the entire process. 

"As humans we often defend an idea by giving reasons for it. However, sometimes the best defense is not to give reasons at the outset but instead to pursue the idea in order to see where it leads." (iDoGrants, 2019)

I would love to ask you all now, how do you know when to stop researching research and start researching different ideas, but that would contradict what I have just learnt about 'flexibility in qualitative research'. So I am now going to start researching around my inquiry topic, but come back to literature around qualitative research whenever I feel it is necessary. 

I feel like I have gone off on a bit of a tangent whilst writing this post, but I think I can synthesise everything by reflecting on the TEDtalk that was shared by Alys and Helen at the beginning of the week - 'The power of vulnerability'. In the video, Brené Brown shares how she learnt to embrace vulnerability in order to get the most out of life. When I first watched it on Monday, I was feeling lost and frustrated about my study and where I was going with Module Two but it instantly helped me realise that it is okay if things don't go the way I hope. It also helped me recognise that if I do my research with love, courage and meaning then I will hopefully be able to get the most out of it...

I think this is what qualitative research is all about. What do you think?

References

Base, K. and research, A., 2021. What Is Quantitative Research? | Definition, Uses and Methods. [online] Scribbr. Available at: <https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/quantitative-research/#:~:text=Quantitative%20research%20is%20the%20process,generalize%20results%20to%20wider%20populations.> [Accessed 17 February 2021].

iDoGrants, V., 2021. Meaningful research must feel meaningful and be worthwhile; both valued and valuable.. [online] I Do Grants.org. Available at: <https://idogrants.org/2019/05/05/meaningful-research-must-feel-meaningful-and-be-worthwhile-both-valued-and-valuable/> [Accessed 17 February 2021].

Markula, P. and Silk, M., 2011. Qualitative research for physical culture. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

TEDxHouston, 2021. The power of vulnerability. [video] Available at: <https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en#t-529652> [Accessed 17 February 2021].

Little 'wonders'

And just like that we have began Module Two. There is so much information to take in, and with only 12 weeks until the deadline, it is safe to say I feel nervous but eager.

The handbook provides us with the first steps to 'shape an inquiry'. I initially decided to start by trying to 'find a focus'. I thought it would be much easier but my brain wasn't producing any thoughts at first. So I went back to my Module One essay for inspiration and recognised a particular theme surrounding Mental health. 

It was almost as if I had pulled the plug and I couldn't stop wondering. Mental health is something that I have encountered throughout my entire practice, if not personally then through the people around me and I have recently been trained to support the mental health of the students my class. 

I haven't had a one-to-one tutorial with my supervisor yet, but after being in contact with other BAPP students, I have realised that I need to to start this module by learning more about a qualitative non-positivist approach to research. 

I am putting my 'wonders' to the side for a couple of weeks and have started getting my nose into some books. I have started the Kortext book 'Qualitative research in physical culture' and am pleasantly surprised. It simply explains the purpose of qualitative research as well as giving some examples and discussing research ethics. I have also had a brief look through 'Doing your research project' and was instantly drawn to a well know quote...

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there" - Lewis Carrol  

I also came across this Youtube channel which explains qualitative research/data... Get Your Qual On

I will be blogging about my research discoveries in the next week and can't wait to read all your blogs too! x

Welcome Back Zoom - 06/02/21

I have just attended the Welcome Back Zoom. It was lovely to see some familiar faces and some new ones.

Helen said something lovely that has stuck with me... Don't tell yourself you can't do it, tell yourself you can but you just need some practise.

I hear that the work load increases slightly in Module Two, and having never planned an inquiry before, I am feeling a bit apprehensive. But just because I have never done something, doesn't mean it will go terribly. And that is what this Module is all about... creating a structure ready to start the inquiry in September. As performers, we are already so used to preparation whether that be for exams, auditions or getting ready for a performance in a professional job, so hopefully this planning won't feel completely unfamiliar.

Going into Module Two, I would like to improve on my communication through these blogs...

I sound like a granny asking this question...

Last term, after commenting on other students' blog posts, I often missed out on their replies because I wasn't receiving notifications. Does anyone know how/if there is a way of receiving notifications from comments and replies?

I am looking forward to starting the next chapter with you all x