So after many hours of thinking debating and confusing myself with my own questions I have decided to take the plunge and decide what to base my inquiry on.....
"The key to success in musical theatre; what helps and hinders us to becoming a successful performer"
I feel this question will leave me room to really explore every aspect of my professional practise and it will incorporate many of my other themes I had in mind. With this I can explore how much CPD(continued professional practise) can benefit your career, I can look into audition techniques and how we as performers become audition ready. I can discuss the importance of networking and the use of the Internet can be a huge benefit.I can also expand into dealing with rejection. I will also look at how not being physically and mentally fit can hinder your success. What problems we face on the road to success, unemployment, eating disorders etc.
This is also very helpful to me in my current position in my career as after working in ships I am now also trying to break into the musical theatre scene.
I would love some feedback on my ideas please if you could spare a second. I would love to know what your thoughts and feelings are and if you think this is a worth while inquiry.
Thanks! :)
Hi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteYou are thinking of exploring a very wide range of ideas including:
• how CPD (continued professional practice) can benefit your career;
• audition techniques;
• how we as performers become audition ready;
• the importance of networking;
• the use of the Internet;
• dealing with rejection;
• how not being physically and mentally fit can hinder your success;
• What problems we face on the road to success;
• Unemployment;
• eating disorders .
I think any one of these alone would be an appropriate focus. All of them together seems far too broad. I think you would end up with only the most superficial look at each of these.
Now I think there are two real options:
a. Undertake a broad mapping of CPD looking at gaining an understanding of the role of CPD to a Dance career. This would tease out the specific aspects of CPD.
or
b. Pick one of the above aspects and explore in detail, for example, you could survey, interview or focus group dancers to understand how they view being ‘audition ready’, or interview casting directors / choreographers to understand what they think ‘audition ready’ looks like.
Finally, I would avoid terms such as 'The Key to'. It implies a 'right' and 'wrong' way .. which does not seem a particularly effective way of thinking about professional practice. We are arguing that the right way is the way you find works best. So asking 'what do dancers report as being the most effective preparation for auditions' gives a proper, authentic and realistic framing of a question.
Hope that helps.