SIG questions and replies

After my initial blog of the interview I conducted nothing really grabbed my attention for further exploration to lead to a topic of inquiry. Being involved with a SIG made me aware of how many people were going down the teacher route with obvious inclinations of becoming successful teachers further down the line. I toyed with the idea of an inquiry encompassing both performance and teaching and thus posed a series of questions related to that idea....

 Are teaching qualifications/becoming a teacher a 'back-up ' for retirement, if plans fail or an injury strikes? Do people specifically learn to dance with the single aim of teaching? I ask this as I believe dance is all about performance. Yes you dance because you love it but isn't performance the part of it you love? Many activities offer good exercise and discipline but what personal extras does dancing give you that nothing else does?

Here are the answers I recieved:

Emma Price I think people turn to teaching as a 'back-up' for many reasons. Some being because after retiring/injury you need to able to work soon. Starting from the beginning in a separate subject is a time consuming thing & quite daunting after dance is often all we've known. So despite learning dance for a different reason, teaching is a good next step as you're halfway there? The performance side is what I love but don't think I'd stop because people weren't watching so if the performing part of your career has ended, why not continue to inspire those who share your love.

Melanie Cannon Hi Leon, I feel your question relates to me and what I am doing. Personally I don't think many performers go through rigorous training at vocational school with the intention of becoming a teacher? I think people who really know they want to teach go down a different route. People go to performing arts college with the love to perform and intention to have a career performing, however I do believe some
People ( not everyone) choose teaching as a back up career. I can talk from my own experience, after graduating I went to so many auditions but I really 100% knew the performing lifestyle wasn't for me. I tend to look at the bigger picture of things and I know that this career isn't the most stable career and although I can imagine when you are performing it is the best thing ever, I realised I really wouldn't like the on/off work life. As I want to build a comfortable future for myself. I started to teach (which I told myself I would never do at college) and I can't believe how much I love it! It feels like I have found a new passion that I never thought I would. I love motivating the children and feel satisfied when I see the development and improvement of the children. So although I didn't intend on going down this route, I Feel like this is more me and what I should be doing. So in regards to your question about it being a back up plan, I believe that is true to a certain extent but some
People may try it and absolutely love it and want to learn and gain more knowledge about the subject.

Kimberley Gallacher Hi Leon. Actually, since I was perhaps 12, I've always wanted to teach,AND perform. I didn't go to college with the intention of going straight into teaching, so that's my answer for you there, I truly don't believe that many attend dance college to go into teaching dance straight away, but with intention of doing it later after experiencing different teaching styles, technicalities, performing professionally and hard training. I think what we all need to take into account is that we tend to neglect each individuals background. For one, I come from a family of musicians and teachers, therefore teaching is in my blood and I have a huge passion for music, hence dancing is my way of expressing my love for/through music and I also have an ambition to teach because I like to share knowledge, experiences and help the younger generation find their own passions. So dance, for me, lets me express my love for music, which general exercise doesn't do.

Ruth Bowe I think this depends on the person in question. I know people from college that only wanted to dance then a few that only wanted to teach and then some that wanted to dance then go onto teach. I do think teaching qualifications are a back up for if the dancer has no work so it's easy money or if they get too old for employers they can go onto teaching. If performs become injured or plans fail teaching is the best option because they have experience and possibly a qualification in this field so will get work easily. I love performing and would do it forever if I could but I know there will become a point that younger people will be chosen over me. I will have restrictions in my body that younger people won't and I may want or have a family and no want to be travelling the world and leaving them all the time. This is thinking for realistic I think because performs are so different so office jobs etc.

My reply:  I hadn't thought of thinking of people's backgrounds and influences before but it must have a great deal to do with the outcomes. It got me to thinking....are colleges set up with a mind to those who just want to teach or are they all performance based? What's the best option for someone who chooses to teach over performing with regards to training and teacher development?

Chiara Anna Vainella Hi Leon. Personally I trained in musical theatre with the aim to work and perform, never really with the intention of teaching. I know that some colleges do actually have a teachers course where you can enroll to get teachers qualifications rather than train for performance purposes.

Amy D'Arcy I agree with Mel, in the sense that I realised when I was a t college that it wasn't for me.. Going to performing arts college was something that just kind of happened. I never applied to audition but went as an associate and then got a call one night saying to go in the following day for an audition and then I got a place. I didn't really know what a levels I had wanted etc so it just seemed like a good thing to do (despite my parents opinions) however by the time of third year it was not a lifestyle I could see myself living. I got too tired, injured, and couldn't face the bitchiness that I was surrounded by! The idea of teaching had always been in my head but again, it wasn't a desire/passion I'd always had however I did know that it would be a secondary school I'd want to work in rather than primary/dance school, then I got offered the opportunity for work placement in a school and love it! Because the kids don't really care about technique or anything like that, they just love doing it which makes me love doing it! hope this helps.

Everyones feedback was very gratefully recieved but the more I thought about it the less I found a route developing for me to take it further. It just didn't hold my interest enough and would not feature in my future career development. So it was back to the drawing board as far as my line of inquiry was concerned.