3d - Critical questions and issues that emerge

The last task from this Module brought the issue of networking and professional relationships which is extremely important for our careers as performers. By finishing them, reading Reader 3 and all other texts and going on other students Blogs, made me think about my current sources and network and how could I improve it.

 From the sources that the students comment, any was totally new for me. From the concepts presented, I was part of them but never really understood or was really aware about them. I believe that what the last tasks brought to me were the capacity to analyse my current professional relationships and how could I enhance my current network and also how a good network can be crucial for a successful career. I recognized that my current “data” is unorganized, limited and not updated. Nowadays I am graduated, with further experience, with new goals and new plans for the future. By reading other students blogs and observing better Web 2.0 sources such as Facebook, I recognized that nowadays, those are the main ways to keep connected with professional contacts as well as a source to promote your work. I have said before how I wasn’t updated from those sources until this course and how recently I began to use Facebook as a professional network (literally this year). However, I still believe strongly that the most important way to be updated about dance, get new contacts and promote yourself are in actual face to face conversations, courses, performances, social events. I still avoid Twitter, Linkedin and some others. The most sources you have, better is your network and chance to promote yourself?  Or maybe keeping an organized with more focus sources actually makes your network better? I think I agree with the second one and I believe that the biggest change that the last tasks brought to me is on how I could keep my network productive. Reading Reader 3 helped me on that as well. The involvement required to be in a certain community, the participation, the capacity to share ideas, the capacity to recognize the limits about a relation and if it is beneficial are examples of tools on how I would like to change my current situation in networking.

Ethical considerations were currently reminded during the whole Module. Della Estlin, Pip Spalton and Kim Morrison wrote very interesting reflections about it, and because they came from different backgrounds and have different jobs, other situations such as Internet in relation to student and teachers, were brought. At the same time that keeping a good and organized network is important for a successful career, ethical considerations are crucial. A comment on Facebook which might get a wrong interpretation or is unappropriated can really affect your job. The Media nowadays provided a revolutionary type of communication and we are all dependent on it. But also brought major problems such as cyber bullying and lack of privacy that were not part of the society before. The main issue that I think it actually happens nowadays is that the sense of what is social and what is private changed a lot. Some Facebook profiles are actually diaries nowadays. Some may begin to do two profiles on Facebook for example (a professional and a social one). I don’t really agree with that. I think I would like to show my personality, opinion and my reality for my professional contacts as well as I don’t need to hide them. What I don’t think should be published would be for anyone else, as Internet is a really easy way to get information and spread it out. I think is still important to have a sense of privacy. However, I might change my opinion later as I recognize that ways of networking and privacy are changing on the past few years. 

Task 3c: My Current Sources of Information

The communication tools that Internet allowed us were revolutionary as it was already mentioned and worked in the past tasks. It is not a surprise then to realize that most current sources used to professional network are done by Internet. However, I don’t get information and build my network just through the Web world, other activities are also important. Here, I will list my current sources of information that I use most and find the most important to keep me into this “Community” and be in touch with my current “affiliations” and “cooperation”.

Facebook:

               

           Of course Facebook is one of the most crucial ones. As I told before in the past tasks, for a long time Facebook was just a social website for me with no professional contacts. I realized that I had to change and nowadays I recognize as an important tool to keep in touch and to keep updated. Many companies nowadays have Facebook pages, ballet dancers as well and recently, dance auditions pages which are extremely useful. I am part of three of those dance auditions pages. Facebook is also great to promote yourself. By uploading pictures, sharing your performances and current jobs your contacts are able to know about your current activities and approaches. Recently, I posted more about Ballet Dortmund and many talked to me after that.

Dance websites such as “Tanznetz”; “Danza.es”; “Balletnews”; “Balletcompanies”

Dance websites are great not just for auditions but also for interviews and reviews which I enjoy reading. I constantly check the “Tanznetz” website for reviews from Ballet Dortmund productions. I think is really important as a professional to read reviews from pieces which you are taking part. I believe makes you reflect about it. Those websites are great as well to know companies current productions and some news, such as if a company is changing the artistic director. I try to read different nationality websites to have a better overview from the dance world.

Networkdance and DancersPro

          Those websites have the main proposal of promoting dancers, companies, job offers and courses. I find them really useful to keep updated about auditions and courses however, sometimes I ask myself how helpful it is to actually promote yourself. Do directors and choreographers really check our profiles? Do they look for dancers on those websites? If anyone would like to discuss about that , I would be more than happy! Helping or not , if a company asks for a personal website I usually give my Networkdance profile which has my CV , lots of pictures and now , I am trying to get some videos as well. Recently, I made a profile at DancersPro which has the same proposal as Networkdance but , I found more organized and detailed. Also DancersPro informs more about short-term , commercials and freelance jobs. I just got into it so I still don’t know how effective it is.

YouTube

            YouTube is absolutely great. By watching videos from dancers and companies, you get to know much better about them. Usually before applying to an audition, I like watching videos from it to know better the style, if it worth going to the audition and to be more prepared for it. Also , when I rehearsing a choreography which was previously done , I like watching it to learn better , improve it and adapt to myself (as we mentioned on Task 2 , I am a visual learner so nothing is better than a YouTube link to watch the choreography !) It is also great to find inspiration by watching other dancers and of course, to promote your own videos.

Magazines

            I enjoy reading magazines for the same reason, I enjoy checking dance websites. Here, in Germany, I am finding harder to read those magazines as they don’t sell it here, but always when I have an opportunity I buy them. Some examples are Dance Europe, Pointe Magazine and Dancing Times. They are great for interviews, reviews and articles about dance (injury prevention, nutrition, tips etc.).

Travelling, watching performances, taking part in workshops

           We studied on Reader 3 how participation and knowledge are crucial to the process of learning and to be part of a community. I think that by watching performances, getting to know better other cultures and groups of dance are examples of this involvement in dance. When I arrived in Europe, I knew very little about companies, dancers and choreographers. I realized that it was important to have a better knowledge for the development of my career. I looked for workshops in the UK and performances. By watching each company and getting to do a different type of movement, my mind opened so much and I got to know much more people. I can even say that some courses that I have done were extremely important to my development and current network. It is a habit that I keep nowadays even if I don’t have the time I used to have. Here in Germany, as I mentioned before, there are so many different performance groups. I arrived here and had the same feeling that I had when I arrived in Europe for the first time: there is a lot to try, watch, know. So , I believe this habit gives a better knowledge to dancers and , even if you search on the Internet or watch YouTube links , the best way to get to know companies , choreographers and dancers it is by watching them , talking to them and doing classes.