Developing my inquiry...

'How and why are there pressures put on the way dancers should look?'


Instead of focusing on just dancers I have also been researching in to other athletes such as runners and how they cope with pressures put on them with regards to how they should look.

I believe that expanding my inquiry like this has created more questions for me, I have seen certain similarities between dancers and other athletes with regards to pressure put on them.

An article I have read on 'Peak Performance' about professional athletes such as runners has stated that 'In western society, there is a powerful underlying belief that thinness leads to success, power, beauty and happiness'.

This statement suggests that there is a certain sense of unspoken competitiveness within not only dancers but other athletes too. With so many web 2.0 platforms now, so many people are comparing themselves to what they see online. I have found this connection between dancers and other athletes very interesting and will be researching in to this further as my inquiry goes on.

I hope this helps anyone in Module three, branching out a bit may help to expand and develop your inquiry as it has done with mine.

Millie x

Thinking about perspectives...

During my literature review in module two I focused on two main perspectives relating to my inquiry, I then had three examples for each perspective.

However during this term within my literature research, I am focusing on many different perspectives and how they intertwine with each other. This way of thinking has already lead me to finding more information related to my inquiry along with creating new questions which lead to more questions.

Finding more quotes from what people have said before me really helps to expand my thinking with regards to my inquiry.

I hope this helps anyone struggling with their thoughts on their own perspectives within module two or three. Please feel free to comment your ideas.

From Millie x

An introduction to my inquiry

'How and why are there pressures put on the way dancers should look?'

1. Why I chose this inquiry topic, why it is important to me- I was in vocational raining for just over 5 years and over that time I felt some sort of pressure to look a certain way and have seen some of my fellow peers fall ill due to the amount of pressure put on us as young dancers. I am very interested to find out how and why these pressures come about so that I can truly understand the cause and reason for them.
2. My research questions that started it all off- What types of pressures are there? Who is putting the pressure on dancers and how they should look? How do we cope with it? Why is there a specific body type needed for the dance industry? Why and how do people try to enforce it? Is social media partly to blame?
3. How do these questions relate to my professional practice- My professional practice is trans-disciplinary, there is more than one element to my practice and it is ever changing. As a dancer and actress I attend various open classes and auditions alongside teaching dance and drama to children. Having a greater understanding of these questions and this inquiry will help myself and others around me to continue to cope with these pressures that are put on us as dancers. I will also then be able to share this knowledge I have with my students. I believe we should all feel comfortable in our own skin, as long as we are healthy. Dance is an art form, it will look beautiful no matter what the dancers body type is. 

I hope this helps anyone starting Module 3, feel free to comment your thoughts and ideas!

Millie x

ACI3622 Feedback Response

My feedback response to Module ACI3622

As I now start Module 3 I have been thinking about what changes I can make to my inquiry to improve it using the feedback I received from my supervisor.

Firstly my inquiry title was- 'Are there pressures put on the way dancers should look?' However
I can now see that I have already answered my inquiry question within my essay, therefore rather than my inquiry being a direct question I will take the approach of ‘how and why are there pressures put on the way dancers should look?’. It is more about finding out more about something I have noticed and being able to understand it more in depth. 

Therefore this is my updated inquiry- 'How and why are there pressures put on the way dancers should look?’.


I have decided to interview male and female dancers along with the people who may actually be putting pressure on performers. For example, choreographers and dance teachers. I believe this will give me more perspective and will answer my questions of how and why do dancers feel pressure. I will also not be discussing eating disorders with the participants as stated on my More form.

I will not only be researching in to dancers but athletes too, along with their experiences. Journal articles such as ‘Sports in Society’ and ‘Journal of dance education’ will be very useful during my inquiry and will allow me to have more perspective.

During this final module I am going to be more clear about why I have chosen this topic, it will support my teaching along with supporting and understanding my colleagues and keeping myself healthy within the dance industry.

Millie x