An Ethnographic Study of Amateur Dance by Mary Suljak A the

207 Pages·2010·1.11 MB·English

by  Paul Koebel

Dance Competitions and Recitals as Collectively Accomplished Events:
An Ethnographic Study of Amateur Dance

by

Mary Suljak

A thesis
presented to the University of Waterloo
in fulfillment of the
thesis requirement for the degree of
Master of Arts
in
Sociology

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2010
© Mary Suljak 2010
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis,
including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners.
I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public.

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ABSTRACT

This thesis presents a qualitative analysis of organized amateur dance
participation as an example of human group life. Organized amateur dance typically
occurs within a studio or school setting and is differentiated from professional dance by
the lack of monetary compensation provided to performers. Consequently, this thesis
considers the dance studio as an arena for pursuing hobby-based interests and activities,
as well as notions of providing entertainment as entertainment in and of itself.
Using a symbolic interactionist theoretical perspective in conjunction with
ethnographic methodology, this thesis analyzes the centrality of performance among
amateur dance participants, related to group-based definitions of competitions and
recitals as the most significant aspects of their dance involvements. By envisioning
competitions and recitals as instances of coordinated activity, this thesis employs Prus’
(1997: 135) conceptual model for participating in collective events as a means of
highlighting the processual quality characteristic of developing performance events.
Further, this thesis uses Goffman’s (1959) conceptualization of team-based dynamics as a
means of illustrating how meanings about the group, the activity at hand and the event
being anticipated are created, negotiated and perpetuated in a group-based setting.
Data obtained from the observation of dance groups as they prepared for and
engaged in competitions and recitals as well as open-ended interviews with twenty
members of the amateur dance community is used to illustrate the various stages of
accomplishing performance events. This analysis begins with participant experiences in
initiating events and becoming involved with them, followed by a discussion on how
these groups prepare for, sustain and participate in performance events.
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While this thesis focuses predominantly on amateur dance involvements, it also
provides a transcontextual analysis of the interactionist concept of the collective event,
through comparisons with research conducted on groups based on activities other than
dance. Through field data and these various comparisons, this thesis finds that working
toward and participating in group-based ventures encourages the development of a team-
based awareness and sense of purpose among the participants of a wide variety of
activities. Because having a central focus and common awareness with regard to an
activity is integral to the sustained commitments and involvements of participants, this
thesis finds the interactionist notion of collective events to be a central feature of human
lived experience.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following people:

Dr. Timothy Gawley, Dr. Keith Warriner and Dr. Kieran Bonner for sitting on my
committee and graciously sharing their insight, guidance and assistance in the preparation
of this thesis.

I would also like to thank Dr. Robert Prus for introducing me to the possibilities of
symbolic interactionism and ethnographic research and for his guidance during the early
stages of research.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the many dance studios that welcomed me at their
practices, competitions and recitals and who, during their busiest hours, still found time
to share their experiences and insights with me.

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DEDICATION

For my parents, for encouraging me in all of life’s endeavors
and for Paul and Dora, for never ceasing in their love, support and companionship,
without which the completion of this thesis would not have been possible.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION.......................................................................................ii

ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................v

DEDICATION ................................................................................................................vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................vii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION...................................................................................1

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL & EMPIRICAL LITERATURE REVIEW..............6
Historical Overview of Symbolic Interactionism...........................................................6
The Premises of Symbolic Interactionism......................................................................9
Sociology of Dance..........................................................................................................11
Dance as Symbolic Interaction........................................................................................15
Amateur Dance as Subcultural Mosaic...........................................................................16
Collective Events and Teamwork Dynamics..................................................................20
Dancing with the Mosaic: Understanding Dance Involvement as Generic Process....24
Dance as Marketplace Activity........................................................................................26
Summary.........................................................................................................................................30

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY & RESEARCH SETTING.....................................31
Overview of Data Collection............................................................................................32
Research Setting................................................................................................................34
Participants.........................................................................................................................36
Sampling............................................................................................................................38
Obstacles to Research and Ethical Dilemmas.........................................................................39

CHAPTER 4: BECOMING INVOLVED IN COMPETITIONS & RECITALS.........41
“Being Recruited” and “Seeking Out” Participation.......................................................42
Recruitment Strategies....................................................................................43
Pursuing Intrigues..........................................................................................51
Managing Reservations....................................................................................................57
Initiating Events Involving Others..................................................................................63
Organizing Recitals.......................................................................................66
Assessing and Selecting Competitions...........................................................69
In Summary....................................................................................................................................75

CHAPTER 5: PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR THE PERFORMANCE
SEASON..........................................................................................................................79
Funding the Performance Season...................................................................................80
Charging Fees...............................................................................................81
Fundraising....................................................................................................84
Merchandising................................................................................................84
Developing Organizational & Preparatory Agendas....................................................88
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Developing Choreographies: Music, Costumes & Other Preliminary
Decisions........................................................................................................88
Classroom Dynamics.....................................................................................92
Creating Choreographies................................................................92
Participating in Classes & Practices..............................................94
Maintaining Interest & Handling Resistances................................96
Encountering and Handling Conflicts & Resistances...................................................104
Cost of Participation........................................................................105
Costume Decisions............................................................................106
Role & Placement Decisions............................................................108
Developing a Sense of Purpose/Mission........................................................................118
In Summary..................................................................................................................................123

CHAPTER 6: PARTICIPATING IN PERFORMANCES............................................126
Attending Final Practices & Dress Rehearsals..............................................................128
Getting Ready..................................................................................................................131
Developing Bonds with Others in Performance Events................................................141
Managing Nervousness & Other Emotional Experiences.............................................144
Taking the Stage: Engaging in Live Performances.......................................................149
Competing: Experiencing Adjudication & Award Ceremonies.................158
Concluding Performances & Looking Ahead to Future Events...................................162
In Summary..................................................................................................................................165

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSIONS.....................................................................................169
Summary of Findings.......................................................................................................169
Contributions to Scholarship............................................................................................177
Limitations of this Research & Recommendations for Future Scholarship..................183

APPENDICES
Appendix A – Facebook Recruitment Sample......................................................................................186
Appendix B – Telephone Recruitment Sample.....................................................................................187
Appendix C – Information Letter (Adult)..............................................................................................189
Appendix D – Consent Form (Adult).....................................................................................................191
Appendix E – Information Letter (Child)..............................................................................................192
Appendix F – Consent Form (Child)......................................................................................194

REFERENCES................................................................................................................195

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The exploration of hobbies and entertainment as social activities arguably holds
secondary status in sociological inquiry to areas such as work and occupations, education,
or crime and deviance in which activities are deemed problematic and necessitate
amelioration. Yet, hobbies and entertainment remain predominant features of our social
and communal lives. Prus (nd: 1) notes that although entertainment is not typically
defined as vital to our existence, it “represents an enduring and consequential feature of
human lived experience that can be found throughout recorded history.” Addressing how
people define and interact with entertainment should be considered a viable area for
sociological inquiry because of the predominance of entertainment as a central feature of
human lived experience.
At any given time, people are involved in a variety of groups, including those
centered on hobbies and entertainment, and it is these which make up their realities in
certain times and places. This multitude of groups makes up what we refer to as society.
Exploring these groups and how individuals might interact within them has sociological
relevance, and contributes to a more general awareness of human lived experience.
Group-based activities centered on hobbies and entertainment, particularly for
children, occupy a considerable amount of time and resources for many people, making
research in this realm beneficial to understanding human lived experience. Adler & Adler
(1998) note that children’s participation in after-school activities has increased
significantly over the second half of the twentieth century, relating to the increase of
women in the workforce and the societal fear of leaving children unattended. These
activities include sports (hockey, soccer and baseball leagues) and academics (enriched
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learning programs, debate teams). One of the more predominant hobby-based activities is
dance. Many parents enroll their children, particularly daughters, in ballet, jazz, tap or the
multitude of other dance styles available at studios. In turn, becoming involved with these
groups implies that these children will participate in the group’s events, such as attending
rehearsals, classes and performances. Performances, in the form of competitions and
recitals, are identified as the most salient feature of amateur dance. In turn, they represent
instances of coordinated activity, as considerable planning and effort on behalf of all
group members precedes the group’s participation in these events.
If we are to understand society, research is required on as many elements of it as
possible. This includes the pursuit of entertainment and hobbies. People expend
considerable time and resources on producing and consuming entertainment. It is a
central feature in the lives of many, and therefore, is a relevant and significant area of
sociological research. In turn, the overarching objectives of this thesis are twofold.
Firstly, I assess the applicability of the symbolic interactionist concept of group-based
collective events (Prus, 1997) for understanding entertainment activities in an effort to
better understand how people plan and organize themselves, and others, around these
activity-based events. This thesis focuses on how participants in amateur dance
competitions and recitals come together around events that they deem significant.
Secondly, I consider how the experiences of the participants compare and contrast
with those involved in other groups. Using these various comparisons, I look to
understand 1) how research on amateur dance can contribute to existing research on
group-based involvements, 2) How groups coordinate multiple identities, roles and
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