Comparing Contracts

 On reflecting on my practice, I've been thinking about significant times in my life where I feel like I've truly learnt/experienced something. Honestly, I feel like I'm learning new and important things everyday but there have been some more significant moments. I've been fortunate to have two Cruise ship contracts since graduating but they couldn't have been more different experiences. I learnt so much during both contracts but I've found it very interesting how I took the knowledge I gained from my first contract and applied it to my second. 

For my first contract, we rehearsed in Italy for 4 weeks then flew to Japan to join the ship. The ships home port was in China, therefore all of our passengers and most of the crew were Chinese. The itinerary was phenomenal as we travelled to many different parts of Asia. On my second contract we rehearsed in Florida for a month and a half, then joined the ship which was also out of Florida and cruising around the Caribbean. I definitely felt like I was thrown in the deep end on my first contract as I was 19, I'd never lived away from home and I was being pushed out of my comfort zone but that contract made me who I am today and was a huge turning point in my life. 

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The rehearsals for my first contract were very strict. We'd wake up at 6am and be in the studio warming up and running the shows everyday. Having so many dances and shows to learn required a lot of practice. Life on board the ship was like nothing I'd ever experienced and I was very glad to have some Wifi (although it was terrible) to connect with my family and friends through social media. Being so far away from home makes you feel like you're on a parallel universe so having connections allowed me to feel a lot closer to home. 'Media develops conversations. Conversations develop reality' (Siemens, 2006, p.75).

Due to the intensity and frequency of our shows there were a lot of injuries that led to us finishing with half a new cast that we didn't begin with. Practically all of the injuries took place during the shows so each perform had to be alert in order to keep the show running smoothly. Unfortunately this seemed to be happening on a weekly basis but allowed us to learn every single persons tracks and all the choreography whether it be boys or girls. 

As our guests were Chinese, I felt it my duty to learn as much Chinese as I could so I could communicate with the passengers and develop my interpersonal skills (Gardner). I knew it was important to 'Maintain respect and courtesy for people who come from different cultures' (Brenner, 2018) but it was challenging to become accustom to such different traditions. Through this contract I truly felt like I gained so much independence from exploring Asia (sometimes on my own even) and acquired a wealth of knowledge from the performance side of the contract.

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My second contract felt a lot easier perhaps because I was equipped with the knowledge I'd learnt from previous experiences.  We only ended up doing one re-block and we had plenty of time to prepare but due to the amount I did in my first contract, I learnt everyone's parts and even some vocal parts in rehearsals just in case. Through the strengthening of my interpersonal skills on my first contract, I had a lot more confidence to interact with the guests on board this ship, especially as they mostly spoke English. One thing I came across on my second contract that I didn't on my first was we had to do weigh-in's every cruise. I didn't mind this but on reflection is this something that is ethically correct? Should our managers and supervisors be concerned about the number on the scale or more about how we physically look and our mental well being? 

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I thoroughly enjoyed both contracts and these are only a few things that I learnt. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences and gained so much knowledge from them. I hope to do more contracts like these and I do wonder if I'll have an entirely different experience again. 


References

Brenner, L. (2018). How to use good communication skills for cross-cultural diversity. [online]. : Available at: https://work.chron.com/use-good-communication-skills-crosscultural-diversity-8317.html. [Accessed 24. Feb 2021].

Gardner, H. (2006). Multiple intelligences: New horizons. Basic Books.

Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing Knowledge. Lulu.






 


 

Comments

  1. Sally Sharp3 March 2021 at 07:57

    Hi Niamh,
    This is such an interesting blog and congratulations on pushing yourself out of your comfort zone so far at such a young age! Awesome!
    I found your comments regarding others taking notes on the 2nd contract very interesting, it's so easy to think that others aren't doing things properly, but loved your reflection that they may have just preferred to do it differently.
    I don't have a dancing background, so was pretty horrified to read that you were weighed on a regular basis on the ship. I hear it goes on a lot for dancers, but from my point of view there's little question that ethically it's not a good thing. Also, when I watch dance, I enjoy the movement of the body, the strength, the fluidity, the storytelling - in fact some of the recent ballets available on TV during lockdown I thought some of the dancers looked so fragile, I had an unease in the back of my mind.
    Sally

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Niamh Eccleston-Tuohy4 March 2021 at 08:18

      Hi Sally, Thank you so much! I think it's very easy to think something is being done wrong if it's not necessarily the way you do it so I'm aiming to be more mindful of that in the future before I make judgements. Yes there is a huge problem within the ballet industry especially. I recently read up on that it started back in the 1960's where the 'look' of a ballerina became so popular. To see that this is still common in 2021 is shocking and more should definitely be done about it x

      Delete
  2. Ellie Owen4 March 2021 at 02:35

    This was a great read!

    The way you have citied theories against your reflection is great and has given me further understanding on how to apply these theories.

    This sounds like an interesting area to explore and would be ideal as an AOL. Despite both contracts being onboard a ship, they were completely different as every company is unique and has their own way.

    It is unfortunate that many dancers in your cast got injured; enforcing numerous re-blocks and changes to the shows on a regular basis. Learning and performing all the different tracks gives you great experience as 'Swing' and makes you so alert and aware. Perhaps on your second contract you took the initiative to learn extra tracks as you knew the importance of being prepared, and wanted to reduce the stress and pressure if this was to suddenly happen again. I know you've mentioned before that you'd love to be DC one day and this is definitely something that makes you the perfect candidate.

    On Web 2.0 through collective intelligence I see so many Personal Trainers stressing the importance of not stepping on the scales as it could fluctuate due to hormones, water retention, muscle and stress. Could your position be at detriment if the scale jumped? Could body shots be an alternative? However I can appreciate that moving away from home can cause stress, pressure, loneliness and homesick. By doing regular weigh ins management are perhaps protecting their team, ensuring they are all fit and healthy to perform vigorous shows. As Dancers we are Athletes, athletes have regular weigh in's so perhaps this is a part of the nature?

    Ellie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Niamh Eccleston-Tuohy4 March 2021 at 08:22

      Hi Ellie, yes it really does make you more aware and much more focused as you can never just sit back and rely on muscle memory to get you through every show.
      Your points about being weighed are so valid an so true. I think it's important to monitor our health but that shouln.t just be physical health it should be mental too with the incorporation of a one to one to express your emotions of that week x

      Delete

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