Student name:

Leila E
Project #:
1
Working version of project title:
Ballet in Your Life: Its Actually Relevant

Research Proposal--first draft

1. State the essential question
How does, can, and will dance, directly or indirectly, have an impact on the life of an
individual?
Good
2.

State the primary research question

How can I show the audience that ballet does, can and will have an impact on their life in a
way that they are encouraged to become immersed or involved in the world of dance?
Good
3.
State the secondary research questions you have (make sure these are fairly
comprehensive and extensive).
The Ballet:/The Ballerina(o)
What is so special about it?
What does it offer to an individual?
Why do people pursue it?
Why should anyone care about it?
Who can ballet do?
Is ballet restricted to an individual group? Economically? Socially?
Why do you dance?
What is the most common misconception/preconceived notions about ballet that you
hear?
Why do you dance?
What would you change about the connection between ballet and audience? ballet and
any individual?
The Individual:
What do you think about ballet?
Why do think this way?

Do you know what ballet is? What is it?

Do you know the different types of ballet forms?
Do you think ballet could ever pertain to you? Why? Why not?
Have you ever seen a ballet?
Have you ever participated in dance? Have you ever participated in ballet?
If yes, what do you find different between the two?
If not, why have you not participated in X, or Y?
(If audience were to watch a ballet) what did you feel from it?
Did you feel any freedom? confusion? restriction?
What would you do to deal with these emotions?
Are you afraid of showing emotions? Why?

Someone Related to the Individual:

What is their challenge/struggle (disability, very hyper, etc.)?
What other activities had they tried to help with their challenges? Did they stick to
them? Why? Why not?
What drew you, as someone related to the individual, to ballet?
How has ballet changed your son, daughter, brother, sister, etc?
How has it changed you, the person related to the individual?
Professional Ballet Company/Dancer
What does RETHINK BALLET mean? (Boston Ballet)
What stigmas do you feel are present against the ballet world? (male/female)
What views would you like to see change?
How do you suppose people should be informed about ballet?
I may try to find a psychologist who specializes in some aspect of learning empowerment
through physical stance
does the body feel better, stronger, or more confident when it is an specific posing or
making specific lines?
does ballet, the making of lines and moving in a way that shows lines/poses, make a
person, regardless of technique make them feel empowered?
is it scientifically proven? if not, is there a way that it can be proven?

4.
Description of what the final product will look like. (Be sure that you are very
thorough here. Take us through the entire process from now until the final product. If it
would be helpful to you, number the steps and proceed through them through and
including your final product. In short: you MUST describe the process here. This is
vital to the approval process on your research proposal.)

Leila--Great that youve outlined your workshop/presentation but thats not what we are
looking for here. You MUST do a week-by-week description of what the work for this project
will look like. (In the final draft, youll be filling this in on a weekly calendar template). So
save this stuff--its going to be very useful to you--but its not what you need here.
My presentation road map:
1. Ramp: The presentation would begin with getting the audience to stand up and make a
pose.
1. I would ask them some type of questions to think about why they made those
specific poses. Did make those poses change their emotions? Did they feel any
sort of release?
3 points I would want the audience to know:
1. What is ballet?
2. How it relates to you the person?
3. How is it proven to improve your life? this would be more substantial if it was
scientifically proven (with testing of neuron reactions/psychological responses)
Point 1 of Discovery: What is ballet?
how many people have only seen the nutcracker? how many of you first associate
ballet with the nutcracker? (a graph for Question 2)
explain the different types
find out what people today (students and adults) percieve ballet to be
contrast that with what professional dancers and people involved in a ballet company
actually think of it as
Point 2 of Discovery: how it relates to the individual?
interview different people that are involved in ballet (student, worker, TA, teacher,
professional, adaptive dance, parents) to get different perspectives on how ballet has
changed their lives?
continuing the interview with some of the secondary research questions
this topic would just try to emulate that ballet is relevant to peoples lives (indirectly or
directly) and it can change their lives for the better.
Point 3 of Discovery: How is proven to improve your life?
If there was a way that I would be able to test the neurological activity of people who
do/dont do ballet and see signs of happiness by released endorphins in the brain, I
would do that in this section.
testing people who do the physical activity or watch a ballet
This would be the scientific aspect of ballet, physically proving that it can bring more
happiness into ones life
Q&A
Dessert
Outcome:
More people get involved in ballet (seeing it, doing it, funding it)

5.
State how this research will advance the frontiers of knowledge and/or matter
and be significant in a meaningful way.
1. Encourage people to change any preconceived notions about ballet
2. Possible prove with science that ballet can make someone happier/emotionally
free
3. Show that ballet overall can have a positive impact on anyones life in multiple
different ways
Good

6.

State anticipated potential pitfalls or problems of this research effort

1. the scientifc section about testing neuron activity (I would probably have to change it if
funding, etc. does not work)
2.

Very true---and nothign else?

7.
State your a tentative plan to locate and review the literature related to your
project. This includes printed/published sources and online sources. [The research
strategy, part #1]
1. University text books
2. Psychology books about happiness and endorphins
3. Neural Science text books about Brain activity
This is a list of sources not a plan.
8.
State a tentative plan for research and data collection. (Data collection can take
multiple forms--surveys, test groups, interviews, observations, etc etc. This will differ
from project to project. [The research strategy, part #2]
1. Survey people about their preconceived notions about ballet?
2. Interview people who are currently involved in ballet in some way that they feel it is
beneficial to their lives
3. Do a test group of dancers, common people, students who do ballet and see a change in
neural systems to see if happiness is increased when making poses (as audience does in
the beginning of the presentation and doing ballet)
All interesting ideas--you want to flesh these out more in the final draft.

9.
State a tentative plan for research and data analysis and interpretation. [The
research strategy, part #3]
1. Preconceived notions will represent how society perceives what ballet is
2. interviews will show what good ballet brings for people who are already involved
in ballet
3. scientific research will show how ballet actually improves peoples lives (people
who are/are not involved in ballet)<---just to be sure: you mean audience
members?
9.
List the tools you will need to complete this effort. Identify tools that might
currently be unavailable to you
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

surveys
camcorder
movie editor
neuron electrode machine (unavailable)
Psychologists/Neural Scientist
test groups
interviewees

10.
Budget: what materials do you anticipate needing for your project? Please
provide a list with quantities and an approximate cost per item, along a brief description
of why you need this for your project. Use the chart below; feel free to add more cells if
you need them.

item

quantity cost per

item

why you need this item for

your project

Camcorder youll need more

specificity in the final draft.

Record Interviews

$2000

11.
Bibliography- early draft. This bibliography must include at least 5 books, 5
scholarly journal articles, 5 websites, and least one potential source who you might
interview. Use proper bibliographic citation (MLA or APA format; your choice). You
are welcome to use EasyBib or refer to the formatting template created by Purdue
University: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ Explain why you anticipate (at this
point) that these sources would be relevant.
Copeland, Roger, and Marshall, Cohen. What Is Dance? Readings in Theory and Critisim.

Oxford: Oxford UP, 1983. Print

Hayden, Melissa. Dancer to Dancer: Advise for Todays Dancer. Anchor Press Doubleday,
1981. Print.
Upper, Nancy. Ballet Dancers in Career Transition: Sixteen Success Stories. McFarland &Co.
2004. Print
Perron, Wendy. Through the Eyes of A Dancer, Selected Writings. Wesleyan Univeristy Press,
2013. Print
Bloemendal, Jan, Eversmann, Peter and Strietman. Drama, performance, and Debate: Theatre
and public opinion in the Early Modern Period. Lieden,Brill, 2012. Print
Clarke, Mary and Crisp, Clement. Understanding Ballet. Harmony Books, 1976. Print
Knopfler, Vicki. "Demand for Dancing." Tribune Business News [Washington] 17 Dec. 2006:
1. Print.
Solway, Diane. "Dancing With the Audience: Dancing In Dialogue With the Audience."" New
York times 18 Dec. 1983: n. pag. Print.
Macdonald, Koni. "Partnering:ballet School and Public School Perform Pas De Deux:
Edmonton Public Professional School of Ballet." ATA 1995: 30: 7-8. Print
Wakin, Daniel J. "Ballerinas, Famed for Silence, Take New Approach: Talking." New York
times 17 Sept. 2010: A1. Print
Beving, Sue. Ballet Allies with Schools. The Washington Times 25 Sept. 1999. Print
Dunning, Jennifer. Seeking out Talent in Public Schools. New York Times 27 May 1991:
N13. Print.
"Top 4 Health Benefits of Dance." Dance - Dance Steps - Ballet - Jazz - Ballroom Dancing.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
Macaulay, Alastair. "Master Builders of Ballet's Future." New York Times. N.p., 17 Feb. 2008.
Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
Lourie, Suzanna K. "Economic Uncertainty, Decline of Fine Arts Could Threaten New York
City Ballet's Future with SPAC." The Saratogian : Serving the Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Region
(Saratogian.com). The Saratogian, 10 July 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
Vranish, Jane. "Pittsburgh Public Schools Embrace Dance Program That Teaches Poise,
Camaraderie." Editorial. Pittsburg Post-Gazette 4 Jan. 2010: n. pag. Post-Gazette.com. Web.
20 Oct. 2014.
"Integration with Dance/Mathematics." North Carolina Public Schools. N.p., n.d. Web. 20
Oct. 2014.
Knowles, Patricia, Rona Sande, and Peggy Schwartz. "Dance Education in American Public
Schools (Open Library)." Welcome to Open Library! (Open Library). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct.
2014.
Interview Source:
BLS Students
Boston Ballet Dancers

Hi Leila-This looks exponentially better and more organized! You are good to go for the final draft.

Ms. F. and Mr. M