Ambidexterity within the Professional Ballet World: Scottish Ballet's Dancers' Education Group

Whiteside, Bethany; Patrick, Holly; Cassidy, Catherine

Abstract

Within a dance sphere, it would, perhaps, be logical to consider the concept of ‘ambidexterity’ as linked to the physical use of the dancing body across a multitude of genres, to interrogate the link between physicality and mentality, or to consider the versatility of the dancer who wears the many ‘hats’ of performer, funder, manager, through necessity.

However, here, we draw on the concept of ‘organisational ambidexterity’ to explore how the Dancers’ Education Group (DEG) created and run by Scottish Ballet enables and evidences a balance within the Company that sustains and promotes innovative yet competing education and performance demands. We argue that, within a climate characterised by competing priorities, such an ambidextrous approach is necessary for continued success within the creative industries.

Citation

Whiteside, B., Patrick, H., & Cassidy, C. (2020). Ambidexterity within the Professional Ballet World: Scottish Ballet's Dancers' Education Group. In A. R. David, M. Huxley, & S. Whatley (Eds.), Dance Fields: Staking a Claim for Dance Studies in the Twenty-First Centure (132-153). Hampshire: Dance Books

• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Aug 6, 2020
• Pages: 132-153
• Book Title: Dance Fields: Staking a Claim for Dance Studies in the Twenty-First Centure
• Chapter Number: 7
• ISBN: 978-1-85273-181-6
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2678374
• Publisher URL: https://www.dancebooks.co.uk/dance-fields-staking-a-claim-for-dance-studies-in-the-twentyfirst-century-p-424.html