BAPP Task 4d: Literature Review Part 1

It has been a real challenge for me to source existing literature surrounding the topic of my Professional Inquiry; legal advice/aid for dancers. It is a topic which currently has little coverage in the way of literature meaning books; articles; essays etc. 

I have found a healthy list of websites which offer brief information as to what legal services are available for artists in general, but to find dance-specific information is far more tricky. This is where dance organisation websites such as Equity and One Dance UK prove to be rather useful however again the information is quite general and doesn't give me much insight into my topic area.

I have found a lot of literature covering intellectual property issues such as copyright which is relevant to a dancer when it comes to choreography. However my focus is not placed on such issues, I want to explore deeper into how a dancer thinks and feels about how they are represented in legal terms, and what more can be done to assist them in contract, salary and personal injury issues.

After searching and searching, I have found a book entitled Poor Dancer's Almanac: Managing Life and Work in the Performing Arts (1993). Compiled by Dance Theater Workshop and written by David R. White, Lisa Friedman and Tia Tibbits Levinson as well as over 50 leading professionals in the arts field; this book offers how-to information for a range of artists including dancers. It covers a broad spectrum of issues that may affect performers, discussing topics such as unemployment, housing, medical care, insurance, personal livelihood and career development. Luckily for me, it contains an interesting section titled Legal Issues. 

Authored by American attorney Timothy J. Debaets, this informative chapter raises important legal issues that a dancer may face. It covers everything from finding a legal representative and getting them excited about your work to a detailed section about contracts and copyright issues. The information offered will prove to be quite useful for me as I have evidence of an expert offering advice to dancers. I can also solidify the types of issues that a dancer may face and use this as a basis for looking into where they would go to get help. This chapter can function as a starting point for me to then develop further ideas and avenues for research.   

   

(http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Dancers-Almanac-Managing-Performing/dp/0822313197)

I plan to expand my basis of literature as and when I discover new and relevant written works on my inquiry topic.


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