- I had just submitted my first seven entries to my Research prof and since I don't have to show her any more, I don't feel compelled to write any anytime soon.
- I haven't been dancing since Saturday, nor was I exposed to any kind of dancing at all, so what exactly would I have to write about?
- I have a new thesis topic and this is all I'm thinking about right now, not any new thoughts about dance.
I have a new thesis topic. My prof convinced me that I should stop defending ballet as something deserving of study. I realize that it's the biggest problem I have with my thesis: my thesis problems are not concrete because I keep trying to establish that dance is not only worthy of academic study but important, intelligent shite as well. And it was the road to pervasiveness, little did I realize!!!
(Pervasiveness? Pervasivity? Pervasion?)
Another major problem I'm having is there is nothing of this size written about ballet in the Philippines. So the most practical thing to do is write the most basic - about history. Yes, my prof is getting what she wants in the first place. But it's not the way I had first perceived it. Instead of writing a history of ballet in the Philippines, I'm to discuss the structure and sociological workings of the three major ballet companies in the Philippines, which will definitely require the history of ballet in the Philippines and more. It's not easy, boring shit that I'm going to shovel. This is going to be a lot of hard work.
My prof had to assure me that if I wanted to write about something more complex, I needn't rush or worry because I still have my dissertation to write. I never even began to consider following my master's up with a PhD but my research prof seems to think it should be the next step. Maybe she thinks this of most MA students writing their theses.
And she and my thesis adviser (well, my supposed thesis adviser, if he's back from the National Museum anytime soon) spoke and agree that this is what I should do. Actually, when I was in consultation with him, he asked for a history of the three major ballet companies in the Philippines within my thesis and said, "Actually, that stands as a thesis in itself." Yeah, yeah, so they win but I concede because they're older than me and they have PhDs and therefore they know better. Meanwhile, I don't have to kill myself trying to prove and justify things. Why must I always have to try to prove and justify that something is important?
(Yes, Fran, I was reading your blog while writing this blog entry :* )
What made me concede was I totally agree. I've been slowly agreeing over time actually: a study of the Pas de Deux is pertinent but there should be existing studies of the bigger universe of ballet before this specialized study is made. And who's going to write that? It's not like I need to be tied up and tortured before I agree to do something like that, I think it's something I can adequately do and will have fun doing. So why all the resistance?
Because I rebel by nature. *Bonk on the head*
Anyway, I just wanted to share that I'm not slacking off. Not really. My head's been on overdrive since I started writing my Saturday thesis journal entry. I'm fizzing.
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In other news, you may know by now that his yumminess Jon Johnson won Manhunt after getting freaked out about doing a naked photo shoot. Woohoo.
1 comment:
you'll be a pioneer in Philippine dance studies! hmm, Dr. Jo Jacinto. O di ba?
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