Reviewing a Grant Proposal

Adaptation theory, memoir, and dance Specific Aims The writer of the grant proposal introduces adaptation theory for the English literature review related to dance. Writer notes how dance has been used to capture literature. However, what has not been explored is dance becoming literature. Meaning notable American modern dance choreographers and their memoirs, how-to guides, autobiographies, and criticisms. These various forms of literature on dance provide an idea of how dance can be turned into something worth of review from a literary standpoint.

Moreover, the writer points out the choreographic memoir as the best example of such form. Therefore, the writer aims to explore choreographic memoirs and autobiographies and how they should be considered their own literary genre to allow future generations to better understand dance in a literary sense. By performing various choreographic memoirs, the writer wishes to discover the criteria and components for the ‘new genre’.

This literary genre of choreographic memoir introduces an innovative interpretation of dance from a resource that is varied and includes a plethora of experiences from dancers who later became choreographers. Although this seems innovative, inventive, and interesting, it does not feel adequate to achieve such specific aims. The problem with this exploration of literature is the lack of qualitative meaning behind such a review. The writer needs to explore the history of dance and how it became that so many choreographers wrote autobiographies and memoirs.

By understanding the periods in which these dance authors wrote about their lives, it further submerges the mind into the period and provides clarification as to why such a genre should exist in the first place. Although the review does aim to be varied and include many various experiences, the importance of history and context remains. Why did certain dance choreography emerge at what time and how did it become popular? This is just one question to ask of many before conducting the review.

Background The literature review provides partial justification for the study, but not enough. For example there are gaps or missing data within the literature review pertaining to the history of the dancers turned writers and the era represented within the memoirs. Writer provided an example of why the memoir style was chosen, explaining, that In Memoir: An Introduction, by G. Thomas Couser provides a better understanding of what memoirs are. They are a way to mimic life, representing and highlighting actual experiences.

By rooting itself in ‘inner monologue’ styles like diaries, memories provide a deeper look into the subject matter written of, like dance. However, the problem with this, is that dance is not simply an experience by one person. Choreography is made for many people to practice and learn.

To not explore the reasons for these dancer/writers choosing why they danced the way they did and worked within the industry, outside of this primary perspective, seems not like a real criticism and understanding of dance, but rather an insufficient gauge from a singular perspective. The writer also noted via reading various books and articles about memoir, that memoirs are comprised from a list of criteria that may not be fully done in dance-related memoirs.

By adding this piece of the future literature review, and not explaining what this criteria is, it feels as though the information is just partial, much like the literature review itself aims to be. There is so much more breadth dance can have as a literary form through this style of memoir. Nonetheless, there is no clear indication such breadth will be adequately covered. Significance By introducing a potentially new literary genre, the writer aims to introduce a new way to explore dance.

This can, if done correctly, open up and possibly improve scientific knowledge on dance through reading how dance correlates with certain art movement or time periods and how dance allowed for expression of certain things. One article that discusses innovation and techniques for grant proposals offers insight into how one can approach innovation through conceptual model and theoretical justification.

By creating a proposal that delineates a clear conceptual theory/model/framework that informs the variables and design being investigated, there can exist a clear understand of how the theory or framework was formulated and how it can contribute in an innovative way (Proctor, Powell, Baumann, Hamilton, & Santens, 2012). There seems to be only one step in conducting this literature review on dance and memoirs and that is by examining many memoirs within that genre and reading articles on traditional memoirs, how these dance memoirs differ from them.

This seems like a simplistic exploration at best that although could lend to something innovative, may at best be a short break from traditional literature reviews. To properly create a new literary genre and have dance become literature, to be innovative, there must be some level of complexity within the literature review. It must focus away from simply the memoirs and coalesce everything the memoirs stood for and the person writing these memoirs was/is. The writer even says in the proposal that dance is insular and interconnected.

Meaning dance choreographers worked together to generate the dances and put their hearts into their work. However, how would a simple literature review possibly explain and analyze this insular and interconnected framework? This investigation of dance should not just include some sort of interconnection by just reading choreographic memoirs and autobiographies. Further work is needed like interviews, and potential documentary criticisms on the dancers/writers. Proposed Study The proposed methodology is insufficient to achieve the stated aims. There are two reasons for this.

The first is, as was stated, there is a desire to achieve a new literary genre. How can this be achieved by simply reading many choreographic memoirs and autobiographies? There are so many themes the writer may choose to explore to highlight how interconnected these memoirs are. For example, some dance choreographers changed their dance styles with the rise and popularity of hip hop. Exploring the innovations hip hop brought to.