IDP...

The performance went really well last night and I am so thankful for all my dancers effort and hard work, it really did make the piece what it was and i cudnt be more pleased with the result, so thanks to Carole, Magenta and Nicole my three awesome dancers, you were amazing last night :) xxx

Breaking Boundaries...

Finally the rehearsals for IDP are over and it's time for the show! very nervous and excited...
The process has been really enjoyable and I am very happy with my final outcome, my dancers have worked extremely hard and have all had a massive input into the piece.  Thanks guys :)
the peice is called 'Vehicle of Conceptualization' and it's all about the mentality of a dancer.  I took inspiration from a quote I found which says "We feel out bodies, adrenilin and rapid heartbeat from fear and anger, tears from sadness or excessive laughter and the giddiness of happiness." It focuses on the connection between mind and body.  I also got help from my brother Kieran to create some of my music as I wasnt sure what I wanted and he suggested a few things that i thought would work really well and I am happy with what he has created.  It has inspiring little quotes throughout from people such as Lincoln and Martin Luther King but theyre very subtle. 

The tech was on Monday and seeing it on-stage was awesome, really pleased with the lighting choices that Gerron put together for me.  One bit that the lighting really made stand out was a heartbeat section mid-piece it looked really good and is now my fav part of the whole thing.

It has been a lot less stressful than usual this time round and I am really excited for my dancers performing tonight :) wish us luck! x

New York!

As you know me and some of my fellow students booked up to go to New York on the 11th of April to take part in dance classes and see shows etc. We put in a lot of hard work to ensure we were getting the most out of the experience and what an amazing experience it was.  Through out the week we took classes at Broadway Dance Centre, Peridance, Alvin Ailey and did a workshop with Peter Kyle.  We did a variety of styles including contemporary, contemporary jazz, jazz, hip hop, gaga, voguing, flexibility and modern.  In every class we started with an intense warm up and went into a routine that was taught rather quick so it meant having to pick things up faster and asking more questions.  I found the first hip hop class we did a bit of a struggle but as the week went on i realised there was no time to be a perfectionist over the movement and it was the feeling of the choreography that took over, especially in the contemporary classes the passion that the choreographer was projecting whilst teaching the movement was inspiring and the experience of having everyone so in the zone created such a great atmosphere and I thought at that moment I never wanted to leave!

also before we left we emailed Peter Kyle as a group as we had been informed that he worked here at Telford with previous BA's and he was more than happy to set something up for us in New York as he wasnt doing any drop in classes at the time.  He was so lovely and enthusiastic and managed to find a space where he did a workshop with us and a live musician.  His friend who is an artist was also there to sketch some things which was a really nice idea.  The workshop was extremely challenging as he did a lot of technique work with us aswell as sequences which challenged our co-ordination and use of direction.  It was a great workshop and he has taken all our email addresses to stay in contact which I thought was really nice of him.

The gaga and voguing were completely new experiences and I am really glad we got a chance to try them out as I have never come across anything like that in the UK.  The gaga was very strange but quite theraputic in a way, it's all about being aware of the body and analyzing the movement and connection between effort and pleasure.  I found myself letting go of any tension and it was really strange because it looked like we wernt rly doing anything physically demanding but my body felt like id had a full on work out!  and the voguing was fantastic, the choreographer Benny Ninja was hilarious and so much fun to work with.  I couldnt quite get the hang of the movement to be honest but I loved Benny Ninja :) he was fab!

we also did a lot of sight seeing, one of them being the 9/11 memorial which was so inspiring, it was quite emotional and we got a tour which allowed us to hear stories from people who were involved in the events that day, it was amazing to see what their plans for the future hold and the way it has been thought out was really touching.

I really didnt want to leave...dance was everywhere and there was so much oppertunity to better yourself as an artist.  I would really love to go back and take more classes and hopefully next time see a show as we just didnt have enough time and money to do everything this time round.

RP Essay 2, done and gone!

Yay! such a relief to have our final RP essay handed in.  Although I did enjoy some of the research for this essay in particular and discovered my new fav dance company of the moment 'Momix Dance Company', I am relieved that I now have more time to concentrate on work for my IDP as I feel the stress of everything else was bringing me to a holt for working on my piece.  I feel a lot better that it has finally been handed in and is no longer in my hands, lets just hope its good enough!

Momix Dance Company's 'Botanica'

Hip Hop workshop

Such a great day! :) On Sunday I decided to go along to Vodka Rev to check out the 'Attention to Detail' Breakdance battle with a group of fellow dancers.  I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a great atmosphere and I really enjoyed watching all the dancers battle it out.  Some of them were outstanding and I found myself wanting to join a breakdancing class by the end of the day! lol.

We also took part in a hip hop workshop led by Caramel Soldier, a member of 'Blaze' whom i seen perform last year.  The workshop was amazing, I loved every minute of it and it was great to try a completely new style which didnt allow for anyone in the room to hold back, you just had to go for it otherwise it would be impossible to pick up the movement.  I thought Caramel was very inspiring, such a great dancer and she really broke it down for us.  After today I feel a lot more open to trying different dance styles, I wasnt sure how i would get on with the hip hop but when i was there i really enjoyed it and definately want to do some more. 

Taking Flight 2011, Day 5...

Another early start for the final day of the tour.  We met at 7.15 and left in the cars for St. Augustines, which is my old High School.  We had a big warm up then a quick tech run before the performance in the theatre.  The theatre was a really good size and the space was very nice only issue was the floor was very hard and cold but not a problem for us telford dancers...we managed just fine.
The performace was really good although the wings sometimes got a bit confusing as the stopped you from seeing what was going on on-stage because it was like one big wing rather than a few small ones, it just meant adapting to the space and coming on-stage slightly early to get into position.  Afterwards we had Q and A with the pupils, they were quite quiet at first but after a few questions they got more into it and all the questions they asked were very relevant to them. 
I then went on to teach a jazz workshop with Kerry.  We taught a mixed class of forth year pupils and we decided to teach them some of Yasmins choreography because they had previously done a workshop with Dawn before the tour where she taught some of the Jazz so it was something different for them.  I led the warm up and then Kerry taught the movement but we both helped one another and worked together really well.  When it came to the creative section we were interupted with an offer from one of the teachers saying that the third year class that had a workshop with Carole and Petal would really like to do a sharing and we thought this would be a really great idea so we ended up getting to see what each class had learnt.  I think the students really enjoyed the workshop and it was really nice to have a class that were enthusiastic and willing to learn as they all had a different level of experience.  It was great experience for me too as I didn't feel as nervous as usual and having Kerry there enabled us to have fun and I really enjoyed doing so.
We then left to meet the rest of the BA's at Broughton High School, where we had a very relaxing warm up which was amazing but I did feel a bit sleepy afterwards.  Another great space to work in although some of the wings were blocked which meant we had to work out other ways to get into position if that was the case. Our final performance was great, I think we knew this would be the last time we performed until April so we enjoyed every moment of it.  It was a good week and a really useful experience as it gives you an insight of how much there is to do on tour and how you cope with the day to day performances.  I really enjoyed the whole experience and it has made me want to be in a company even more, with the right amount of help I think i could do it or at least give it a shot. 

Taking Flight 2011, Day 4...

Early start to day 4 as the bus left Telford at 7am in order for us to be at Reid Kerr College by 8.30 to get ready for the performance at 9.  We didn't have much time for a good warm up but we got a quick run around and stretch.  I felt a lot more tired and less prepared on the Thurs and I did make a few unusual mistakes throughout the performance and even fell at one point during 'My hero' so it wasn't my best performance but I still enjoyed it.  We also had to perform facing the mirrors which was really strange for us because we've learnt not to look at ourselves when rehearsing these pieces and at first we panicked and thought that it would put us off but in the end it really didn't make any difference as sub-consciously we knew not to relay on them.  The students watching were very nice and enthusiastic and asked some good questions at the end during the Q and A.
We then had a break whilst the worshops took place so we ventured around paisley for dinner before getting packed up and back onto the bus to head for Anniesland College.  We arrived in plenty time for a good warm up which was well needed as most of us were feeling a bit tired.  Again the performance went really good and the students watching seemed to enjoy it too.  They gave some good feedback at the end and showed an interest in what we do in the BA (Hons) dance course at Telford.  They also took an interest in the board which was really nice to see, they were looking at each of the dancers biographies to gain a bit more information about individuals. After a long day we packed up and set home...to my surprise I received a birthday song and cake from the team which was really nice, brightened up my day :) i also got some lovely prezzies and interesting cards (ladies...) and a delicous cake from Eth along with an easter egg from Craig (Carole's Boyfriend), so thanks to everyone i had a great birthday :) although i did look really greedy walking home with all the left-over cake and chocolate!

Taking Flight 2011, Day 3...

Day 3 was a bus journey to Howden Park, Livinstone.  As soon as we arrived we got straight into doing the tech runs with Gerron.  The theatre and the building were lovely.  It was a really great space to work in and the facilitys were brilliant.  The day seemed to go really fast as we were kept busy, then when it came to dinner time we had a break to go down to the resteraunt for some food.  I had Portobello Mushrooms which were awesome but set me back £10.00! couldnt complain though it was exactly what i needed before the show. 
We had another fab audience that night and within the audience we had Fred and fellow HND dancer Alana there to support us.  It was another great performance and i think we were starting to get used to this touring malarky.  The night ended on a high and we were all excited to go home and get ready for tomorrows performances.  Go us! :)

Taking Flight 2011, Day 2...

The start to day 2 was full of excitement as we had a little 'taster' of what the week would be like on the Monday.  We all met at Telford and travelled by bus to Glenrothes where we would be performing later on in the evening in the Rothes Halls.  We got there pretty early and as some people had workshops on it meant the rest of us had a long wait until the performance so we thought we would explore glenrothes shopping centre and look for Britney outfits for my Britney themed birthday party later on in the week, this literally took up half an hour if your lucky so we decided to make some entertainment of our own...we did some PR'n in Subway, Magenta and Chris done a little site specific and we also had some fun in the xfactor booth showing off our all round talent! aha and after all the excitement we ended up going through some work for college in the library, how productive!

The performance went very well and we had a full audience which was fantastic it really created a great atmosphere.  Also we had our friend Karen who danced up to HND with us watching that night which was really nice and she gave some really good feedback after the show, even complimented my facials! never thought id see the day but I was over the moon when she said, so thanks Karen :)
all in all it was a great night.

Taking Flight 2011, Day 1...

On Monday we kicked off the tour at Queensferry High School.  The show went really well and i think the students enjoyed the performace as we got some good feedback at the end for the Q and A session. As for the dancers the space wasnt so good it was a gym hall that didnt allow us much space but we adapted as best as we could.  The main issue was 'My Hero' for the lines and as there were no wings it got slightly confusing as to who was dancing and who was offstage but we realised what went wrong and discussed as a group what we would do differently in that situation.  I feel like Monday was a really good warm up for the week as it was quite a short day but got us more prepared for the shows ahead and I also really enjoyed performing Yasmin's piece for the first time as it allowed us to feel what it's like performing it to an audience.

Taking Flight Tour 2011

Next week is the start of our tour 'Taking Flight 2011' where we will be showcasing works from students, teachers and our guest choreographers, Lisi Perry and Ashley Jack.
The running order for the show is as follows:

• Interpretation (Lisi Perry)
• The Abyss (Yasmin Doak)
• My Hero (Winefred Jamieson)
• Algorithm (Rebecca Lamont)
• R.B.T.F (Carole Percival)
• Prince (Laura Proudfoot and Ashley Jack)

We all have individual roles within the tour that will give us the experience of taking responsibility for something other than ourselves, which include Tour Manager, PR team, Costume People, Rehearsal Director, Q and A leaders and Health and Safety.  Myself, Iwona and Janine worked together on promoting the show, which included distributing leaflets and posters, advertising through facebook, creating biographies for the dancers, sending out cover letters to anyone we thought might be interested in seeing the show and taking charge of the advertisement board.
Im very excited for the tour but at the same time I am unsure what to expect, there were a lot of last minute rehearsals and adjustments to the pieces but I'm sure we will have a great week.  Wish us luck! :)

16 Stories...

Thursday 10th of February was the official opening for the Theatre in the college and I am very glad to say I was a part of the performance which marked the opening that night.
It consisted of eight dancers and eight actors which each told their own story throughout the piece, the story of how we got to where we are today and who helped us get there.  I really enjoyed this whole experience and collaberating with the actors was amazing, we learnt a lot over the 16 days it was created in and I am quite sad it's over now.  The piece was very emotional on the night and it created such a great atmosphere both for the performers and the audience, although it was an emotional night we all had so much fun performing.  It was something new for both the actors and the dancers, just shows you anything is possible...

21st Century Choreography

Back in December we had our 21st Century choreography assessment.  My piece was called 'Interpret This' as it was all about interpretation of images whether they be visual images or mental images.  It was based on how people view these images and interpret them in a completely different way from each other, so the idea was same image, different interpretation.  On the day i felt very pleased with my dancers performance and the only thing i thought could have made a difference at the time was if my dancers had been given some sort of interaction with one another or even an emotion, i felt this could have uplifted the piece and made it more interesting but this is something i will take into account on my next choreographic work.  We got the results for this on the 20th January, and i was very pleased with my result and i know exactly what i have to work on.
After weeks of rehearsals and creating a 5-7 minute piece, which was assessed before the Christmas break we were required to do a presentation on our choreography as evidence of the process and what we learnt throughout the experience of creating our own choreographic work.
My presentation was delivered on Monday the 7th of February, I felt like it went really well and that i was unusually organised and prepared.  I still think i could be a more confident speaker but the presentation itself included everything I thought was relevant and all the negative and positive things I will take from the experience itself such as the use of tasks and learning to be more organised and time efficient.  Overall the 21st century choreography was a great learning curve for me and i am looking forward to starting rehearsals for my IDP now :)

Showtime...

On Monday 31st of January we performed the first night of our 'First Footing Show' in the new theatre, which was really exciting.  Makes such a huge difference having the theatre here in the college and it's a great space to work in.
We performed a piece which was choreographed by Lisi Perry during the week we spent with her here in the college which was not an easy week! It was very intense and physical making us all very sore and tired but we pushed through and by the end of the week we had a great piece called 'Interpretation'  which was double cast.  I loved the whole process of creating this piece it made me realise how important it was to create a certain energy by performing everything as it should be everytime and enjoying doing so.
Anyway we performed this piece along with our Jazz piece which was really energetic and exciting and the night went down very well.  It was a great show :)

We were supposed to perform Monday to Thursday but unfortunately Thursdays show was cancelled due to safety regulations within the theatre, we were all very dissapointed but completely understand why it couldn't go ahead.

Teaching assessment week

Monday 24th January was the beginning of our teaching assessment week.  I did a workshop with a primary one class at Ferryhill Primary School based on the rep from 'My Hero', which is a piece that will be featured in the BA tour this year.
I was really excited about teaching the class and I had never taught such a young age group before so it was an entirely new experience for me.  The class were really well behaved and I enjoyed teaching them although I did make a lot of mistakes for example I was so scared that I would lose control of the class I kept them quite confined and I wasnt sure that they were fully understanding what we were doing most of the time so i demonstrated aswell as explaining but possibly spent too much time trying to explain rather than just doing it and letting them explore movement for themselves.  I also planned to number movements from the sequence to get them thinking and counting whilst moving but as  I thought I was running out of time I started to rush and ended up finishing the class too early.
I was very dissapointed with the way it all turned out but the only thing I can do now is think of this as a positive learning experience in which I will think about all the things I could have done better and hopefully get some more experience in order for me to improve my teaching skills and gain more confidence in what I am doing.