Hello blog!
Long time no see! I know I have been rather quiet in terms of blogging this module. I have been using other forms of social media and communication, I've been in contact with quite a few of you BAPP peeps via Facebook but thought I would check in here and hopefully connect with a few more of you again through this.
I managed to have a Skype call with Adesola last night to discuss some questions (and stresses!!) of mine.
We spoke quite a bit about the literature review and it's structure. I had some confusions over what my Lit Review should include and how I should go about producing it. Originally, I was under the impression that I should be writing a documentation about every piece of literature I had used for my inquiry individually. But a review is not something to tell the reader exactly what something said... if this were the case they might as well have read the original literature themselves in the first place. Adesola compared it to a theatre review; A show review is not designed to tell the reader exactly what happened it's supposed to highlight key elements of the performance and give a critical opinion. So, my literature review should give a general overview of what I read and its relevance to my inquiry. I should draw conclusions from what I read and demonstrate how my understanding of the literature led my inquiry down the route I took. When I have been conducting my inquiry and writing up my critical review I have found myself thinking about the literature I have read. The reader of my critical review however has not read these articles. So, my literature review is my opportunity to introduce the reader to what is going on in my head.
Hope this was helpful to anyone else who may have been confused about this literature review!
Would love to hear from any of you as to how you are getting on with your inquiries and reviews!
Rebecca xoxo
Friday, April 7, 2017
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Keeping in touch
Thought I would check back in with a bit of an update as to what I have been up to and where my thoughts lie at the moment...
Thank you to those who commented on my previous blog post, it was rally great to hear your ideas and comments on the topics. It was also really useful to hear your opinions when choosing my enquiry topic.
I have finally decided to go down the route of the benefits of children being exposed to dance from a young age, looking specifically into how dance companies reach out to younger people and the positive influence this has.
I have been talking to Lottie through Facebook and exchanging ideas and discussing topics related to our enquiry subjects. This has been extremely beneficial for me and I look forward to speaking with her more about this. We have recently been discussing our opinion on how students should be rewarded for their progress and how the method of praise influences the class as a whole. For example certain methods of rewarding can actually have a negative impact on those who aren't receiving it. Would be really interesting to hear anyone else's thoughts on this. I am aware that there are quite a few people on this course who also teach and it would be great to hear from you what ways you recognise and acknowledge students achievements.
I hope to be in contact with a few more of you to discuss ideas and aid each other in our research and find ways our topics may coincide with each other. Please don't hesitate to get in touch, would love to chat! This is my facebook profile if you want to add me and message me on there
https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.jones.3386
As well as looking into what websites, forums, articles etc have to say about my particular topic I have also started to discuss with people in my company their views and experiences. I have begun this by starting conversations about how each dancer got started with dancing and how they were introduced to it. I am trying to find out the different ways people were originally inspired to start dancing.
Looking forward into my enquiry I am considering who I may wish to try and contact in the professional industry to gain a deeper insight into how dance companies are reaching out to young audiences and also the positive affects this has on the children and also the company.
Look forward to hearing people's thoughts and comments on all this!
Rebecca x
Thank you to those who commented on my previous blog post, it was rally great to hear your ideas and comments on the topics. It was also really useful to hear your opinions when choosing my enquiry topic.
I have finally decided to go down the route of the benefits of children being exposed to dance from a young age, looking specifically into how dance companies reach out to younger people and the positive influence this has.
I have been talking to Lottie through Facebook and exchanging ideas and discussing topics related to our enquiry subjects. This has been extremely beneficial for me and I look forward to speaking with her more about this. We have recently been discussing our opinion on how students should be rewarded for their progress and how the method of praise influences the class as a whole. For example certain methods of rewarding can actually have a negative impact on those who aren't receiving it. Would be really interesting to hear anyone else's thoughts on this. I am aware that there are quite a few people on this course who also teach and it would be great to hear from you what ways you recognise and acknowledge students achievements.
https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.jones.3386
As well as looking into what websites, forums, articles etc have to say about my particular topic I have also started to discuss with people in my company their views and experiences. I have begun this by starting conversations about how each dancer got started with dancing and how they were introduced to it. I am trying to find out the different ways people were originally inspired to start dancing.
Looking forward into my enquiry I am considering who I may wish to try and contact in the professional industry to gain a deeper insight into how dance companies are reaching out to young audiences and also the positive affects this has on the children and also the company.
Look forward to hearing people's thoughts and comments on all this!
Rebecca x
Thursday, September 29, 2016
4a- A mass of questions
After reading Reader 4 and having a think about potential professional inquiry topics I feel rather overwhelmed. I went from a complete mind blank to now having too many questions to know what to do with! So here is my attempt to put my thoughts into a somewhat organised mess...
I began by thinking about what determines what sort of dancer you become? Not so much in terms of genre and style particularly but more so your character and personality. Throughout my training I was always told about the importance of being an "intelligent dancer" which would make you more employable. What are the characteristics that make up an "intelligent dancer"? How do we become "intelligent dancers" and how this impacts our lifestyle and career both inside and outside the studio and theatre.
This further sparked my thoughts on what characteristics and life skills dance teaches us. This touching article came up on my Facebook earlier this year and really highlights the benefits of children being introduced to dance
https://www.facebook.com/118334351513277/photos/a.245714668775244.77845.118334351513277/1238641732815861/?type=3
What are the benefits of children doing dance from an early age?
Should dance be made more accessible for children through schools?
One thing being a dancer has certainly taught me is independence. In such a competitive work field you have to learn to support yourself. A lot of things I have tackled in my career so far I have learnt as I went along which made me wonder if dancers in training are prepared adequately enough for the professional world. Should there be more career guidance and education in dance schools? A lot of obstacles I have encountered as a dancer I feel I could have been more prepared for had I received more support and direction in the transition from student to professional.
I am very keen to examine what social skills dance teaches us and how these skills can be translated into other fields. However, also what social struggles dance can cause? Leaving home at a young age for dance school, missing out on 'normal' social activities for rehearsals and training, moving across the globe for a job, touring lifestyle... these are all things we happily do for our profession but what are the social and personal effects of our dancer lifestyle? More specifically (I can see from fellow students blog posts it is a popular one) how can dance effect a persons mental health. What are the psychological effects of a dancer's life?
At Atlantic City Ballet I have been involved in outreach and promotional events for the company. This is an area that really interests me and an aspect of work I would love to be more involved in and potentially work in after a performing career. For ACB, community events and publicity are helping us to generate a bigger audience for performances and create more awareness of the company in the area. How can a company successfully generate a bigger audience and public profile?
How a dance company can inspire and involve others and reach out to the community?
When promoting a company you must look at who you are targeting, who you are performing for. This got me thinking about how dance affects an audience in different ways. I touched earlier on how dance can affect children. But there has been a lot of speculation over the use of dance therapy and how dance can benefit the elderly and the disabled.
Would love to hear other peoples opinions and thoughts on these topics, look forward to discussing them!
Rebecca x
I began by thinking about what determines what sort of dancer you become? Not so much in terms of genre and style particularly but more so your character and personality. Throughout my training I was always told about the importance of being an "intelligent dancer" which would make you more employable. What are the characteristics that make up an "intelligent dancer"? How do we become "intelligent dancers" and how this impacts our lifestyle and career both inside and outside the studio and theatre.
This further sparked my thoughts on what characteristics and life skills dance teaches us. This touching article came up on my Facebook earlier this year and really highlights the benefits of children being introduced to dance
https://www.facebook.com/118334351513277/photos/a.245714668775244.77845.118334351513277/1238641732815861/?type=3
What are the benefits of children doing dance from an early age?
Should dance be made more accessible for children through schools?
One thing being a dancer has certainly taught me is independence. In such a competitive work field you have to learn to support yourself. A lot of things I have tackled in my career so far I have learnt as I went along which made me wonder if dancers in training are prepared adequately enough for the professional world. Should there be more career guidance and education in dance schools? A lot of obstacles I have encountered as a dancer I feel I could have been more prepared for had I received more support and direction in the transition from student to professional.
I am very keen to examine what social skills dance teaches us and how these skills can be translated into other fields. However, also what social struggles dance can cause? Leaving home at a young age for dance school, missing out on 'normal' social activities for rehearsals and training, moving across the globe for a job, touring lifestyle... these are all things we happily do for our profession but what are the social and personal effects of our dancer lifestyle? More specifically (I can see from fellow students blog posts it is a popular one) how can dance effect a persons mental health. What are the psychological effects of a dancer's life?
At Atlantic City Ballet I have been involved in outreach and promotional events for the company. This is an area that really interests me and an aspect of work I would love to be more involved in and potentially work in after a performing career. For ACB, community events and publicity are helping us to generate a bigger audience for performances and create more awareness of the company in the area. How can a company successfully generate a bigger audience and public profile?
How a dance company can inspire and involve others and reach out to the community?
When promoting a company you must look at who you are targeting, who you are performing for. This got me thinking about how dance affects an audience in different ways. I touched earlier on how dance can affect children. But there has been a lot of speculation over the use of dance therapy and how dance can benefit the elderly and the disabled.
Would love to hear other peoples opinions and thoughts on these topics, look forward to discussing them!
Rebecca x
Monday, September 26, 2016
Embarking on Module 2
The other week I joined a group skype call about starting the next module. It was good to be back in touch with Adesola, Paula and some of the other students to discuss our thoughts and feedback from Module 1 and how we felt about beginning Module 2.
We had a useful discussion sharing what we each felt worked well in the previous module which we can take forward and continue into the next module. We also highlighted what didn't work so well previously and how we can alter these aspects and take on our module feedback from our tutors to improve and prevent issues recurring in future tasks.
For me personally I am going to establish now from the start what my final hand in is meant to be so I can work backwards and have a clearer mind-set of the end product when working through the modules tasks. As opposed to last module where I was a little lost and some of my tasks lacked clarity and relevance because I was not completely clear on what I was meant to be doing. I am also going to try and be more active on the online student groups and communities by communicating more with others on the course so we can exchange and discuss ideas and gather a variety of viewpoints on topics.
I think an important thing to remember is that we are not redoing the last module but we should use what we learnt from it to move forward into Module 2.
Looking forward to connecting with you others on the course again!
We had a useful discussion sharing what we each felt worked well in the previous module which we can take forward and continue into the next module. We also highlighted what didn't work so well previously and how we can alter these aspects and take on our module feedback from our tutors to improve and prevent issues recurring in future tasks.
For me personally I am going to establish now from the start what my final hand in is meant to be so I can work backwards and have a clearer mind-set of the end product when working through the modules tasks. As opposed to last module where I was a little lost and some of my tasks lacked clarity and relevance because I was not completely clear on what I was meant to be doing. I am also going to try and be more active on the online student groups and communities by communicating more with others on the course so we can exchange and discuss ideas and gather a variety of viewpoints on topics.
I think an important thing to remember is that we are not redoing the last module but we should use what we learnt from it to move forward into Module 2.
Looking forward to connecting with you others on the course again!
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Choreography in Words
Atlantic City Ballet has just finished a performance of Carmen which was a great production to be a part of. I loved the rehearsal process and the show and really learnt a lot from the experience.
The BAPP course and tasks really encouraged me to articulate the experience in my journal. Not only did I note down personal feelings and events in my journal but I also used it as a learning tool. I used my notebook to write down the choreography as I learnt it. Writing it down helped me to digest and learn the movement and also think more specifically about what I was dancing and how it should be performed. Putting the choreography into words made me think more precisely about the choreography and be more specific with arm lines, positions, head placement etc. For some scenes I created stage maps marking with an X where I was supposed to be positioned and arrows to show my direction of travel to make sure I was in the right place, in the right scene, at the right time and moving in the right direction! Also, as I was writing it down it generated questions I needed to ask and parts of the choreography I needed to clarify to ensure I was performing it correctly. I am a very precise person so to me it is essential that I know exactly what I am meant to be doing, this is particularly important when I am performing in corps de ballet sections. If a Corps de ballet is not exactly the same on stage the performance looks sloppy and unrehearsed.
As a 'newbie' to the company over here I still feel a lot of pressure to prove myself. By journalising the choreography it has really helped me to pick up the choreography quicker and remember it more accurately. In the past I have struggled with picking choreography up quickly but having notes I can go over in my own time has been a really useful tool for me. In addition, I wrote down corrections we were given in later rehearsals so I could reflect on them and remember them for the performance.
I would highly recommend other dancers writing down choreography as it really helps you to think about the movements you are performing. I certainly shall be doing it for my future performances, especially as we have Swan Lake coming up!
The BAPP course and tasks really encouraged me to articulate the experience in my journal. Not only did I note down personal feelings and events in my journal but I also used it as a learning tool. I used my notebook to write down the choreography as I learnt it. Writing it down helped me to digest and learn the movement and also think more specifically about what I was dancing and how it should be performed. Putting the choreography into words made me think more precisely about the choreography and be more specific with arm lines, positions, head placement etc. For some scenes I created stage maps marking with an X where I was supposed to be positioned and arrows to show my direction of travel to make sure I was in the right place, in the right scene, at the right time and moving in the right direction! Also, as I was writing it down it generated questions I needed to ask and parts of the choreography I needed to clarify to ensure I was performing it correctly. I am a very precise person so to me it is essential that I know exactly what I am meant to be doing, this is particularly important when I am performing in corps de ballet sections. If a Corps de ballet is not exactly the same on stage the performance looks sloppy and unrehearsed.
As a 'newbie' to the company over here I still feel a lot of pressure to prove myself. By journalising the choreography it has really helped me to pick up the choreography quicker and remember it more accurately. In the past I have struggled with picking choreography up quickly but having notes I can go over in my own time has been a really useful tool for me. In addition, I wrote down corrections we were given in later rehearsals so I could reflect on them and remember them for the performance.
I would highly recommend other dancers writing down choreography as it really helps you to think about the movements you are performing. I certainly shall be doing it for my future performances, especially as we have Swan Lake coming up!
 |
| Me and my friend and fellow trainee backstage in Carmen performance |
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Is the quantity of dancers in a class affecting the quality of training?
I have been doing a lot of thinking about the importance of dancers having the right teacher and learning environment whilst they are training. My thinking was sparked by reading about educationist John Dewey's reflection of "the quality of the education" being "linked to the level of engagement with, and consciousness of the experience." For many, dance training starts young and the teachers we have play a major part in our enjoyment, engagement and development as a dancer. A teacher who encourages and engages their students creates a much more positive atmosphere to learn. A positive atmosphere encourages a positive attitude which in time creates positive results.
With cuts to the arts funding, dance schools and companies are being forced to be more proactive in generating their own funds and means. I have observed that this has had an affect on the number of students many dance schools are taking on; more students -> more fees -> more money. But as the quantity of dancers in a studio increases is the quality of training decreasing? It is impossible for a teacher to be able to watch all the students at once and there is only so much time in a class to spend on personal corrections. The more dancers you put in a studio the less personal the training becomes. I was talking to my current teacher about this and he said the perfect class size for him to teach is 4-5 dancers. This allows him to have the time and ability to be able to watch us collectively and also give personal mentoring and feedback. It is good to have enough dancers in the studio for motivation, healthy competition, support and observation. But, too many dancers can be overwhelming and cause people to become shadows and key corrections may be missed, overlooked or not focused on enough.
Basic technique is crucial in all dance genres, and it is essential that a dancer has a clear understanding of how movements should be performed and how they get their body to do this correctly. Poor attention to detail and no thorough explanation and corrections from the teacher can result in a dancer obtaining bad habits which become an issue to correct later on down the line. Personally, I am currently having a hard time at the moment trying to overcome habits I have picked up from previous training as a result of not being made aware of my mistakes. If my errors had been bought to my attention earlier on the issues I am currently having may not be as big a problem. In previous training I felt very overlooked and overshadowed by other dancers due to favouritism and as a result I wasn't necessarily given equal opportunity to develop and thrive in the environment. Pointe Magazine's article on "Conquering favouritism" draws attention to how "being overlooked can mean being left behind". If a student receives little encouragement and acknowledgment in the classroom it can lead them to think they are not worthy of attention. It is essential that a training dancer is in an environment where they are receiving feedback and feel that they are improving and progressing. If you don't feel that your teacher is interested in you the "lack of support is emotionally draining." But, "a teacher's pet pupils get more than an ego boost" they are most often the ones who get given "roles that challenge their technique and let them shine in performance." A lack of opportunity can jeopardise a dancer's potential and stunt progression. For example I was given very scarce pas de deux experience at school because I was not selected for partnering parts and as a result I feel less confident in choreography requiring these skills
as I have little experience with it.
Would love to hear other peoples views and thoughts on this topic :)
(http://pointemagazine.com/inside-pt/issuesdecember-2012january-2013your-training-conquering-favoritism/)
With cuts to the arts funding, dance schools and companies are being forced to be more proactive in generating their own funds and means. I have observed that this has had an affect on the number of students many dance schools are taking on; more students -> more fees -> more money. But as the quantity of dancers in a studio increases is the quality of training decreasing? It is impossible for a teacher to be able to watch all the students at once and there is only so much time in a class to spend on personal corrections. The more dancers you put in a studio the less personal the training becomes. I was talking to my current teacher about this and he said the perfect class size for him to teach is 4-5 dancers. This allows him to have the time and ability to be able to watch us collectively and also give personal mentoring and feedback. It is good to have enough dancers in the studio for motivation, healthy competition, support and observation. But, too many dancers can be overwhelming and cause people to become shadows and key corrections may be missed, overlooked or not focused on enough.
Basic technique is crucial in all dance genres, and it is essential that a dancer has a clear understanding of how movements should be performed and how they get their body to do this correctly. Poor attention to detail and no thorough explanation and corrections from the teacher can result in a dancer obtaining bad habits which become an issue to correct later on down the line. Personally, I am currently having a hard time at the moment trying to overcome habits I have picked up from previous training as a result of not being made aware of my mistakes. If my errors had been bought to my attention earlier on the issues I am currently having may not be as big a problem. In previous training I felt very overlooked and overshadowed by other dancers due to favouritism and as a result I wasn't necessarily given equal opportunity to develop and thrive in the environment. Pointe Magazine's article on "Conquering favouritism" draws attention to how "being overlooked can mean being left behind". If a student receives little encouragement and acknowledgment in the classroom it can lead them to think they are not worthy of attention. It is essential that a training dancer is in an environment where they are receiving feedback and feel that they are improving and progressing. If you don't feel that your teacher is interested in you the "lack of support is emotionally draining." But, "a teacher's pet pupils get more than an ego boost" they are most often the ones who get given "roles that challenge their technique and let them shine in performance." A lack of opportunity can jeopardise a dancer's potential and stunt progression. For example I was given very scarce pas de deux experience at school because I was not selected for partnering parts and as a result I feel less confident in choreography requiring these skills
as I have little experience with it.
Would love to hear other peoples views and thoughts on this topic :)
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Journal Writing
For the past few weeks I have been keeping a daily journal reflecting on my day to day life. I have attempted to keep journals in the past but have never been able to stick to it, but the BAPP Arts course tasks has helped me to view journal writing in a different way. I started out writing a day to day account of what I had done each day but this soon got very boring. It was as though I was writing a calender of events that had already happened, so I have been looking into different journal writing styles and ideas. Here are a few ideas I tried and am still experimenting with;
- Choosing a word to summarise and conclude the day I had had. For example one day I chose the word "grateful". I had just done a performance and had the post show adrenaline and excitement. I reflected on how "grateful" I was for the opportunities I am given, the supportive family and friends I have and how thankful I am to be pursuing my dream.
- Using Images- After reading through Paula's slideshow on using visual arts in a journal I tried the idea of "visual language". I am big fan of Instagram and check it regularly, I am constantly liking photos I see many of which can be connected to my life, many including quotes. I tried choosing an image a day that I had 'liked' and wrote about its meaning to me. For example an account I follow posted a simple black and white image of a quote saying "today is the beginning of anything you want". I took this and wrote in my journal about how "I shouldn't be discouraged my limitations" and how "I want to start viewing each day as an opportunity to do new things or do the same day to day things with a different spirt" and not "feel trapped into doing things how they have always been done."
-Doodling- another idea I grabbed from Paula's blog post. When struggling to find something interesting and inspiring to write about in my journal I took my pen and attempted to draw my day. The map of my day looked like a mess of squiggles at the end and I didn't personally find it a useful journal writing prompt but it did inspire me to maybe use the idea in the future as a choreography prompt. I had the idea of mapping out an event with a doodle and using the line my pen took to inspire certain movements.
- Corrections and rehearsals- I have been keeping a separate journal for specific dance corrections and rehearsal notes. In this book I log specific corrections I get in class or specific notes I get in rehearsals. Writing down these points helps me to remember them and think about them in more detail. Then when I come to class and rehearsals these specific points are more vivid in my mind and I think more about them whilst dancing which speeds up my improvement and understanding of how movements should be performed.
I really encourages those others of you keeping a journal to try out different methods and styles of writing it! Would love to hear any other ideas people have had on how to go about writing journals as opposed to just writing a account of a day?!
- Choosing a word to summarise and conclude the day I had had. For example one day I chose the word "grateful". I had just done a performance and had the post show adrenaline and excitement. I reflected on how "grateful" I was for the opportunities I am given, the supportive family and friends I have and how thankful I am to be pursuing my dream.
- Using Images- After reading through Paula's slideshow on using visual arts in a journal I tried the idea of "visual language". I am big fan of Instagram and check it regularly, I am constantly liking photos I see many of which can be connected to my life, many including quotes. I tried choosing an image a day that I had 'liked' and wrote about its meaning to me. For example an account I follow posted a simple black and white image of a quote saying "today is the beginning of anything you want". I took this and wrote in my journal about how "I shouldn't be discouraged my limitations" and how "I want to start viewing each day as an opportunity to do new things or do the same day to day things with a different spirt" and not "feel trapped into doing things how they have always been done."
-Doodling- another idea I grabbed from Paula's blog post. When struggling to find something interesting and inspiring to write about in my journal I took my pen and attempted to draw my day. The map of my day looked like a mess of squiggles at the end and I didn't personally find it a useful journal writing prompt but it did inspire me to maybe use the idea in the future as a choreography prompt. I had the idea of mapping out an event with a doodle and using the line my pen took to inspire certain movements.
- Corrections and rehearsals- I have been keeping a separate journal for specific dance corrections and rehearsal notes. In this book I log specific corrections I get in class or specific notes I get in rehearsals. Writing down these points helps me to remember them and think about them in more detail. Then when I come to class and rehearsals these specific points are more vivid in my mind and I think more about them whilst dancing which speeds up my improvement and understanding of how movements should be performed.
I really encourages those others of you keeping a journal to try out different methods and styles of writing it! Would love to hear any other ideas people have had on how to go about writing journals as opposed to just writing a account of a day?!
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