# data[].attributes.body
988

# data[].attributes.headline
My Own Strengths in the Core Techniques Module are:

# data[].attributes.subject
My Own Strengths in the Core Techniques Module are:

# data[].attributes.body
When looking at the Core Techniques of Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary, I found that I was always strong at pirouettes as these were always a high mark of mine.
"Pirouette is a classical ballet term meaning “spin.”  It describes when a dancer is turning around one leg with the other off the ground and in a position, most commonly in passé." (BalletHub, 2017) I have noticed during the academic year that my pirouettes have been improving quickly as i have practiced standing on my leg and holding balance which over time made me self-consciously aware of this when in preparation for pirouettes.

Another strength would be my performance skills as naturally when it comes to performing a routine, i will also put effort into performing the routine with facials and dynamics, even though from a technique stand point, my body control still needs to improve. my intention and power has been a strength, it has now become a matter of controlling the movements and including the performance element to gain an all round strength.

Balance has become a new strength of mine, especially in Ballet as i have been able to hold balances for longer without struggling. This has come from practicing balance on each foot and trying to sustain the balance for longer. Once i was practicing, i did notice i was sickling my supporting feet which caused me to lose the balance, so working on strengthening the ankle, through specific exercises such as raises and sustained plies, my balance began to improve which has helped my core develop in the process.

My Final strength is Elevation. I have found that during jumping combinations that I am able to gain alot  of elevation as i have alot  of power in my legs, this is from doing previous sports such as Triathlons, Swimming and sprint runs.

# data[].attributes.headline
My Own Weakenesses in the Core Techniques Module are:

# data[].attributes.subject
My Own Weakenesses in the Core Techniques Module are:

# data[].attributes.body
When it comes my weaknesses in the core techniques, my main weakness in general is my flexibility in both my splits and also lower back as firstly being male, my muscles are naturally tighter but also due to being slightly older my muscles have already started to tighten further. Injuries that I have sustain have also been a contributing factor to this being a weakness, however as a male dancer this is my one main area that needs the most intention for improvement.

Another general weakness I have in all core technique, however most specific within Ballet is my turnout in my legs which is due to inadequate rotation of the adductor muscles, or a more defined explanations would be "The muscles surrounding the hip, if unnaturally tight, may restrict a dancer’s ability to achieve an acceptable degree of turnout. Proper stretching techniques will enable dancers to achieve their maximal turnout potential." (Krasnow, Wilderming, 2011, pg 4) Another factor that contributes to my lack of turnout is due to my right leg being bow legged, meaning the leg actually goes outwards instead of straight up, which causes my right leg to naturally become sickled instead of turned out. This is most noticeable when my leg is in high repertoire for a pirouette.

# data[].attributes.headline
Over the last Summer, I have improved on:

# data[].attributes.subject
Over the last Summer, I have improved on:

# data[].attributes.body
Over this summer, coming back to the academic year, I have noticed an improvement in my retention skills, as I have started to not only pick up combinations, exercises and choreographies quickly, but I have been able to remember them after a period of time, as when i first joined Shockout, this was a struggle of mine as I used to forget combinations quickly.

My Dynamics within routines have improved since last summer. Even though i have noticed this in my commercial classes, i have also seen this improvement within my core technique classes as listening to the music, and hearing the accents and beats within the music. i have noticed the light and shade needed in the routine present, which in turn helps my performance on the routine as a whole look stronger as i am no longer rushing and missing beats and this in turn makes my technique look stronger by knowing when to use my core and knowing when to hold or suspense a movement.

Finally my feet in specifically ballet has improved the most for in terms of strengthening as when i started the course, my right feet was naturally sickled and this caused most of my footwork to be hindered due to naturally being turned in. however after working on turning out my adductors and working on stretching the foot fully; ive seen my feet become looser which inturn has helped strengthen the ankle and i managed to lose the sickle. This however still needs improvement as the sickle will never permanmently go is due to being bow legged, but ensuring i focus on remembering to turn out during lesson, this will slowly become non-existent and i will naturally lose my sickle.

# data[].attributes.headline
Within the next academic year, I would like to work on:

# data[].attributes.subject
Within the next academic year, I would like to work on:

# data[].attributes.body
One of my main others for development within the Core Techniques is my flexibility as I am not where I should be in terms of flexibility with the training that I have received. Injuries have been a factor with this as having sprained my left anterior cruciales ligament earlier in the year, I have been unable to fully stretch and get into split as there is the potential for more damage to arise, so once i had fully healed, I will start a stretching promote that gets specifically my lower back and legs more flexible in a safe way.

The next area for development would be muscle gain and strengthening as physically I look too skinny for the industry. in order to improve this I need to start going to the gym regularly with weight training and core exercises, also adding more protein and carbohydrates to my diet and having more meals daily, i will be able to gain more weight which i can then turn into muscle as due to having a fast metabolism which is "The chemical processes occurring within a living cell or organism that are necessary for the maintenance of life. In metabolism some substances are broken down to yield energy for vital processes while other substances, necessary for life, are synthesized." (freedictionary.com, 2016)  so gaining weight is harder than usual.

My Final area that i need to work on is my heading during jumps. I have noticed that my landings do need to improve as i do not go through my metacarpals and carpals within my feet and as a result, I do suffer from shin splints, however wth the correct technique and further practice, not only should my shin splints decrease but I will get more elevation for jumps.

# data[].attributes.body
- BalletHub. 2017. Pirouettes. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ballethub.com/ballet-term/pirouette/. [Accessed 7 May 2017].

- metabolism. (n.d.) Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014. (1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014). http://www.thefreedictionary.com/metabolism [Accessed 9 May 2017]

-Krasnow, D, Wilderming, V, 2011. Turnout for Dancers: Hip Anatomy and Factors Affecting Turnout. Turnout for Dancers: Hip Anatomy and Factors Affecting Turnout, [Online]. Vol. 1, 1-7. Available at: https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.iadms.org/resource/resmgr/imported/info/turnout_for_dancers_anatomy.pdf[Accessed 9 May 2017].