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2 nd year at Shockout Arts has been much more difficult than our first year. We have been pushed an incredible amount which has been so beneficial to our training. As an overall strength this year I think would be my determination to come in everyday and push myself in every class. This has not only solidified my love for dance and performance but has taught me discipline when soaking up all the information to get the best out of my training opportunities.

From reflecting on first year and watching videos of opposing dance schools I knew that my flexibility needed to improve a lot. After almost every class I have taken the time to stretch myself out, and when given opportunity to stretch in class, taking full advantage of it. My flexibility has improved so much. I can now do full splits on the right and left leg and my splits in second are centimetres away from being flat. This has helped my kicks in Jazz, Grand Battement in Ballet and leaps in any of the styles.

Although I would still class my pirouettes and turns as a weakness, they have improved so much from first year. Every time I am about to attempt a turn I always think about my arms, my back, my core and my supporting leg. Doubles used to be a problem for me in first year, but I would say that now they’re quite solid, nailing the triple and more is for third year.

From attending commercial classes outside of university timetable, I have seen an increase in my speed of pick up and detail. This has helped throughout all of my techniques as we are reminded how quickly we need to pick up choreography in an audition circumstance. Also taking class after university has given me a chance to perform and play around with movement which has helped in my freestyle in commercial.
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As this year has been so full on, I like to think that throughout my training I have identified my weaknesses and tried hard then and there to change them. Overall weaknesses are my pirouettes and being inconsistent. Ever since I started my college training into my degree training, they have always been weak. One day I will be on my leg and get around 2/3 times however, I will have days where I can hardly make it round twice and fall off my leg. I know in order to correct this I need to practice every day so that the inconsistent days become further apart. I find it easier, and still searching for one that works for me, when we get a visual aspect of what we are trying to do. For example, feeling like the ball of your foot is a screw and you’re screwing it into the ground. Or that when turning parallel that the big toe presses into the inside of the knee which will help find the centre of your balance. On different days, different approaches can suit my turns- again quite inconsistent.

I often get confused within different styles which type of turns are required. For example, in Mr Needham’s and Daniel’s classes we are expected to turn on straight leg and in Mr Carpenters class we are more than likely to turn on a bent, low level pirouette. I know that I need to make more of a visual difference between the two.

Overall my main aspect I want to improve on is my performance. I have started to incorporate it into most of my classes in some way or another, but by the end of third year I would like it to come with every movement I do without thinking about it. Sometimes I will feel self-conscious in a class and not feel comfortable to perform however I know this is something I have to get over as it is letting other people hinder my training and it’s my future not theirs. Doing classes on an evening will help with this also because there is less pressure with pick up and technique and more about dancing and performing. This will also help with my freestyle, mainly in commercial, because usually when asked to freestyle my immediate response is to panic.
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An example of Fosse's unusual style that took the world by storm.

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Video 3a shows this position put into practice in my own training. After studying this photo i know know how in line the pelvis has to be with the rest of the body and the extended leg should always be pulled up.

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At university we study Luigi and Matt Mattox techniques, however you can see similarities between all styles. Throughout our training we are told how important technique is. More specifically relating to this video how important elevation is. We have similar sequences in our Luigi lessons with Mr Needham (video 2a) as well as pirouette exercises (video 2b). Its important to see how professional dancers use these techniques.

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Independent research on chosen practitioner

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Independent research on chosen practitioner

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You can already see the comparison between the opening off All that Jazz and the links to our jazz training. Elevation is key in this exercise. "The legs are also involved in a jump and should be fully and strongly extended during the jump to achieve that wonderful upwards elevation. The legs must arrive at the floor extended and plié on landing with heels on the ground to provide cushioning for the body and prevent back injuries and knees over toes." (Preece-Broksom,2015) My lee

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The middle of our training for our Fosse style dance. From  my independent research on Bob Fosse i can make links with my own training through what ex students of his had said. It is all about the small, detailed movements. "While many dancers strive to create long, lean lines, Fosse preferred angles." (Witkop, 2018) Throughout researching Fosse, less is more. The more energy put into it the messier it can start to look. I should also try and isolate my movements more and give sharper dynamics.

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In comparison to my last year of training my technique has got a lot better. When performing a tendu you must always remember "A tendu, though having checkpoints like going through a demi point both going out and back in, should be a single fluid movement." (BalletHub, 2018). My pirouettes have also improved from last year however i need to make sure that when setting off from the pirouette i bring my foot to retire as quickly as possible. "Training on sequential initiation of lower-extremity joints and rehearsal of visual spotting are essential for novice dancers to obtain better performance on ballet turns."(Hopper,2018) This is very important to remember.

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*BalletHub. (2018). A Look at Tendu for Beginners in Ballet - Ballet Lesson - BalletHub. [online] Available at: https://ballethub.com/ballet-lesson/tendu-for-beginners-ballet/ [Accessed 14 May 2018].

*Luke S. Hopper, Andries L. Weidemann, Janet Karin. (2018) The inherent movement variability underlying classical ballet technique and the expertise of a dancer. Research in Dance Education 0:0, pages 1-11.

*All that Jazz- The opening. (2014). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2e9acreKmQ [Accessed 14 May 2018].

*Witkop, L. (2018). Choreographer Bob Fosse | LoveToKnow. [online] LoveToKnow. Available at: https://dance.lovetoknow.com/Choreographer_Bob_Fosse [Accessed 14 May 2018].

Preece-Broksom, D. (2015). The Dance Centre Peregian Springs. [online] The Dance Centre Peregian Springs. Available at: https://www.thedancecentreperegiansprings.com/single-post/2015/03/17/Elevation-How-to-improve-your-jump [Accessed 14 May 2018].

Stanyer, L. and profile, V. (2018). Strength Training for Dancers. [online] Laurastanyer.blogspot.co.uk. Available at: http://laurastanyer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/strength-training-for-dancers-it-is.html [Accessed 14 May 2018].

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This shows my Jazz technique in a fast paced tempo, making sure technique is on point to complete everything on the beat. My dynamics have gotten a lot better this year, i believe this is due to the insanity and  strengthening classes we have been having. "It is important for dancers to develop their muscular strength as it will enhance their endurance ability to perform. Dancers need overall strength to be able to control their own body weight and it helps to prevent injuries."(Stranyer, 2018).