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Five positions of the feet

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Cecchetti ports de bras

Google images (2015). [image] Available at: http://balletwithchiara.weebly.com/blog/pretty-port-de-bras [Accessed 3 May 2019].

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holding positions en' laire

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Personally, commercial dance is the freshest style to me, and only properly started training in it once coming to Shockout. I'm good at learning the choreography, however, i don't always get the finer details and the finesse correct. This was the feedback given to me in my plenary by my commercial teacher. Throughout all of my classes its just the finer details that need polishing, because they would make a big difference to the overall look of a phrase of movement and to me as a dancer. i'm a perfectionist, and i'm hard on myself when i can't get something right, and i keep practicing outside of my lessons so that i can eventually do it.

As i am so fixed on getting the choreography and the smaller details right, this then can lead to me confusing the choreography which then decreases my retention skills.

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During my formative assessments, i was told that in ballet i had to work on my technical accuracy in pirouettes and elevation. Then after watching back video of myself performing leaps i felt that the slight lack of elevation resonated within my jazz leaps. I want to get my leaps higher with more drive and power behind them, which would then help me be able to perform the more demanding leaps both in and out of my jazz classes.

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throughout my contemporary training this year, i have noticed a considerable difference in the increased difficulty in the basic lateral T position, a feature of the Horton Technique. The lateral T position requires the body and lifted leg to be horizontally placed. This position is then increased in difficulty with the addition of extra balances and promenades. However, the lateral T position must be established first, which requires the core to be engaged in order to balance. However, this is what i struggle with, finding the balance in the T position. When i can't secure that, i then struggle to execute the rest of the movements that surround the lateral T position within sequences.

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This video really highlighted to me how unstable I was on my supporting leg. This then effected my ability to hold the position and move in and out of it with control. This then leads to me feeling uncomfortable and unbalanced for the whole sequence.

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youtube video of lateral T balance and balance studies within the Horton Technique

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youtube video of lateral T balance and balance studies within the Horton Technique

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This video demonstrates the correct way of reaching the lateral T position.
Youtube (2017). Lester Horton Technique • balance advanced level 1. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3OH83XoLh8 [Accessed 2 May 2019].

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Lester Horton Technique • balance advanced level 1

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The below photos show my improvement of hitting the correct position. My balance had improved because my teacher had described to me that to help with balance i have to turn my standing foot fully out. It creates a stable foundation and then it was easier for me to physically feel which muscles i then had to engage once i had established a strong stance in the standing leg, and turned out foot. These below photos show how my foot is turned out and i'm able to create the T shape and hold it.

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This commercial dance is based heavily on musicality, each beat and accent is taken into consideration in the choreography.

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Empaulment in ballet. The shoulders and torso are twisted, and pull both directions, whilst the shoulder blades slide down the back and the chest is lifted.

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pitching the shoulders forwards, adds an extra style and flair

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FLICK ball change.
onomatopoeic words to build our dynamic for the movement. The flick strikes out and quickly retracts back.

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Grand allegro, right

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Grand Allegro, left

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Adage
The slow fluid dynamics used.

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version of Matt Mattox style ports de bras

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Jazz kicks

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If you asked me last year what i considered a strength of mine within the ballet technique, I would have said pirouettes and turning. Mostly because I was able to perform multiple rotation comfortably, both en dedan and en dehors. My ballet teacher does compliment me about the fact i have a natural ability to turn. However, throughout this year, I have been told to improve the positioning of the working leg in pirouettes. A technically correct classical pirouette  will have the standing leg pulled up and the other in retire position by the knee. However i have a tendency to drop the retire position to low, therefore not performing the pirouettes with technical accuracy.

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This is one of our exercises we had set for our jazz assessment for the formative's in December. The video show the cleanliness of the leaps and sequence, however for me personally i feel that it looks very safe. There is no drive or power from my push offs and landings. i focused more on getting it all technically accurate, which it is, but it doesn't have the strong dynamic effect which leaps should have and that i want for myself.

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Here is a video from first year, i'm able to achieve the rotations, but this video highlights how low the retire is, almost at point non-descript.

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This photo is demonstrating the position of the pirouettes whilst at the barre. However again the position is too low. So if i were to perform a pirouette in this position in the center i would have been channeling all my energy for the pirouette downwards, instead of pulling up. So not only is the position incorrect, but the dynamic intention would be too, as the lift and illusion of ease would have been lost.

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Here i see improvements. I perform this sequence well, with presence and cleanliness. However, i would have preferred to have been able to achieve triple pirouettes for this sequence, which would have been possible by me pulling up more. Taking note from Luigi technique and the idea of pushing down to pull up creating space and resistance, i need to apply here, which would lead to more rotations on a controlled pirouette.

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By being held in position allows time for me to arrange and correct my position.

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Here i perform a clear triple pirouette in the correct retire position. This is the type of pirouettes i need to execute during my final second year assessments.

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In this dance i have a good use of pitching the shoulders forwards, again to add an extra sense of style and flair. This wasn't choreographed within the dance, it was a choice i made. My opinion this small detail, adds depth, femininity and texture to a basic movement.

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Working on my oversplit, as i want to broaden my facility and flexibility, so that when i do perform leaps, i'm able to push further than the split, giving me the powerful explosive dynamic and effect.

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This video demonstrates how i now have the strength and understanding of how to hold and maintain the lateral position, but also how i am able to move in and out of the position with a considerate amount of control.

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Practicing tilted side leaps as they are a leap that has been added to our leap and elevation sequences for our final assessments, the extra stretching, pushing my over-split has helped, as you can see how my underneath leg is pushing out from below me creating the split in the air.

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Here is the leap sequence for our final assessments.
I can see a much greater difference in this video from the first. My calypso jump is much higher and more extended than the first video.
This is the right side...

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The left side...
i prefer the left side over my right, and i can see a difference in dynamic and elevation from the video whilst watching this. The calypso turn is much sharper and i rotate it round much quicker.

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Professional ballet company, performing extract from 'alice in wonderland'. this piece is very comical and highly animated, but this is told through the facial expressions.

Youtube (2018). The Tart Adage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (The Royal Ballet, 2017). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmomuMCzFLE [Accessed 30 Apr. 2019].

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The Tart Adage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (The Royal Ballet, 2017)

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Fosse number, the women are highly sexualised in their movements.

Youtube (2008). All That Jazz de Bob Fosse. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UN68ujZdTE [Accessed 30 Apr. 2019].

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This video shows jazz funk. The soft dynamics of a balletic and lyrical sense, blended with the strong power and resistance seen in jazz and commercial.

Friedman, B. (2016). The Answer (Let Love Win) ft Maddie Ziegler | Brian Friedman Choreo | In memory of Andre Fuentes. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcb3McgloaM [Accessed 30 Apr. 2019].

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The Answer (Let Love Win) ft Maddie Ziegler | Brian Friedman Choreo | In memory of Andre Fuentes

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Another example of adage...

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Adage at the barre

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I go wrong in the middle of this choreography, which then effects the dynamics in my next movements.

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i then practiced and repeated the choreography until i was confident i could get it right.

However, at auditions you only get one chance, and once I've made a mistake, and loose the small details, it would then be too late at an audition. i shouldn't let my mistakes then effect the other movements.

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This video shows i have a moment of hesitation, showing i was unsure of the choreography. in the professional industry i cant do this, i need to be confident, and maybe even if i do make mistakes i then need to be confident in those mistakes to just carry on with it and lead with professionalism. I also stop all together once i notice other people around me have gone wrong. this again isn't good if i was in the industry performing. if i was on a job i would just have to keep moving and see the performance, and try and join back in with the choreography.

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However again once i had gone over it and solidified the details then i successfully executed the phrase.

Also this video is a good example of dancing in time as one unit, an ensemble. To be aware of the people around you and keep in time is what should happen, rather than the piece crumbling because I've noticed one person go wrong.

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Although this video is not chronologically in order with the above its a good example of how once I've rehearsed a dance i am comfortable with it.

This was a dance we had worked on for two weeks and it was completely unexpected to be picked out to do a solo, and for it to be filmed. However, I dance with the correct musicality, style, timing, and dynamic, but with also correct accuracy and details.