PDPR by

Zoe- Walk and Talk

meganrkristine — 2025-08-25 21:03:45 UTC

Me and Zoe seem to have quite a few similarities. I used to be on dance team and she is now on dance team, so we both have the experience of juggling both of those opportunities. We also seem to have the same attitude that we are excited for PDPR, and hoping that life doesnt get in the way. She seems to have similar performance experiences as me, where they are not a very professional style of performance. We are both used to studio or competition style dances. I honestly really hope to be in the same piece as her so that I can be a mentor/friend to her and help her balance dance team and dance major life. I think its important to be able to do both, and the only way to make that happen is to foster the connection between the two. Id love to help her and make her life even just a bit easier.

Auditions- Vanessa Aspaugh

meganrkristine — 2025-08-25 21:05:28 UTC

What was exciting?

I really enjoyed the prompts she uses to generate material. I think this was collaborative and I can see this seeing an enjoyable process where you feel like you are contributing a piece of yourself and soul to the piece.

What was challenging for me?

I think I feel a deep sense of responsibility whenever I am given the freedom to create and generate material. I felt a bit of pressure creating something that is "me" but also suitable to her prompt.

How would this process help me grow?

I think this would help me grow by it being a very intensive process. It seems like a process where you have to take risks and try new things and be ready to switch things up or try something new. These kinds of processes do not have room for overthinking or overcomplicating, which is something I struggle with.

Auditions- Sinclair

meganrkristine — 2025-08-25 21:05:33 UTC

What was exciting?

I really like how active and physical this style is. I think there is something very unique about a group of people dancing, breathing and sweating together, and athletic movement like this is exciting for me.

What was challenging for me?

I think having the proper technique to do this movement. It hurts my knees and heels and I want to learn how to do it properly and in a sustainable way to be able to continue.

How would this process help me grow?

This would definitely be a big style push for me. I have never performed this style and its very far out of my comfort zone.

Auditions- Mikayla

meganrkristine — 2025-08-25 21:05:36 UTC

What was exciting?

I love the style of this choreography. The intense emotional connection. I also love the fracturing idea and I think that would be a good process to be a part of.

What was challenging for me?

I think this is challenging for me to truly connect with the prompt/idea of family secrets. I went through some very traumatic family drama this last year and I think it would be really hard emotionally to dance with this idea/prompt each day.

How would this process help me grow?

I think this would be a great chance to fill into the confidence I really should have. I feel like this is a style I feel comfortable doing while still being challenging. I loved the style and think it would be a great experience to dance in something I feel really strong in.

Auditions- MFA Nadia

meganrkristine — 2025-08-25 21:05:38 UTC

What was exciting?

I really liked the jazz music they used. It was really different and exciting to switch it up.

What was challenging for me?

I struggle with music and counting it and hearing accents so it was challenging. I also have never done Horton technique so that was a challenge.

How would this process help me grow?

I think this kind of music would challenge me to not just hear music differently, but dance to it in a different way.

Auditions- MFA Annie Laura

meganrkristine — 2025-08-25 21:05:47 UTC

What was exciting?

I love the athleticism and culture combination of this. I also find Annie Laura to be someone who cold not just choreograph but teach in a really cool way.

What was challenging for me?

I think the physicality of this dance was challenging. Picking up choreography is not hard, but doing it the way I want to is hard.

How would this process help me grow?

This would be a really immersive way to learn about another culture and dance in a new way.

Reflection 2: What has been challenging for me?

meganrkristine — 2025-10-05 21:35:19 UTC

I have had a hard time figuring out how I best fit in media team. I realized I have to plug myself in much more than I had originally expected. I thought I would be told exactly what needed to be done but its very open ended with lots more room for creativity and freedom that I had expected.

Reflection 2: What connections am I making to real life?

meganrkristine — 2025-10-05 21:38:06 UTC

When I am a dance teacher I am the whole of the dance department at that middle or highschool most likely. This means I will end up being the media team as well as many other things. Seeing how an institution controls and manages their social media presence along with many other forms of media and interaction with the public is very helpful for me. I hope to use these skills in the future in my own dance department.

Reflection 2: Whats next for me in this process?

meganrkristine — 2025-10-05 21:40:11 UTC

I have decided how I am going to contribute to media team, by doing the educational resource for the school show. I have not been able to work on it yet, so that the choreographers could have more time to come up with clear ideas that they want to be shared in this, so I am looking forward to really getting into this work and not just thinking of ideas but getting in touch with the choreographers too and seeing how things come together.

Reflection 2: How have your expectations been affirmed or challenged?

meganrkristine — 2025-10-05 21:41:21 UTC

My expectations were that media team was very structured. Now I have seen that it is very fluid and is decided by what the show and the department needs, and how we use our own skills to meet those needs.

Reflection 3: What has been challenging for me?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-10 00:58:18 UTC

FOMO! I am enjoying seeing a new perspective on media team, but the fomo is real. I wish my schedule had allowed for me to be in a piece because I just miss rehearsing and working hard with a group of people. Luckily I am learning so much and also this is adjusting to something new, and maybe a good experience in fomo and making choices considering I will be living my post grad life pretty soon...

How Have I grown?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-10 01:00:27 UTC

This was a wake up call for me and my confidence in my abilities. I thought this would be a walk in the park and that I would be so good at this, but this is a new type of challenge and social media presence than I am used to. Ive really had to push myself to figure out new things.

What has been a delight for me?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-10 01:02:21 UTC

I have really enjoyed putting together the program for the school show. I am able to use what I am seeing in my internship placements to see what these students know, dont know, and need to know. This has been a super fun way to bridge all parts of my education this semester and its been a nice solo project, no rubric, no guidelines, just being able to make this however I think will be best for the students and teachers.

What connections are you making between this experience and other life experiences you are having?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-10 01:04:34 UTC

I have had a hard time getting the RAs to answer my email/get back to me with information about their piece that I need. This honestly is just life, and I am sure I am that hard to reach person in other scenarios, but its been a great lesson in communication, patience and effort. Its helpful to practice now with people who I know and love and understand their busy schedules, and I am sure I will encounter this many more times in my life, so its a good lesson for life.

Reflection 4: What have you contributed to the piece and to the realization of a creative community of caring, kickass artists?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-26 23:20:01 UTC

I think this process taught me a lot about how to step in where I can. How to meet people where they are at and help out in a team setting. I knew my semester was busy, and that was why I was not in a piece, so I offered the things that do work with my impossible schedule. Stepping in to film before an evening class, or working on the school show program and working with patience with my classmates to get information from them on that. I also really tried to contribute support and admire their skills! I was always impressed by not only the work they were able to do, but at how they were able to transfer knowledge and help me out when I needed it.

Reflection 4: What have you learned from someone else in your cast and/or the choreographer/creative leaders of your project?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-26 23:20:39 UTC

I was actually able to learn a lot from Cassidy. Not only her skills in social media or content capturing and creating, but in her delegation skills. She had everything organized in a way everyone could contribute. She had grace when things didnt get done, but was assertive when she needed to be. I was very impressed with her overall organization and will definitely be trying to do that with my future endeavors.

Reflection 4: What's next for you in this process? What do you want to continue doing or manifest anew?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-26 23:35:52 UTC

Whats exciting is that whats next for me in this is my whole career. This was a good jumpstart into a portion of my job as a dance educator. Getting to make the school show program was a great experience in finding ways to make the show accessible for students to watch and enjoy dance. This is something I will try to do anytime my students see a show or dance work.

Reflection 4: What connections are you making between this experience and other life experiences you are having?

meganrkristine — 2025-11-26 23:38:55 UTC

I think this was the first time ever in my life that I have not had a performance to look forward to or rehearse for. My whole life I have been a performer and the one dancing. This was a bittersweet way to end pdpr. I think it was a gentle release into my adult post grad life where I will constantly be watching my students dance and prepare to perform, and I will be the one preparing them. I know see how much performance has done for me and I think this last PDPR was a good way for me to not feel like I was dropped into a void of "real life" in May after graduation.