Remember to write reflectively and not just descriptively :)

I will be challenging myself to put 110% into everything I do, even if that means feeling uncomfortable. I will do this by coming in to uni with an open mind and being ready for whats to come.

Jane inspired me during this first week as she is always prepared and ready to go with a positive attitude!

Just from within these first few technique classes I've realised I need to stop always dancing like I have something to prove but take a step back and begin dancing for myself.

Today we had a class continuing the show preparation and we learnt more of a dance. This is something different and interesting and I am ready to work really hard. I was given a clear explanation of what the show will be about so I feel prepared to create choreography and I am excited to work on new material and add a personal element with a diva element. I saw my costume for the show and I love it. I feel it is very me and it has made me even more excited which I didn’t know was possible. In technique I learnt about anatomy which is new to me because I could never remember things I learned in science. It was explained in detail and I know it is very important for dancing so I will do extra revision at home to remember the key things. I am excited to know and understand a new layer of knowledge and use it to dance.

Our first class on Monday with Marta included a unit introduction giving us tips and ideas on how to plan our technique essays.

This week we had Ian for technique for the first time which I really enjoyed. As well as launching the anatomy we also did some travel Rallies. I learned in Ians class I will be pushed to learn to skills and after the class I felt I had achieved some new skills.

This week we also had Claire for the first time and I really enjoyed her class and she was very motivating. Claire’s footwork sequences challenged me as I do often struggle with fast footwork routines. We also had to figure the phrase out on the left but after working with others we figured it out together.

The phrase we learnt as the end included movements we had not done before for example including a new roll.

Throughout the week we had a technique class with Ian who I know will push me way past my comfort zone, in the best way possible. In the sense, he teaches jumps, arm strengthening moves, floor work etc, which is where I lack the most and want to improve on that. Alongside him launching our unit and anatomy, we did moves across the floor that are repetitive, and he wants us to focus more on travel, than height. Every move we did was a new skill to me, so felt pushed already and ready to learn more.

Throughout the week we also had a technique class with Claire for the very first time. Her class was quite focused on feet, quick but fun! Every other move was something we had never done before in first year. She includes the head a lot and where we're looking, which was difficult at first but then got the hang of it. We did a new roll skill at the end of the technique phrase she taught us, which I'm surprised I could perform, as in first year I don't think I would of been able to do it.

Marta: Main focus of the phrases was pushing to get deeper and lower into squats and lunges in order to show a grounded quality. Thinking about whether the head was leading or following and how this impacted the flow and connection between the movements.

Natalie: Choosing the route of focus the eyes can take during the phrase, and making it clear. I challenged myself to find a different way each time to see which felt better. Focusing on suspension to elongate extended movements is something that was mentioned and I will try to implement in each class.

Ian: Started our topic on Anatomy and physiology which is new and I'm looking forward to learning about, as the knowledge gained in these sessions will help further my understanding in technique classes. We looked at learning how to properly roll and catch ourselves safely by focusing on which part of the body will absorb the impact (this helps to avoid injury)

Claire: Main takeaway from this session was learning to feel confident and not to apologise for taking up space, allowing ourselves to use the floor. There's a freedom to letting go and to not be afraid to indulge in the movements and sometimes be over the top and a bit sassy! This is something I want to get better at. During the task of learning a phrase on the other side made us think personally about how we process learning and picking up choreography, trying different ways to see which work best.

It got much worse through out the day but I couldn't recall an impactful injury.

That evening I was becoming concerned and was purposely trying to reflect on that weeks classes to identify the reason. Upon reflection and looking back on class footage I remembered a move from Ian's class on the 9/10/24 where I was distinctively positioning my toes wrong, which was resulting in me repeatedly slapping the same area of my foot on the floor.

Working hard on reflecting my previous classes and coming to a conclusion on what had happened to my foot, will further help me recognise small mistakes within my movements that may cause injury overall helping me ensure safe practise.

Within Ian's class we worked on finding our head tail connection. I found that its incredibly useful helping with extensions of the body and making everything look more elongated. I recognised that I need to focus on remembering my head tail connection particularly within floorwork. Due to my hypermobility I need to work on strengthening the different sections of my spine and not too overarch.

When I worked with Alleyne Dance at the beginning of the year I remember them saying 'give 80 and keep 20 for yourself' and that really resonated with me.

-Using my head to help flow movement

-Being confident, trusting that i know the moves

-Perform, Use eyeline when dancing, See the people in the room

It forced me to think about making my movements bigger and thinking about the use of my hands being stretched out as much as possible.

I’ve enjoyed my first class with Claire, learning the footwork and coordination. Although in general, it has been quite challenging, it’s still an experience I enjoy and look forward to continuing in the future. Last week made me realise that I need to keep moving forward in order to become better in all the techniques I’m learning.

Marta: Looked at dynamic qualities and breaking down the sequence to make the decision on what is quick and sharp and what is more suspended. Peer feedback from those who were observing noticed that when these dynamics were implemented the performance became more expressive, interesting and exciting. As a performer I agree it made the piece more interesting as there was more to focus on. Moving forward I need to focus more on extending energy all the way out through my fingers and not stopping at the wrist.

Claire:

Struggled with class slightly as my soul wasn't in the best place causing me to feel less motivated. I tried to push these issues aside and focus my energy into learning the new material. Learnt to be okay with the fact that nothing has to be perfect first time round and focus more on improving little things each time, for example stretching more through the arms / being more aware of eye line. I need to feel less hesitant to ask questions as they will help to improve my skills. By the end of the class I was feeling more energetic and jumped more enthusiastically into the phrases allowing me to indulge more in some of the lunging movements.

Unfortunately i sat out in Marta’s technique class due to low energy and some personal issues, which i tried to leave at the door but got too much. Due to this, i observed the class and realised that when you’re sat in an audience perspective, you see what someone could do to improve, however when you’re physically moving, you don’t always notice that.

On Thursday morning we had technique class with Claire which started off slow and steady to get our brains warmed up, and then ends with our full out routine. I enjoy this way of doing a class as it’s early in the morning, so then i still have some of my energy for the rest of the day. I feel like the main focus for this class was to ensure you always tuck your pelvis under when moving across the space, walking etc and having that spine alignment in place. If I don’t think about doing this, sometimes i do naturally arch my back, so for future technique classes I’m going to work on this.

This week has been a bit challenging, but it's helping me tackle those obstacles head-on. In most classes, I haven't reached my full potential due to some physical limitations however, I keep myself energetic and motivated to persevere. During Claire's class, I've started paying attention to her feedback on certain movements so that I can correct them in the future. I've learned the importance of leading with my head down through my body and getting the plié right as you ascend. I recently injured my shoulder as I was performing a shoulder roll which made me think that I should tuck my chin in and take it slow step by step until I feel confident. There's still much for me to learn, yet it's an energetic class filled with exciting challenges. In Ian's class, we focused on moves around the body which helped me identify areas needing improvement. While working with a partner there was emphasis on using our heads and necks effectively during movement, this really clarified things for me.

I’m enjoying Ion’s sessions a lot because I believe that my body awareness is getting better, especially on the floor and I’m looking forward to expanding on that and getting more experience when my body level is changed.

I also understand in Maratha’s material there’s a strong sense of connectivity in movements in a way that every action has a natural reaction to it and when I’m doing it, it gives me a sense of satisfaction in my body parts which are flowing without going in the “wrong direction”. Furthermore, I have started thinking of using this technique when I’m improvising.

Claire's release technique is a reminder to breathe for me which would help me to be softer especially when I’m going to the floor.

In addition to this, we looked at our spines. I noticed that my upper back had less flexibility than my lower back. This is a lack of mobility in dance for future classes so to resolve this i will work on upper back flexibility and strength training exercises. These include, arched downwards dogs (10 times 4x a week), lay stretch (both sides 5 times 5x a week as well as cat and cow (10 times 5x a week).

we worked on a few technique routines some new some old in marta’s technique class, and focused on not following someone else and how the moves feel for you individually. So, ensuring you are in-control at all times and also freeing the head and eye focus, which will then make the moves look more fluid and free.

for most of natalie’s technique class, we did rally’s from across the side of the room but every other travel sequence we haven’t ever done before. Normally I don’t like rally’s but because it’s stuff that is completely outside of my conform zone, I want to learn how to do it rather than just not trying. This is my mindset for second year as want to improve and not fall back on things i know i can already do.

I had very low energy for claire’s technique class, so done what i could but still learnt a few new moves. One being; stood in first position and leaning to one side without just using the mobility of the hips, but more the entire body, and finding that complete stretch. Mostly through the class, we focused on leaving the head behind and moving into your body.

Focusing on stretching past our kinesphere and ensuring we make proper contact with the floor which enables us to manoeuvre more easily. During the twisting movements of the spine paying close attention to stretch out our fingers so all muscles are continuenley engaged. This is something I need to actively think about in all classes. Learnt a new technique for keeping balance. Imagine a pull from the centre of your body put through all your limbs, this is something I applied in ballet and this thought process really helped me.

Marta:

When performing movement think about which part of the body it is being initiated by, is it the hip or the toe for example. By actively taking up space and continuing through the movement it helps keep the audience in anticipation. I enjoyed the movement style from the phrases and this confidence helped me to be more bold with my dynamics.

Natalie:

I need to make sure I don't limit my movement range and think 'can I get deeper in a lunge / push my knees out further in my plie. Learnt a new roll which involved pushing off our toes into a more elevated backwards roll. This took some time but after some practice I felt more confident which proves to me that if I keep pushing I can accomplish new skills.

Claire:

Looking at the free flowing movement of the head and how it can guide movement and make it more fluid. Also pulling out of the hip to make a rounded curve. I found this difficult as they are muscles I'm not used to using so I need to make sure I focusing more on this are when stretching.

In the same way, I tried to keep this in mind in ballet class and I could see better and more confident turns in the class.

The last thing I would like to share this week is about Natalie’s body conditioning part of her class which I think is very beneficial and will increase my core and upper body strength

In Ians class Ive learnt that we can control others when you know where the bones are, this will and has been helpful for contact work.

Show the transition between sharp movement and soft movement, this meaning the qualities of the movement are fully shown.

Space my energy more in dances, know when to conserve energy

Use the space, and dont be afraid to take up space and extend further than kinesphere allows to really show going through the movement.

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Q

Do you relate to what you have read? Why? Is there anything you would like to change about your approach?

Marta: I'm feeling more confident with some of the phrases we have been developing with allows me to add my own sense of individuality and musicality. I also feel an improvement in some core exercises including shoulder taps so I hope to keep progressing in this as core strength is vital.

Perfectionism: After reading this material I agree with some of what is written and relate to it. I think I can be quite harsh on myself as I'm always striving to improve and become better. however sometimes this can lead to low self esteem and doubt in my ability. The reading mentioned how to change some of these thoughts into a more positive light, for example believing that mistakes lead to growth and vulnerability is a strength. A key quote which I want to try and remember is 'Achievement isn't linear, rather it progresses in spirals', I think this is a good outlook to have.

Natalie: Once I'm more confident with the material I can make it look more natural, for example looser arms and a genuine bounce that doesn't feel forced. Lots of different dynamic qualities in a singular phrase and changes of paces which was challenging as you always had to think about what was next, however still enjoyable. Starting to notice small progress when completing our conditioning phrases, especially in plank and with sit ups.

Lawrence: Some work on contact improvisation which is something quite new to me but I need to continue to be openminded and trust myself and my peers as we are all learning this process together. Learning to properly let go and genuinely fall and not fake the feeling in order to not look 'silly'. The realness makes the movement authentic and stand out to an audience.

However, on Wednesday we had Lawrence and the class started with a long, slow warm up which was very helpful for my body as it was what it needed.

Claires class went very well, she was extremely motivating in our class which reminded us why we do dance and this helped uplift my spirits and gave me more motivation for class this day.

On Tuesday Marta said something that I found myself thinking back on in the week which was about making the most of dance and how being a female dancer is something we should be empowered by. Therefore after this I found myself in Martas phrase really putting all of my energy and power into it and trying to embrace and enjoy the phrase.

Natalie on Wednesday we were doing ralleys across the floor and we learnt a few new types of backwards rolls. I always enjoy learning new rolls and this one required using our core to pull ourselfs over. My core is something I am working on getting stronger so experimenting with a roll like this helps me push myself and really try and engage my core.

We were also doing jump phrases with Claire. Jump phrases in contemporary dance is always something I have had a weakness on. In this class I really tried to belive that I could do it and having this confidence really helped me in the phrase.

In Ion’s class, he asked us to get in pairs to spot each other to practice handstands. I partnered with Bryony and she spotted me brilliantly as she knew where to stand and hold my hips. I felt very safe so could extend my legs without hesitation and that helped me in Natalie’s class to be brave on do it on my own and had my best handstand experience so far.

Thoughout marta’s class we did a few floor jumps, so not just trying to elevate our body we are also trying to use a lot of space, and perform less moves. The technique phrase we do at the end of each class for the past 3weeks has been my favourite routine, due to we just throw our bodies into each move, there’s fluidity throughout and just letting ourselves go. This way of dancing is my favourite due to it being free and not really relying on counts.

I read the reading and found that dance is about not being perfect but it’s all about exquisite imperfection. However, ‘perfectionism’ can actually cause bad mental health and physical well-being, which i agree with due to being to strict on yourself can be unhealthy. Every action is pure profit.

Majority of Natalie’s technique class was doing rally’s from across the room and a few phrases some old some new. One of the moves we did across the floor was a backwards rolls but performing a ‘shoulder stand’ before so we lift rather than travel. Was very surprised with myself that I could do this move but been proper pushing myself which is the best mindset to have.

Here are some quotes that stuck out to me:

In the dance studio, perfectionism can cause students to become so devoted to

their own image and others’ perceptions of that image that they lose out on the rich, subjective experience that dance can entail.

Deliberate practice involves focusing on technique, staying goal- oriented, and getting constant and immediate feedback on one’s performance. And as Ericsson explained, one of the most important elements is to practice failing.

There are countless examples of artworks more highly valued for their slight imperfections. Gothic cathedrals, for

example, are renowned for their imperfections, as are certain mosques. Vinyl records are often more valued than their perfect digital counterparts; live recordings of music are highly sought after even though the same songs are recorded in studio sessions with ample time and resources to make them flawless. Antiques,

arts, and crafts with small imperfections are often more highly valued by collectors than those without. These flaws indicate

the personality and individuality of the artist, and collectors will search for years for items with particular flaws.

The second important element in self-talk is to praise yourself, and to praise yourself for the right things. Praising yourself for process rather than outcome will help you

develop a growth mind-set that will lead to mastery.

Link feeling good about yourself with effort, learn for the joy of learning, laud yourself for choosing challenges, and you will change your inner monologue from one of judgment to one of growth (Dweck 2007)

When the dancing is going well, we

are invincible: We are the best versions of ourselves. The pursuit of excellence is well worth the struggle, and the imperfect is essential—both along the way and at the final destination.

I am also proud of myself for giving everything a good go and continuing even if my body is sore, this had allowed me to slowly realise I am more capable than I often think.

In technique classes I will try my best at all times to reach my full potential this means having energy, reaching further and getting lower.

Some quotes-

One of the problems with a perfectionist mind-set is that it focuses us on losses.

Why risk losing your sense of self or accomplishment on a hard task when you can risk little on a lesser one?

We are the best versions of ourselves. The

pursuit of excellence is well worth the struggle, and the imperfect is essential—both along the way and at the final destination. Our journey as dancers lies in discovering the exquisite within the imperfect.

Marta: Looked at a new foot exercise which required a lot on coordination and alignment. While concentrating on the sequence is important, I need to focus on keeping my head up and not tensing my neck, this will make everything look softer and by actually seeing the room and not focusing on the mirror it makes the phrase more engaging.

Natalie: Observed for the last half of the class as we continued to add onto a sequence we had been learning. This included a lot of more complicated floor work and balances which was new to everyone. This seemed to be really challenging but those who persevered were the ones who thrived in the end. Proving that determination is key. I'm looking forward to trying these next class.

Being able to count is for sure one skill that I need to gain to be able to grow my practice as Marta said counting is your Mantra this year and I agree with this because not dancing on the beat pulls me out of a track, it doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t look good and it is not professional. Therefore I have recently started to focus more on the music, realise the beat and count in my mind. Hopefully, by stepping into this I’ll know more and I can get more synchronise with the music and the group.

In Natalie’s class we did our weekly ab workout, plank challenge and rally’s from across the room, however today we added more material to two of our phrases we have been doing. I managed to hold a shoulder stand, then switch the legs in the air and execute it safely. This is something I have never been able to do so hopefully by week10 I can carry the shoulder stand phrase on, which was by switching shoulders and then bringing the left leg through the gap.

I had very low energy for Claire’s class but still danced as much as I could, however there was no new material which was a good start. We revisited a few old phrases from about week2, and the last move in one of the older phrases was this roll round the shoulders, like a teddy bear roll but a bit more extreme, and I had to do the easier version in week2 but now in week5 I can do the roll without any hesitation, help or being hurt.

I’ve observed on my progress over the week which have been showing improvements lately. In Ian’s class, we concentrated on handstands with our partner supporting and I’ve learned to balance better by staying calm and knowing where to land next while my partner supports me. My focus on push ups has strengthened my arms and helping me hold my weight more effectively. This strength will help my confidence into taking risks with awareness. In Natalie’s class, we’ve worked on our core and arm muscles resulting in improvements over time. We’ve practiced sequences that highlights the areas that requires attention on suspending our legs or arms efficiently

As well as this, i really enjoy our floor work when we roll from our stomachs to our backs along the dance studio. It really helps my body get into the rhythm and helps me stretch out all of my muscles. Ian is always reminding up to extend our movements to make them look bigger so i’m always making sure to use every part of my body while moving making sure that you can see each movement clearly so it doesn’t look rushed/weak.

I love Ian’s technique classes as he always pushes us to our potential. The saying he says to us most of the time in class is to try and fail. I love the flying jumps and rolls in the class as i feel myself being pushed to try more challenging movements which i can then add into performances and choreography. In addition to this, i enjoy doing handstands so when Ian helps us with improving our handstands this pushes me higher and helps me improve on my technique. For example, looking straight behind you when doing a handstand and not looking infront and extending your neck as this can cause injury and balance issues.

As well as this, i really enjoy our floor work when we roll from our stomachs to our backs along the dance studio. It really helps my body get into the rhythm and helps me stretch out all of my muscles. Ian is always reminding up to extend our movements to make them look bigger so i’m always making sure to use every part of my body while moving making sure that you can see each movement clearly so it doesn’t look rushed/weak.

We also revisited phrases that we have been doing for the past few weeks and I could feel myself getting braver with the movement and pushing myself to the edge of my kinesphere

There wasn’t many of us in Marta’s class this week due to costume fittings but i enjoyed this alot more so it meant we had more attention in class as individuals. Something i really enjoyed doing was our corner sequence. We did this one at a time which usually id say absolutely NO! to doing but after a few run through of the sequence i was ready to go. My feedback from Marta was to keep my eye focus up and open rather than looking down as this can make my performance look a lot more closed and makes me look like i’m nervous. I took this in and made sure that the next time we did the sequence my focus was uplifting and i was looking like i was performing to an audience.

I also really enjoyed the phrases we did in martas class I feel like I put a lot more energy into my dancing and stopped relying on mirrors and other people and actually trusted in myself that I knew the material

We started off Marta’s class by doing a few minutes of meditation to relax our bodies and ground ourselves into the floor. We then got asked to think of a challenge to do throughout the class, which then would encourage us to try and achieve something we wouldn’t normally do. I chose not to overthink the next move and throw myself into the dance more without worrying about the counts and speed. Personally I achieved this and going to make sure I do it each week.

We did our usual rally’s, ab workout, plank challenge and exercises in the centre in Natalie’s class, to get our brains working. I feel like we repeat the same things, as it then helps add the feedback from the week before into the dance and refine them moments. Our last phrase we do from the corner, the jumping one, we did it in 2’s and after 4 counts of 8 the next 2 join, so everyone eventually is in the centre dancing. I know the phrase, however adding that extra layer of everyone dancing at the same time really got my brain working.

Throughout Claire’s class we mostly focused on working on our abs, engaging our core and trying to find other places to look rather than the mirror. We did all the phrases we know but we added the looking in different directions so we don’t get too comfortable while looking at the front. I feel like i already add this extra thing to think about when i dance, so then i look more confident when i perform.

Marta: Focused on our musicality and making sure the qualities we were using matched the sequence instead of just to the music. Tried making sharp movements still have a fluid quality by letting the head move in reaction allowing a looseness of the neck and a slightly delayed look. Need to learn to not over think or stress about these phrases as we are all learning and just finding out what works for us.

Natalie: A sense of freedom in this class and letting our head go and not being afraid to see the ceiling and look up. Working on connecting the movements with a continuous flow but without it seeming rushed. Attempted the new floor work trick and going to make sure I stick at it and keep trying!

Claire: Don't be afraid to ask questions and continue to practice full out if I'm unsure. We thought about not looking in the mirror and playing around with changing our head placement each time we did the phrase and choreograph our focus as we practiced to make the phrases look less on 1 level.

In claire’s class she spoke about not looking into the mirror while practising in class and keeping our eye line elsewhere, which will enhance our performance while performing on a stage. Having gone from typically dancing in studios without mirrors to coming here in AUB I definitely have found myself looking in the mirrors to often while dancing.

By moving and dancing and seeing the space I feel more free and feel like I can actually fully complete movements, also using head and tail connection.

We also did a phrase we had learnt previously but set out so some of us are dancing at the same time, I really enjoyed this as we werent thinking about what was coming next but jus doing it and now thinking more about whos where and if were going to accidentally bump in to someone! Everyone looked more happy whilst dancing this phrase and it was a challenge!

Marta: Received lots of peer feedback from the sequences we have been working on with the main focus being fluidity. I need to work on keeping my head up and maybe changing where my focus is so it's not al the same. I need to trust myself more in knowing the phrasing and not relaying on the mirror to check.

Natalie: continued working on our floor sequence and have started to flow better into the 'tricks'. Work with each other to both teach and encourage, this is useful as it adds great energy to the class and individually a better understanding of the sequence if you are able to describe and teach others. Full commitment to moves are needed to make them look as intended and not half hearted.

Claire: Looked at alignment in the mirror and challenging ourselves to create a perfect line across the middle of our bodies without arching our backs and sending the arms too far back. This can be forgotten during sequences so I will spend some more time focusing on this element in addition to head positioning.

Marta: Lots of peer feedback from the sequences we have been working on. I need to keep my eyes up and change some of my focus to make it look more interesting. I also need to trust myself that I know the phrasing and don't have to rely on the mirrors to match everyone else. Some of the phrases have no counts so I can go at my own pace and elongate and suspend some more of my movements to vary the dynamics.

Natalie: Continued our floor sequence and the 'tricks'. Worked a lot on the details of the sequence and teaching and encouraging each other to not give up on the more tricky elements. This gave us individually a better understanding of the sequence if we are able to both describe and perform the movements.

Claire: Looked at alignment in the mirror and trying not to over arch our backs or send our arms too far back in order to keep a straight line. We first attempted without the mirror to see if we could feel what was correct. This idea of arm alignment can be forgotten during fast paced sequences so is something I want to work on.

It was film week, so within Marta’s technique class we went over all the exercises and phrases we normally do, so then we can see our improvement as the weeks go on. By refining every move and detail in each phrase, it makes it look more effective and smooth. We went in partners and gave feedback only on the fluidity within the piece and by just focusing on that one point, it actually made me less stressed about not really knowing what’s coming next.

We did our usual exercises and phrases in Natalie’s so then she can see our improvement from the recordings. There is one section in a phrase, which is a shoulder stand switch thing, and I managed to improve it a tad more than last week. However, as we collectively weren’t feeling great energy wise as a group, after we had done everything we knew, we did a lovely deep stretch, which I personally think was very much needed.

Normally for Claire’s Thursday morning technique class I am very slumped and have no energy, however today I had more adrenaline and motivation. We did our usual phrases that we know for the filming, and in Claire’s there’s quite a few phrases and exercises, so that took the whole 2hours. At the end of class, Claire spoke to me to say how impressed she is with me, loved my energy today and to keep it up!

Thinking back on when 3rd years were invited to watch your phrase today, what feelings arose? How do you think these feelings impact your performance experience. Are they all negative? Can a negative feeling be used to fuel positive outcomes? How can you support yourself to overcome performance related stress/anxiety? Please expand on this, in a way that will feel USEFUL for you moving forward.

Also, i enjoy the tricks we do as i feel like Ian gives us all tips to help make the trick look better. We started doing flying squirrels which seem scary to go into and i was anxious but from Ian’s advice, he said to use ur head and to follow that as it gives you the momentum to swing and jump higher. It also helps with projection towards the audience

There are some strategies that I use to overcome these unwanted feelings; meditation is one of them which helps me to stay calm when anxiety is about to take over. Another tool that I find useful is writing, it doesn't matter what, it can be as simple as a daily life story or any other subject, and it would instantly reduce my anxiety.

On the other hand, thinking about how appreciative that is to have others coming to see you is great which allows you to express yourself. Also, it's an opportunity to show how hard you worked to be there to perform and to become.

I feel like what I want to achieve in the performing situation is to be able to be fully present and enjoy each moment.

Marta: Thinking about what is performing to you, having a fluid quality and time to indulge in movements without rushing through into chaos. Trying not to get stressed with an audience watching and trying to give them the performance they came for. Had 3rd years come and watch, meant I kept my eyes up as I normally look in the mirror but didn’t want to look at them so was forced to look up and think this improved the performance of the phrase.

Natalie: Travelling jumping sequence all at the same time, knowing when to join in and keep time to both the music and your partner relaying on a lot of spacial awareness without this holding the movement back. This was difficult at first but the more confident everyone was with the phrase the easier it became as we all knew the spacial spots and directions in the room we needed to be.

Lawrence: Moving as a pack, following the person in your eye line as they will set the speed and the pace. Pros = Move as a group no individual timings, spatial awareness and eyes up to follow. Cons = can disrupt the flow of your own movement if you have a different pace or feel the movements differently, can look stop and start if the speed is constantly changing.

Throughout Marta’s class we did our usual phrases and remembered from last week, to really think about that use of fluidity throughout all phrases. In the last half an hour of class, we had 3rd years come in and be an audience, to get us practicing for our show diva. When there is an audience, I personally feel like there is this sort of pressure on me but in a good way. In the sense that I want to show off and perform it the best way I have ever done because there is that pressure. I never get nervous anymore when people watch me dance, I used to but I soon grew out of that by dancing in front of an audience so many times, it built up my confidence.

We did our weekly ab workout and plank challenge in Natalie’s technique class, which every week I feel like I am getting more stronger in my core and wrists, but also getting closer to actually completing both. We started to learn a new phrase just for fun as it was our last technique class with Natalie. Doing this for our last technique class is great because it gets your mind off stressing about phrases you already know, just learning a fun new phrase and not really having to use your brain. Personally I like this way of working every now and then, as sometimes everything can be a bit stressful, so this feels quite freeing.

We had the 3rd years come in and watch a phrase, this didnt bother me as much as it used to as over the years of performing in front of people im used to it. However it did make me think more about projection, looking out and completing the moves properly, which I believe gave it more of a performance quality.

It also made me realise just by looking up and out and using you eyeline it can enhance your performance and take it to the next level.

Marta's class on Tuesday we learned a new jump phrase, as previously stated i struggle with jump phrases in contemporary dance and i have never been quite sure what hold me back with them however, the last few weeks i have been concentrating with them even more i am definitely starting to notice a big improvement as I did find that in Martas i did the phrase well. 

Natalies this week i found my body was starting to ache and I had hurt my hip slightly this week. Therefore annoyingly i found a couple things i could not go full oout on however simuallry to tuesday we did a jumping phrase that I felt I did quite well. 

On thursday we had Lawrence cover our class and at the beginning of class we were doing some contact work and he was getting us to build trust with our peers by experimenting with catch and fall. This was something different to what we usually do and therefore i felt that i enjoyed it. 

This week in Marta class we set ourself a goal that we had to set ourself for that lesson. Mine was to not overthink and was to be more confident and not be afraid to use space (trying the phrase full out). I found that after the lesson I found I had felt like I had accomplished more as o was pushing myself out of that comfort zone and trying my absolute best.

I took this mindset into Natalie’s on Wednesday, and I usually find her foot exercise quite tricky as I find myself overthinking it but going into it being not afraid to go wrong and just try my absolute best I found I was doing the phrase a lot better.

Claire’s on Thursday I found quite tricky this week as I have hurt my hip slightly so some leg extensions and holding the leg when balancing was quite difficult, however her jump phrase I was quite surprised at how well I did this considering the speed of it and that reminded me that even when things are fast I can do it if I put my mind to it.

Natalie’s on Wednesday I found quite difficult due to having a bad neck pain so I took this class very careful and tried to go careful with my head. However, I am finding that week by week I am getting more confident with her phrases especially her ton due exercise which I really struggled with at the beginning of the term.

Thursday with Claire i also realised in the class that I was picking up her phrases more confidently than I was at the beginning of term. We did one really quick jump phrase which at the beginning of term I know I would have been really afraid to have a go at however Claire is really encouraging and acknowledges how it is okay to make mistakes which makes me more confident. Each time we went through the phrase quicker and quicker and bit by bit I was becoming more fluid with the phrase.

However, i have struggled the most with Natalie’s plie exercise. Whenever i finish this exercise my arms give up and throughout i tell myself drop your arms this is getting pretty painful. During the first few weeks of first term i did find myself dropping my arms a lot quicker than everyone else so to help me gain more strength in my arms to hold them up, i would repeat pushups and plank outside of class to make sure i was keeping the strength. I have noticed improvements in this exercise over the term, but i enjoyed the challenge.

I enjoy getting massages as it gives my body a release especially on my right leg and right back as it’s connected to my previous long term injury on my right ankle which can make me feel weak at times.

This blog article looks at the importance of using a variety of different teaching techniques in order for a dancer to effectively learn both choreography and fundamentals of contemporary dance. The main effective learning strategies listed were verbal, visual and kinesthetic. A combination of description, movement demonstration and physically engaging with the dancer's body leads to a better understanding of technique. Knowledge of anatomy can help improve technique, for example turn out and knee positioning if they are aware of their muscle and bone structure. Imagery and symbolism of what the movement should look and feel like is also useful.  

Krasnow, D & Chatfield, S (1996) ‘Dance Science and the dance technique Class’, Conditioning with imagery for dancers. Pp 162 – 172 

As a student I’m still working out how best I learn and what methods are most effective for me in both picking up choreography and making progress in my technique. So far, I have found that all of the methods listed in the article are helpful for me. I do, however, feel I’m more of a visual learner and sometimes benefit more from a hands on approach. Having a teacher physically move and hold my body in a position makes me feel more confident in being able to replicate the shape in the future as I have seen and felt what it should look like. Sometimes we don’t always use mirrors so knowing what it feels like in my body rather than just the outside aesthetic is useful.  Also demonstrating both a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ version makes it easier to spot on both yourself and others. I find giving and receiving both individual and group feedback is really effective as it is sometimes difficult to know how to improve when you can’t watch yourself at the time. Observing and giving feedback to others can highlight elements that you don’t notice about yourself. For example, if you notice your peer performing really well and low into a lunge position you would try and implement this next time into your own performance. Equally, if you realise they don’t look up and are lacking focus you would also make the effort not to do this in your own performance and point it out as something they need to add.  

• Eating proper meals with protein and healthy food.

• Drinking water over and over again.

• I had a long day the day before so I was exhausted and managed to have a lot of sleep.

• I had no time to think because of how busy I was so there was no being anxious about the show.

In Marta’s class i learnt a lot about self belief and performance qualities. We were taught about contrasting dynamic qualities which can be performed in the same technique phrase and had the third years come to watch us perform in order to bring out our best performance.

This will be good to use on eachother during shows or when one of us are injured.

During Ian’s class, unfortunately i fell ill so sat out for most of class. Below i’ve bullet pointed the key notes Ian gave us as tools to make our movement more precise and clean.

I took notes from when the class was doing corner work as I could watch my peers perform and hear Ian give us all tips to help us control our movements/how to improve.

Corner work:

• Rolls onto the back:

Use your arms to help you continuously roll. Using your arms will help you control the roll and make you move faster across the dance space.

• Glide roll:

The higher you go, the more weight will hit the floor harder which can cause injury. Instead of this, go longer with your body/ the lean rather than up so it’s easier to get to the floor without getting injured. Transfer your weight on each side of your body so the roll is executed safety.

“can you push this lunge deeper”

“you can whip your head around quicker to help with your movement”

“can you extend those finger longer”

We hear this from Natalie so much that i always make sure to push my body further as i know i can to make my movements flow better as well as actually seeing the full movement instead of rushing the movement so we miss the choreography. I take this on board a lot with my movement now which can help me with our upcoming show to help me develop my directing skills as well as dance/performance skills.

Ian’s Class, Anatomy:

Learning about the upper leg

Hamstring:

• Vastus Lateralis

• Rectus Fermotis

• Vastus Medialis

• Vastus Intermedius

Sartonial muscle:

• diagonal shape

• “turned in/turned out muscle”

• when used it feels tight in the body like you have been poked

• important for turn out

• assists in flexing the leg at the knee and hip.

The Gastrocnemius (on top) and the sdeus (underneath) join to form the achilles tendon.

The cognitive stage talks about how watching someone do the dance, rather than just hearing what to do, can make it easier to learn that dance and I agree with this because, as a visual learner, I like to see the teacher do choreography before I do it. I can understand most instructions said to me but sometimes I get confused. The associative stage talks about how the dancer would start to think about how they would do the dance. I think it is a good idea to go over just the basic moves multiple times before adding performance skills because if you focus on the performance skill and not the technique you could injure yourself. If I can confidently do choreography, I will think of performance skills, but if I can not do it properly, I will practise it. I have learnt from my technique classes and this reading that everyone is learning at different levels and different movements will be new to different people. No one is perfect and it takes any dancer a long time to be great at anything and taking things one step at a time is a good idea. I used to not always consider the technique side of moves, such as where the head goes or where to put your hands, so understanding and being told to think about your body as a whole, and using head and tail connection, was very helpful in my technique progress and to get better. 

Bibliography:

Wyon, M. Allard, G. Periodization : A Framework for Dance Training. [online]. London: Bloomsbury publishing. Available from: https://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/encyclopedia?docid=b-9781350194557 [Accessed 6 January 2025].

Reynolds, D. (2002) ‘A Technique for Power: Reconfiguring Economies of Energy in Martha Graham’s Early Work’, Dance Research, 20(1), pp. 3–32. https://doi.org/10.3366/1290867.

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This book focuses on understanding the body and examines the anatomy when moving. It goes into great depth on the musculoskeletal system and how performance can be enhanced by using it. Each chapter contains anatomy illustrations with tips to improve dance movements using mental training trying to exclude the chance of injury. The book also introduces the reader to the reflective practice of Functional Awareness, it guides the reader towards a greater grasp of their own body structure by utilising fundamental anatomy and motor learning knowledge. 

I think knowing anatomy is important for training especially as it's when most injuries occur, knowing how to deal with them in the best possible way is crucial. Training with safe practice and understanding how your body should and shouldn’t move is key to learning and gaining new skills. “Almost two-thirds of all injuries in dance are related to mis-stacking or misalignment of bony structures (Leiderbach, 2018)”. This for me highlights the importance of proper training and practice, ensuring instructions are clear. Although the book also mentions habit and how sometimes you could stand on one hip which causes misstacking and could lead to injury. I could use the content from this book in my technique classes to reduce the risk of injury and improve my knowledge of anatomy.

Bibliography-

Romita, N. and Romita, A. (2016). Functional Awareness. Oxford University Press. Available from:https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aib/reader.action?docID=4706572&ppg=12 [Accessed 7 January 2025]. 

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I feel like I look down too much and avoided eye contact with the audience but in some cases I feel like it adds so much to your performance if you engage with the audience as such

I found this quite useful as a couple of us had slight problems with pain in some areas so I felt like this was helpful for us to use on each other during performances or when someone is recovering from an injury or new injuries that were occurring

we did press ups at the end of the session and I find them quite easy so Ian gave me a different type of press up to do from now on when we do conditioning.

I also mentioned to him that I want to start getting into calisthenics so he gave me a couple tips to improve something that I was working on.

This included eating the right foods, making sure our body’s were well warmed up and occasionally giving each other massages

To implement the principles from Anatomy, Dance Technique & Injury Prevention by Justin Howse into my training, I will prioritise developing a deeper understanding of the body’s mechanics, focusing on proper alignment and efficient movement patterns. I will incorporate targeted warm-up routines that address common dance injuries, ensuring that my muscles and joints are prepared for both intense practice and performance. Strengthening exercises tailored to the demands of dance will be integrated into my routine to enhance stability and prevent overuse injuries. Additionally, I will regularly assess my posture and movement quality, using anatomical knowledge to refine technique and reduce strain

Howse, J., Johnston, L., & Price, R. (2011). ‘Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation in Dance: A Guide to Effective Practice’. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 15(3), pp. 127-135.

Ian - 

This week in Ians class we continued to do our partner handstands which are continuing to help me to build up strength with core and wrists and I am definitely starting to see big improvements. 

Natalies - 

Another lesson this week where I felt my strength was massively improving as ijn our core exercises I can notice that I am definitely getting stronger and lasting longer especially with the leg up and down holds. This is amazon as i can take this strength into my technique classes. 

Lawrence - 

Lawrence covered this week and we were practising moving as a pack and trying to base timing off the people around us and this was building our team work and our timing. 

This book touches on how important training is to prevent and minimise the risk of injuries which is something that we learn so much about on our course and why we also learn the massive importance of warming up and cooling down. I sometimes notice that if i haven't taken as much time to look after my body in a cool down after class I definitely feel those effects next day but this book explains how initial this is for a long term career in dance so this definitely one of those things I know I should be taking on board even more so. Something I found extremely interesting in this chapter was how they talk about the individuality in a dancer.. For example “Rather, the dancer should move with a thinking body, using deliberate moves based on movement principles that seem to be right for both the dancer and the dance” (Barardi, 2004, pg 77) which explains how a dancer needs to feel comfortable in the movements they are doing and use their “thinking body” to adapt certain moves for their body. This is something which is think is vital in dance training as sometimes adaptations need to be made for the dancer and also helps us stop comparing ourselves to others as all our movements are not ever going to look exactly the same as others in class and this in the long term will massively help improve confidence which I think is something that I definitely need to work on. 

Barardi, (G), 2004, Finding balance: Fitness,Training and Health for a Lifetime in Dance [online], Taylor and Francis Group, Available from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aib/reader.action?docID=1111797&query=dance+training&ppg=1 [Accessed 7th January 2025]

Reflecting upon my practice in dance technique, I have noticed and acknowledged that I am a perfectionist. I have recognised that I prioritise performing movements correctly as opposed to embracing the movement and allowing individuality and personal movement approaches to blossom. Within ‘The Intimate Act of Choreography’, Chaplin highlights that the process of learning movement, includes elements of ‘experiencing, analysing, reflecting, integrating, and evaluating’ (Chaplin, 1982, pg6) and in reflection I believe that I don’t allow myself to experiment for as long as I would require to in order too reach my full potential. I have also acknowledged that reflecting upon previous work and classes requires a mindset which I don’t tend to approach self reflection with. When looking back on myself in dance technique, I compare myself to those I am dancing with as well as critiquing myself in everything I need to improve for next time and although it is important in some circumstances to reflect upon ways to improve, it is highlighted by Chaplin that making that part of the creative process and remembering that there is no incorrect way of dancing is crucial, particularly in technique classes. When being taught a phrase, I have learnt in reflection that as a class, everybody is going to look different performing that same choreography because everybody naturally adds their own additional layer to the choreography so I am going to aim to implicate that into my own dance practice.

Chaplin, T (1982) The Intimate Act of Choreography [online] Available from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aib/reader.action?docID=2038173&query=&ppg=1

[Accessed Dec 20 2024]

The chapter I chose from the dance imagery book emphasizes the role of intention in dance, explaining how focused intention directs energy, minimizes resistance, and supports movement. Misaligned thoughts create tension, highlighting the importance of aligning mental focus with physical actions. Refining intention improves clarity, efficiency, and control, reducing effort and preventing errors. It notes that fragmented or unclear intentions, often caused by ingrained body habits, can disrupt movement. Achieving harmony in the body’s intentions is essential for proper technique, as unclear focus may interfere with actions like turning effectively.

This chapter deeply resonates with me, as it reminds me of an experience from last year in one of our technique classes. Marta was demonstrating the importance of intention in movement, but at the time, I struggled to fully grasp what she meant. Over time, as I progressed in my training, other teachers introduced the concept of imagery, and through their guidance, along with reading several chapters of this book, I began to understand its significance. I realized how deeply intention connects the mind and body, encouraging me to view them not as separate elements, but as a unified entity.

One area where this concept has been particularly eye-opening is realizing how easily I fall into habitual patterns in my movements. These habits often limit my ability to move with clarity and intention, creating challenges in breaking free from ingrained tendencies. Understanding the role of intention and imagery has shed light on how these patterns form and how they can be dealt with, helping me approach movement with greater awareness, purpose, and freedom. Though it’s an ongoing journey, this understanding has given me a new perspective on the mind-body connection and how essential it is in refining my technique and artistry.

Franklin, E.N., 2013. Dance imagery for technique and performance. Human Kinetics.

This book discussed learning contemporary dance technique and the overall idea of what it is. It also speaks about some of the different techniques, for example Graham technique. It discussed how dancers do not have to stick to only these or one of these styles but helps to understand the context. it states 'contemporary dance is a broad and diverse art form despite its relatively short history' (Clarke, 2020, p13). This book talks about how no matter the structural approach to contemporary techniques you have to discover the bodily movement yourself and how you dance it. I feel this book reflects to learning at AUB as I hadn't done much contemporary technique before and I have realised that when I am learning movement I discover how I want to do it rather than just repeating the movement the exact same all of the time.

Bibliography:

Clarke, M. (2020) The essential guide to contemporary dance techniques(online). 1st ed. The crowood press. Available from:

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aib/reader.action?docID=6037979&ppg=13 (Accessed 7 January 2025).

This book focuses on how Franklin offers the opportunity to dancers an insight into utilising the imagery to enhance their artistic expression and dancing skills which ate important to use in both class and in performances. Franklin includes the readers to discover how to blend the techniques skills with imagery to elevate their performance by exploring the methods that connects towards imaginative techniques with dance improvisation.

Reflecting upon myself, it incorporates dance imagery that draws on Franklin’s methods that reflects on my experience which would examine how mental imagery affects both my physical and artistic expression. Franklin highlights the use of vivid images to improve alignment, movement and emotional connection, which gives the approach that provides a way to enhance my ways of movement. In classes, I would likely concentrate on how particular the imagery enhances my body awareness. Meanwhile, using images of strengths might help improve alignment and increase power in movements, such as jumps and turns in phrases. Overall, thinking about this approach would encourage me to explore more on how imagery enhances technical skills that enrich towards expressions, ultimately elevating my dance techniques in classes.

Bibliography

Franklin, E.N. (2013). Dance imagery for technique and performance. Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.

This reading links back to our dance technique practice in the way that it is helpful and good to know and understand these ways of moving our alignment and posture, but when we dance here we do use our spine, posture and alignment quite a lot. I feel like there is also this link between my ebook and just dancing overall because it goes into even further knowledge on what ifs and so being a dancer, knowing the ins and outs of how our bodies should and shouldn’t move, is very helpful. In the ebook there is also a part that mentions this thing called tensile compression which is basically, holding a structure upright by creating this balance between elements that resist being compressed and those that resist being elongated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Franklin, E. (2012). Dynamic Alignment through imagery. [online]. Second edition. Place of publication: Champaign, IL. Available from: https://viewer.ebscohost.com/EbscoViewerService/ebook?an=783161&callbackUrl=https%3a%2f%2fresearch.ebsco.com&db=nlebk&format=EB&profId=eds&lpid=lp_401&ppid=&lang=en&location=https%3a%2f%2fresearch.ebsco.com%2fc%2frscrd2%2fsearch%2fdetails%2feeaeircnp5%3fdb%3dnlebk&isPLink=False&requestContext=&profileIdentifier=rscrd2&recordId=eeaeircnp5

• conservation of motivation

• the kinesphere

• structure of the body

We did some rallies from the side which always make me feel a bit dizzy after a while but think over time that’ll stop as ill be used to doing them. Then the last part of class we started a phrase which may be our assessment phrase which not going to lie was super hard but my mindset for the rest of this term is to try every move and not give up. We also did our press-ups that we owe him and a leg challenge, which last term i gave up near the end but managed in both classes to complete it!!

Ian came up to me on wednesday and said for me to stop saying ‘that’ll do’ when i think ive done an okay job on the move but to give even MORE!!!

We started with setting a challenge at the beginning of Marta’s class that we are going to stick with and do it every technique class, mine is: don’t say i can’t and try every move no matter what.

we started with an ab based warm up which was tricky but pushed through it and the song was a good choice, which i think motivated me to not fail. We did a phrase from the side of the room and the main focus is to ensure our head doesn’t get lost or stiff/get frozen throughout. I feel i am starting to let me head go in my dancing and not forget about it more than last term already.

It was a very fast paced class in Claire’s technique class today, especially in learning new little phrases and even attempting to change it onto the other side. Normally i find that alright but because it was a fresh new phrase and so fast, I found it very difficult.

• conservation of motivation

• the kinesphere

• structure of the body

We did some rallies from the side which always make me feel a bit dizzy after a while but think over time that’ll stop as ill be used to doing them. Then the last part of class we started a phrase which may be our assessment phrase which not going to lie was super hard but my mindset for the rest of this term is to try every move and not give up. We also did our press-ups that we owe him and a leg challenge, which last term i gave up near the end but managed in both classes to complete it!!

Ian came up to me on wednesday and said for me to stop saying ‘that’ll do’ when i think ive done an okay job on the move but to give even MORE!!!

We started with setting a challenge at the beginning of Marta’s class that we are going to stick with and do it every technique class, mine is: don’t say i can’t and try every move no matter what.

we started with an ab based warm up which was tricky but pushed through it and the song was a good choice, which i think motivated me to not fail. We did a phrase from the side of the room and the main focus is to ensure our head doesn’t get lost or stiff/get frozen throughout. I feel i am starting to let me head go in my dancing and not forget about it more than last term already.

Was a very fast paced class in Claire’s technique class today, and learning new little phrases and even attempting to change it onto the other side. Normally i find that alright but because it was a fresh new phrase and so fast, I found it very difficult.

blocking out others in dance but not audience, if someone else goes wrong you dont panic

using the head to allow continuous momentum -conservation

Marta: We gave ourselves a mantra to follow for the rest of the session and to keep coming back to it each class, I feel like I stuck to mine. Working on pile exercises and making sure I push myself more, I can lunge further forward then don't hold back 'If you have it don't save it for tomorrow'.

Claire: Lots of quick short phrases in class and I feel like I,m getting a bit faster at picking up the movements as I find this is the class I struggle the most in as it's very fast paced. I find I work best with repetition so going over things multiple times helps me feel more confident. It doesn't always go perfectly but that's okay, I can still throw myself into the parts I do know and make them more emphasised and let my body flow with the movements to highlight the twisting or off balance positions.

Conservation momentum was talked about and I forget what it meant so I googled it.

‘ Because of "conservation of angular momentum," you can change the speed of a turn when en pointe by extending or retracting a leg. No torque is involved! Friction between the floor and your foot (or feet) can also generate a torque.’

In Claire class we where set on picking up nee choreography really quickly and then picking it up asap which I feel I have improved upon and it came to me a lot faster.

In another class we had to think of something to keep reminding ourselves through class, mine was to dance not for approvals of others but for myself.

We did a couple warmup exercises that we learnt last week in Marta’s class; ab warmup and tondo exercise but also we went over a couple phrases that we learnt last week. For our assessment phrase we are having to use our brain a little bit more with the counting as it’s not our usual 8counts on an even number but more on odd numbers and having to find the counts, which I find very confusing! We then combined another phrase at the end of our assessment phrase so then they both possibly might be our assessment phrase, which again got confusing.

Throughout Natalie’s technique class we did a series of ab exercises, the plank challenge and some leg/feet extension warm ups to proper push ourselves. Last term i had never managed to complete the plank challenge without putting my knees on the floor and today i did it for the first time. We started our assessment phrase which has aspects from last term so felt confident with this phrase and hopefully will for the whole thing.

Marta: The assessment phrase starts more gesturally so I need to make sure these are sharp and engaging as the movement itself is quite small. I also need to work on being aware of the space I have the directions I'm going in so I don't limit the size of movements I can take and travel further.

Natalie: Worked on articulation in or warm up phrases and really make use of the spine and torso and how they can add to the fluidity of the movements. In the assessment phrase there is a double turn which is not something I'm the most confident at doing, however I feel with the intention being to pull up instead of thinking to go round is helpful as it makes me more stable.

the main key aspects to think about for the assessment phrase for Marta’s is:

• big accents on moments

• lengthen your arms

• musicality- as timing is different to what we normally know

• by not adding counts to the end part helps us dance together and go off each others energy when the tempo changes

these main things i am going to properly think about, then i can perform to my best.

a couple main key things to think about for natalie’s technique phrase are:

• don’t overthink what you’re doing

• making sure we listen to the rhythm

started a bit of contact work in claire’s class- arm strength and relying on each other which is then getting us ready for next term.

a few main key things to think about for claire’s technique phrase are:

• sharp and attack the moves

• push through the floor, bending your legs- to feel the control- ‘surf it out’

• become a performer- a character

• take a risk!

Plie before you turn to give you further too go indicating more power.

Something i struggled with within this class was my stamina and energy. By the half way point of the class i felt my energy dropping due to being hungry so i was starting to perform 40%. Luckily, Claire has never minded in class if you need a quick sugar/snack to keep you going for 2 hours of technique work. I had an apple in my bag which gave me the fuel and energy to continue on with class. I find taking these small short breaks helpful in class as it gives me time to fuel up as my energy levels drop more quicker due to my chronic fatigue and i struggle with low bloods sugar levels. As well as this, it gives me time to process what we have learnt in class as my brain needs extra time to recover from what we have learnt

I sat out this class due to my long term ankle injury. Over the few weeks back it’s started giving me shooting pains so wanted to sit and make notes in class instead

llllllllllleeeeeennnnngggggttttthhhhh your movements

Use of your head, follow through with your movements, make the movements flow from one to the next. Also helps the dynamic transitions when going from one dynamic to the next

Assessed piece dynamics:

• flow

• suspended

• explosive

• contract

• control

• sluggish

• slick

• sharp

• fast

tips for assessed piece:

• keep your focus up when performing

• open your chest so your body doesn’t look closed/tight

• take the risk when it comes to transition from up to down

• keep tension before the flick of the foot

Marta: Not all of the assessment phrase has counts to it so I'm working on going at my own pace whilst being aware of those I'm performing with. Making sure I'm not rushing but also that the movements flow and connect to each other. I need to make the bigger moves more explosive to create a contrast of dynamics which makes the piece more engaging.

Natalie: Looked at focus and the positioning of the head and eye line and how this adds dynamics to the movement and gives it a continuous flow.

Claire: Pieced together the assessment phrase with sequences we had done before. I need to be more confident in myself that I know the choreography so I can push my limits when it comes to off balance movements so I can really go for it.

we also talked about working with and around bruises and injuries for example if you have a bruise in a particular area its hitting the ground too hard and you can fix your technique to help those injuries.

We learnt some new floor moves that were fun to give a go.

We also learnt more of our assessment phrase which is helping to push us to our full potential.

• when performing a low cartwheel make sure to bend lower to start the cartwheel so your body is lower and then you can reach closer towards to ground.

• lung into the cartwheel.

• keep your head down rather than facing the front as you can strain your neck which can cause injury

• keep your toes on the floor ever so slightly so you can see the effect from one transition to the other

Pushups:

This week i wanted to push myself further with the conditioning side of the class. I’ve always been able to do push ups from physical training in my past but as you get older, pushups can become more harder to push through. During the sets i was focusing the most on my technique of the press up, making sure i keep my head to tailbone connection straight without sinking my hips to the ground making this help strengthen my arms, core and stamina which then helps my muscles become stronger with the stamina i need to perform positions where i may need strength to control my movements.

Ian-

• musicality

• breath

• reaching to kinesphere

• conserving energy

• efficiency

Marta-

• musicality

• big accents on movements

• dynamic changes

• spacial awareness

Natalie-

• eye line

• head and tail connection

• musicality

• dynamic changes

Claire-

• fluidity

• loose head

• take risks

• off balance

• character

assessment phrase:

• use of breathe throughout

• timing- don’t rush/don’t be behind

• be aware of space- duet partner

• long arms! point feet!

most of the class we broke down our assessment phrase which helps me so much so can focus on chunks of the dance rather than stressing about the whole thing. When watching the recording I noticed there’s a few moves I could add even more emphasis to, I need to breath more throughout and if the girls I’m dancing with and i are out of time with each other we pick it back up.

mostly focused on our assessment phrase which was good for me as didn’t dance last week so i could catch up on the new parts. When watching the recording Vahid and I are very in time which is nice to watch, I lost a bit of energy near the end but i know I’ll have more adrenaline on the day of the assessment. Also I noticed that I show a lot of dynamic changes so then my performance isn’t boring to watch and I don’t rush so then I’m on the right timing.

claire’s tips for the assessment phrase

• don’t look at the floor

• proper get into character

• add facial expressions

feedback for me personally that i did well:

• good use of torso

• loosened my body really well

• went into a character- was clear

Marta: I've been working hard to push myself dynamically and try to make everything look bigger. Got some nice feedback from Marta about this process being noticed. I will ensure to apply this in all future classes and the assessment phrase to bring a sense of confidence and look up to engage the audience more.

I found this helpful as we had more than enough time to make sure we understand the choreography and run the material a few times before the assessments.

Ian: Reaching to the fullest and extending the kinesphere as well as hitting the musical timing points.

Marta: Shift in dynamics, making it really clear what is of and what is sharp.

Natalie: Shifting efficiently across the floor and having clear points of highs and lows and take up the space.

Claire: Allow myself to be genuinely off balance and give myself a character.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle established by Graham Gibbs in 1988 covers six stages for a structure of learning. These include

Description- What, when, who and why

Feelings- What were you feeling during, before and after, how do you think other people felt during those times

Evaluation- What was good, bad, what/how did you contribute

Analysis-Why did things go good/bad, what can help you to understand what happened

Conclusion-What did you learn, how could you be more interactive, what skills need to be developed to understand a situation

Action plan-What would you do differently, how to develop skills needed for a different/sucessful outcome

I personally feel this cycle could be helpful in situations to help one reflect on their actions and achievements, or even what they could have done differently. This process could allow an individual to fully understand and take in what has happened and how they can create a better outcome. By doing this they could highlight strengths and weaknesses during situations and use them accordingly. This then allowing one to focus on what they could’ve done differently to allow a better experience.

I think this will help with my reflective practise because when something happens that is really good or really bad I can think about what happened and why it happened and think about what to do to help myself. It will help me prevent for example hurting myself or help me continue for example using helpful steps in class to make me perform stronger. It can create a clear goal and make being stronger something that can happen a lot quicker.

marta’s technique class was all about control and balance but also to engage our core! as i am going gym more regularly, i can definitely feel that my core is getting stronger as i can feel a difference when dancing, especially in todays class.

started contact work with lawrence but as it was our first class ever doing contact work, we just built a base of work and then after a few weeks we’ll start to create a piece with harder lifts. i thought ella, amy and i worked well together as we all trust each other and by that we know we aren’t going to drop each other. I feel a lot more comfortable with being a base/being the person lifting.

claire wants us to start thinking about dynamics rather than what we are actually doing aka movement wise when doing contact improve. writing down how we personally feel about improvisation as a whole felt needed so then i know where my mindset is at with it all and can push those challenges.

With Marta on Tuesday we had to think of an intention to bring and remember during the class which mine was focus and eye-line. Looking up and not at the floor during the phrases especially the tondo exercise.

Ian - Practicing our assessment phrase and rallies from the side similar to Monday.

In martas we were working on more on our assembly phrase and mainly on connecting phrases and making sure we are keeping the flow which I definitely think I did well on this week

In Claire’s we recapped some phrases and learnt our assembly phrase and for the phrase we did at the end of class when we connected them all together it defiantly took a lot of energy so making sure I wasn’t letting lack of energy get in the way of doing the phrase well.

In martas phrase in thecnique this week I was trying to remember and add those little details for example arm placements that I was getting wrong, this still needs improving slightly so I will take that into my rehearsals next week.

In Natalie’s this week similarly to Ian’s class I defiantly noticed a big difference in my strength when it came to our core exercises.

For Claire’s phrase I was trying to remember to breathe in my phrase similarly to Ian’s phrase and as there are a couple of phrases that we have linked into one keeping the flow is something I am going to try to improve on in next weeks rehearsal.

Gibbs cycle gives structure from learning from experiences allowing you to learn from things that did go well or didn't go particularly well. These include 

Description - describing how the experience went

Feelings - How did the process feel and any thoughts that come to mind upon reflection 

Evaluation - Evaluating the experience of both the positives and the negatives. 

Analysis - To make sense of the situation 

Conclusion - What you have learned from the experience and what you could've done differently

Action planning - How you feel you would have dealt with certain situations in the future, or general changes you would find appropriate. 

This is useful to help you think more in depth about your learning. 

This learning cycle is useful as we can take it into our weekly reflections into our padlets and into our reflection essay. Highlighting our successes, our weaknesses and areas we feel we need to work on and improvements and thinking more in detail about them and reflecting on each aspect. 

Week 16 -

This week we had Katie however in this class I really struggled as I have done something to my wrist and I think I may have pushed it too far in this class. It set me back and due to worrying about my wrist I was taking longer to pick up choreography. So for the rest of my classes this week I tried to not worry too much about it and make adaptations when needed.

In martas this week I was making adaptations for my wrist which worked well. We were also doing some jump phrases from the corner in which I found I was doing quite well on as I always worry about jumps but find I am picking these up easier now.

I also found I was getting deeper into my lunges and really pushing my extensions in today’s class.

With Lawrence on Wednesday we started contact which actually went really well. Although I couldn’t do everything due to weight baring on my wrist the things I did do I was surprised that I enjoyed contact.

Again with Claire on Thursday there were a few things I couldn’t do with weight baring as we were doing contact again but I was really pushing myself with contact improve and the games that Claire gave us was define you a good way into feeling a bit more confident with it.

In my own personal practice this tool of self evaluation will my useful in making improvements to technique. Specifically looking at more 'trick' moves like rolls and jumps, how to effectively get into and out of the moves. This will involve trial and error and after each attempt stepping back, following the process and trying again. the breakdown of the moves and connecting links are just as important as each other so figuring out why things are/are not working is really valuable.

I found when reading this that it will help me understand to be making myself better and perform safer within technique classes. using that cycle of having an action plan, describing it and then feeling it. then evaluating it with an analysis and a conclusion, will then definitely be helpful for the future.

in marta’s technique classes i need to be more loose with my spine, which i start doing but once i get a bit tired i then start to lack on that. i know that marta likes us to always use our heads so we don’t look at our selves in the mirrors and have every move link so there is that fluidity. i feel like i perform that very well and will continue to do so.

started off with claire’s class by a bit of massaging to ease us in to a lot more contact work. the massage was very much needed as had a long couple days of dancing, however as soon as we started to roll on each other, my back started to really hurt so for the rest of the class i watched, which was annoying. however though seeing lift work from an outsider perspective was quite nice because i could see why something wouldn’t work but when you’re in the moment of doing a lift you don’t quite understand why it didn’t.

I enjoyed this as im used to lifting others ans have grown up lifting ect. Although being lifted is new to me, I trusted Bryony and actually got used to being lifted. I occasionally felt uncomfortable but slowly getting over the weight sharing.

In contact classes we continued learning and recapping on some weight sharing and contact movements. We also had the chance to link some together and try different patterns throughout the space. We can change partners which is helpful to us as we can improvise together knowing how much/ how little weight we can share with certain individuals.

• when rolling down to the floor- use every vertebra safely!

• spirals- know where the movements start & end & keeping that fluidity

• max extension throughout it all!

• heading to the direction with our head

• spotting will help-where we’re looking

• end phrase- count of 6 rather than 8

the contact in lawrence’s technique class was a lot more full on but fun, as then each week we’re pushing ourselves even more! i went with jodie and i feel like because we’re the same height it makes some lifts easier and others harder but just have to keep practicing that. can definitely feel myself getting stronger as the weeks go on.

improvisation contact work in claire’s classes i am starting to get a bit more comfortable with due to have done it a few times now. still very new to me as haven’t done much lift work in the past and when i did, it was set lifts we would have practiced for weeks. worked with amy and i trust her to lift me and i think we work well together as we rely and trust one another.

Last term my feedback towards my movement through technique combinations was that i was able to adapt to the movements to show various dynamics but, i struggled to show the sharper movements through the combinations. I found myself performing in a straight line. Which was my body moving in a natural flowy way through the sequence, rather than transitioning into a sharper dynamic to add interest to my movement.

We use dynamics in movement as it adds an interest into your performance and body. It adds variety and can help tell a story through movement. Dynamics can come as many things, it’s a relationship in the dance dictionary. For example, movements can come as being smooth to aggressive or the level of speed you perform in.

In one of our technique phrases, we do a large circle with our hand which opens the chest, which then contracts onto the floor. The movements before that, are smooth so to help crescendo into a sharper dynamic i would go through the choreography once we’ve been taught it to find spots within the sequence to add a different rhythm in my body.

I enjoy finding different ways of playing with the dynamics, especially with the music as i am able to express and learn more ways to perform when it comes to upcoming events.

Beginning with the basics of being able to lower someone / take their weight using different body parts, the key is to build trust and fully relax into your partner. Using a strong table top base as a starting point to move from ie rolling over each other making sure to continually push into your partner to stay in contact. I found the first contact class quite overwhelming so think it will take time to get used to being touched and making contact with others for longer sessions. I'm going to try and stay open minded and trust my partners in experimenting new improv ideas even though I am hesitant. If I try and stay relaxed and. not hold my breath it should make the movements and sequences seem more fluid and connected.

Using the idea of magnetic forces to remind us to keep pushing into each other and giving full weight during contact to make the movement assertive and clear. Ensuring to elongate the body so there is a bigger surface area for contact to allow for more things to happen. it's all about listening to your partner and working out what they are trying to do by both the grip they have and the direction they are heading in, it's give and take so you don't always have to feel like your are the leader. I found this initially difficult as I like to try and plan ahead with the movements so I need to give in to my partner more and go with the flow and allow them to be in control and make some more of the decisions.

the exercise that we used to warm our bodies up helped develop movements and relaxing the muscles when warming up our spine and torso. Some of these movements include, Flat backs, body rolls and diagonal stretches. Also, within this warmup you can use a range of dynamics and speed to help wake up our brain and body from being in bed a few hours before.

Contact:

Use or the body to take weight rather than using the hands and arms for support. Trust falls onto the back and shoulders can create an adaptive and different way of using contact instead of using the arms to catch.

Base:

When you are the base, make sure to stay in a secure build. Standing on one leg or twisting your body can injure you but also your partner involved with the lift. Ideally for this, a squat or a table top build would be appropriate for support as it’s secure and stable. For the base, the lower you go, the more the body can get the momentum to lift you up.

I find contact work quite easy, It’s something i have done prior to uni. i enjoy learning and developing different ways to create cool lifts, i have good height, balance and flexibility so being involved these classes has helped me adapt to more challenging and complex lifts.

in marta’s class we learnt a few new moves which challenged me but managed to pick them up quicker than i would of last year. holding the shoulder stand into the next quick swizzle move on the floor, I didn’t have to overthink and just did it. again, in 1st year i would of over complicated it and gave up.

in lawrence’s contact class we tried out a few new bigger lifts. lawrence mentioned to me how much of a difference he is seeing in the sense of me personally with how i feel about lifts has gone out the window and how i have changed my mindset completely about them! did a couple lifts with bryony and i felt comfortable with her lifting me, just never partnered up with her before.

I feel this is important as in contact improvisation by catching and giving weight in different positions opens up the options to different moves you could then go into, depending on where that weight is.

When I heard this phrase in a meditation practice it resonated with me in one of Claire's classes where she wants us to move to the floor like a leaf falling from a tree. Although there are many other elements and techniques required to dance I find this imagery picture very powerful to have in mind when I move.

A bit part of martas class was finding musicality and lifting our eyeline up and engaging with the audience

In ians, reaching to and past our kinesphere and conserving our energy and momentum throughout the phrase

And Claire’s, she asked us to have fun with the phrase and embody a character

Looking at your entries, some of you are still writing descriptively, meaning you are purely describing what you did in class, which is not part of the brief, nor is going to help your development. Please scroll back through all the tasks that have been giving throughout the Unit, as a lot of the resources you will need to support your writing are there and on Canvas.

I enjoyed Lawrence’s salsa technique session even though it was cut short due to an eye appointment. It’s a style that i’ve only even been taught by, by Lawrence and it’s such a challenging a style as there’s many aspects of technique that you need that you may not even thought about. This is such as, the head placement within partner work. As well as making sure you keep your alignment stable, your foot work is perfect and, your arm placement is stable. It was a challenge for myself to keep my head turned towards the side the whole time we completed the steps as i felt i wasn’t in control. I learnt to have fun in this class and i found it fascinating learning more about the technique which is key towards salsa dancing.

In Lawrences class we were focusing on spinal twists and using head and tail connection to help the material flow. This is something that I have been working on and feel more confident to use my head and allow it to flow freely.

In Lawrence’s technique class we focused more on phrases, going over things we already know and keeping a fast pace. This helped me in a way so then I don’t overthink the lifts for the phrase and can focus more on my technique. A phrase that we got taught last term is our assessment phrase, but it is very hard so i am going to make sure I practice.

we did more contact improvisation in claire’s which I am starting to get a bit more comfortable with, so then hopefully by the assessment day I feel more confident. Tried out a couple lifts with amy which we filmed and going to practice them as we will use them for our assessment phrase.

we went through the assessment phrase in Lawrence’s which I am starting to get more confident with but we also tried out a little duet phrase that involved some lifts and held positions that i have never done before. Amy and I smashed a lift that both of us haven’t done together but it will definitely be added into our quartet for the assessment phrase.

Claire gave each duet some time to start thinking of weight bearing moves and lifts to add for the assessment phrase that we have done in class. Amy and I managed to get quite a bit done which makes it a little less stressful for the assessment but we will definitely need to clean up the phrase we created today. The last 15 minutes of class was a ‘does the spaces need me?’ Can’t remember the name Claire called it but it was so freeing and can literally do whatever you want, don’t have to follow anyone else, no storyline and just play any random music. This managed to realise any stress I had and I left feeling more confident.

Katie’s classes are very fast paced and definitely are going to keep me on my toes! We went over exercise phrases that work on feet, balance and the way we hold ourselves. The assessment phrase got changed to a phrase that we got taught before Easter and I couldn’t be happier because this phrase I am comfortable and confident with but also know very well. I have that fluidity throughout when I watched myself but I need to make sure I don’t rush just because it’s quick!

In everyone’s class this week a common theme was musicality

Assessment week

We just rehearsed for our assessments this week,

Going in our groups and doing the phrases, trying to work out spacing and timing

Contact

I really enjoyed this week as I feel quite confident with contact, it was good to find out effective ways to get on and off our partner and not loosing contact with each other whilst keeping it smooth

And controlled

We did a lot of spiral work and focusing on finishing the spiral before continuing on to the next move. I enjoy doing spiral movements as I feel like lately I’ve been trying to improve my flow of things, Also trying to keep the head tail connection as well.

Over the holidays I’ve been consistently going to the gym and training and in drills I’ve noticed such an improvement with my strength and stamina, I’m finding things a lot easier and my stability in my handstands and other handstand drills have improved significantly, it reminds me that if i want things to work better i need to put in the effort outside of the studio as well

Off our partner, it was interesting to learn some new lifts and different ways to move with your partner as well

we focused on contact work in Lawrence’s class which helped a lot with trying out new lifts and getting more comfortable with them. we started to piece a little bit together for our quartets for the assessment. i work well with ella jemma and amy due to all being quite similar in the way we dance and there is never any clashing when communicating. amy and i also smashed our lifts this week!

in claire’s class we did another improve jam which gets my mind off the assessment and just solely doing what i want to do. we tested out a few new lifts but also went over ones we already know, to see what ones we want to include into our phrase.

Something i need to work on within martas class is keeping up my stamina, making sure that i am engaging fully within class. This is probably because im not eating well enough or getting enough rest for my body. Some things that help me get ready for class is eating food, going to bed earlier and waking up earlier to do morning stretches or to walk to uni which will help increase my energy levels

We also are working out our assessment phrases and working on dancing for ourselves and making the choreography our own, which I feel I am improving on.