G17 Example by

Development Plan 2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Development Plan 2 Schedule

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Development Plan 2 Evaluation

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Development Plan 1

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Development Plan 1 Schedule

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Development Plan 1 Evaluation

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Acro Tricks Target Starter

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Here is another video to start my development in Acro Tricks to widen my skills repertoire. This is just an example of a skill i want to learn and i’m starting with having the support of a wall and i aim to do it without a wall in free space. I want to be able to develop a variety of different tricks to help me stand out.

Acro Tricks Target Starter

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

One of my targets is to develop acrobatic tricks to help me in the future to stand out within auditions and university etc. To start this target I joined with other musical theatre students to do a leg flexibility video which will help with tricks as flexibility can help with certain tricks such as the splits and leg holds. In this video we followed a leg flexibility workout by Anna McNulty (linked below). By doing the exercises in this video I can potentially use these and develop them based on my progress and then track my progress within this development.

video followed: https://youtu.be/yb2whp5fWjs?si=504B7PJxLwD867Lf

Professional Comparison:

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Walkover

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Headstand

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variations

Walkover within a routine

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Dance Competition

Headstand at a performing arts school

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headstand variation

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I have used a dance competition and a performing arts school video to show where these skills can be used and developed. I have displayed my current ability within these skills to identify where I can start from and what I need to develop and how.

1st session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

18/10/2023

In this session I started by doing a few headstand variations and a walkover. I did this to be able to assess how I can improve and develop these skills to be able to use them in dances so that I have skills to make me stand out from others.

2nd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

25/10/2023

For this week I completed one of my chosen exercises of relevés to a song. This included parts where the relevés were single, then double time and then holds. This increases the intensity of the exercise making sure the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior) are working ensuring that they get stronger in order to improve balance and overall work towards having more stability within acro tricks.

3rd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

6/11/2023

For this session, Melissa joined me with my relève exercise to also help her with her balance and strength within her calves. We completed this to the song “Let’s hear it for the boy” by Deniece Williams. This exercise is vital to my progression as it works the gastrocnemius making micro tears which then heal to build a stronger muscle. Within the video you may see me massaging my calves, I’m doing this because my calves are cramping up because the muscles are being worked so lactic acid is building up. By massaging it a bit the lactic acid is broken down meaning my muscles can become stronger. At the end I did my acro tricks to monitor my progression.

4th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

13/11/2023

In this session I demonstrated the cone balancing exercise and the relève exercise. I decided to start the cone balancing exercise this week rather than previous weeks as I wanted to start building my strength before increasing the intensity each week by adding the extra exercise to stabilise my balance. At the end I completed the acro tricks to measure my progress.

5th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

20/11/2023

Within this session I was again accompanied by Melissa for the calf exercise to strengthen the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior which ultimately increases stability which helps with balance. We used the song to dictate the speed of calf raises to give a variety within the exercise which increases the intensity of the exercise because the movement isn’t consistent. Having the different levels within the exercise creates more work for the bodies muscles making it more difficult.

6th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

27/11/2023

For this session I completed it at my dance school using the song playing in the studio as my time had been limited during the day. Again I completed the calf exercise to strengthen them to achieve stability increasing my ability to balance. By doing this exercise consistently each week, my calves will have strengthened meaning there should be a significant difference from the start to the end product of my acro tricks because of the increase in balance.

6th session pt 2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

27/11/2023

Once I’d finished this week’s session I decided to roll out my calves so that the lactic acid doesn’t build up in my muscles and not disperse causing pain. When exercising, microtears are created within your muscles which is then repaired to build you muscles so by completing this exercise i’ll be able to build my calf muscles to gain stability and balance.

7th session - final pt 1

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

4/12/2023

In this last session, I completed the relève exercise alongside Melissa to give a final push on building my calf muscles (gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior) to improve my balance and benefit my chosen acro tricks. I didn’t have access to a roller again so I completed this once I got home after my out of college dance lessons which helped release the tension within my calves.
Below you will find my headstand and walkout progression. I was able to complete a few different variations of headstands without the support of a wall and successfully aligned my body and used my improvement in balance to make sure I could achieve this. For the walkout, you can see I was able to complete 3 walkouts in a row which is a massive improvement from my first session where I wasn’t able to smoothly get over and stand up.

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Professional Comparison:

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What I did for love performance 1

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What I did for love performance 2

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What I did for love - Natalie Cortez

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Nothing - Natalie Cortez

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I have used Natalie Cortez as an example to show she has done multiple songs. They are both from the same musical however she has different songs to perform when needed. I have attached two videos of myself singing the same song in two different settings to show that I need to improve my repertoire by adding a variety of songs as in the past I have been stuck with little options to what I can perform. I believe it’s very important to have a range of songs to hand to make sure I am versatile and can adapt to any situation needed.

1st session - pt 1

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

16/10/2023

In this first session, I had a discussion with the help of Carla to figure out what songs I have in each category and what I need to add to each genre within my repertoire. I then sang through a couple of songs to confirm what genres I am more comfortable in and what sections within my repertoire I need to work on and develop to become a well rounded performer and have many options of songs for auditions for further education in university. I found that the areas that needed more songs were Golden Age and 1970s/1980s. But I also chose to look into more songs for the Contemporary Upbeat/Character song and Contemporary Ballads sections because there is a bigger want for them within the industry.

1st session - pt 2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

16/10/2023

First I sang Requiem from Dear Evan Hansen. This is a song I knew but hadn’t stated on my repertoire. I believe it is a song that I could use in my repertoire as it displays strong emotions of anger and sadness and has a lot of power within the song meaning you are able to capture an audience with the raw emotions displayed.

1st session - pt 3

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

16/10/2023

Next I sang Loose Ends from The Witches of Eastwick. This was a completely new song to me as I hadn’t heard of the musical before. I really enjoyed singing this song and didn’t find it too difficult to learn. One thing that I did struggle with though was the range in notes. What I mean by this is the high notes on “Loose ends, angel, loose ends”. I’m not as confident in my thinner folds so having to transition between thick folds and thin folds was a challenge for me. However, I tried my best and by using my diaphragm and correct airflow I felt I gave a good attempt. It is definitely a song I would love to develop and definitely use as a potential audition song as I believe the song displays a complex character and powerfully connects to the audience.

2nd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

23/10/2023

This week I sang through Nothing from A Chorus Line to pad out my 1970s/1980s section of my repertoire. However this was a rough sing through as I’ve been taking part in Screamfest so my voice wasn’t at its full potential meaning a few sections within the song were a bit strained as my voice was tired. Despite that, I found that Nothing is definitely a song I will put on my repertoire list and use for auditions because the song not only has a big character displayed within it but it also gives you as a performer the chance to show your emotional range and your voice because of the mixed emotions of annoyance, anger, sadness and confusion and the vocal range shown within the song from low notes to high notes.

3rd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

8/11/2023

During this session I sang I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables. I do admit this wasn’t an entirely new song to me, however I used it within my development plan as it wasn’t a song that I would’ve previously been comfortable putting on my repertoire list but now that I have worked on it and will continue to develop it I feel confident enough to say that I can put this song on my repertoire list for my 1970s/1980s section. In the past I was too scared to use this song because of the high notes combined with ‘e’ sounds but now from working on the song and really connecting with my diaphragm and using airflow correcting without straining I’m finding it easier and easier each time I sing it.

4th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

15/11/2023

For this week I sang Come to Your Senses from Tick Tick Boom. I only sang part of the song as it was very new to me because I had only heard it a couple of times where as other new songs I had heard quite a lot but just never sang them. I enjoyed trying a song that I hadn’t heard a lot as it brought a different kind of challenge to the table of learning what the melody was and where the notes were placed. What I found difficult with this song was the flips that occur in the voice in certain sections such as “ca-an’t be fou-ound” and “come to your senses, defences are not the way to go and you know it at least you knew”. Learning to navigate where the notes are placed was especially difficult within the chorus because of how many flips there were. However, I felt I overcame the challenge and this song could be put on my repertoire list.

5th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

22/11/2023

Within this session I decided to go back and look at Loose Ends from The Witches of Eastwick from the first session. I really like this song and feel it suits me well so I wanted to further develop this to make sure it’s a song I can definitely put on my repertoire list. I learnt the lyrics to the song so that that wasn’t something I had to think about and I could focus solely on the song itself and where I needed more support to achieve higher notes. I still struggled with the “loose ends, angel, loose ends” section however I felt I had more clarity on the thinner fold notes at the end, “no loose.. ends there”. By continuing to work on these higher notes requiring use of my thinner folds I believe I’ll be able to achieve a clearer sound and ultimately help me when learning songs that primarily use thinner folds.

6th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

29/11/2023

This week I sang a part of With You from Ghost. This was a song I had heard a couple of times but not enough to know the whole song, hence why I was only able to learn and sing a section. I chose this song to specifically give myself a challenge linking to last week when I spoke about using my thinner folds more often. For this song it primarily used my thinner folds because of the high key. This meant I was able to learn a song and also work on developing my vocal range and stability. I believe I managed to make most of the transitions between tick folds and thin folds smooth with a few exceptions but I think with more practice and confidence it would be a song I could use to show off the higher range in my voice that I don’t normally showcase.

7th session - final

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

6/12/2023

For the final session I decided to learn two new songs, I’m a Part of That from The Last 5 Years and What Baking Can Do from Waitress. I’ve sang a few other songs from The Last 5 Years and I thought I’d try this song as well as it’s more of an upbeat song compared to the others. I enjoyed trying a more upbeat song as it displayed more joyous emotions compared to the other songs I have sung from this musical as they show emotions of anger and sadness so having an upbeat song was a nice contrast. I believe this song also fits my voice and would be a nice song to use as a contrasting song to others in my repertoire for auditions. For What Baking Can Do I found that the lower key of this song fits my voice better than the original key so after making this change I found I was more comfortable. I also enjoyed this song as it’s a musical I haven’t sang a song from before and enjoyed the contemporary pop melody. Because of changing the key I did find some of the low notes a bit challenging in places but I believe I managed to support most of them so they don’t break. One of the low notes I wasn’t able to reach was at the end of “do” when it says “mama it’s amazing what baking can do” so I just adapted it to fit my voice so that I am to display my voice in a positive light. Both of these songs add to my Contemporary Upbeat/Character songs section of my repertoire.

7th session pt 2 - final

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

6/12/2023

To finish my final session I did a recap of all the songs I’ve learnt over these 7 session for my development plan. I believe that the songs including thinner folds sound more secure and have a bit more power behind them than when I first learnt them. Also the flips within Come to Your Senses felt like they flowed better within the song and weren’t as static. Finally within the rest of the songs I felt they have been developed well and by using more characterisation through gestures, body language and facial expressions it really highlighted performance and I believe all these songs are really good additions to my repertoire to use for auditions in the future.

Professional Comparison:

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Turns

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A variation of different types of turns

Turns within a musical - Newsies

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I have used a video from the musical Newsies to show different turns that can be used in a professional performance. In this video they do an attitude turn and a double pirouette. In my video I did single, double and triple jazz pirouettes as well as trace turns, attitude turns, ballet pirouettes and fouettés. The more I develop my core strength, the better my turns will be meaning I will be able to showcase them within performances just like the turns included in the musical Newsies.

1st session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

16/10/2023

In this session I tried to do double pirouettes. In this video you can see that my balance isn’t very stable meaning my turns aren’t consistent. This is helpful to identify as I can now start my plan of action to improve my core strength to ultimately develop my turns to be stable and consistent so I can confidently display them within performances.

2nd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

23/10/2023

For this session, I completed my 5 chosen exercises of window wipers, plank, russian twists, rise and lower and v-sit into superman. I did 1 set of 5 reps and a 30 seconds plank following my development plan. I found these exercises and the timings of them easy. Next week the intensity will be increased my number of reps/sets and a time increase on the plank exercise. This will help me to continue to develop my core strength to overall improve my skills within dance as a whole.

3rd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

6/11/2023

I had to change the date of this exercise as I was going to complete these exercises within my out of college dance class however this class wasn’t on therefore because of unforeseen circumstances I wasn’t able to complete these on the date I’d previously set.

4th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

11/11/2023

In this session I increased to 3 sets of 5 reps and a 1 minute plank like stated in my development plan. In some exercises I took a rest between each set but others I didn’t as I felt I could carry on. As you can see in the video, I struggled with holding my plank for a minute this week so to make sure I can keep developing and be able to achieve each stage of my development process I’m going to be keeping the plank time 1 minute and seeing how I feel when I come to doing it I can then decide what is best time-wise and rep-wise moving forward.

4th session pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

11/11/2023

This video displays my turns for this session. Within the video you can see that my turns are not the most stable today, however like stated above I struggled with the plank exercise this week meaning I hadn’t got my core engaged properly causing me to tilt when turning. By trying the 1 minute plank again next week, hopefully I will be able to engage my core better, meaning I should see better results in my turns.

5th session pt 1

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

18/11/2023

In this session, I completed the set exercises of 4 reps of 5 sets as stated in my plan. I also completed the plank for 1 minute and 15 seconds as planned. Within the video you can see that I take small breaks between each rep before starting the exercise again, this is to ensure that I am getting my breathe back and conserving my energy to be able to last the whole session. This session went to plan and nothing was altered from the original set exercises.

5th session pt 2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

18/11/2023

6th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

25/11/2023

I completed this week’s session during my dance class outside of college. This means that some of the exercises included variations which increases the intensity. For example, there are some added leg exercises like leg raises which engages the legs and core. Also in this session the exercises were measured in timings rather than reps which ultimately increased the reps to what’s written in my plan, however this is a good development as it increases the difficulty and intensity for each exercise, engaging my muscles for a longer period of time. You’ll notice that I did struggle with this change in measurement as I wasn’t able to give my body scheduled breaks so I do pause for moments within this session but I carry on and persevere as soon as I can.

7th session - final

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

2/12/2023

For the final session, I made the decision to give myself an extra push and challenge as it was the last part of my development plan. My challenge for this session was increasing the difficulty and intensity by using 2kg ankle weights. This meant that I was using my core a lot more as I had extra weight to carry when lifting my legs/ankles within the exercises. Most of the session stayed true to the plan, completing 3 sets of 10 reps, however I decided to give myself one last challenge of holding a plank for as long as I could which ended up being around 2 minutes which was a big improvement from the starter of this target.

7th session pt 2 - turn progression

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

2/12/2023

Here you will find my turn progression. In this video you will be able to see the contrast from the start of developing this target. I completed a range of turns in this video displaying more stability within my turns and achieving a great progression from my first session.

START:

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Golden Age (Legit)

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Anything goes from Anything goes
I could’ve danced all night from My Fair Lady
I feel pretty from West Side Story
Forty Second Street from Forty Second Street

1970s/1980s

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

What I did for love from A Chorus Line
Somewhere that’s green from The Little Shop of Horrors

Disney

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid
Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas
I Won’t Say I’m in Love from Hercules

Contemporary Upbeat/ Character song

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Pulled from The Addams Family
Moments in the woods from Into The Woods
Anything goes from Anything goes
Watch what happens from Newsies
By the sea from Sweeney Todd

Contemporary Ballad

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Still hurting from The Last 5 Years
Burn from Hamilton
I’m not that girl from Wicked
Lifeboat from Heathers
See i’m smiling from The Last 5 Years

Pop/Rock

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

TV by Billie Eilish
I drink wine by Adele
The man who can’t be moved by The Script
Somebody that I used to know by Gotye and Kimbra
Jealous by Labrinth

END:

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Highlighted songs are new/worked on songs learnt from the development plan.

Golden Age (Legit)

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Anything goes from Anything goes
I could’ve danced all night from My Fair Lady
I feel pretty from West Side Story
Forty Second Street from Forty Second Street

1970s/1980s

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

What I did for love from A Chorus Line

Somewhere that’s green from The Little Shop of Horrors

Nothing from A Chorus Line
I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables

Disney

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid
Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas
I Won’t Say I’m in Love from Hercules

Contemporary Ballads

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Still hurting from The Last 5 Years

Burn from Hamilton

I’m not that girl from Wicked

Lifeboat from Heathers

See i’m smiling from The Last 5 Years

Requiem from Dear Evan Hansen
With You from Ghost
Loose Ends from The Witches of Eastwick

Contemporary Upbeat/Character

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Pulled from The Addams Family

Moments in the woods from Into The Woods

Anything goes from Anything goes

Watch what happens from Newsies

By the sea from Sweeney Todd

Come to your Senses from Tick Tick Boom
I’m a Part of That from The Last 5 Years
What Baking Can Do from Waitress

Pop/Rock

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

TV by Billie Eilish
I drink wine by Adele
The man who can’t be moved by The Script
Somebody that I used to know by Gotye and Kimbra
Jealous by Labrinth

1st session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For the first session I went over the choreography and created two different variations of the choreography as I wasn’t sure which one was the better option to use to best present my skills within an audition. The variations include different endings. The first variation finishes after the toe rise to standing. Where as the second variation adds a step turn tilt jump, a leg turn and then a c-jump to the floor at the end.

1st session - pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

2nd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Looking back on the previous session, I decided to continue with the second variation to not only include more jumps into the solo but also to add more time onto the piece to fit the requirements of a dance solo for auditions.

3rd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this session I recapped the solo and ran it several times. The aim of this session was to clean the movement. I wanted to ensure that I knew what I was doing for each movement and making sure the order was right. Near the end the solo includes a leg turn, however in this video I substituted it for a trace turn instead because I didn’t have time to do an in depth warm up before hand so didn’t want to cause injury but completing it for the video.

4th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Reflecting on the last session, my aim in this session was to work on the timing of the piece to make sure that each movement was hitting the right beats in the music and to work on characterisation within the piece. In the last session I polished the movements and made sure I was completing them correctly and in the right order meaning I could now focus on the performance and musicality within the piece to ensure it was audition ready.

5th session - Self-tape

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this session I filmed a self-tape of the routine to submit to Italia Conti. I believe it showcases the performance ive been working on through facial expressions, body language etc. Hopefully this will be a successful submission and help with future performances.
Another target that I have been working towards is jumps/leaps. This has also helped me within my routine I’ve been developing as it includes a calypso, a tilt jump and a c-jump and it has helped further create a visually pleasing and amazing performance.

Outcome of self-tape

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

After submitting my self-tape to Italia Conti, I recieved a recall. This shows that the development of this dance has been successful by adding more performance (facial expressions, body language etc.) and creating a eye-catching performance.

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Throughout this development I want to ensure that I am committing to the character I'm portraying and committing to the choices I'm making and not doubting myself so that I can truly bring the character to life and create an enjoyable and believable performance for an audience.

Starter:

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

This is the starter for this development as it is one of the initial sing-throughs of the first song "Belle". In the video you can see me using a few different facial expressions to display Belle's emotions within the song but in following rehearsals I will continue to develop these and add gestures, body language and further character choices to fully immerse myself within the character and create an accurate performance of the character for an enjoyable performance.

Belle Research

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I wanted to do some more in-depth research about the character so I could fully understand everything I could about the character of Belle.

1st session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For the first session of Beauty and the Beast rehearsals we covered the first song "Belle" and a few following scenes including the Belle (Playoff) scene and Maurice's entrance. The video attached shows the first in-space rehearsal of "Belle". Previous to this we did a few sing-throughs of the song before blocking it and then running the piece. Transferring the song from a sing-through to the stage/studio space really helps with immersing myself within a character because the song becomes more natural and you rely less on the words an are able to think more about facial expressions, body language, gestures and character choices. This means you are able to properly think and evaluate how your character feels in certain situations, how they handle these situations and how they display their emotions to an audience. This is evident in the above and below videos comparing the on stage run-through and the initial sing-through. In the initial sing-through video you can see that I start to display a few emotions of Belle through facial expressions but as soon as you watch the run-through videos you can see how using body language, gestures and character choices (like when and where to move and react) elevates the character through performance techniques.

in college pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

1st session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I decided that doing independent rehearsals would be very beneficial for this development alongside the in college rehearsals to make sure that I can learn my lines for the songs and scenes and, linking to what I said above, am able to really think about my character and what they would do within the songs and scenes to elevate the character and display how the character is feeling to the audience.

1st session - independent pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this independent rehearsal I worked on what had been set in lesson to make sure I could try and be off-script for the next in college rehearsal so I can explore more character choices and be secure in them. I talked through the scenes, evaluating Belle's emotions and adding facial expressions as I didn't have anyone to run through the scene with me and I didn't have the space to retrace my steps set in the scenes. I then also sang through "Belle" to ensure I knew what I was doing vocally, for example, knowing when I'm using thick folds and when I'm using thin folds and making sure that it makes sense in the song to make those vocal choices for my character showing not only her fierce, independent side but also her soft, caring and curious side.

2nd session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this session we ran through "Belle" and the scenes following it up to the "Home (Tag)" scene. We skipped passed a few cottage scenes and one of Belle's solo "Home". Each week we are running through previously set songs and scenes and then adding on more according to the rehearsal schedule. In this session, the new scenes that were added on that involved my character were a few castle scenes. This gave me a new part of Belle to develop as these scenes involved her being frightened and determined to save her father contrasting to her previous scenes where she displays indifference for her town and frustration and sarcasm towards Gaston.

2nd session - in college pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

2nd session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this week's independent rehearsal I ran over the new scenes that were blocked and explored and evaluated the emotions shown in this scene to make sure they are clearly translated and interpreted by the audience.

3rd session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For this session we ran through "Gaston", "Belle", the following scenes and "Home". This was the first time I had performed the solo in front of everyone. Because of this my voice was a bit shaky from nerves however this is something that can be worked on and its a big issue. It's just thinking about the way to approach the song for example when and where to use thick folds and thin folds and smoothing the transition between the two to create a pleasant sound. This is something I can work on in my own time to make sure I am more secure within the song and become less nervous when performing it in front of everyone. The rest of the run-through went well, I just need to make sure I'm continuing to learn my lines to get closer and closer to being off-script. The more I'm off-script the easier it'll be to develop the character and really experiment with the way Belle using her body language to add to her character.

3rd session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Here you will find an audio recording of me going through my Belle lines of all the scenes we’ve covered so far so I can continue to work on being off-script. I used the rehearsal video from the lesson to fill in the other characters lines and some scenes weren’t recorded so I just read the other characters in in those scenes. This was helpful for me as to learn my lines I find it useful to go over the scenes and read them aloud not looking at the script and then referring back when need be so it gets me used to the scenes and helps keep the lines in my brain and create muscle memory by going over the scenes.

3rd session - independent pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this independent rehearsal I workshopped the song to figure out which sections would be better to perform in thin folds rather than thick folds to 1 protect my vocal chords and prevent straining and 2 explore and reflect Belle's vulnerability and fear. For example I flip between thick and thin folds on the lines "What I'd give to return to the life that I knew lately" to show the power behind Belle's words but also her vulnerability.

4th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For this session we worked on Be Our Guest. We split off into groups to work on different sections of the song so that later on we could come together and put it all together as shown in the video above. Working on Be Our Guest was a new challenge because Belle doesn’t have any lines within the song so throughout she is constantly reacting to everything that’s happening around her meaning I had to explore using solely gestures, facial expressions and body language to convey Belle’s emotions to the audience rather than being able to use tone of voice and lines.

4th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this independent rehearsal I recorded myself going over the few scenes leading up to Be Our Guest and the few scenes following it to make sure that I had a brief understanding of the scenes ready to perform them in the lessons following as we have started Be Our Guest so will be covering these scenes promptly.

5th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For this session I wasn’t supposed to be there as I had a Flexus residential but I managed to travel back in time to catch the end of the lesson just so that I still had an idea of what was going on even if I hadn’t been there the whole lesson. As you can see in the video I was told where I needed to be and tried joining in even if it ended up being a bit messy but it means that I now can practice in my own time to make sure I know where i’m supposed to be near the end of the song so that Be Our Guest is finished.

5th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I felt a good way to instill Be Our Guest into my memory would be by going over my movements and travel physically as Belle doesn’t have any lines within the song. This means that when it comes to rehearsing and performing my muscle memory will be able to assist me in the pathways that I take within the song making it easier when doing the number.

5th session - independent pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I also decided it would be a good idea to write down Belle’s reactions during Be Our Guest as she doesn’t have any lines during the song so her reactions have to be conveyed through gestures, facial and expressions and body language but they have to be precise enough for the audience to understand. Therefore I thought it would be a good idea to evaluate this so it is easier to know when Belle is feeling what so it can be translated into physicality.

6th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this session we covered both "Human Again" and "The Mob Song". First we completed "Human Again" which involved me having dialogue with Billy (The Beast). In the first video you'll be able to find sections of dialogue and stage directions being executed around set choreography for the rest of the cast. We also covered the song "Something There" and the first scene of Act 2 previous to the song. We didn't have enough time to record everything so we covered the more complicated numbers and filmed those to have something to look back on so in future rehearsals we can just carry on learning and easily run what we have learnt. In the second video you'll be able to see the scene before "The Mob Song" and that number which includes dialogue between myself, Gaston and Maurice.

6th session - in college pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

6th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For my outside of college rehearsals, I chose to go over Something There and Human Again. Within both of these numbers collectively I have lines and sections of singing. I felt it would be beneficial to cover these in my own time to make sure that I was learning the lines and giving myself the freedom to really convey the character of Belle and her characteristics within scenes without having to worry about using the libretto which can constrict me from truly working on the character.

6th session - independent pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

7th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Unfortunately I wasn’t in college for the 7th session as I was attending an audition for drama school.

Luckily what was covered in this session my absence didn't affect too much as they covered the fight scene which Belle doesn't enter until the end.

7th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I arranged to meet with Oliver (who plays Maurice) so that we could work through the song "No Matter What". The song is a duet between Maurice and Belle. I knew Oliver had gone over the song independently so I messaged him and arranged a time where we could both meet and go through the song together. I noticed that on the rehearsal schedule there was no time set aside to block the number so I decided it would be a good idea to do this independently so that when it comes to running the show we are easily able to slot it in and wouldn't have to worry about it. It can then be altered in the future where need be but at least there is a foundation set in place.

7th session - independent pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the video you will see Oliver and I running through what we had set (potentially temporarily) for the number "No Matter What". We collectively decided to move on certain lines to create and convey as much storyline we could throughout the song.

8th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this session I worked with Michael (Gaston) on his song "Me" that I have a few lines in. We blocked the song with Oly to create the piece and ensure it included the comedic element through movements within the song. We ran over it several times upstairs before coming downstairs to share with the rest of the cast in the theatre space of FS005.

8th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Even though I don’t have a lot of lines in Gaston’s solo “Me” I thought it would be a good idea to record my rehearsal as an audio to experiment with using my tone of voice more. I felt this was the perfect song to experiment with my tone of voice more as Belle’s views towards Gaston are very distinct and I wanted to make sure I could convey this to an audience even if they couldn’t see me. By using audio I felt it would really let me analyse the way I use my tone of voice to highlight Belle’s emotions and so I can use this within the rest of the show.

9th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

thursday 25th
Videos from oly
Full run-through with some scenes not blocked. Was also in Mikaela’s performance so was in and out of the rehearsal.
For this session, we did a full run through of the whole show. Some scenes had still not been blocked fully so for those scenes we edited as we went along and carried on. At the same time, I was involved in a technical rehearsal for a uni student’s FMP as I was performing in her FMP show later on so I was between two rehearsals throughout the session. This meant that I missed a few things within the rehearsal so I made sure to go over things that I wasn’t completely comfortable on independently.

9th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I chose to go over the waltz section as it’s new and a very important part to the storyline of the musical. I wanted to make sure that I was confident with it so that when it came to going over it will Billy (the Beast) it would be easier to guide him. I did find memorising the pathway a bit difficult because the waltz isn’t something that I’ve done a lot before but by going over it it really helped to build it into my muscle memory. I enjoyed the challenge of trying something unfamiliar and being able to perform it. This is an important part of Belle and the Beast’s love story as it signifies the start of their reciprocated affection towards each other. I wanted to make sure that I was comfortable with it so that it would look as realistic as possible.

10th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this session no video evidence was created as it was an Open Day for the college on a Saturday. This was a non mandatory rehearsal so not everyone was there however it was still very beneficial as we were able to go over group numbers in the theatre space with stage lights as we were using it to show the visitors for the open day. It gave us a chance to clean the numbers so that when we run through with the whole cast it makes the process much quicker and easier meaning we can focus on other things to polish ready for the show.

11th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I organised with Elise to have a session after college to go over Belle’s solo songs “Home” and “A Change in Me”. I wanted to make sure that I had a rehearsal specifically dedicated to the songs to ensure that I was singing them correctly and in the way that the director wanted. We broke down a few sections within the songs such as the section at the end of “A Change in Me” when the lines “no change of heart, a change in me” are repeated, making sure that I was placing each note correctly. We also gave myself a challenge of remaining in thick folds for the key change in the second chorus of “A Change in Me” as I’d been switching into thin folds and we thought it would be a good character development point if I stayed in thick folds to give Belle a change/advancement from the rest of her songs which are quite dainty and delicate. Lastly we had a closer look into the accent side of the songs as Belle is supposed to be American and sometimes within the songs my accent slips back into British accidentally. We looked at the pronunciation of certain phrases and words such as “I never thought I’d” and “lasts”. Elise gave me guidance about what consonants to pronounce to sustain the American accent throughout the songs.

12th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this session we did a full run of the show with a break at the time where the interval would be to make it feel like a proper run through of the full show. Overall I believe the run went smoothly. There were a few little hiccups with mix up of lines and delayed entrances/lines. However these little kinks can easily be ironed out and corrected before the show. Also in this run I implemented the changes that Elise and I had made in the previous independent rehearsal for the songs and pushed myself to try and remain in thick folds throughout “A Change in Me” and it went well so I will continue to work on this ready for the show.

12th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

I went over the corrections made in the song “A Change in Me” independently to ensure that I had it memorised for the next session. I will be missing the next session as I’m at a uni audition meaning I need to be able to retain the corrections ready for the rehearsal following that.

13th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Unfortunately I wasn’t in this rehearsal as I was at my last university/drama school audition.
This session was a full run of the show so sadly this meant I got one less run through at college. However, Elise filled in for me meaning that the rest of the cast weren’t affected negatively by my absence.

13th session - independent

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Due to travelling back from my audition I wasn’t able to do an independent rehearsal on the day so I spent the weekend going over the scenes I was less comfortable with with my family so that I was able to act opposite someone and I wasn’t struggling to go over lines meaning it created a more real feeling situation. I also went over all of the songs that I sing in within the show to ensure that I was confident with the lyrics and also with the changes from thick folds into thin folds and vice versa and making sure they are smooth and controlled along with remembering to add in some vibrato to help the quieter sound travel.

14th session - in college

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the final session, we had both a technical run and a dress run before the show in the evening. By having the technical run and dress run before the show it gave me time to really focus and correct any mistakes before the actual performance. By completing both of these runs it definitely boosted my confidence and also gave me the chance to see how certain character choices worked on the Brewhouse stage ready for an audience later on. It was our first dress run so it also gave the whole cast a chance to get used to certain props and costumes etc and specifically gave me time to try quick changes and find out how they would work before the performance.

Dress Run

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Beauty and The Beast - performances

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For the performances of Beauty and the Beast, I felt that I fully embodies the character of Belle throughout all of the performances including the dress run. I also discovered that as I got more comfortable running the show as a whole it felt more natural to delve deep into the character and really embody her characteristics and display these towards the audience through a variety of facial expressions, gestures, body language and tone of voice. I believe this is evidenced in not only the recordings of the performances but also the cast photos that were taken both live action shots and posed. I feel they really capture Belle's emotions towards each individual character within the show. I have really enjoyed the challenge of bringing the character of Belle to life and feel I have learnt a lot about connecting to a character and being able to fully immerse myself within a role to truly bring it to life for an audience.

Tuesday Night Performance

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Wednesday Night Performance

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Cast Photos

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Action shots

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

1st session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the first session, I tried out a range of different leaps/jumps. These are as following:

Box jump/side leap

Calypso/step turn leap turn/barrel turn

Front leap

I made sure to complete them on both sides to prevent being a "one-sided dancer". This refers to only being able to do a skill on one side. I want to make sure that I am able to not only complete these skills successfully but also be able to complete them on both sides meaning for future performances and opportunities I am flexible and able to complete whatever is needed by the choreographer/director.

After this session, I assessed what I needed to do to go forward and get closer to achieving my desired look for each skill, for example, height of my leaps and jumps and straight lines of arms and legs.

2nd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For the second session, I decided to record the session as a timelapse. However, going forward I will stick to just recording via video as by using the timelapse i found that I can't properly go back and assess the jumps/leaps as it is fast paced and blurry.

At the start of the session I had another look back on the previous session and figured out what I need to do to improve my leaps/jumps. I decided i need to work on my extensions of arms and legs within my leaps and jumps and i need to work on the power and preparation i have to guarantee i can achieve the desired height.

3rd session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the 3rd session I continued to implement certain improvements to make sure I can keep working towards higher and neater jumps/leaps. To achieve higher leaps and jumps I have altered my preparation to ensure that I am using the right muscles to create the most power and height. My new preparation includes a deeper plie before jumping into the air. This creates more power by efficiently and effectively using the muscles in my legs (gastrocnemius, tibalis antierior, hamsting, quadricep) to make sure I get higher in the air, whether this be in a box jump and leap or a calypso etc.

4th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

4th session pt2

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the fourth session I again completed a series of jumps/leaps including:

Box jump/side leap

Calypso/step turn leap turn/barrel turn

Switch leap

I've been continuing to use the more powerful preparation to ensure i can get higher within my jumps/leaps. Now that I have got the desired height i want within my jumps/leaps i just need to make sure they stay consistent. I also now going forward need to focus on my extensions of my arms and legs within my leaps and jumps to create a cleaner and more visually pleasing skill to add to performances. Because I've been working on the preparations of jumps and leaps it means that it should come more naturally letting me be able to focus on the placement of my arms and the straightening of my legs.

5th session

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the final session I completed a series of jumps/leaps to fully display the progress I have made over a short period of time by just adjusting a few things within the preparation of these skills. The jumps/leaps shown in this video are as following:

Box jump/side leap

Calypso/step turn leap turn/barrel turn

Front leap

Switch leap

By continuing to implement the adaptions discovered previously I believe I have managed to evidently improve the power I put into my jumps/leaps creating developed height and I also believe that I have improved my extensions and straight lines within my jumps/leaps creating a more aesthetically pleasing look from an audience perspective when these skills are put into a performance. Comparing this video to the first video, you can clearly see the progression of the variations of jumps/leaps from the placement on arms and extension of legs to the power from the preparation and the height of each move.

Even though the target development has finished I want to continue developing these select jumps/leaps as well as many more to ensure that I can continue to uphold these skills and learn new ones to heighten my future performances and continue to build my skill set.

Unite

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

For Unite, I was in the Contemporary dance piece, the Jazz dance piece and the Musical Theatre dance piece.

Unite - Contemporary dance

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In this piece I was given the opportunity to have a featured part within the dance. This meant I had the chance to choreograph a solo section of the piece meaning I could incorporate a few jumps/leaps to showcase the skills I'd developed. In this piece I completed a double back attitude jump and an angel jump/knee drop. I was able to achieve height with power in both of these jumps/leaps and clean lines, which can be seen in the video above especially in the angel jump/knee drop.

Unite - jazz dance

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the jazz dance piece I completed a basic front leap which I got to complete twice. Even though its a more simple skill I found it harder to get the power before the leap because of the previous move that the leap followed. However I believe I still managed to execute the skill to a good standard with height and clean lines. I believe that without developing these skills and improving my extensions and power, I wouldn't have been able to to complete these skills effectively within a performance.

Unite - musical theatre

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

In the musical theatre dance I got to be part of a featured section. This meant I got the chance to work with two other musical theatre students to create a small section of choreography within the dance. Having this opportunity also gave me the chance to incorporate a jump/leap variation to again show off the power, height and extensions I've been working on. In this piece I chose to include a barrel turn as it doesn't take up too much room as we didn't have a lot of space on stage between the chairs but it still requires and displays the power, height and placements I've been working on.

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC

Here you will find the Beauty and the Beast libretto containing notes that I have written to make sure I can remember what I am doing and where I need to be in each song and scene. This will help me to fully immerse myself within a character as I will be able to refer back to what’s written and ensure I know what I am doing so when it comes to rehearsals I can focus more on character choices and how Belle reacts rather than where she is moving.
I have attached them in chronological order to make it easier to follow and read.

BSDC_DDC6 — 2024-09-10 14:34:02 UTC