https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs Logs from each rehearsal I have with Kimberley Clarke in preparation for the final show. en-us 2017-03-02 10:36:37 UTC 2024-07-26 09:51:28 UTC hello@padlet.com jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/157275816 For this lesson Kimberley asked us to write down our 10 beliefs. I then discussed them with her as she chose certain beliefs that were appropriate to her idea for the piece. She picked 'I believe that everyone has a right to an education'. I then went and researched about real life stories to do with young children and education. I found a story about a disabled boy who didn't walk until he was 5 and now attends a local school which his family thought he'd never happen. 
We had to create a short solo inspired by the belief we had chosen. I decided to explore movement without using my legs to symbolise the disability of the young boy. 
My strengths for this rehearsals were that I responded well to tasks and my response to research was immediate as I went to the library. I also wrote down information that I found and picked keys words in order to help me create a solo. My weaknesses for this rehearsal were that once I created approximately 3 counts of 8 of movement, I became uninterested. I did however repeat the solo over and over again to ensure that I knew the material without any hesitation when Kim wanted to see it. 
My target for future rehearsals when given tasks such as this one is to try and think of original movement. A useful exercise would be to film myself improvising and then watch it back and re-create any movement that seems relevant to my theme.]]> 2017-03-02 10:50:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/157275816 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170460074 This rehearsal was the first rehearsal with the blocks, so this lesson we played around and experimented with the blocks, finding different shapes and different ways to build them and how much weight could be applied to them. Below are a few images of what we created during the rehearsal. The square block of which I am stood on was used as the opening section of the piece, however the otherwise were never used. We also made pathways with blocks and Kim asked us to walk along them and then we were asked to improvise along them.
- My strengths for this rehearsal was my positivity and my attitude towards the tasks that were asked of me. I tried to suggest different and original ideas of which my fellow students agreed with and we all could create something together. I do not feel like I had any weaknesses during this lesson as I feel like I responded to all these tasks with initiative and I was positive about the experience. 
- My target is to come to the rehearsal with the same attitude that I had in this rehearsal because being positive encouraged me to keep an open mind and appreciate the ideas coming from the other dancers and also the choreographer. ]]> 2017-05-08 09:38:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170460074 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170464483 2017-05-08 10:09:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170464483 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170464579 2017-05-08 10:10:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170464579 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170467559 In this rehearsal, there were a number of tasks as opposed to just using the whole lesson for one. The first task was myself and Millie were chosen to move blocks for Cane, to create a pathway for him as he improvised. Our choreographer, Kim, wanted this to symbolise men being above women whilst the women are doing all the work underneath. Me and Mille worked well together and we were able to communicate whilst passing the blocks to one another to ensure the safety of Cane. Although the task sounds straight forward and simple it was physical demanding as we had to move the blocks quickly to keep up with Cane. This was most physical demanding on the legs, so in preparation for the show and upcoming rehearsals I would make sure I have warmed up my legs properly and also do some leg exercises outside of rehearsal to maintain the strength in the my legs. 
- My strength for this rehearsal was that I work well in a team and I can communicate with my peers effectively in order to complete the task correctly. 
- My weakness was that I need to breath during the section to ensure that I don't tire easily. This means that I will be able to move the blocks quickly and it will also increase my stamina. 
- My target for the next lesson is to do some exercises outside of the rehearsal to increase my leg strength and my overall stamina.]]> 2017-05-08 10:33:50 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170467559 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170517367 In this rehearsal we started to create the block phrase that would be the end section of the piece. To do this, Kim asked all of us to create a short phrase on the block and then we would combine them all together which would make the phrase. I personally found this task challenging, as I do with any choreography task because I find choreographing itself a difficult process and so I went back and forth trying to decide what would work in my solo. I was trying not to think and be original with my movement and once I had created it I was not 100% happy with it. 
- A weakness of the group is that some people were reluctant try other people's solo or say that they couldn't do it. This made the rehearsal longer because of instead of attempting the movement, they would stand there. 
- A strength of mine is that I always attempt any movement, or even if I struggle with a movement I will practice until I achieve it. This makes me stand out from other dancers because it shows I am willing and can be versatile with different movements.
- I have decided that a target for future rehearsals is to watch different works to see how different people choreograph and hopefully get some inspiration from that when choreographing myself.]]> 2017-05-08 14:12:39 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170517367 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170687043 In this rehearsal we had previously had half term so the lesson was purely about recapping everything we had done so far. We recapped the block phrase that we had created and myself, Nico, Cane and Chloe worked on more lifts for the duets. I feel that myself and Nico worked well together in this rehearsal and listened to each other, however when he is accompanied by Cane, they both struggle to focus which affects myself and Chloe as we do not feel safe when being lifted. Therefore it was difficult to attempt different lifts and it felt like the rehearsal was slightly wasted. 
- My strengths for this rehearsal was that I remembered the block phrase well which means my movement memory is improving. 
- Another strength was thinking of creative and original lifts that Kim could adapt or use in the piece.
- My weaknesses for this rehearsal was that although we had thought of interesting contact work we couldn't execute them properly because of Nico and Cane's behaviour. I will also admit that I was nervous during the contact as small errors would occur, such as Myself and Chloe not being put down correctly and falling over. The boys would laugh and not seem bothered if we were alright.
- A target for next rehearsal or next time we perform the lifts would be to make sure I am fully focused and speak to Kim if any further accidents happen. ]]> 2017-05-09 07:44:12 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170687043 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170695223 In this rehearsal, Kim decided that the block phrase was too long and we reworked it. Also due to an event taking place, our rehearsal was cut short. We ran the section multiple times after the changes to ensure that everyone had remembered them. We also decided on which lifts we were going to use during the duet section and clarified them.
- A strength from this rehearsal was that I was able to pick up the movement quickly and retain it and not get confused with the previous phrase as they were similar. 
- A weakness for the rehearsal was that as myself and other dancers had come from an event we were excited and were not as focused as well as we should have been.
- I do not feel like I have any targets for the rehearsal. I just need to make sure that I stay professional and focused during a rehearsal not matter what has happened. ]]> 2017-05-09 08:28:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170695223 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170698698 In this rehearsal the 'salsa' phrase was created. Before Kim started to choreograph she asked us all to research different cultural dances and choose one movement or a small phrase. We also learned some different styles including Kosak, Spanish, Israel, African and various others that Kim had found. This was a good productive rehearsal as we had created a whole section and it was a break from the blocks as we got to dance properly so to speak. 
- My strengths for this rehearsal was that I was fully engaged in this rehearsal and attempted every movement that was shown. I feel like I can execute the movement to a good standard. 
- My weaknesses are that I struggled with the research when trying to find a cultural dance move. However with trial and error I found some different movements that I showed to Kim, which weren't used, although they weren't used I still completed the task that was set. A weakness for the group would be spacing. All the dancers including myself were dancing on to of one another, which meant we couldn't dance full out therefore not performing the movement with the correct choreographic intention.
- My target for next rehearsal would be to ensure that I have enough space to dance in and perform the movement fully and to the choreographers standard.]]> 2017-05-09 08:45:02 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170698698 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170708551 Once again we started the lesson by recapping everything that we had created so far. This included the salsa phrase that we had done in the previous rehearsal. We also create two new phrases, one of which was used in the final piece. The phrase that we didn't use was to a speech about females and what they are 'expected' to do. Each dancer had a particular sentence in the phrase and we had to choreograph movement to the words. Once we had all choreographed movement we combine them all together to create the phrase. 
- The strengths of the group for this rehearsal was that everyone worked well together and all the dancers contributed interesting material which created a good standard phrase. Everyone picked up the material quickly which meant we could move onto another section of the piece.
We also learned the 'feminism' phrase which was an emotional, lyrical phrase, which was a complete contrast on the other sections that we had learned as they were up beat, fast and powerful movements. The phrase symbolises events women go through in their life and also being their for each other. 
- My strengths for this phrase was that I was fully committed and engaged and I enjoyed learning the phrase, as did the rest of the dancers. 
- I do not feel like I have any weaknesses during this phrase as I was committed and attempted all the movements with correct technique and danced to my limitations. ]]> 2017-05-09 09:37:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170708551 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170721726 This rehearsal was purely focused on the duets. As a dancer was not present at this rehearsal, it was mainly myself and Nico that the lesson was for. Kim choreographed the majority of the duet whilst me and Nico contributed ideas as and when it felt appropriate. We managed to choreograph and finish the duet. 
- My strengths for this rehearsal was that I work well with Nico and I am able to hold my core whilst being lifted which makes it easier for my partner. I was also able to trust Nico fully during all the contact work. 
- A weakness for the rehearsal would be that Nico wasn't fully committed in my opinion and sometimes he didn't think about the way he was handling me, resulting in me falling off the block or not being placed on the right block. 
- A target for the next rehearsal when refining the duet is to be patient with Nico and communicate with him as much as possible during the rehearsal. ]]> 2017-05-09 11:02:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170721726 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170728857 Once again this rehearsal started with a recap of all the phrases we have created so far. We then created the 'throwy' block phrase. This was a big, long phrase and for the majority of it myself and a few other dancers were sat out, either because Kim hadn't choreographed something for us or she wasn't what we would be doing during that time. 
- My strengths for this rehearsal is that once again my movement memory is improving as I remembered all the sections very well. I make sure that I watch the choreographer carefully and this helps me to retain all of the material that I am learning.
- My weakness for this lesson was that I wasn't fully committed and engaged and this is down to not doing a lot which is completely my own fault. I could've asked to refine something whilst I wasn't needed, or worked on material that I was struggling with.
- My target for next rehearsal is ensure that I use the spare time if I am not being used to be productive, and go over material which would mean the choreographer wouldn't have to waste time clarifying movements at a later date.]]> 2017-05-09 11:43:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170728857 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170741350 This rehearsal was purely recapping and started to refine phrases. This included the throwy block we did the rehearsal before. In this rehearsal Kim choreographed material for the dancers that hadn't done much in the previous rehearsal (including me). During this whole rehearsal I was having trouble with my hamstring injury so for the remainder of the lesson I had to sit out. I do not feel like I had any strengths during this rehearsal as I was only dancing for approximately 15 minutes but whilst participating in those 15 minutes I was engaged and eager to learn the choreography. 
- I would say a weakness was my injury as it stopped me from learning new material and participating in the rehearsal, which meant I could've missed out on an opportunity.
- My target for next rehearsal would be to rest and take care of my injury by heating it and gently stretch it, to ensure that I am well enough to take part in the following rehearsal.]]> 2017-05-09 12:38:44 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170741350 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170784777 During this rehearsal we specifically focused on Nico and Cane's section. We made set specific movements and counts to ensure that the blocks were in the correct place for Nico and Cane. 
- A weakness for myself and two other dancers who helped move the blocks was to make sure the spacing was correct. The studio upstairs (311) is slightly wider than the theatre space downstairs (053) so whilst rehearsing downstairs, we had an issue with the spacing because it is smaller. To resolve this we moved the pathway to a straight line instead of a diagonal, which then meant that the two sets of blocks weren't going to crash into each other. 
Also during this rehearsal, I helped Cane and Chloe with the duet as they weren't sure on the lifts or the pathway and Nico helped as well. This was difficult because it was hard to focus because Cane and Nico weren't focused and they weren't taking the rehearsal seriously. This frustrated me as I was sparing my time to help them and I was constantly being distracted because the boys were messing around. It resulted in Myself and Chloe actually being dropped out of lifts, which luckily didn't cause any damage. In the end we managed to sort out the lifts and the entire phrase however it took more time than I'd hoped because of the disruptions.]]> 2017-05-09 14:47:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170784777 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170791546 This was the first rehearsal after Easter half term so naturally we recapped everything and cleared up movements of phrases that some dancers weren't sure on. We then started to run the piece from start to finish. The first order we tried wasn't how our choreographer, Kim, thought it was going to be. We tried a new order roughly which was the order that the final piece would take place in. 
- My strength for this rehearsal was that I listened to everything that Kim was saying, to ensure that I knew what section was next and what I was supposed to be doing. I made sure to hold my core and perform how I would in the show. I started to use my focus and remember where it had to be if it was set by Kim, if not I'd set myself where I was gong to focus. I feel like I was fully engaged and committed in this rehearsal as I knew how important it was, especially as we were getting closer to the show day.
- A weakness was that some of the dancers wouldn't listen to Kim so it meant we had to repeat sections more than we needed to. This was frustrating for people such as myself who were listening and who knew what they were doing because it felt like we were going backwards in the rehearsal. 
- A target for myself is to maintain my focus and commitment in future rehearsals.]]> 2017-05-09 15:09:55 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170791546 jesshillery02 https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170868311 This rehearsal was all at the Mac in Birmingham, as it was the day before the show and therefore our tech day. In the morning we mainly focused on getting used to the space and if we had any issues or concerns we could speak to Kim and try and resolve them before the run in the afternoon. We ran the piece twice, once after tech and then in a run of the whole show later on in the day. 
- My strengths for the first run of the piece was that I performed well and I remembered all the sections and the order of the piece and I knew what I was doing. 
- A weakness of mine was that I did not perform to the best of my ability because I was still getting used to my surroundings. I should not of let the new space affect me performing as full out as I can. 
- A target for the next run and then the actual performance would be to ensure that I perform and go beyond my limitations to make my performance aesthetically pleasing to an audience and also increase my chance of getting a better grade.

The last run of the day started off well however during the duet section that I perform with Nico, I was dropped out of a lift and became injured. As I was dropped on my back I had to sit out for the rest of the piece. I feel as though Nico's nerves got the better of him and as it was getting closer to the show he was feeling the pressure of getting the movements right. I must admit during the whole section I felt nervous and I am personally not a person who minds being lifted. To try and resolve this issue I spoke to Kim afterwards.]]> 2017-05-09 19:33:10 UTC https://padlet.com/jesshillery02/rehearsal_logs/wish/170868311