Core Technique Blog by aaliyah Baker

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This blog will track my progression from September until may through videos of development. Focusing on the core techniques and performance.

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Training- Ballet, Jazz, Commerical, Tap, Contemporary, Musical theatre, Hip hop foundations

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Instagram- _aaliyah_baker_

https://www.instagram.com/_aaliyah_baker_/

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 12:37:03 UTC

For the next year I am going to be setting 2-3 goals in each core technique, giving me time to focus on different elements in each style, making sure they link together.1) dynamics, when watching videos back especially in commercial I feel like my dynamics are not where they need to be, I need to be hitting sharper but also having smooth textures to show light and shade. To reach this when I'm in lesson I am going to watch the teachers to see how they portray them, listen to musicality then continue to focus on them to see in a improvement.2) stops and starts, when I am doing choreography, I need to stop my movement more clearly to highlight how I understand my body and the music when dancing. I will do this by also focusing on this ensuring my core is always engaged and applying it when in lessons.3) isolations and grooves, this something I have been already practicing in my own time, however I still need to work on pursuing them further. I will do this by doing isolation exercises in the mirror, really focusing on one part of my body. Then for grooves, practice different ones demonstrated by teachers such as Leroy, chad and Jamie.I believe these goals will help me in all styles and will enhance my overall dancing. I will post videos to show the improvement.

SHOCKOUT

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Throughout shockout we have a variety of teachers teaching us different types of commercial dance allowing us to be as versatile as possible. Not only this but I take part in plenty of open classes to help my improvement, allowing my body to take on a range of different information from different teachers in order to grow as a dancer.

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GOAL- my first goal in commercial is working on my freestyle to different genres of music to ensure I am comfortable with anything given to me. I will do this by free styling every other night for 30minutes to keep up with creativity and understand the feelings of different emotions. Although this goal doesn’t really have a limit on when I should be where I want, I will be hoping to feel more confident by September.
Freestyle at the moment is something I struggle with when asked to do it in lessons in front of my peers throughout Shockout. This is because I lack in confidence, which is why I have set it as a goal. Throughout the lockdown period I have a lot of time to work on feeling comfortable enough to express myself through practice.
When working on my freestyle, I will use a range techniques such as only moving one part of my body and different textures in order to experiment more with these body parts. Trying not to criticise myself with what comes out and just take it as a learning process allowing my body to feel movements instead of worrying what they look like.
See videos below in the freestyle section, for the progression and experimental aspects.

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GOAL- Work on stops and starts throughout choreography to enhance my technical ability in commercial.
Again this goal will go on until September however I will be refining and continuing to progress this goal throughout my dance journey.
The reason I want to work on this is because when performing choreography I feel like the moves just flow into one, which sometimes looks good however I do think being able to apply stops and starts, conveys that you have control over your body.
The way in which I am going to work on this is by being aware of it when learning choreography ensuring I fully commit to stopping a movement if it’s a hit instead of rushing into the next movement.
In the video below there are two different choreographies by Josh Wharmby. The bottom video from November and top one from April. The two videos illustrate the improvement of my stop and starts as I have been ensuring I work on it when learning choreography to help achieve my goal. For me I think this is a massive improvement and I will continue to work on it up until September.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 12:41:52 UTC

Goal- Dynamics is an aspect In my dancing I am wanting to get better at in order to be the best dancer I can be.
When I watch other dancers who inspire me such as Diana Matos, I focus a lot on their dynamics. For example going from really slow and controlled to hitting hard illustrating a complete contrast.
This goal is something I will be working on until the end of third year as I feel this is something that can always be better and will never be perfect. Dynamics make choreography look interesting and catch people’s eye which is exactly what I want when it comes to auditioning for jobs.
When researching into dynamics, I believe the way of improving them is by understanding all the different ones that can be applied to my movement. You can apply different dynamics to each movement for example focusing on the weight of a movement light or strong.
When do I want to achieve?
Although it is an ongoing goal by May I want to see an improvement, demonstrating the work I have put in to help improve my dynamics.
Other style-
This goal has been set for commercial however, dynamics are used in all styles which means by working on them it will help to improve my other technical studies.
In video below the top video is from November and the bottom one is from March. In the first video even though I use slight dynamics I think there needs to be a bigger contrast, between strong parts and movement which is fluid. In the bottom video, i think that my dynamics are a lot more controlled and I show a better understanding in my movement conveying the contrast.

CLASSES

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Dancing with an artist

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Dancing with an artist
Commerical class at Shockout
Choreography- Jamie Luke
In commercial lessons with Jamie we always focus on different aspects such as cleanliness, dynamics, femininity, isolations. In this lesson we focused on femininity and allowing the movement to flow throughout the choreography.
After a few weeks of working on the choreography given to us in this video, Jamie brought in the camera to see whether or not we could perform to the camera whilst also having an artist their. Jamie expressed how important it was to ensure you focus on the artist not yourself ensuring they feel confident with movements and that they are not alone on stage. Using a camera in lessons is a great way to prepare ourselves for the dance industry as it would be the same on a tv show and music video.
The expressive skills necessary for this particular performance included having your focus towards the camera and the artist, demonstrating you have a clear understanding of what you would do if you was on tour or on set. As this was filmed on a camera we needed to project our movement with energy whilst incorporating the fluidity of the movement from the torso down to the hips. By applying the fluidity and the energy it then enhances the dynamic quality of the dance highlighting light and shade throughout the choreography. Furthermore as the task was dancing with an artist it was important we performed with both facial and body expression to entertain the audience.
When Identifying the physical aspects In the choreography, it is important to have correct posture even if it is not a technique class. All of my technical studies should be put into my commercial classes. Stamina is important when looking at the intention of this class, if you was on tour it would be important for you to get throughout the set with the same amount of energy throughout. In commercial we learn a lot of steps which means we need an understanding of co ordination being able to control our movements, isolating and grooving through our bodies.
Although this is a commercial class, the use of the camera and performing with an artist will come useful to other styles. For example, going on a cruise ship with jazz choreography, even if you are not dancing with an artist you are dancing with other people meaning you need to form a relationship during the choreography. In terms of the dynamics and stylistic qualities of this routine, a female we have to dance feminine in all styles as it is expected in the industry. The use of fluidity throughout commercial will help improve my movement in all other styles such as Matt Mattox technique, going from sharp and aggressive with the arm movements to fluid and smooth during a jazz ripple.
When analysing this video and watching myself back I feel I took a great effort in ensuring I made it fluid all the way through highlighting light and shade which is what Jamie wanted us to focus on. However my lines could of been cleaner as at points my arms look a bit weak, after noticing this I will focus on making sure I work on making it better throughout my lessons. This suggests that I need to focus on everything as a whole rather than one thing throughout lessons.

Hip hop

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Hip hop class in Shockout
Choreography- Jade Mcnally
This is a video of Jade Mcnallys hip hop class, as stated by DJ Renegade hip hop dance is a variety of street dance styles connected to the hip hop cluture which started in New York City in the 70s. Hip hop originally started with Breaking which then began to die out in the 80s as culture began to change. This is similar to other arts forms such as ballet as time moved forward the art form began to progress going from the Renaissance period, the Classical period, the Romantic period, the Ballet Russe and so on. This signifies that dance has to evolve as an art form for new elements to be discovered.
For hip hop it was very music based and as the music began to change and slow down so would the social dances going from breaking to Hip Hop Freestyle. It is important to remember that music plays a massive part in dance, ‘by engaging with the music, the dancer can experience the emotions of the original musicians’(Schloss, J.G. 2009). Music contributes the expressive skills when performing, dancers feel the music which then leads to the power of the performance. With this hip hop routine In the video below, the performance and intention comes from the way she is singing the song.
When I danced this I invisioned it as a battle towards someone else, which created the agression and power needed to execute the movements. Throughout there is a constant groove linking it back to the hip hop freestyle movement, as that was all about grooves followed by the use of the torso, contractions followed by fluidity. The expressive features of the dance style embody cockiness whilst also enjoying the movement created. With this specific style of dance it concentrates on working on an individuals creativity, ‘because it allows anybody to take this dance form the way it was founded and add what they are’ (Schloss, J.G. 2009). Which is why it is great that we receive these classes at Shockout as it allows us to find our own individuality, allowing us to stand out as dancers in classes, auditions, and on stage. Moving on to the musicality created in this choreography it conveys both the lyrics and beats in the background following the rhythm of the rap. Meaning we had to focus when learning the choreography to ensure we understood what everything went on.
In relation to my dancing I felt that I followed the intention that jade wanted throughout the class however for me I feel my dynamics could be a lot stronger to highlight the difference between hitting hard and moving fluidly, showing my understanding of light and shade. Also my stops and starts making sure I hit each position in the routine as in some sections I feel like I cut them short. Both of these weaknesses are included in my goals and are things I am working on to be a better dancer. Furthermore a strength from this video is my use of grooving and body. Although I still need to work on this I keep the groove consistent throughout. This signifies that I took an understanding of the style given to me.
The physical, technical and mental skills needed for this specific choreography is confidence and strength. Having the confidence to execute the performance and dynamics needed for this routine is important, otherwise it will not look as affected. The strength of your movement especially the arms, is needed to illustrate the aggression of the routine. Without these two elements the choreography will not look how Jade wanted it, as a dancer it is important to understand that each teacher/choreographer want different things and you need to be able to adapt quickly to any style given to you. For me this is what separates dancers from professionals.

Schloss, J.G. 2009, Foundation: B-boys, B-girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York, Oxford University Press, US.
BBC. 2015. BBC Arts - BBC Arts - The History Of Hip-Hop Dance. [online] Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Performance

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 12:54:04 UTC

In the first term we began learning sections of choreography from Jamie Luke to put together a routine to perform in our in house show. The rehearsals took place every Friday and we would add on until all the choreography had been taught, this put into practice my pick up and retention skills which will come useful when going for professional jobs and learning a show. After that Jamie and Nadia began to place the piece and put people into different sections and formations, Jamie would always place one side allowing the other side to work it out which is what would happen when on a job. This meant everyone needed to stay focused and concentrated in order to get the piece done. Throughout the process Jamie made it as realistic to an actual rehearsal to give everyone the experience of how it would be, for example changing formations round quickly if people where injured or ill meaning people needed to know everything inside and out.

In relation to expressive qualities, I learnt that both the stage and studio use a completely different focus. In a studio you’re focus is mainly forward as the audience are on the same level as you, however on stage your eye line must be raised for all the seats above. When on stage it is important to remember projection and exaggerating your movements even more so that every movement can be seen on the stage. This is something I had to apply when performing this choreography giving me a greater understanding of how it would be on tour performing in front of thousands. When on tour you are always accompanied by other dancers and the artists which is why I also ensured I acknowledged other dances on stage as it gives the performance a better presence and atmosphere.

In terms of artistic and expressive qualities this piece came from concert styled dance, simple but affect movements. The dynamic qualities are strong and powerful movements that stand out on stage for audience to have a clear vision. Whilst also highlighting our femininity through fluid movements. Professional and training dancers must ensure they are sensitive to all musical elements in order to be successful.

When watching the video I think you can see a clear improvement on performance and confidence when dancing to an audience, this is because I have been practicing in my own time. I also see good stops and starts throughout which I have been continuing to improve. However I feel I need to still work on dynamics which will happen if I focus on listening to the music and playing around with them to make myself more individual. My goal for the new year to develop my performance when in class not just using it when we do it in front of an audience as a piece. Also focus on my ongoing goal of dynamics to make my movement more unique.

The physical, technical and mental elements needed for this performance include a lot of concentration and focus during the rehearsal process to ensure the piece was ready to go on stage. The physical aspect of the choreography, needed a lot of stamina to get through the piece and strength to ensure I hit the positions full out all the way through even if I am tired. Finally the technical parts needed for this choreography included understanding the dynamics used throughout, knowledge of the use of isolations and grooves showing a contrast between the two and the using the space properly being aware of other dancers in the space. Communicating with the dancers throughout to highlight the performance aspect to the audience.

Being able to do this performance, allowed me to experience what it would be like on tour with Beyoncé which is my dream job as a dancer. Using movement similar to what Jaquel Knight choreographed in his work with Beyoncé.

Heels choreography

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All of these classes are completely different teachers, as a training dancer I like to get knowledge from lots of different choreographers and teachers instead of just learning from one. This is because they all have something different to give and each of their choreography is completely different making it a challenge for me. Also all the choreography has different types of dynamics, performance elements and stylistic qualities. This means I have to be able to apply differently to all making me a more versatile dancer.

Nadia Robinson’s heels class

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As a female dancer in majority of commercial auditions I will be dancing in heels, which is why we have heels classes on our timetable to prepare us for auditions. Wearing a silhetto heel isn’t as easy as people think, you need to have great strength in your ankles and legs whilst also having a strong core in order to dance in them successfully.

Kimberly Wyatt out of the pussycat dolls explains how much strength you need in order to wear a silhouette heel. She has created a ‘dance yoga barre mash up designed to train your feet for heels’ this exemplifies how you can not just put a heels on and you need to be trained in order to dance correctly. Her programme involves 60 minutes of pure ballet technique like plies and releves focusing on strengthening the legs, ankles and feet. This emphasises how useful technique training is for any type of dancer including commerical highlighting how they all connect together to make a versatile dancer.

The expressive skills needed in this specific choreography is performance in both the body and face. The intention behind this choreography is confidence and women empowerment. Throughout the choreography we are using our whole body, focusing on the positioning of our body’s, ensuring we fill out the music with our movement. In this choreography the dynamics range from sharp to smooth and sustained with a lot of stops and starts. My focus mainly stays forward unless set, as I imagined dancing the choreography to one person.

The physical and technical elements from this choreography is strength and control. Ensuring I felt stable in my heels, keeping the core engaged to stay balanced in positions that were slow and sustained. This particular routine incorporated the splits which tested flexibility. This highlights how important it is for dancers to have flexibility in all styles not just technique. The use of isolations is important in this routine as it contributes to the musicality, hitting each beat. Finally, when Nadia taught us this choreography she expressed how important it was to use our levels. Which is what we get told in our jazz and contemporary classes, this signifies how it used across all styles.

The comparison between heels and technique is that you need good technique to be able to look good. Having the strength in the lower body and core and understanding when your legs are together, straight and bent to make the routine look feminine. The contrast is that the steps and dynamics are different using a range of grooves and hitting positions.

Dancing in heels: FITNESS New barre- inspired classes will prime you for party-shoe season. Katie Strick raises her game and gets in training for the dance floor 2018, Evening Standard Limited, London (UK)

Sharon June’s Heels Class

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Heels class at Studio 25
Choreography-Sharon June
Here is a video of the heels class I took at studio 25 by Sharon June. The class started with strengthening exercises as it is important to have strong ankles and calves to stay sturdy when wearing your heels. We did rises, holding on relevay with eyes open and closed to prepare us for our heels and get use to balancing. After this we then put heels on but practiced technique such as turns and walks which will help when it comes to auditioning in feels as you have already put them into practice. Then we started the choreography, which is seen in the video. The choreography is very sensual and slow meaning you need to use all your body to fill up the movement. I felt the choreography had a lot of dynamics going from slow to then fast sharp movements. Personally I’m these classes I feel steady in my heels as I have taken a lot of technique classes in training which has given me the strength and core stability to stay stable. This signifies that all technique classes are brought into all other genres of dance. What I would work on if I was to do the class again are the slow bits, longing them out more to show my understanding of the dynamics and the musicality. To practice this I need to freestyle to slow songs to get into my muscle memory to allowing me to apply it to my choreography classes. However I think I took on all the details she went through in the class and I am clean throughout which shows how I have been working on my attention to detail throughout classes to reach my goal.

Paige Goulding Heels Class

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Heels class at Wildhawk
Choreography- Paige Goulding
Whenever I go to any open class it’s time to show myself off delivering the development and progression I have made throughout training. Not only this but to show me through movement in training it is very much learning vocabulary needed to be a successful dancer. This is why I take so much open class to develop myself into an individual. When taking class I try to focus on intention as all choreography will have a different one.
In this choreography my intention is to show off in confidence which is something I sometimes struggle with however in this specific class I think I pushed myself. The choreography is full out but also has slow parts where you can use bodily and facial expressions. In this video I use a lot of my facial expression and my focus is to the camera this is good practice for future jobs on tv or a music video as you have to be able to deliver the choreography whilst also making use of the camera.

Self Confidence

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As a dancer one of the most important aspects is to have self confidence in order to perform to the best of your ability. According to Dr. Jim Taylor self confidence is how you feel about yourself and your abilities and shows how much effort you put into yourself and reaching goals. Personally In my dance training I’ve found it very important to keep a positive mindset in order to get through my training. However if you have a negative mindset it can lead to mental and physical issues such as depression and not dancing to the best you can. Self confidence is something I have been working on which is why this video is a great example to illustrate the improvement as I did a solo on my own in front of a camera and the class. By getting opportunity’s like this allows me to grow in confidence and help me to improve in all aspects of dance
When analysing this video back one thing I wish I would of done it freestyle at the start and end. This is something I need to get use to and incorporate into my training as i will have to do it at auditions. This is why freestyle is one of my goals this year as I know it will make my dancing better.
Taylor, D., 2015. Self Confidence. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 April 2020].

Fitness

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:04:35 UTC

As a dancer as much as it is important that you can do all the steps and styles of dance, fitness is also a very important aspect when becoming a professional. Although we need fitness in every style of dance, throughout training at Shockout we have the most fitness in either a fitness lesson or our commercial lesson.
As explained by Berardi (2005), fitness is essential for dancers as it gives us stamina, strength, power and resistance to injury. Our dance training is demanding which means our fitness levels need to be at high standard in order to execute movements with the energy levels necessary for certain routines and exercises. Furthermore Berardi (2005) defines that taking on extra fitness on top of your training is important as a dance class is not enough to tackle all components of fitness.
Fitness is an aspect of training that needs to be incorporated into any dancers life who is wanting to be a professional. According to Stanyer (2018) the reasons dancers do not have stamina are; classes are always stop and start which does not engage aerobic system, due to a heavy timetable dancers are overworked and don't engage with enough leisure. Which is why I am fortune enough to have both a gym membership and fitness classes on my timetable at shockout. Shockout have a great understanding of the importance of fitness and why a dancers need it. In my own time I take part in gym classes in the morning before university, swimming at night and personal training sessions. I take fitness very seriously and I think it benefits you as a dancer. For example doing a jazz show on a cruise ship will take a lot of stamina and strength and as I am preparing myself for that I make the most out of the faculties I have with Shockout. Furthermore, Stanyer (2018) then goes onto describe the benefits of cardio vascular exercise, which include; improvement on posture and health, improves stamina and performance ability, reduces risk of injury and fatigue. Which are all important for all styles of dance and allow you to endure career longevity.
Personally, I enjoy doing fitness, which means in my own time I choose to do it. Due to the lockdown there are no gyms open but we still encounter fitness on our online timetables and I ensure I go for a run or take a fitness class everyday on top of that ensuring I do not lose my fitness levels.

Stanyer, L. (2018). The Importance of Cardiovascular Endurance for the Dancer. [online] Laurastanyer.blogspot.com. Available at: http://laurastanyer.blogspot.com/2011/07/importance-of-cardiovascular-endurance.html [Accessed 28 April 2020].
Berardi, G. 2005;2004;, Finding Balance: Fitness, Training, and Health for a Lifetime in Dance, 2nd edn, Routledge Ltd, London.

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Practitoners

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Paris Goebel

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Paris Goebel is a well known choreographer and dancer from New Zealand. As a choreographer she started off with a crew called royal family who are now very known in the dance world as the tour and compete all around the world. Goebel has worked with a number of current artists such as Rihanna, Ciara, Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Little Mix and many more. Her work has been used on tv shows, music videos and films. Paris style is known as polyswagg and she’s focuses on hearing, breathing and living for the music not only this but she shows inspiration from dancehall style which is seen in many of her choreographed pieces. As a dancer and choreographer she inspires me, through her movement and her stage presence. The way she performs with so much confidence is something I want to take and be inspired by.
When I watch her choreography and has she performs I think she is so individual and interesting to watch. Her style is also used in stage performance, as she hits all the musicality making simple choreography look hard with the change in dynamics and working with formations. The way Goebel spaces and creates formations in her pieces is clever, making it visually pleasing. Performance is a massive factor in Goebels choreography, using the whole body through isolations and grooves. The facial expressions her dancers convey are so consistent, with pure intention.

Sun, R., 2020. Super Bowl LIV Choreographer Parris Goebel Signs With IMG Models (Exclusive). [online] The Hollywood Reporter. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Brian Friedman

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:09:46 UTC

Brian Friedman is one of the most well known choreographers and creative director in the commercial dance industry. Not only has Brian worked with Simon Cowell countless of times on X factor he has worked with artists such as Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Micheal and Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Usher only mentioning a few.
Although his choreography is very commercial jazz/jazz funk, he has done a lot of stage and television work which would come under commercial. He also teaches at HDI commercial dance camp where I got to take his class.
His choreography is at a very advanced level, with a lot of technique behind it. Using fast musicality with integrate movement, isolations and performance. Friedman is a choreographer with a lot of technical background and has used that and creates routines for versatile dancers. This is something I want to add into my training commercial and technique in a routine to challenge myself as I enjoy doing both.

Friedman, B., n.d. Brian Friedman. [online] Broadway Dance Center. Available at: [Accessed 2 May 2020].

Audition Preparation

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As a dancer it is important have an understanding of auditions...which ones you go to, what to wear, background of what you are auditioning for etc. As a dancer leaving training according to Evans (2016) it is important you don’t attend all auditions that you can and go to one monthly in order to be 100% prepared for anything that is given to you. To stop yourself from making that mistake it is crucial that you research into the audition before going as stated by Joy Dewing “you must be prepared and have done your homework ahead of time” this will help you if questioned but will also help time wasting as agents are always looking for a specific look.
Furthermore when preparing for certain auditions it’s vital that you follow instructions for example what to wear, don’t turn up in baggy clothing bright clothing if they said tight black clothing and what to sing ensure you take on board what they are saying otherwise it shows the casting team you don’t listen to instructions. In my training I need to start wearing tight clothing into my classes, as I would wear to auditions. At the moment I wear joggers and jumpers a lot, however I need to start experimenting the tight clothing working out what suits my look.
Before attending the audition a good tip is to research who you are auditioning for as ‘each casting agent is a person with a very particular opinion’ meaning some may look for different things like performance or cleanliness or confidence. Another tip Joy Dewing advises is “keep a log of all the auditions you go to, what you sang, who was in the room and any feedback you got” this will help you for future auditions and get a better idea what worked for different casting agents. Overall, it is important you are fully prepared for anything as you never know what to expect at audition.
Researching into this has helped me to get a better idea of what I need to be doing going into my third year to ensure nothing holds me back when I want a job as I know what is expected when I go.

Evans, T. 2016, “How to be Prepared for Dance Auditions in New York: one graduating dancer recommends quality over quantity”., Dance Major Journal, Vol 4

What would I wear to an audition?

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:13:12 UTC

As I am soon going into my third year, I felt like it was necessary to start looking for outfits for auditions working out what suits me, what I like dancing in and what will make me look different. Here is an example of something I would wear to an audition. Generally at auditions is usually all black and girls have to wear something that shows off their body and dance in heels. I would always wear my hair down as I believe it is something that makes me stand out.

What auditions would I go to?

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:13:47 UTC

Training at Shockout allows me to have access to many tools in all aspects of dance and musical theatre, giving the option to go to any audition without feeling clueless. When leaving Shockout and going out for auditions I will be attending auditions for commercial jobs such as X factor, different cruise lines such as royal Caribbean and musical theatre auditions such as Hamilton.

Inspiration

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Charlize Glass

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As a dancer, Charlize is someone I am inspired by as I feel she is a definition of a dancer, being versatile in every style. She has all her hip hop foundations, all her core techniques which allows her to go in every class confident and completely understanding her body. Throughout my dance training this is something I want to achieve being confident in all styles having strong technique behind me.

Leroy Curwood

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:15:19 UTC

Leroy curwood is also one of my inspiration in dance as he has taught me so much throughout shockout. He has so much knowledge In all genres of styles and he has taught me things I never thought I’d even learn such as Afro house. His style includes all foundations highlighting that he has been trained in all technical styles. What inspires me is how much control and understanding he has over his movement and this is something I want to embody into myself and training. Leroy knowledge is endless which means you never know what to expect from his choreography. Here is a clip of me dancing at six styles to Leroys choreography.

Extra Classes

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At shockout we have an extremely full timetable with lots of verity however it is important we continue to push that by doing extra classes. In Manchester their are a range of different dance studios which offer a great variety of dance classes which is why I always ensure I do at least 2-3 extra classes a week. Here is an example of a timetable of classes offered outside of Shockout Arts.

Ajs Choreography

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:17:21 UTC

In shockout we get a timetable full of different classes including ballet, jazz, contemporary, commerical, Latin, fitness and more however on top of this it’s important to take extra classes in all styles in order to progress faster. As reported by Wilkinson in terms of fitness, classes in training are stop and start which doesn’t push a dancers stamina, which means when it comes to rehearsals dancers are struggling to keep up, this highlights that dancers need to be taking on fitness in their own time in order to build it up and should ask what training they should take for their individual bodies. In relation to extra classes it’s important to take classes which push you to help with your skill set and help with your dance vocabulary as there are so many different genres which can not be covered by shockout which is why dancers have to take their training into their own hands.
At the beginning of this open class the teacher AJ made us come up with a character for the intention throughout the class. Which meant when everyone danced the choreography it would be different as everyone is an individual character. My character implemented confidence and flirtatious which I feel I portrayed throughout in terms of performance in both my body and face. I focused on embedding my character into my movement by executing certain movements full out with power and energy but then also slow and fluid movements to demonstrate the flirtatiousness of my character. I think that character building throughout class is a good way to approach a class as it adds ‘you’ into the choreography. This is something I will take into my other classes as I think it allows me to stand out and tell a story through my movement. The expressive skills that I incorporated in this choreography was focus, I allowed my focus to follow my movement whilst also looking into the camera to illustrates my confidence. The style of the choreography includes a lot of conversational movement whilst also conveying hip hop grooves throughout using both the torso and hip isolations and body rolls. In relation to the physical, technical and mental elements to this choreography, when taking open class, you need to have good concentration in order to pick up the choreography as I feel it is taught faster than university classes. Also helps to work on retention throughout the class as most classes do groups at the end.

Wilkinson, A., 2016. The Benefits Of Supplementary Training For Dancers. [online] Trinity Laban. Available at: [Accessed 2 April 2020].

Improving myself

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:17:52 UTC

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:17:58 UTC

FOCUS- foundations and freestlye. As a dancer I feel like I understand steps and can pickup and retain information however I feel like I don’t add my own uniqueness onto it and this is because I feel like I haven’t found it yet. To help with this I am going to take online classes on foundations such as whacking, hip hop grooves, popping, house and locking in order to be as versatile as possible. This will also help with my freestlye as I will have a range of movements to help me

Creativity

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:19:04 UTC

As an artist I think it is important you keep working on creativity when choreographing. In agreement with Fink and Woschnjak(2011) within the artistic creativity domain, highly creative individuals such as artists or dancers have been characterised among others as being more creative when I am creating choreography I do it based on inspiration, if I’m inspired by music or a feeling.
Creativity and choreographing is important, like Jaquel Knight, by just choreographing for little jobs and groups landed him the job of choreographing for Beyoncé which then allowed his career as a creative to take off.
When becoming more creative with movements, freestyle and improvisation helps you to experiment and broaden vocabulary. Which is what I have been doing a lot of throughout the year. I also think taking different classes from different teachers and styles also allows you to learn new vocabulary and work on performance and technique.
When I create choreography I try to think of the music outside my comfort zone or not popular songs in the charts. This is because I want it work on musicality when creating, which is why I use different types of music.
In the video below is a few counts of 8 i created in heels, focusing on musicality and projection of my movement. When creating this it took a lot of time to film as I wanted to see clear isolations throughout whilst keeping it feminine. As I continue to push my creative side I will try doing different songs and styles that I am interested in such as jazz and contemporary.

Fink, A. & Woschnjak, S. 2011, "Creativity and personality in professional dancers", Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 51, no. 6, pp. 754-758.

Freestyle

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:19:11 UTC

Edit

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:19:58 UTC

Freestlye has been one of my goals since September and has been something I have been working on in commerical dance as it is a big aspect in auditions. Every time I freestyle I try to use different methods and different songs to challenge my body in different ways.
These methods include: picking a stimulus, Rock Paper Scissors, only using one body part. These are all examples of ways of getting comfortable with freestyle without using the same movements as it is something I struggle with. These methods have come from Glen Hudson our hip hop teacher and Jasmin Saluo our contemporary teacher. As we already did these in lessons I thought I would put them into my own training outside of university to get more confident in lessons. Using these methods have helped me to move it ways I never knew I could using different dynamics textures such as slow motion, stillness and pace.
In the video below is an example of one of my freestyles using the method paper as it is smooth, can be fluid and can move it any way. I focused on moving the torso a lot as I think sometimes I forget to engage it.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:21:07 UTC

Here is an example of some of my freestyle, in this video I’m focusing on musicality and making my movement flow. The reason I am practicing this, is to help when learning choreography as I want my movement to be fluid throughout. It will also contribute to auditions when we are asked to freestyle I will understand my strengths by that time.
As a dancer I personally feel like I haven’t found my own unique style, freestyle is a way of ‘creating new moves and develop a personal style’(Miller 2020). Which is why I am exploring different sorts of movements to different music to experiment as much as possible.
In this video I can see an improvement in freestyle, which is helping me get closer to my goal. Now I need to start taking my focus away from the camera and try improvising more internally.

Miller, S., 2020. The History Of Freestyle Dancing. [online] Gone Outdoors | Your Adventure Awaits. Available at: [Accessed 3 May 2020].

Freestyle task

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:24:04 UTC

Throughout lockdown we were set a task from Jamie Luke to do a freestyle for 2minutes to the song he choose. He encouraged us to think about different dynamics, musicality, levels and performance when doing the video.
I found this task quite challenging as it wasn’t a song I would normally choose and it took a few attempts to ensure I really experimented with it as the same moves continued to come out. Although this is not my best movement I tried to use musicality and dynamics throughout. If I got this task again I would use more levels and experiment more with grooves and faster movement as a lot of it is slow and controlled movement.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 13:25:39 UTC

What is the importance of freestyle?
Freestyle is a improvisation to music, which is not choreographed and is a big element when making dance a career. As a commerical dancer in all of my auditions I will be expected to freestlye which is why at Shockout we have classes in which we work on it. In agreement with dance college (2020) freestyle is a good way to show off your skills in any genre of dance as you can do anything you want.
Improving freestyle:
Practicing your freestyle often is the only way you will broaden your vocabulary. Which is why taking a range of classes will also help as you learn new movements which can also be incorporated when doing a commercial freestyle. Throughout my training it is important I practice before it comes to auditions so that I know I am confident with anything that gets thrown at me.
The physical skills needed to perform a improvisation could include anything as it depends on what you are experimenting with. For example in one freestyle session I might choose to work on one leg, exploring all the different steps and movement I can create. In doing this it would require use of balance, which would test my strength and control. The expressive skills also depend on what the focus and intention is of the improvisation, as that will guide the performance aspect.
Dance College London. 2020. Freestyle | Dance College London. [online] Available at: [Accessed 3 May 2020].

Yazmin Feedback

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:46:50 UTC

Yazmins feedback on the freestyle task(in the freestyle section)

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:47:30 UTC

Feedback from Jamie Luke- After classes I have been asking teachers for feedback as I have felt that I am not improving. Jamie’s feedback- work on cleanliness and opening up my body using it all and I can do this by taking contemporary classes as they allow you to use all your body. AJ feedback(see in image below)

Aj Feedback

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:48:00 UTC

Shockout

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:49:33 UTC

In Terrys contemporary lessons we are training in the Martha Graham technique. This technique is very demanding on the physical body as it requires a lot of core strength and flexibility. The technique focuses on improving posture, balance, alignment and control over the body.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:50:19 UTC

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:50:26 UTC

GOAL-
My first goal in contempoary is to work on articulation of my feet which came from my feedback off terry to work on after my formative. Articulation of the feet and the back are both big parts in the Graham technique and the exercises we are learning. Working on this will also help me in other styles such as ballet in exercises such as tendu.
How am I going to improve?
I will improve by doing strengthening and stretching exercises in this video. By continuing to practice the exercises they are in, in contemporary to convey a difference.
When will I achieve this goal?
I have given this goal 3 months, until may when my summative assessment is to highlight that I have been working on it and I can see an improvement from my formative.
2016. Foot Articulation And Strengthening Exercises For Dancers. [video] Available at: [Accessed 9 January 2020].

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:50:31 UTC

GOAL
SPECIFIC- Throughout Martha Graham technique there is a lot of upper back exercises, which I am personally not used to using. Which is why one of my goals in contemporary is to work on increasing flexibility in upper back.
MEASURABLE- I want to achieve a good standard by September to enhance my training going into third year.
ACHIEVABLE- I am going to do exercises, similar to what we do in lessons to help improve this by doing this I am practicing the exercise whilst also reaching my goal.
REALISTIC- I think my goal is realistic as I know what exercises I am going to do and doing it 3 times a week will help me to see a progression
TIMELY-deadline is September I will keep track of my progression in the coming months.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:50:38 UTC

GOAL-
SPECIFIC- one of my goals in contemporary is to work on strength throughout the technique as there is a lot of holding positions, balancing and weight transfers.
MEASURABLE- This goal is to help with not only contemporary but all my other techniques helping me be a strong dancer.
ACHIEVABLE- I will achieve this by working on my core stability and strength throughout my body to help me achieve my goal.
REALISTIC-
TIMELY-This will be an ongoing goal but I hope to see an improvement by September as I have lots of time to work on my core strength.

Classes

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:50:44 UTC

Contractions

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:52:38 UTC

Contractions (slow mo)
In this video I am demonstrating a Martha graham contraction in slow motion, I put it in slow motion so you can see each stage of the contraction. The contraction is described as Martha Grahams 'signature move' which is still used in a lot our contemporary classes today.
What is a contraction?
A contraction comes from Graham’s technique, and is curing of the spine starting from the pelvic area.
Contractions began when choreographers such as Michel Fokine, Isadora Duncan and Vaslav Nikinsky used 'fluid contractions into their dancing'(Kasdorf, A. 2007). From that Graham created a 'concept of contraction and release into her technique'(Kasdorf, A. 2007).
In terms of physical and expressive skills the contraction was used to ‘add emotional intensity to her dramatic works’ (Kasdorf 2007) as you can use it in many different. Sometimes lyrical, sometimes ‘like a punch in the stomach’(Kasdorf, A. 2007) expressing different feelings in each type. As stated by Kasdorf (2007) the contraction starts sitting down, which is what we do in our lessons with terry. However they can be used in all different types of ways after getting the basic principle of them. You can interpret them standing, jumping, turning and twisting.
As shown on this video a contraction should create a C shape In the spine as the ‘abdominals draw up and back towards your rib cage and the pelvis tucks’(Kasdorf, A. 2007).
We used this contraction in a full exercise and it is something I struggled to do and I did not know whether I was doing it right, so filmed it to watch if I am. A lot of Graham’s work is based on breath which means it is important to use it throughout to get the full experience of a contraction.
To develop my understanding and knowledge on the contraction I will continue to practice it, creating tension and energy throughout.

Kasdorf, A. 2007, "Focus: Modern: Contraction Connection", Dance Spirit, [Online], vol. 11, no. 7, pp. 147-148.
contemporary-dance.org. n.d. Contemporary Dance Terms. Definitions.. [online] Available at: [Accessed 12 May 2020].

Swing exercise

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:52:45 UTC

Swing exercise

Here is an example of the swing exercise we do in centre from the Graham technique. The main elements of the technique include contract and release, opposition, spirals and transfer of weight. In this particular exercise we use transfer of weight and other aspects such as elevation. A swing ‘came from the hip hinge. You swung your arms up and rose up on your heels’ (Legg,2009) this is a description of a basic swing however advance it by jumping or going into a lunge.

The exercise is a a great way to use the breath throughout as it requires it to get the swing motion. For me the swings is a good example of preparing yourself for jumps and elevation exercises. As you are preparing the plié and the use of going through your feet.

The physical aspects of this exercise includes strength, mobility and control. Although the exercise is free the arms need to be controlled to execute it proper. Whilst also have the strength to push through the floor to gain height in the swings with a jump. When doing the exercise we normally do it four times which means I need to have stamina throughout to keep the energy levels going.

Legg, J., 2009. Graham Technique. [online] Dance Spirit. Available at: [Accessed 2 May 2020].

Roll down exercise

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 14:58:08 UTC

In the video below it is showing the warm up exercise we do in class, videoing throughout class is the best way to self correction as sometimes you do not realise what you are doing.

Importance of a warmup:

A warm up is important in any sort of exercise, as it prevents the risk of injury in the duration of the class. In agreement with IADMS, warm ups prepare you mentally and physically for the class, performance or rehearsal. A warm up allows the blood to flow round the body ‘preparing the muscles and joints for dancing’(). The warm up should take place at the start of the class like the exercise in the video below, as the ‘cardiorespiratory, muscular and nervous systems must be engaged before technical movement’(). Allowing focus and safety in the mind and body. A warm up is the best way to prepare your body for the dance class and increases the heart rate and energy to move round. It is important in a warm up to include stretches but not as much static ones, you need to keep moving as a warm up is not made to improve flexibility it is to mobilise joints. In the exercise below, our warm up exercise you see how we keep moving through the stretches holding no longer than 8 counts.

The main aspect of this exercise includes the spinal roll down which is used for warming up the body and allowing release of tension through the body, focusing on your breathing quality. You begin with releasing the head down which allows you move towards the floor, not focusing on reaching to receive a stretch in the hamstrings but relaxing forward to feel where the tension is in your body. All the body is loose keeping your knees slightly bent and back relaxed. As you roll back up the last thing to come up is your head. This exercise helps with the use of breath which is preparing you for Graham technique class.

This exercise looks at balance, alignment, posture and musicality whilst having energy through the movement. Terrys corrections throughout class, close your ribs to have the correct posture, weight forward and over your big toe and curve your arms throughout. It also helps to stretch out the hamstrings throughout the exercise as we move through it. The exercise is slow as it preparing the body allowing you to feel each position you hold without rushing. Testing your breath and balance whilst stretch the muscles.

Miller, J., 2010. Voice And Speech. [online] Voice and Speech. Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2020].
Çelebi, M.M. & Zergeroğlu, A.M. 2017, The Effects of Warm Ups and Stretching Exercises on Balance and Proprioception, Galenos Publishing House.

Plié exercise

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:01:31 UTC

This video is demonstrating the plié exercise in contemporary. In the three core techniques ballet, jazz and contemporary, they all include plié exercises at the beginning of the class. Whereas in commercial we do a fitness warm up incorporating jumping jacks, burpees, high knees and other cardio vascular exercises.
When looking at the anatomical aspect of this exercise, at the beginning of the exercise we begin with a Demi plie, which warms up the muscles and allows them to engage. After that, comes the side stretch in a plié which help to support the rib cage preparing for the releve with arms in fifth.
Followed by the use of releve, helping find the correct position of the body, ribs cage not sticking out. The main muscles engaged in a releve include calves, quadriceps, hamstring, gluteus maximus and core. The movement of the releve also require dancers to have strength in their ankles, helping you with turning and jumping exercises in ballet, jazz and contemporary. These are the main movements throughout the exercise warming up the muscles at the start of the class.
The technical and physical aspects of this exercise include the importance of posture as this is one of the first exercises is important to get your posture correct for the whole class. In lessons Terry ensures our posture is correct before starting the exercise checking the rib cage is not sticking out, shoulders are down, core engaged and not sitting back in our heels. It also begins to challenge balance and strength in body, strength in the legs when holding positions. Beginning to introduce the use of co ordination with the arms and legs, starting straight away with the plié and first por de bras. When the exercises starts I need to ensure I stay focused to ensure I do not forget it and to get myself in the correct mind set for the lesson.
After watching this back I can see that my posture is correct throughout highlighting that I understand my body and listen to my teacher. However without realising I have noticed my arms are not curved enough in certain positions and without self reflection I would not of realised. To ensure this changes I have practiced the arms to ensure they are correct and asked for peer feedback as I can not always see them. I will also video in the next lesson to illustrate the improvement.

Feedback

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:02:14 UTC

How am I doing?

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:02:22 UTC

When doing Terrys classes, I find it difficult as it is a technique that is new to me. However I enjoy the exercises and I can feel them strengthening me in places I never thought I would.

Extra classes

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:02:29 UTC

Ainsley Ricketts class

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:03:00 UTC

This is a video from our workshop with Ainsley Ricketts who is an inspiration of mine when looking at contemporary fusion.
His classes start of with a warm up on improvisation, using the time to feel the music and experiment. Then we learn a combination which is in the video below. When analysing both the videos from his classes you can see how they are both completely different in terms of intention, performance and dynamic quality. In this choreography there was a lot of use of breath and as the song was slower, a lot of time to fill out my movements. When dancing this my intention followed a pathway of the emotion ‘hurt’ which you can see throughout my movement. I played around with my dynamics to show the intention by using tension, softness and aggression. The choreography portrays fluidity and softness however you also have to be sharp and heavy when hitting a base or stillness in the routine. Being able to contrast my dynamics is something I need to work on more to make the choreography more interesting and I think it highlights your control over your body. In the space it is important to acknowledge the other dancers around you, when improvising in this class he wants you to connect with other dancers and to let them feel what you feel. Even though this is contemporary fusion it still includes the use of technique like turning, extension, stillness and gestures. Although the choreography is free to an extend it is important to show your technical abilities into the choreography.
When taking these classes I learn so much about myself in terms of performance and improvisation, which are tools I’ll need throughout my dance journey. These lessons are very beneficial and needed more on the timetable.

Ainsley Ricketts class

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:04:00 UTC

This choreography was created by Ainsley Ricketts learnt at Base Commercial camp in February. As I have said previous Ainsley style is very contempoary fusion and every time I have taken his class it has been something completely different. The specific choreography had a mixture of contempoary with aspects of commerical steps throughout. Taking contempoary classes is something I need to do more as it helps with control and movement of your body. Although Ainsley sets choreography he always allows freedom to experiment with the movement to make it your own, which is why I find it beneficial as i can try different things to see if they work for me.
When learning Ainsleys choreography he focuses a lot on the musicality, hitting all the beats with the use of isolations and intricate movements. Which Is why I like taking his class as it helps me to listen to the music and feel it whilst also working on the control of my body understanding the use of isolations. The expressive features of this particular choreography include a range of dynamics. From the start the dynamics are quite heavy, strong and sudden hitting the bases whilst engaging the core to hit and stay in the positions. Following that certain movements need the fluid through the body but sharp arms as the song is empowering throughout. When doing Ainsleys classes I feel like he looks for performance mainly, which is free, making your own choices of where your focus is going how you incorporate the movement to make it individual. For example if he gives you a groove you could embody it in a different way maybe adding shoulders in to make it bigger or making it more internal, it all depends of your intention throughout the choreography.
Taking classes that are advanced like this has come from gaining all the knowledge from Shockout Arts. Gaining technique and having an understanding of my body has allowed to pick up and retain information when taking open classes. For example, in this class there is a use of breath without having the technical classes such as Terrys class learning Martha Graham technique I would not of understood it aswell. Not only this but Jasmin classes has taught me about improvisation which is done at the end of the choreography and the use of stillness. Also ballet and jazz have helped me with my posture, isolations and understanding the control over my body allowing it to shine through in the choreography. Taking extra classes allows me to put all my technique and knowledge together and put it into choreography I have learnt and show it off with confidence. Going to extra classes has allowed me to gain confidence and knowledge from different teachers.
When taking Ainsleys class I have to ensure I am completely focused and concentrated as I could miss out on details throughout the class. He teaches at a fast pace allowing me to challenge my retention and pick up which will be useful when I go to auditions. For me I needed confidence as I got picked out in the final group of three.
When watching this back I need to be more spacially aware as sometimes I’m hidden. This is a skill I need to embody as on set I would need to ensure I am seen on the camera and in formation. I also need to work on improvisation as I felt a bit uncomfortable at the end and unsure of what I was doing. However this is something in my goals and something I have been working on. My strengths from this video is my use of musicality and dynamics textures of the movement. These have improved so much as they were goals in my previous year.

Inspiration

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:04:06 UTC

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:04:37 UTC

Ainsley Ricketts
Although contemporary is a technique I also see it as a form of expressing the body and this is something I feel ainsley does well. He makes me feel something when he dances. Even though it’s not exactly illustrating full technique I would say his style highlights different styles into one which is why I would say his style is contemporary fusion. The two things that inspire me most about Ainsleys dancing is his dynamics and performance. When I watch him, I find his choices so interesting, which means I can not stop watching him, he is always telling a story through his body and facial expressions. As I focus on his choreography, he is so creative and you can see how he has created movement through improvisation and emotion. These are the two things I am going to take from him and embody when I take his classes.

Jasmin saulo

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:04:52 UTC

As a teacher, choreographer and dancer Jasmin inspires me. As a teacher, she has a great understanding of what training dancers need as she has been one herself. The way she conducts her lessons are great way to work on yourself as a dancer. The warm up is similar to yoga and Pilates allowing us to warm our muscles up in a different way. She includes a lot of core exercises such as balancing and other variations which I have now incorporated into my own independent training. The class is so productive spending time on improvisation and travelling sequences across the floor. This allows us to trial different movements into our body to see whether it works for us. Her choreography is so genius and challenges all my physical skills as a dancer. Her movement focuses a lot of musicality and intention. She allows a lot of experimental aspects in her choreography, she creates the basis whilst we can play with our dynamics, levels and intention. Then as a dancer you can see she has been technical trained and is a very versatile dancer. Her movement is pure and clean which is something I am inspired by and will take when I am learning from her.

Shockout

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:05:55 UTC

In jazz we are learning techniques such as Luigi and Matt Mattox, whilst also getting trained in lyrical and jazz funk to ensure we are as versatile. Both techniques taught my David Needham and Eric Carpenter. In there techniques it enhances our strength to train in all the other styles of jazz given to us on timetable.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:06:08 UTC

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:06:14 UTC

GOAL- my biggest goal as a dancer is to work on my flexibility and maintain it throughout my training and dance career.
How will I do this- I will work on it by stretching every night after a work out or bath for at least an hour to ensure the muscles are warm to avoid any injuries. it is important to also remember to hold each static stretch for at least 30 seconds to allow the muscles to lengthen.
How will I increase my stretching- adding blocks when stretching to increase the intensity. Try harder stretches and holding them longer. Trying different stretches to see what work for my muscles.
How often to stretch- according to IADMS stretching once a week does not help to maintain flexibility however I will be stretching once a day and incorporating repetitions through stretching.
IADMS explain the different stretches and the disadvantages and advantages for dancers and what works when stretching. which I find useful as it allows me to have better knowledge on what can lead to injury and I also have a clearer understanding of how stretches work.
To see my development in flexibility see the flexibility section further down.
Critchfield, B., 2011. Resource Paper: Stretching For Dancers - International Association For Dance Medicine & Science. [online] Iadms.org. Available at: [Accessed 29 January 2020].

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:06:25 UTC

GOAL-
When watching back videos and self evaluating myself, I feel like my next goal is working on strengthening my arm lines and arms in jazz. Arm lines are important throughout jazz dance and are used in majority of routines and exercises. Corresponding to Grubbs point in Caldwells post, of how technical dancers tend to focus on strength more in the legs and balance instead of upper body. He explains how dancers in ballet, modern and jazz would benefit from focusing on upper body to enhance performance. My goal is to work on the upper part of my body to improve on cleanliness.
How will I do this?
I will take advice from Grubb, who mentions how upper body training and pulling exercises will help to increase my strength in arms which will improve my arm lines. I will take on a number of exercises such as push ups and pulling exercises like rowing and curls to access different muscle groups and tone my body up over all.
When will I achieve this?
As a dancer I find making timetables essential to ensure I incorporate everything I need to work on and do to make myself the best. I will create a workout focusing on upper body and integrate it into my timetable. I will do this 3 times a week leading up to September 2020 meaning have a a lot of time to allow my muscles to change.
Below is a video, showing arm exercises I have been doing.

Caldwell, R., 2017. Why Your Students Need To Build Upper-Body Strength. [online] Dance Teacher. Available at: [Accessed 10 May 2020].

Classes

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:10:37 UTC

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:11:18 UTC

Different styles of jazz - At Shockout we get a range of different styles of jazz including lyrical, jazz funk, contemporary jazz. This allows us to be versatile dancers as you never know what you will get in auditions in the industry.

Matt Mattox combination.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:14:33 UTC

This combination created by Eric Carpenter
is influenced heavily by Matt Mattox stylistically, modernising the traditional technique. Throughout the piece there are a range of dynamics allowing the routine to flow rhythmically to music. Dynamics is the amount of energy you put into your movements which allows you to make your dancing more interesting. At the start we walk forward with power and intention, keeping our arms strong whilst our lower half flow through the music. As the combination travels a lot Eric always explains how important it is to keep on a low level as the dynamics change from fast to slow. The movement embodies the use of the whole body understanding the different ways you can move it as Matt Mattox explains that ‘the body is a straight line and you can do everything with it’(Fox, 2013) The stylistic intention forms a feminine outcome whilst also showing flow and sharp dynamics. This routine is something I picture on stage as a big cast with lots of female dancers illustrating women empowerment.

Reflecting on this video of myself I feel my weakness show through some of my movements because it is quick and not all my movements are finished. I also feel my arms could be stronger throughout to show better dynamic quality. However when watching the video I can see I use my levels well and fill out all the music with my movements.

In terms of performance on this video I feel like my body performs with the music however I need to highlight it more in my facial expressions as the song is fierce which means I have to match that.

Fox, M., 2013. Matt Mattox, jazz dance pioneer, dies at 91. The New York Times, [online] Available at: [Accessed 3 May 2020].

Melissa Gumbs choreography

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:19:48 UTC

Here is an example of a jazz dance I learnt during my training in shockout. When watching this choreography I could envision it on a cruise or a musical such as we will rock you.
During this class, Melissa really worked on our pickup, retention and stamina. Once we had learnt it at a fast pace, she put routines that we had learnt in the past all together to make one mashup routine. We continued to perform it over and over once we learnt it meaning I needed to have good stamina to perform it. Melissas aim was to make it as realistic to what I would be like in a show, small breaks in between dancing which would be a quick costume change. I felt this lesson was beneficial towards my training as it allowed me to figure out where I am at and would I be able to actually do a full show. Something else I found useful in the class is when she took it away from the mirror, as that is what it would be like on a stage not being able to look at yourself in the mirror. This meant I had to ensure I was spacialy aware of others, my focus was up towards the audience and I retained the information for myself. When it came to performing this choreography as we were treating it like a routine out of show, when you are on stage you need to have a relationship with other dancers when you perform, which I think me, Katy and Tia did in this video. However, you also need to show more projection as it may be a big audience meaning everyone needs to see you. In relation to the choreography itself it had a range of technical steps whilst also including acting throughout. The expressive qualities of the dance including a dynamic range, using sharp movements followed by smooth controlled movements. Also the choreography allows you to build your own character which helps build intention and performance in the choreography for the audience. The physical and technical skills necessary for this performance is co ordination of the movement, posture as it is a jazz routine and control to show an understand of both the technique and movement. Sight line is important when performing on stage as it needs to be up for all the audience to see, which is something I am personally going to incorporate in my training. Throughout Shockout we need more lessons like this to prepare us for shows in the industry.
When watching the video back my self evaluation of it is that my arm lines are really precise and strong. Which make the choreography look cleaner which is what choreographers want when hiring you. I also see a lot of energy behind my movement which makes it more exciting to watch. Nevertheless, to improve I would say I need to work on the dynamics of the choreography to show a contrast between them. In this video I see parts where I perform, however it needs to be more consistent and more exaggerated as if I was on stage the audience would need to be able to see.

Lyrical choreography

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:39:59 UTC

Here is an example of a video of lyrical jazz dance taught by Sasha Woodward allowing us to have a range of different technical styles. Jazz dance has been adapted so much, starting off with practitioners like Jack Cole, Matt Mattox and Luigi all teaching there version of jazz. Similarly styles like ‘hip hop dance and tap dance share the same African-American vernacular roots as jazz dance, yet have evolved into dance forms with unique identifying characteristics’(Oliver, W. & Guarino, L. 2014,)this highlights how much jazz has changed and influenced different styles of dance and without this happening lyrical jazz may of never been created.
As you can see from this video lyrical jazz dance is very soft, gentle with fluid and Incorporates the use of breath throughout. As stated by Leslie (1998) lyrical dance is best described as a ‘unique style of jazz that expresses emotional sentiment through the use of balletic line’ this conveys how jazz technique and ballet performance and artistry have been combined together to create lyrical dance. The expressive features of this particular dance style embody movement of the whole body and extending it to its fullest ‘avoiding sharp, stationary angular movements’ (Leslie,1998) I feel lyrical dance is a great way to get out your emotions and expressive communicating passion throughout, embracing the lyrical movement quality.
Every time I have taught a lyrical dance the choreographer allows a lot of freedom with choices when making the choreography individual, ‘the articulation of creativity and the conscious use of movement to express ideas, feelings and emotions’(Leslie,1998). The performance aspects such as focus and facial expression comes more from whatever story you are trying to communicate however, when I have been in classes my focus tends to more internal as I express my emotions throughout choreography. Whilst lyrical dance is very technical and requires a good amount of flexibility you also need to focus on the physical qualities like posture as it is still technique and use of the whole body using isolations throughout the torso.
In terms of the mental skills required when learning a style like this, needs a lot of focus and determination for your true feelings to come out throughout the movement. The style of dance incoraptes a range of floor work, turning, kicks, leaps and other technical jazz steps. Which means you need to have a good understanding of technique, whilst also having flexibility, stamina, balance, strength And control to perform the choreography full out.
When analysing myself in this video I found I had a good understanding of the technique required which allowed me to pick it up and retain the information in class. However my lack on flexibility made it harder for me to perform certain movements to a high standard. As I am working on flexibility as my goal, hopefully when I do another lyrical class you will be able to see an improvement in my flexibility. Also I believe that my use of my body and extended it to the fullest was strength in this class, I understand the dynamics of the music allowing my dancing to follow me. Something in lyrical dance I want to work on is my control, strength and balance as different choreographers include movements that require these three attributes, which means I want to be fully prepared for anything thrown at me. This is because in a musical or on a cruise line they may incorporate a lyrical number depending on the show, so I want to be as prepared as I can be for the dance industry.

Oliver, W. & Guarino, L. 2014, Jazz Dance Styles, University Press of Florida.
Leslie D. Netting (1998) Lyrical Jazz Dance Defined, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 69:5, 7-8, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1998.10605544

Jazz funk/commerical jazz

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:42:30 UTC

In the video below is the piece we were meant to perform at Moveit choreographed by Johnantha Bishop and Craig Stein, even though we didn’t perform at moveit we got to showcase it to the rest of Shockout. This choreography illurates as side to jazz combining commercial, jazz and funktogether.
The process of moveit began with an audition, where we began warming up independently, followed by a few technical sequences and then into the choreography. We learnt the choreography quickly and then had to wait outside to do it in our smaller groups given to us. When it came to performing we performed twice swapping lines each time. When going in they made it specific that they were looking for performance over choreography. After this we did recalls, and then went home and waited to see if we got it. For me this was one of the best experiences in terms of auditions as I allowed me to have a glimpse of what it will be like when I go into the industry. From this experience I learnt how to conduct myself in a professional manor whilst also focusing on just myself and not other people. This is something Shockout should do more often to allow us to get an idea and prepare us for auditions.
Commercial jazz is known as a style that continues to change as music and society does. This sort of jazz dance is used a lot in ‘theatre, television, films and nightclub entertainment’(Leslie 1998) and is a mixture of all styles of dance combined together. Leslie 1998, then goes on to explain how it is in many studios as it is easy to train dancers up to achieve success. The movement which is used in this style is ‘sharp and fluid movemnts, popping and locking, and animated expression’ (Walton) all in which make this style where entertaining for audiences. You will find this choreography in music videos for Britney Spears who famous choreographer Brian Friedman has choreographed for. Brian Friedman has contributed a lot to the commerical jazz world which is why he is so popular in the industry today. Also artists such as Janet Jackson which is the artists music used in this routine. In her music videos such as Rhytmn Nation you see a lot of isolations and sharp movements.
Whilst this choreography demonstrates commercial jazz it mainly conveys jazz funk. jazz funk is described as fierce, sensual, powerful and diva like. The stylistic qualities of this style include a range of hip hop, jazz and whacking whilst also giving a high energy performance with full out body and facial expressions. Jazz funk came around when artists such as Paula Abdul where in there prime, the choreographies include ‘musicality, involve intricate movements and exude lots of femininity‘(Team 2014). This style requires a lot of physical and technical skills such as stamina, control, co ordination and a lot of isolations when demonstrating intricate movements. Like I mentioned in the commerical jazz dance, choreographers such as Brian Friedman and Jaquel Knight also use this style to choreography for artists such as Madonna and Beyoncé. Jazz funk intergrates a lot of self expression and performance and demands a lot of confidence to be done well. As this style is used a lot in music videos which I want to do in my dance career I will take more classes and practice this style more to improve myself. The dynamics of the choreography show a contrast throughout being fluid and feminine whilst also being strong and powerful with energy throughout. When listening to the music you can hear the amount of musicality embedded in the song, helping us to display the choreography.
The style is similar to the commerical dance style we learn at Shockout in terms of shapes, dynamics and continuous movement. Also jazz technique as it includes technical steps, such as pirouettes and kicks , whilst also including the arm lines and isolations. However I would say it contrast to ballet as it is very free and full out where as ballet is more graceful and slow. As a dancer and creative for me jazz funk is my favourite style to dance and choreograph and if I was to start going into choreographing I would definitely go down this route. I will do this by taking classes by choreographers such as Jonathan bishop, Sean Niles, Craig Stein, Jaquel Knight and Brian Friedman. Having the opportunity to be in this piece has allowed me to broaden my knowledge and passion towards this movement and will help me in my dance journey. In the video I feel like I am showing a lot of confidence throughout and the power needed in this style. On the other hand I would work on facial performance and my dynamics throughout to ensure I am performing to my best ability.

Team, G., 2014. What Is Jazz Funk Dance Style - Some History And Key Players. [online] GADFLY. Available at: [Accessed 10 May 2020].

Walton, P., n.d. Commercial Jazz. [online] Victoriaschoolofdancing.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 10 May 2020].

Leslie D. Netting (1998) Lyrical Jazz Dance Defined, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 69:5, 7-8, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1998.10605544

Inspiration

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:42:38 UTC

Meghan sanett

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:43:01 UTC

When focusing on jazz technique my inspiration is Meghan sanett as when I watch her I think she embodies everything a dancer should be. From the start she has fire and performance all the way through illustrating her versatility throughout. The dynamics she shows t allow her to stand out whilst also being super clean. As a dancer this is the standard I want to achieve.

Christin olesen

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 15:43:27 UTC

Christin Olesen is another one of my major inspirations, trained by Dana Foglia, the way she moves her body is like no other. The isolations and sensuality of her movement is something I personally want to embody in my movement. When watching her in this video I can feel all her contractions and isolations and her use of breath throughout. She also has this presence making it hard not to watch her which I also would like to incorporate in my own dancing. As she is from London, I can go and take her classes at Base and throughout lockdown I can take her classes which can help me improve in her way of movement.

Autumn miller

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:01:01 UTC

Autumn Miller is 18 years old and was born in California in American. When I watch her the control and technical ability she has to execute movements in this choreography are just incredible. The way she can just take the floor for a solo but fill the whole space is inspiring and that is something I want to take from her as a dancer. She has a great presence aswell as a very high standard and understanding of technique. This is something I want to aim to achieve although I have not done technique for a young age like Autumn with hard work and determination you can change so much in dance.

Flexibility

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:01:14 UTC

Importance of flexibility

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:02:09 UTC

Importance of flexibility - As a dancer flexibility is one of the ‘most important physical aspects of becoming a great dancer’ (C.,2017) This is for many reasons such as elongating your lines and making your movements smooth as you have no restrictions. Flexibility also helps dancers to avoid injuries increasing career longevity. White, C., 2017. Why Is Flexibility Important?. [online] TSDA. Available at: [Accessed 29 January 2020].

Stretching

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:03:29 UTC

After stating in my first blog, flexibility is something I'm really trying to increase as my muscles are very tight which makes it harder for me to maintain my flexibility. At shockout we do a lot of physical activity which means I have to do the same and more stretching to ensure my muscles continue to lengthen
To improve my stretching I have incorporated overstetching to help stretch and length my muscles out even more. However when doing this I need to ensure I am careful as their is a risk of over stretching.
I tend to spend an hour stretching ensuring each leg gets the same amount of time holding my stretches for 30 seconds four times.

Enhancing stretches

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:04:00 UTC

To increase my flexibility I have started ehancing my stretches by adding ankle weights to push myself further and deeper into stretches. However when doing stretches like this it is important I ensure I am doing it safely.
Before stretching I always ensure I do a big warm up as personally for me I need to be really warm to feel the benefits of a stretch. I either go for a run, circuit exercises or even have a hot bath. This is because ‘stretching muscles that haven’t been warmed up beforehand can cause injuries and strains’ which would initially affect my training.
According to Strong is better to start off with active stretches then towards the end hold stretches for 30 seconds as the body will be much warmer at the end of classes to gain the most benefits.

Strong, D. 2009, "Health: How-To: Safe Stretching", Dance Teacher, [Online], vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 70-74.

Floor and standing stretches

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:05:05 UTC

In the photos below highlights the progression of my flexibility when setting my goals to work on it and due to lockdown I have had loads of time. This means by September ready for third year my flexibility will of improved a lot meaning I can start focusing on other aspects of dance to improve in.

Door stretcher

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:06:15 UTC

Benefits of stretching
As a dancer stretching is one of the most important aspect as it enables you to gain flexibility. Not only that but ‘stronger technique, improved lines, and range of motion, muscle awareness and prevention of injury’(Briggs 2017) all in which are vital as a training dancer.
As my hamstrings and hips are tight due to doing a lot of sport and not stretching when I was younger, they hold a lot of tension and stress. Which means before I stretch I either have a hot bath, go for a run or do a full on work out to ensure my muscles are really warm to get the most of the stretch. As a dancer in all styles it’s important to have correct posture and lean muscles and ‘stretching encourages muscles into their correct alignment’(Briggs 2017)which will help when doing technique. As I mentioned before my muscles tend to hold a lot of tension and become tight which is why I need to stretch maybe twice a day to allow the blood flow through my body to my muscles. The reason I push my flexibility so much as exercises in technique classes are sometimes a struggle for me as I don’t have a lot of range of motion. Without stretching will be ‘less effective during exercise’ which a professional dancer does not need in there career.

Briggs, J., 2017. [online] Google.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Luigi technique

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:07:18 UTC

Luigi warm up

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:07:54 UTC

This is the warm up we do at the start of Mr Needhams jazz lessons, he uses Luigi technique as it is a solid foundation of jazz technique as Luigi used it for rehabilitation which means it will cause no injuries. Similar to mr needham, Waldinger describes how useful the Luigi technique is and how It teaches you ‘deeply personal style, how the body works, how to use epaulment, how the torso is carried, how the rib cage is held, how the arms are connected to the back’ (Waldinger 2017) all important aspects when becoming a great dancer. Being trained in this technique helps all the other styles such as commercial, ballet, contemporary they all link together.
This warm up incorporates a lot of different stages ensuring all parts of the body are warm and ready to start the lesson. In relation to the class, Waldinger explains how the first half of the class is warm up exercises and second half followed by a routine. This highlights how important the warmup is in the technique
Here are a list of the details Mr Needham corrects us throughout lessons in the warm up. This details are crucial as they ensure that we are doing the warm up technically correct.
Warm up details to help do the technique correct: arms not behind shoulders throughout ensure we are hitting a true second as this position gets used in centre exercises, ripple through the base of the spine, posture no arching, grande batteman in attitude in Luigi technique to avoid injuries and warm up the hamstring muscles, hit all positions sharp like jazz fourth, timing and musicality throughout their is a count for everything. These details help me to practice and ensure I am doing everything he is saying to ensure I am improving technically but also being a thinking dancer and applying corrections and details.
This contrasts with commercial as we do fitness exercises such as high knees and turnovers. Where as this warms you up just as much by using technique correctly. Whereas with contemporary and ballet we use plies and other exercises to warm up.

Waldinger, B., 2017. Teaching Traditional Jazz - The Luigi Jazz Technique | The Wonderful World Of Dance Magazine. [online] The Wonderful World of Dance Magazine. Available at: [Accessed 29 April 2020].

Luigi isolations

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:08:26 UTC

The exercise in the video below, is the Luigi isolations we do with Mr Needham. This exercise comes after the warm up at the beginning of the class, an isolation is only moving one part of the body whilst the rest of the body stays still.
As stated by Rivers 2017 jazz isolations began in 1940s/50s during the beginning of jazz. The use of isolations began with Jack Cole incorporating it into his style which included East Indian, Latin and Afro Haitian. Which then influenced Matt Mattox to set it as a discipline including isolations in the warm up. Later, Bob Fosse another well known jazz practitioner took parts of Coles technique to create his own technique and by the 1980s isolations were apart of every jazz class.
Aswell as Jazz you will find isolations used in other styles, such as hip hop where you will find isolations in the foundation styles popping, as ‘isolations are crucial for hip-hop dancers because they teach control‘(Rivers,2017) In ballet you will find isolations in more contemporary ballet, ‘In contemporary ballets, the movement is more isolated. You might move your hips and then your ribs.” (Rivers, 2017). Finally contemporary where you will isolate the body through using co ordination like in Terrys.
Isolations are a big part of dance, as it is used in every single style. This exercise below is specifically for isolations of the hips, torso, arms and head. This will help me in my ballet and contemporary classes but mostly my commercial classes as all choreography incorporate isolations.

Rivers, A., 2017. Isolation Inspiration. [online] Dance Spirit. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Luigi pirouettes

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:08:33 UTC

This exercise is an example of our pirouette exercise incorporating kicks, in ward turns and ball changes.
A pirouette is turn which is on one leg around an axis that you create with your body. Pirouettes are a massive part of dance and essential to master as they are found it all styles, commercial, jazz, ballet and contemporary. The difference being in commercial jazz and contemporary the knee is turned in whereas in ballet is it turned out. When executing a pirouette it is important you have a strong calves and ankles to support the dancers body weight. Working on the strength of your calves and ankles help with stability of the pirouette, you can improve this by doing rises. Also in a pirouette the quadriceps are used which then engages the inner thigh. As a dancer it is important you do not tighten these muscles as it can decrease flexibility and it not good for dancers. Dancers want to have elongate muscles which can be done by doing exercises such as grande plies and arabesque training to help strengthen the supporting leg. Next, the hamstring muscle used to create a line with the knee creating the pirouette position. Also lengthening the hamstrings are important to help with the pirouette. Doing simple stretches which we learn at Shockout Arts helps to stretch out the hamstring. Finally, the hips and knees are used to help you achieve the ‘full 360 degree pirouette’(Amerson, 2015). According to Amerson (2015), if you create flexbility and strength with the knee and hip it allows you to stay lifted and upright in the pirouette helping you to get round as many times as you want.
Other aspects needed to do a perfect pirouette include the use of spotting this helps to get a lot of turns in if the you have the correct technique of the pirouette, and stops the dancer from becoming dizzy. When spotting it is important to pick a certain point and keep watching it to help you to complete a turn. Aswell as the lower body the upper body plays a big When spotting it is important to pick a certain point and keep watching it to help you to complete a turnpart of a pirouette, with engaging the back muscles and arms strong the turn can go off balance leading you to fall out of it. When spotting it is important to pick a certain point and keep watching it to help you to complete a turn. As advised by Ellen (2017) it is not sensible to spot your own image as in a performance without a mirror you will have to choose an object so is important you get used to not doing it.
When doing this exercise we do it four times, which means the physical elements needed to get through it include stamina to ensure you do not get tired and execute it properly throughout. Balance and coordination of the preparation are needed as you are balancing on one leg and using your preparation to form the correct technique of the pirouette. Having strength in your legs and positions are also important engaging the muscles listed above to help achieve the perfect pirouette position.
Hunt, M., 2017. Spotting 101: Help Your Students Master This Turning Essential. [online] Dance Teacher. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].
Amerson, T., 2015. Active Muscles In Pirouettes. [online] Varsity.com.cn. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Kicks

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:09:28 UTC

Kicks

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:10:15 UTC

When focusing on jazz one of my targets is to improve my kicks. To improve them I have been using the video below, off YouTube to help me strengthen different areas in order to get my kicks higher. The reason I am focusing on kicks is because I feel it is something I am not the best at when they are put in routines or when I am performing a kick exercise across the floor. Another reason is because I want to audition for cruise jobs and kicks is a requirement and something you will be judged on at the audition and in order to be the best dancer I need to ensure they are at the best they can be.
How will I improve it?
By using the video below working on strengthening my turn out muscles and flexibility I can already see a massive improvement between the photos. Now I need to work on lengthening more and getting my supporting leg as straight as possible. I will also improve it by doing floor barre which Melissa my tutor recommended to help with getting my kicks up. Finally I will continue to push my stretching, as I improve in flexibility I will also see an improvement in the height of kicks.

Jazz practitioners

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:11:02 UTC

Luigi

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:14:05 UTC

During our Jazz classes with Mr Needham we have been learning the Luigi technique. Luigi real name is Eugene Louis FACCIUTO and has been labelled as the 'father of jazz'. Luigi started out in California as a professional dancer however ended up in a fatal car accident which left him paralysed on one side and with bad eye sight, doctors believed he would never dance again, but nothing would stop him from dancing. He started his journey to recovery by using an imagery bar pushing down with the space around him. Luigi technique major aspect was using opposition, using one side of the body to control the extension, this helped Luigi to concern his disabilities. The Luigi warm up helps with body alignment and posture, core strength, which is why we use it throughout our jazz classes. Mr Needham describes it as the 'foundation technique of jazz'. A quote from Luigi himself about him technique "“It was created for ballet because that’s what I was doing when I was performing in motion pictures in Hollywood. I found that in any ballet class I took, my body wasn’t ready to stand in fifth position. So I created a therapeutic warm-up that would prepare me for class,” Luigi told Dance Magazine in an interview. “I also created it because of my automobile accident, which left me partially paralyzed. I loved ballet’s barre exercises because they helped me correct my injuries. But when I left the barre, I was in trouble. My technique addresses how to stand up without the barre. It teaches the body how to support itself and how to use muscles evenly.”(Semko, E. and Semko, E. (2015).
Learning Luigi technique has helped me to gain jazz foundations, contributing to all my other techniques. It has helped me to work on posture and alignment, ‘“they can execute steps correctly and not lose the ‘moving’ part of dance’” this is comes from Luigi and it is true. The technique has taught me about isolations and dynamic qualities. Throughout Mr Needhams classes we learn warm up, isolations and foundational jazz steps which help to lead up to the routine we learn putting all of them together.

Kay, L. 2009, “Jazz Spotlight: Luigi’s Legacy”, Dance Spirit, [online], vol. 13, no. 10 pp. 60-61
Semko, E. and Semko, E. (2015). Luigi, Legendary Jazz Dance Teacher and Icon. [online] Danceadvantage.net. Available at: https://www.danceadvantage.net/jazz-dance-legend-luigi/ [Accessed 2 Jan. 2020].

Jack Cole

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:15:17 UTC

Jack Cole is a practitioner both Mr Needham and Eric are inspired by when teaching us their work. Cole is known for being the ‘father of theatrical jazz dance’ (Broussard, 2006) and is praised highly for his contributions in jazz dance. Other jazz dancers such as Matt Maddox, Bob fosse and Jerome robbins where also Inspired by him incorporating his movement into their work. His work is still used to do as Jack Cole codified a lot of what we learn in our lessons. Cole studies ‘Indian dance technique of Bharatanatyam, a style that emphasises precise isolations of the head, arms and fingers aswell as quick directional changes and long knee slides’ (Broussard, 2006) from this he then incorporated it into his jazz technique and choreography. Cole has choreographed many broadway shows such as Magdalena, kismet and Jamaica leading him to achieve many awards for his choreography.
Cole influenced other practitioners such as Matt Mattox and Bob Fosse which techniques we use at Shockout. In a lesson Mr Needham told us to watch the video below which is Jack Coles work Kismet. When watching this work I can see the influence of Indian technique with also a tribal influence. Throughout, the use of the plié and isolations is a main element in his work which is something Matt Mattox has adopted in his work. His choreography is very musical using a lot of acting and performance throughout.

Darkenwald, T. 2014, “Jack Cole and Theatrical Jazz Dance” in University Press of Florida,.

Broussard, P. 2006, ‘father of theatrical jazz dance’ Jack Cole”, dance teacher, [online] vol.28, no.6, pp.82

2010. Kismet Original Dance. [video] Available at: [Accessed 2 April 2020].

Matt Mattox

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:16:58 UTC

Matt Mattox is a well known jazz teacher and dancer born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. He trained in all styles such as ballroom, Latin, tap, ballet and all technique. Matt Mattox also trained with Jack Cole as a dancer in films and broadway.
Mattox ‘differentiates his dance vocabulary and artistic approach from vernacular and commercial jazz dance dance by calling his form of expression “freestyle”’(Boross, 2014) this style is what we get taught by Eric carpenter. The movements are always in plié level as the movements are quick and include a lot of change of direction which makes it challenging. Like other practitioners Matt Mattox technique was formed from ballet classes and is ‘performed standing at centre floor’(Boross 2014) this is a good way to work the strength in the core.
In Eric’s classes we warm up then do centre exercises such as isolations, tendus and plies ‘often performed with a parallel hip alignment’ that lead with ‘arm port de bras of a jazz-ballet mixture’ (Boross, 2014) challenging the coordination needed as a dancer.
Matt Mattox classes are always long dance combinations to any ‘musical style’(Boross, 2014) and the combinations are ‘demands attention to design, rhythm, attack, nuance, feeling, and drive to achieve perfection in execution’(Boross, 2014) which is what Eric teaches us he wants us to attack the movement with power and aggression with low levels and strong arm lines with stylistic features. Even though the movements are powerful and aggressive it also has fluid movements such as ‘the dolphin’ which a ripple throughout the body.

Boross, B. 2014, "The “Free Style” Jazz Dance of Matt Mattox" in University Press of Florida, .

Shockout

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:18:56 UTC

At Shockout we receive intense training in ballet, with Mr Needham and Anton. A lot of us have never done or lack knowledge in the ballet technique. However over the course of the two years I have seen a huge improvement in my ballet, which then helps me with my other core techniques. Having great teachers who push us all individually and help us to reach a good standard has allowed me to see a change in my body shape through the use of ballet technique.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:19:12 UTC

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:19:17 UTC

GOAL- work on my feet
In my plenary, both Melissa and Anton explained I need to work on my feet to help with extension and jumps. Here is a picture of my feet now and from now on every night I will be working on my feet by using my foot stretcher and a resistance band. Working on my feet will make my tendus and extensions look better in my work.
As stated by Maling (2015), if you have ascetically pleasing feet it makes your work look more graceful. Maling (2015), then explains exercises to help improve your feet.
1) Tennis ball- these help to massage your feet which then increases flexibility in your arch and gets rid of any of the tightness.
2) walking or running in bare feet- This is a good exercise to run on the grass as it helps to strength your arch in your feet.
3) Ballet exercise- legs extend In front of you, point feet and toes and hold for three to five seconds then release, then do the same but flex(repeat around 10 times)
4) Foot stretcher- this is something I use to help strengthen and stretch my feet I normally do 5-10 minutes on each foot every night.
5) Picking up items such as pencils with your toes.
Even though I am going to continue working on this goal throughout my second and third year I will keep taking photos of my week to see an improvement.

Maling, M., 2015. Ballet Dancer Feet - Why Feet Are So Important In Ballet - Dancers Forum. [online] Dancers Forum. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:19:21 UTC

GOAL-
One of my goals in ballet that I have identified as a weakness is my strength when it comes to lifting my leg and holding it for example in adage. Although I can hold it at 90 degrees, I want to get it higher and hold it for a longer period of time. In my formative assessment one of my lowest marks in ballet was my adage which is why I have been focusing on this as a goal to ensure my grade is better in my summative.
Adage translated is slow sustained movement and needs a lot of strength,elegance and control to be able to demonstrate properly. Getting adage correct starts at the barre you need to ensure your posture and alignment are correct first to prepare your body for the centre. I’m agreement with Zeidman (2015) without a strong core and back muscles adage can not be performed as controlled as it should be. She explains how important flexibility and strength exercises are to improve adage but more importantly artistry, expressing and feeling the movement.
To improve my goal I will be working on core exercises, stretching exercises and holding balances.

Zeidman, P., 2015. [online] Thedancecentreperegiansprings.com. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:19:26 UTC

GOAL
One of my goals in ballet is to work on my turn out as this is something that does not come naturally to me.
Turn out is one of the most important aspects in ballet explains King(2015) as it separates ballet from all the other dance genres and is what makes ballet so challenging. Which is why I want to work on improving it aswell as strengthen it, as it is the ‘foundations on all ballet movement built’(Butler, 2015). Turnout is something that was been around throughout all the history of ballet starting back when King Louis XIV and Pierre Beauchamp created the five positions of the feet with a turn out of ‘45 degree rotation of the hip’(Butler, 2015) which are still used in today’s ballet classes. As ballet began to progress, turnout increased as ballet master Carlo Blasis decided for the twentieth century classical ballet that it should be a ‘90 degree rotation of the hip’(Butler, 2015). Furthermore, in today’s ballet classes, dancers are encourage to aim for a 180 degree turnout however this is not natural for everyone and people have to work on their turnout to improve it.
To improve turn out you can use a number of stretches and exercises:
1) Frog position- this is a stretch where you line on your front with your feet in a diamond position and the aim is to get your feet to the floor.
2) Butterfly position- another stretch where you sit on the floor with your feet together in a diamond with ankles on the floor as your push down on your legs to open up the hips.
3) Resistance bands- there are a number of exercises you can use in order to increase turn out. For example lay on your side with your knees bent, wrap a resistance band round your thigh and begin to rotate your leg out and in.
These are exercises I will be working on as I try to reach my goal of improving my turnout. I have decided not to put a time limit on this goal as I feel like I will always be improving it through my training.

King, D., 2016. A Ballet Education. [online] A Ballet Education. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Butler, G., 2015. [online] Georginabutler.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Classes

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Practitoners

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Enrico Cecchetti

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Enrico Cecchetti born in 1850 is described by many as one of the greatest ballet teachers during his time. Cecchettis technique is considered really logical and ‘establishes and codifies theoretical principles, encompasses a vast range of steps, movements qualities and dynamics’(Cronshaw, 2013). This technique is one in which Mr Needham follows during his class as he believes this technique is clean and precise whilst also pushing you technically. Throughout history Cecchetti is often remembered for his teaching however he has contributed as both performer and ballet master leaving him a great legacy throughout dance. Cecchetti helped the expansion of the Ballet Russe, set a high standard for male dancing, along with creating a corps de ballet. These illustrate the artist he was during his time through to now as we still get trained in the technique.
Cecchetti technique has taught me the foundations of classical ballet and how to do them technically correct. When comparing cecchetti technique and Vaganova technique I feel that Vaganova is more complex where as Cecchetti helps me with my foundational work and improving my overall technique. When I am in Antons lessons the work is much faster and I learn new steps. Whereas in Cecchetti method I think it contributes to being a strong technical dancer.
This is use as it helps my work in Vaganova technique

Murray, M.B. 2017, “Maestro: Enrico Cecchetti and Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes” , Dance Chronicle, vol.40, no,2, pp. 165-191

Cronshaw, J., 2013. Maestro Enrico Cecchetti - The Cecchetti Connection. [online] The Cecchetti Connection. Available at: [Accessed 6 April 2020].

George Balanchine

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:21:54 UTC

George Balanchine ‘earner an international reputation as the greatest classical choreographer of the twentieth century’ during our lessons with Anton we use Balanchine jumps as Anton believes he has the best jump technique. Balanchine also worked in making dances for musicals and movies Illustrating his versatility as a dancer and choreographer.
When Balanchine began training as a dancer he went to St Petersburg at the imperial theatre school which was a well known ballet school in its time.
In the video below it conveys some of Balanchines work with the NYC Ballets. In this particular video we see a use of jumps throughout.

2020. NYC Ballet's Emily Kikta On George Balanchine's BRAHMS-SCHOENBERG QUARTET. [video] Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].
Hardy, C. 2006, "Bringing bourees to Broadway: George Balanchine's career in the commercial theater", World Literature Today, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 16.

Agrippina Vaganova

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:22:05 UTC

In Antons ballet lessons he uses a lot of Vaganova technique. Agrippina Vaganova was born straight into ballet in at petersbourgh as her ‘father was an usher at the Mariinsky Theatre’(Rizzuto, 2013). As a dancer Vaganonva really struggled to make it as she was not a favourite during her training at the imperial Ballet School. Vaganovas career only took off ‘one year before her retirement from the company in 1916’ (Rizzuto, 2013), however she was blessed with her teaching abilities.
In Antons lessons he incoraptes a lot of epaulement as apart of the performance aspect. This is inspired by Vaganova, as she uses it throughout her technique. Epaulmenet is ‘attained by the torso, arms, head and even direction of the eyes’(Poon, 2018) Vaganova as a dancer herself was always complimented on her powerful jumps and technical ability however she lacked expression as a dancer. Which is why she uses ‘intricate footwork and artistic expression’(Poon, 2018). This is one of the reasons I enjoy Antons lessons as his exercises and teaching have helped me to gain more artistry in ballet, incorporating it in other lessons such as contemporary. Like Vaganova, Anton ensures what we are doing at the barre links to the centre, which helps to build strength. In my technical training I think the vaganova method has helped me to become stronger in my technique allowing me to connect the performance with the technical steps. As I have seen a massive improvement between my marks in year one to year two why illustrates the improvement I have made. Similar to Cecchetti method, Vaganova used a lot of co ordination in her work, ‘the head, hands, arms and the eyes all moved in synchrony with the legs and feet’(Homans,2011). This has helped me in my lessons with Mr Needham and other classes such as jazz as it includes different port de bras whilst moving the legs. Using this synchronisation developed fluidity in the body and use of artistry.
In my training this method has helped me the most as it has helped progress quickly with the exercises Anton does with us. I have also seen a change in my body from using this technique as it requires a lot of focus and understanding to get correct.

Homans, J. and Potter, K., 2011. Apollo's Angels. [Old Saybrook, CT]: Tantor Audio.

Rizzuto, R. 2013, Agrippina Vaganova, Dance Media LLC, dba Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC, New York

Poon, K. 2008, Mastering Vaganova Technique, Dance Media LLC, dba Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC, New York.

Mr Needham barre

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From September to November we have a had a range of different classes pushing us to be versatile in each style. As a dancer I feel like I have become a lot more confident when performing as it was something I was struggling with in my first year, even though it still is not where I want it to be I am not afraid of doing it in front of others. However it is now time to push it even further bringing it more into my technical classes as I believe they are harder to portray compared to my commercial classes. I can improve this by practicing them in my core technique classes, watching videos of the styles assessing how other dancers perform. Flexibility is not something that comes naturally to me and has been something I have been trying to push throughout my training. As I am in full time training we do a lot on our legs in terms of fitness and dance which means we do not do enough stretching. So, as this is my weakness I have been concentrating purely on that, I have cut out some extra classes to ensure I have more time to spend on stretching, I have been doing it at the gym in the sauna, after classes and at night using stretch bands, also participating in hot yoga. Even though it has got better I do still believe this is a weakness and I will continue to push it further to get to where I want to be by stretching for an hour every night. In terms of strengths, my pick up stands out to me and I feel this is a strength due to all the classes I have taken extra from training. This is a good strength as it will come useful when I go for auditions as you always learn choreography in a quick amount of time. Underneath each style I have choose goals that I am going to working on throughout each genre.

Plenary

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On the 15th January we had our plenary with Anton, Melissa and sue. They started off asking what I would like to do as a job in dance which I answered, musical theatre, cruise ships and commercial jobs like X factor and EMAS.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:46:28 UTC

Anton feedback- Good to work with and hard working and really progressed since first year. He explained that my muscles are now working and shape of my leg is changing. However now he wants me to focus on shining and artistry to add to my technique. He explained I need to be confident in my work as it good and should show off. He finished off by saying he is really happy with me and to continue how I am going.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:46:45 UTC

Melissa feedback- work really well, always in classes and working hard in all classes, my technique has come on really well and she has noticed my legs have changed shape. However she has said I need to work on my feet and stretching them in my own time now and focus pushing my flexibility by over stretching to push my muscles further. Melissa explained I am at a stage where i can start wearing heels in any classes like in ajs classes to challenge myself and start wearing tight clothes to show of my figure.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:47:11 UTC

Sue- sue explained I have come so far since Btec my technique was improved so much and she is really happy with my progression. Now she wants me to focus on becoming a professional in all lessons and using last months of second year really becoming an Individual. She explained she will start sending me to auditions near the end of second year and third year but really push now in the last months.

Reflection

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:47:22 UTC

From November to December there was a lot of focus on assessment work which meant I dedicated a lot of time towards them. Instead of doing extra class I would do my assessment classes or theory work to ensure it would get done. Although I was stressed I did not let that get to me and pushed through and practiced as much as possible, continuing to stay positive. During these two months I saw a massive improvement in my ballet and believed I gained a better understanding of the technique. This is because I always practice ballet in my own time as I know it is one of my weakest areas as a dance style.
My weakness during this period again was my flexibility as I am still working on my goals of improving it. Whereas my strengths involved my pirouettes and retention. During these few months my pirouette technique was really coming together as I became a stronger dancer from my techniques. My retention during class is really good as I go in focus and ready to concentrate during lessons.
For my goals(check underneath styles)

Kicks

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:56:54 UTC

Throughout lockdown I have been focusing on flexibility and technique such as kicks as I feel they are one of my weaker points in terms of jazz technique.
The physical and technical elements necessary for a successful kick include:
-balance to ensure you do not fall over and look strong
-posture when keeping your back straight by using core strength,
-alignment in the arms keeping them in second
-flexibility to help with the height of the leg
-strength to lift them and hold them up
- Control to ensure you have control over the up and down element
The mental aspects necessary for a successful kick include:
-focus,ensuring the chin is lifted
-confidence, even if your kicks are not high yet still applying the correct technique and performance qualities needed
-concentration, working on the control and alignment throughout
The expressive skills necessary for a successful kick:
Projection- use of energy and power when kicking the leg up
Sense of style- a kick can be used in different styles and combinations, ensure you listen for what is wanted incorapting the different types of kicks such as fan kicks.
Dynamics- strong dynamics as you go through a plie, tendu then kick.
Performance- performing and presenting with your body. Using facial expressions as if you was in an audition you want to sell it.
What next?
I will continue to work on what I have been doing as it is working for my body. However from my research and understanding core strength is an important part of it which means I will also work on this also. I am going to keep videoing myself doing them for self reflection to ensure I am seeing a difference in my work and so that I can correct myself.

React Dance Academy. 2016. Control Your Kicks – React Dance Academy. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Plie

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:58:10 UTC

Here is an example of Mr Needhams Plié exercise including Demi plies, grande plies, rises and port du bras.
Plies exercises are normally the first or second exercise done at the barre, this is because it ‘warms up the legs and set balance and core strength from the beginning’(Suzanne, n.d) which is needed throughout the whole ballet lesson.
When creating this exercise Mr Needham talked through certain parts for us to get a greater understanding of the exercise. He explains how we begin in second as it opens up the hip straight away and engages the turn out muscles which helped him during his training.
When evaluating the physical and technical skills to execute this exercise properly, there needs to be a great understanding of the anatomical movement.
In this exercise we begin with a Demi Plié, which begins with the posture being in a straight line tilting the pelvis forward, heels and knees touching. As you begin the plié you start to engage the glutes, quadriceips and inner thigh muscles, whilst the Patella flexes ensuring they do not go past your toes. When doing this you also use co ordination of the port de bra engaging the back and arms muscles whilst movement occurs in the ball and socket joint throughout allenges.
Following that comes a grande plié which incorporates a Demi plié, but begins with the flexion of the knee, hip joint and ankle joints when the body begins to lower. As you go as far down I’m your Demi plie you then lift your heels off allowing your knees to bend all the way. When coming up the heels then touch the floor first before the knees straighten. Throughout the movement the hip ball and socket joint has external rotation for the turnout muscles. Throughout the grande plié you need to ensure your core is engaged to maintain alignment, the quadriceps, gastrocnemius, gluteus Maximus, soleus are all activated to ensure you are technically correct.
Ballet technique is formed through artistry, being able to connect to the music and using dynamics to enhance your performance brings together artistry. As a performer it is important you are able to express and communicate emotions and feelings of the music and movement to an audience. This is something easily separates dancers in auditions. The artistry in ballet has allowed me to connect more with the music making smooth transitions through movements.
The plié is a movement which is apart of all the genres of styles. In commerical, we always getting told to plie our legs more to get levels our teachers want us to hit, incorporating levels into our dancing makes the routine more interesting. When Eric teaches Matt Mattox he always talks about staying down in the plié as it helps you to move faster, as the combinations are always fast. In contemporary we also do a plie exercise to warm the body up in Martha Graham’s technique and use it a lot in exercises such as swings and jumps to help get elevation.The plié is a big factor in all movements and helps to reduce an injuries in the legs.

Suzanne, N. and (owner/editor), N., 2009. What Is Artistry And How Do I Develop It?. [online] Danceadvantage.net. Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2020].
Talk about anatomical... and performance artistry

Tendu

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:58:16 UTC

In this video I am demonstrating the tendu exercise from Mr Needhams ballet class. The tendu exercise comes after the pliés and is helping warm up the body. As reported by Batson (2010) the tendu takes years to master due to the complicated coordination of postural balance. The tendu is preparation for the rest of the barre and the centre, getting the positioning correct of the foot and the leg. A tendu exercise ‘introduces the transfer of weight and helps to build strength and control’(Batson,2010) as shown in the video below. When focusing on the feet, tendus convey the articulation of the feet to build mobility in the instep. Aswell as ballet, articulation of the feet is used in my contemporary lessons studying the Graham technique. This illustrates how Graham incorporated the ballet technique into her modern dance technique.When the tendu is brought to the centre, for example in a pirouette exercise, without the barre it is important to engage your core to ensure you stay balanced.
When watching this video back I feel like my strength is actual execution of the tendu, ensuring I close with my inner thigh to create the sustained effect. My weakness is my co ordination of the arms, when look at the 3 tendus and close my arms stops instead of continually moving. I will improve this by practicing the exercise slowly to allow myself to work out the timing of.

Batson, G. 2010, improving Postural Control in the Battement Tendu: One Teschers Reflections and Somatic Exercises, Taylor & Francis Group.

Rond de jambe

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 16:58:48 UTC

In this exercise a lot of it is based on co ordination of the arm and leg as Mr Needham describes it. In all Mr Needham exercises he uses co ordination of the port de bras which is inspired by the Cecchetti technique as the fundamentals of the technique ‘restate the need to coordinate the arm and legs in fluid harmony at all time’(Cronshaw 2015). The logics of the technique is that everything done at the barres links to the centre and ‘prepares dancers not only to find their axis but also specially for jumping’(Cronshaw,2015). For example in this video when we go through first onto a releve, it is preparing us for our big jump in the centre as we are pushing through the floor to get up.

Cronshaw, J., 2015. Cecchetti's 'Days Of The Week': The Physical Principles Of Classical Ballet Explained - The Cecchetti Connection. [online] The Cecchetti Connection. Available at: [Accessed 29 April 2020].

Needhams centre work

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Adagio

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In the video below is an example of the adage we do with Mr Needham. Personally, I feel adage is the hardest exercise in ballet and is something I struggle with when executing it. The reason for this is because it requires a lot of control and strength to be done effortlessly. When doing an adage exercise as reported by Bradford (1999) it is a good idea to include it in the barre work to get a ‘sense of placement before attempting sustained centre work’.
As stated by Carlin (N.D), adagio normally incorporates the use of the arabesque in many different ways such as on point and flat. Adagio is a popular in ballet world being in ballets such as ‘Act II Giselle’ (Carlin n.d) done as a solo showing incredible control of her developpes, being able to pull that off conveys a high technical standard and wows audiences.
This exercise begins with a Demi plié, when performing this Mr Needham encourages us to perform with the use of artistry and dynamic qualities. There should be tension in the lower part but a flowing upper body. Followed by a rise to test the balance, engaging the inner thigh, quadricep, calves and gluteus maxim. Then we begin with the balance and strength of holding the leg up in second following the acarte line. Throughout, the arabesque is a big part of the adagio. The arabesque line in Cecchetti technique focus on the ‘orientation: which leg is raised relative to the audience, has five positions’(Hernandez, 2019) whereas In Vaganova technique have four positions of the arabesque. The anatomical description of the arabesque begins with a tendu to the back whilst the hips stay forward using turnout to rotate the leg. The muscles used in this movement include the hamstrings, lower back, gluteals.
The physical and technical elements include the use of balance through ‘sending energy to standing leg while you lift through your torso’(Dance Spirit, 2014) Balance is very important in this specific exercise as the technique shown needs to be graceful without wobbles. Then comes the strength of holding the leg up, ensuring you lift from underneath not gripping onto the thigh. Alignment and posture also are a big part of executing this exercise correctly you need to ensure you keep your hip level whilst extendingthe upper body in the port de bras. Throughout adagio you work on opposition using co ordination of the port de bras and leg extensions. Working in opposition will contribute to keeping your balance. Furthermore flexibility and control add the effortlessness audiences look for when coming to watch ballets. Being able to control the extensions comes with a lot of core strength and technical training. Mentally, going into adagio I always get nervous however I need to stay focus and determined in order for my work to improve. The concentration needed is vital, as there are so many physical and technical aspects needed.
Although adagio is difficult when looking at the physical and technical aspects, it should be still show off artistry and performance. As adagio is slow, it gives you time to breath and connect with the music. The idea of adagio it for you to get to every move with resistance and flow reaching your extensions at the last minute. Even if you lack flexibility or strength to hold your leg high it is important to create ‘beautiful lines’(Dance Spirit,2014). Dancers focus should follow your arms to highlight the dance element in the technique, whilst dancing through the phrasing of the music without rushing. Aswell as facial performance there should be a sense of ‘breath and conviction’(Dance Spirit,2014) in the upper body. The dynamics are fluid and graceful whilst keeping the energy throughout.
When reflecting on this video and experience in my classes I know adage is my biggest weakness in ballet due to flexibility and strength in certain muscles. To improve I’m going to use a range of exercises such as holding the barre and doing raises into arabesque and second holding them. If I face the barre ‘it is easier for students to keep their shoulders and hips squared’(Bradford, 1999) preparing me for the centre. Also incorporating core exercises into my training as it helps with all my technical studies and will enhance my strength throughout the exercise.
Adagio is a ballet exercise however we use the same amount of control in contemporary when performing a slower exercise which needs concentration and focus engaging all the muscles. Also in jazz, in a more lyrical dance where we have to hold the leg up throughout the music. With commercial although it contrasts with the technique of it, I’d say it is similar in a way of being able to control your movements with stops and starts and moving your body really slow to show a dynamic contrast.

Hernandez, D., 2019. Arabesque For Ballet Dancers - Tips To Improve Dance Techniques | Beyond The Barre. [online] Google.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2020].

Hansen, A., 2011. Arabesque. [online] D3a512p2kajs89.cloudfront.net. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Carlin, N., n.d. Traditional Ballet Classroom Dance Exercises. [online] Livehealthy.chron.com. Available at: [Accessed 13 May 2020].

Dance Spirit. 2014. Mastering Adagio. [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 May 2020].

Bradford, T.A. 1999, Building a Solid Center: Show Your Students Where Their Barre Work Really Pays Off, Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC, Raleigh, N. C

Pirouettes

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 17:00:55 UTC

This video shows an example of pirouette exercise we do in Mr Needhams classes. The pirouettes in this video are now turned out making it more difficult to turn.
The pirouette begins with a tendus in devant and derriere which we used at the barre, followed by a first arabesque line. Using the inner thigh muscles we port de bras finishing in a Demi plie. The releve holding the pirouette position which allows the muscles to prepare for the pirouette. In second year we have to execute a double pirouette turned out. The only difference between the ballet and jazz pirouettes is the use of turnout in the ballet preparation, position and finish.

Lee Daniels

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 20:01:54 UTC

At Shockout Arts, we are provided with a great faculty of teachers, however we are also lucky enough to receive workshops from artists around the world. This video is a workshop from Lee Daniels who is a dancer and choreographer from Los Angeles. This choreography was very African American inspired which illuratses the link between jazz, contemporary and commerical coming back to the beginning of dance.
The expressive skills necessary for this choreography, is the projection of high energy and whilst conveying the grounded moments for the African American modernised movement. The style incorporates a lot of hip and torso isolations which are decorated by arm lines and grooves to create the initial commercial aspect. The dynamics throughout the routine, are a contrast between sharp and smooth movements whilst highlighting the fluidity of the body.
In this class I gained the understanding of African American dance which I am wanting to progress further in.

Olivia Beckford

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-27 20:02:48 UTC

At Shockout we receive great training from both faculty teachers and teachers that come in a teach us workshops. This video is from our workshop with Olivia Beckford who also trained at Shockout and is now touring the world the Mabel. We are lucky that we get teachers in from the industry to give us an in sight of what it is like to help prepare us. In this class she taught a routine with a lot of house dance elements as she said you never know what to expect when on a job, so it is important you are ready for any style.
As a commerical dancer, I personally think it is very important to have a great understanding of all hip hop foundations such as house, popping, locking, whacking, breaking to increase creativity. Also, because if you are on a job or an audition it is good to go in confidently knowing every style to a good standard.
House dance:
House dance started in Chicago and New York where people in the clubs would dance house steps such as Jacking, Lofting and Footwork. The expressive skills necessary for house dance include ‘improvisational in nature and emphasis on fast and complex foot oriented steps combined with fluid movements in the torso, as well as floor work.’ (Teller, M., 2013) . In this choreography it includes footwork and jacking whilst still being a commercial routine. This demonstrates how you can create choreography using these foundations and skills learnt and expand your exploration. For this choreography I feel you need stamina, strength and power for the execution to be at a good standard as it a hard style to do, with a lot to think about. The qualities of the dance include a jack which is the basic groove throughout whilst isolating the feet, showing the quick footwork of the style. The upper body stays relaxed whilst the lower body does all the work, this is similar to ballet as you need to show the artistry and grace In the upper body whilst the legs conveying the strength and prosition of the technique. The dynamics needed for this choreography is high energy followed by power and strength.

Teller, M., 2013. House Dancing: Origins &Originals_. [online] The Mason. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Creating our own concept video

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-28 13:09:35 UTC

Due to lockdown, our commercial assessment got changed which meant we had to create our own concept video. Creating our own choreography, stimulus, location and costume.
The stimulus I choose was inspired by auditory and visual stimuli, after I became inspired by a photo I took of a location close to home which then lead to me finding the song which fit perfectly for both.
I came up with a sort of narrative similar to lion king, where I envision myself as an animal searching for water.
In terms of choreography and sense of style I tried to make it what I feel commercial is. As commercial is a very broad term and with the song I used I also felt it had an African expression to it. From the vocabulary I have learnt in commercial and technique classes such as whacking, Afro, jazz technique, hip hop foundations I put them all together to express my vision of what commercial is. When choreographing I tried to explore different dynamic textures such as slow and strong at the start moving onto more full out with a bit more aggression.
In regards to expressive skills, the task allowed me to experiment as much as I wanted, for example my focus could be anywhere I wanted and the camera would follow, however my eye-line was mainly to the camera, like I was shooting a music video. When shooting this we did it sections and shot it all from different angles.
The physical and technical aspects of this task was stamina although you keep stopping between shooting, I had to film a lot of times to get the best video. This task has given me an eye opener to what is expected as a dancer on set for a music video.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-28 13:12:01 UTC

What I liked about the process?
-I liked being able to create my own vision without help from anyway
-creating choreography and a product of my own and experimenting my movement
-learning new skills and directing the camera man
Where could this video be used?
When watching back the final footage, I could imagine it being used for fashion of some sort for popular clothing brands such as boohoo or pretty little thing.
What would I change?
If I was actually sending it to a clothing brand for a job, next time I would try and use different outfits, like in the video when I switch to different locations I would have a different costume on to enhance the fashion side of it.
Positives and negatives?
The positives of the task was getting to see what I could do creatively and allowed me to try and direct something myself. The negatives included having mental blocks when choreographing, this was hard as sometimes I could not think of anything. When this happened I would practice what I had already then come back to it later when I felt more creative.
Did it turn out how I wanted it?
At the start of this assignment I had an vision of how I wanted it and I believe the final product ending up being exactly what I wanted. All the shots fit ended up being exactly what I imagined or better. Even though my dance execution wasn’t always what I pictured as it gets tiring filming as a whole the concept came out perfect.

Concept video idea

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-28 15:05:20 UTC

In this document states the idea behind my concept video.

Feedback

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aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-28 16:20:17 UTC

This video is an example of a exercise we would do with Anton in the centre. This particular exercise is a Stanley Williams exercise influenced by George Balanchine both well known practitioners.
Stanley Williams is described as ‘renowned teacher of male ballet dancers’(Dunning, 1997) and trained a the Royal Danish ballet school.
This exercise focuses on travelling steps tonlervate whilst opening the upper body with use of port de bras.
Dunning, J., 1997. Stanley Williams, 72, Teacher Of Top Male Ballet Dancers. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Practitioners

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-29 09:43:14 UTC

Martha Graham

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-29 11:02:06 UTC

Martha Graham a well known dancer, teacher and choreographer of modern dance. Graham is known for giving modern dance a new outlook on expression. Her inspiration of her work came from her interests in ‘bodily expression of human behaviour’ (Terry, 2020) and Asian art which is believed to used in her work. In Terrys lessons we are training in Graham’s technique which is known to be ‘the first creator of modern dance to devise a truly universal dance technique out of the movements she developed in choreography’(Terry,2020).
Martha Graham’s technique focuses a lot on breath throughout the movement, like the contract and release on them ‘example of breathing’(Foulkes, 2002). An element of Graham’s technique we have not learnt with Terry is the technique of falling, ‘in Graham’s technique and theatre the act of falling embodies the process by which the dancer continually renews herself’(Graft, 2004). This aspect of the technique includes a lot of strength engaging the quadriecps to avoid any injury to the knee and a safe landing to the ground. In the video below we can see some examples of the technique of falling which she uses in her choreography. The technique is ‘most often used through contraction of the pelvic and torso muscles so that the weight of the body is lifted’(Graft, 2004). When learning her technique I found that you need a lot of strength and flexibility throughout the whole body especially the back.
Learning this technique has clearly made me a stronger dancer. When I reflect on what I was in like in the first term to now I see a massive difference such as not wobbling in a rise and being able to hold with the correct posture. It has allowed me to understand the use of breath which I have taken into other classes such as Ainsleys. The use of the contract and release is used in a lot of my techniques such as Matt Mattox in the por de bras. Having a better understanding of the way a contraction is suppose to be has allowed me to embody it naturally in my dancing. Graham technique has helped me in my training by strength of different muscles such as upper and lower back.

Graft, E. 2004, When your heart falls: The drama of descent in Martha Graham’s technique and theater, Taylor & Francis Group.

Foulkes, J.L. 2002, Modern Bodies: Dance and American Modernism from Martha Graham to Alvin Ailey, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Terry, W., 2020. Martha Graham - Maturity. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: [Accessed 4 May 2020].

Reflection

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-29 13:40:27 UTC

From January to March I feel like I was focusing on what feedback I got from my plenary. In ballet I was focusing on the artistry of my movement, trying to make it flow more and fill the music with my movements. I focused on this as it was one of my low marks in my ballet assessment. In contemporary i was focusing on the articulation of my feet as this is in a lot of exercises and is something Terry said I need to focus on. So In my own time I was working on both feet articulating at the same time. For commercial and jazz I was focusing on my performance in both my body and face. Trying to see what works for me in my body when doing choreography. As for facial expressions I was ensuring I performed more in lessons either to the mirror, audience or camera preparing myself for auditions and jobs. Whilst also focusing on my chosen goals for each technique, to also help improve them ready for summative assessments.
My weakness, was still my flexibility, even though it is improving I still have a long way to go ensuring I get my marks up for my summative. My strengths came with my performance, as I began to perform more in all my classes to allow myself to be prepared for the dance industry.

Reflection

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-29 13:44:35 UTC

From March to May a lot has changed in terms of training, due to the lockdown we now have to do online classes. Throughout this period it has allowed me to learn more independently as I am in my room alone. Although the online classes are not the same as training it has helped me to stay motivated and continue to push my progression as a dancer. As I have said throughout this blog, my flexibility is something I really want to work on and now I have more time this is something I can do. Every week I ensure I right a timetable or a to do list each day to ensure I stay practical throughout my day. I’ve made sure I have done extra physical exercise and stretch on top of university classes as that is what I would do if in the studio. Also in my spare time I have been able to work on my freestyle as this is something I have wanted to progress in I ensure I do at least 30minutes every other day and record it so I can watch myself back and self critic.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-29 20:27:14 UTC

Contemporary class at Shockout Arts
Choreography- Jasmin Saulo
Aswell as having Terry for contemporary technique, We also have Jasmin who’s class is more about exploration and movement of the body working a lot on floor work, improvisation and travelling sequences.
Having both classes is great as it means I’m building strength in my body through the technique whilst also having freedom to work on improvisation and breath throughout my movement.
Her classes start with a warm up which includes, plies, testing balance, moving through stretches and core exercises. The whole warm up flows throughout allowing you to listen to your body and it’s needs. We then move onto combinations travelling or improvisation to help get the body and creativity moving.
Improvisation is something that has been ‘applied to virtually all art forms in the twentieth century and has had a significant impact on the practices of the art(Carter, 2000). As a dancer improvisation is something I struggle with as in agreement with Carter (2000) as a performance it can be difficult to do as you may end up repeating yourself, which may bore the audience. Improvisation, In terms of the mental skills needed for a successful performance include focus, imagination and confidence. Having the skill to improvise is useful when becoming a professional dancer as, you will need in all styles and auditions as it is a chance for the panel to see your personality but also would help on job. If you was on a job and forgot the choreography it is important to not make it obvious and carry on dancing. Which is why freestyle is one of my main goals as it is needed throughout all dance jobs.

Many contemporary practitioners have embodied improvisation into there work such as Loie Fuller, she would encourage all her dancers to move in a way that came naturally to them allowing them to expressive themselves using emotions. Even though Fuller incorporated freestyle into her choreographies, she still used a structure with her work allowing her dancers to integrate their own individuality. Moving forward into twentieth century is when improvisation began to develop even more and became more experimental. At this point improvisation was becoming apart of dance institutions training programme. Practitioners such as Rudolf van Laban also began to develop improvisation in twentieth century, using his theories and experiments allowed him to free dance movement to depend upon music. He wanted to find a new perspective to the body in terms of costume and movement.

Improvisation comes out in all genres of dance, including ballet, jazz, contemporary and commerical. In Ballet practitioner George Balachine, who has choreographed many ballets though his ‘method of working often consisted of creating dance steps on the spot’(Carter, 2000), although this is spontaneous as a ballet practitioner, it has helped to test his concepts. Improvisation in jazz comes from the evolution of jazz music, as musicians would create ‘rhythmic sounds’(Carter,2000) allowing the dancers to follow.
To finish the class off we learn choreography Jasmin has created, her choreography is very musical, as her music choices tend to have a lot of musicality to them. This is what makes them so fascinating, as the movement fits perfectly to the music. When learning her choreographer something I take longer to process is the timing of the music especially if I have never heard the song. Which is why I always try and watch her and listen to the music when she demonstrates it as it is important to watch the choreographer for detail. The expressive elements necessary for this class include communication of choreography, showing an intention throughout, Jasmin does not focus on aspects such a cleanliness and perfection but more the story you are trying to portray. Showing an understanding of the stylistic quality of the movement. When showing intention the facial and bodily expression should come naturally with it to enhance the overall performance. My intention is this video is the first time seeing the human body, with this in mind came the performance. The style of the choreography, uses a lot of individual body parts, with points of stillness, isolations and intricate movements. The focus and projection followed your intention, meaning my eye line would follow my movement and the projection of energy would help to communicate my intention. The physical aspects needed for this piece included co ordination, in the arms and legs as the choreography is fast. In the intricate sections I required control, which meant keeping my core engaged and tension in my body to allow myself to move that fast. Jasmin also includes technical steps throughout using actions such as turning, stillness, rotation, gesture and elevation. Which make the piece exciting as it has different technical layers to it. When focusing on the dynamics of the piece you see a contrast throughout parts as heavy then sharp then sustained. Which means that you need to be able to move in between them all.
Jasmins lessons has taught me so much about myself and has helped me to improve my goal of freestyle and improvisation.
Carter, C. L. 2000, Improvisation in dance, The American Society for Aesthetics

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-29 21:01:59 UTC

Kicks

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-30 15:25:19 UTC

In this video, she uses a number of exercise easy and simple to do at home in my own time. Working on strengthening my turn out muscles as sometimes I can engage the wrong muscles. Also using different stretches to length the back of my hamstring as that is what is restricting me.
2014. Higher Kicks Fast: Dance How-To. [image] Available at: [Accessed 15 April 2020].

Kicks

aaliyahbaker — 2020-04-30 15:25:46 UTC

When demonstrating a kick there is a list of things you need to ensure you do in order for it to be technically correct.
1) Warm up- before doing a kick you must ensure you have warmed up and stretched to avoid any injuries that could happen in your hamstring or quadriceps.
2) Check body alignment- back should be straight and shoulders down, chin high, arms out in second.
3) Ensure you are engaging the correct muscles
4) Core strength- in kicks having a strong core allows your posture to stay technically correct. If you have a weak core it will show as you will look slouched. Improving core strength- you can do many core exercises to build up the strength needed.
5) Balance, a kick is a one leg balance, this is something I feel I could work on more. My balance will improve by taking ballet lessons prioritising it on the barre and in exercises such as adage.
6) Overall technique- pointed toes, legs straight, heels on floors. Working on these aspects can be done by travelling kick exercises.
As my kicks are finally getting higher, I now need to continue to push my flexibility and strength but start focusing on the alignment and supporting leg more. Ensuring my supporting leg in turned out and straight and my arms are in a strong second position.
When focusing on other styles kicks are used in other styles also, ballet at the barre in Grande Battenman, in contemporary with Terry we did a travelling kick exercise from the Martha Graham technique and commercial sometimes these are incorporated in choreography maybe not as high or can be used in your freestyle.

Huggins, M., n.d. High Kick Exercises For Dance Teams. [online] Livehealthy.chron.com. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Mock audition

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-01 22:37:08 UTC

In our heels/commerical class with Yazmin Harcourt we did a mock audition. The mock audition meant we had to wear clothes that we would wear to an audition, warm up how we would in a audition and treat it like a proper audition. We learnt the choreography then had to go in groups of 3 in register order. In the mock audition we had to do as much as possible to make us stand out in both the choreography and in the freestyle. I felt that this lesson was very productive and realistic and throughout third year I would like to have more of this to help me get prepared for auditions.

The expressive skills during this choreography is mainly performance although the people audition you look for all the physical aspects in a dancer you need to be able to entertain them. Throughout the rounds I try to mix my freestyle up and try something different each time whether to be change in dynamics, focus or levels.

The physical elements in this routine includes balance as we are in a heel and when you are dancing in them you want to appear strong and stable not wobbly. In an audition if they can not decide who to cut they may ask you do it again, which means you need to have stamina to keep doing it full out as they could cut you if they can see you are getting tired.

How did I do?(strengths, weaknesses, next time)
In the mock audition, myself and 3 others got the job. When watching the video back I think for my freestyle I need work on being more creative to stand out with my movement making myself more individual. This is something I am working on throughout my smart goals. My strength in this task was my retention and attention to detail, when Yasmin taught us the choreography I listened to everything she said watching all her movements. In an audition this is something you have to be able to pick up quickly to get to the end. Next time we have a mock audition I will ensure that I am more prepared with my outfit, as for me this is not something I would wear for an audition and I want to ensure that I make it as realistic as possible.

Receiving feedback

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-05 11:42:59 UTC

As a dancer it is important to receive feedback as it allows you to evaluate where you are at. As reported by Vibity (2017) accepting the feedback given by ‘teachers, peers or even yourself and make changes to your routine, you will see the positive effects’(Vibity 2017). This is why feedback is so important as without it, it is hard for you to improve as sometimes you do not see what you are doing wrong. Vibity (2017) then goes on to explain how when you receive the feedback you need to then obtain it to see an improvement.
Different forms of feedback include;
-Mirrors, which we have in all studios at Shockout, watching yourself in the mirror allows you to identify whether or not you are doing the same as the teacher/choreographer.
-Recording yourself, this allows you to watch yourself back as sometimes you feel like you are doing something but you are not.
Peer feedback- In class asking a friend to watch you for feedback. This is something I tend to do a lot, as I always ask people to give me feedback.
Teacher- Asking the teacher after class for feedback and logging it is a good way to monitor your process as a dancer. This is also something I try and do in all my dance styles as I am always wanting to improve as much as I can.
In my own training, I like receiving feedback often as it allows me to stay focused on improving myself and not get comfortable. I always take all feedback on board and apply to my training to allow myself to be the best dancer I can be.
Vibity, 2017. Importance Of Feedback In Dance ~ Vibity. [online] Vibity.com. Available at: [Accessed 5 May 2020].

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-05 14:17:22 UTC

Bibliography

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-05 14:17:31 UTC

Books-
Schloss, J.G. 2009, Foundation: B-boys, B-girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York, Oxford University Press, US.
Websites-
BBC. 2015. BBC Arts - BBC Arts - The History Of Hip-Hop Dance. [online] Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Dance College London. 2020. Freestyle | Dance College London. [online] Available at: [Accessed 3 May 2020].

Friedman, B., n.d. Brian Friedman. [online] Broadway Dance Center. Available at: [Accessed 2 May 2020].

Knight, J., n.d. Jaquel Knight. [online] Broadway Dance Center. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Taylor, D., 2015. Self Confidence. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 April 2020].

Teller, M., 2013. House Dancing: Origins &Originals_.
[online] The Mason. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Stutz, C., 2018. Beyonce Choreographer Jaquel Knight Spotlight Interview: From 'Single Ladies' To N.E.R.D.'S 'Lemon' To Coachella | Billboard. [online] Billboard. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Stanyer, L. (2018). The Importance of Cardiovascular Endurance for the Dancer. [online] Laurastanyer.blogspot.com. Available at: http://laurastanyer.blogspot.com/2011/07/importance-of-cardiovascular-endurance.html [Accessed 28 April 2020].

Sun, R., 2020. Super Bowl LIV Choreographer Parris Goebel Signs With IMG Models (Exclusive). [online] The Hollywood Reporter. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Wilkinson, A., 2016. The Benefits Of Supplementary Training For Dancers. [online] Trinity Laban. Available at [Accessed 2 April 2020].

Miller, S., 2020. The History Of Freestyle Dancing. [online] Gone Outdoors | Your Adventure Awaits. Available at: [Accessed 3 May 2020].

Vibity, 2017. Importance Of Feedback In Dance ~ Vibity. [online] Vibity.com. Available at: [Accessed 5 May 2020].

Journal-
Berardi, G. 2005;2004;, Finding Balance: Fitness, Training, and Health for a Lifetime in Dance, 2nd edn, Routledge Ltd, London.

Evans, T. 2016, “How to be Prepared for Dance Auditions in New York: one graduating dancer recommends quality over quantity”., Dance Major Journal, Vol 4

Fink, A. & Woschnjak, S. 2011, "Creativity and personality in professional dancers", Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 51, no. 6, pp. 754-758.

News article-
Dancing in heels: FITNESS New barre- inspired classes will prime you for party-shoe season. Katie Strick raises her game and gets in training for the dance floor 2018, Evening Standard Limited, London (UK)

Bibliography

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-07 10:06:25 UTC

Book-
Darkenwald, T. 2014, “Jack Cole and Theatrical Jazz Dance” in University Press of Florida,.

Oliver, W. & Guarino, L. 2014, Jazz Dance Styles, University Press of Florida.

Boross, B. 2014, "The “Free Style” Jazz Dance of Matt Mattox" in University Press of Florida, .

Website-
Caldwell, R., 2017. Why Your Students Need To Build Upper-Body Strength. [online] Dance Teacher. Available at: [Accessed 10 May 2020].

Fox, M., 2013. Matt Mattox, jazz dance pioneer, dies at 91. The New York Times, [online] Available at: [Accessed 3 May 2020].

Hunt, M., 2017. Spotting 101: Help Your Students Master This Turning Essential. [online] Dance Teacher. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Huggins, M., n.d. High Kick Exercises For Dance Teams. [online] Livehealthy.chron.com. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020]
.
React Dance Academy. 2016. Control Your Kicks – React Dance Academy. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Walton, P., n.d. Commercial Jazz. [online] Victoriaschoolofdancing.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 10 May 2020].

Waldinger, B., 2017. Teaching Traditional Jazz - The Luigi Jazz Technique | The Wonderful World Of Dance Magazine. [online] The Wonderful World of Dance Magazine. Available at: [Accessed 29 April 2020].

Team, G., 2014. What Is Jazz Funk Dance Style - Some History And Key Players. [online] GADFLY. Available at: [Accessed 10 May 2020].

Amerson, T., 2015. Active Muscles In Pirouettes. [online] Varsity.com.cn. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Semko, E. and Semko, E. (2015). Luigi, Legendary Jazz Dance Teacher and Icon. [online] Danceadvantage.net. Available at: https://www.danceadvantage.net/jazz-dance-legend-luigi/ [Accessed 2 Jan. 2020].

Rivers, A., 2017. Isolation Inspiration. [online] Dance Spirit. Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].
Journal-
Leslie D. Netting (1998) Lyrical Jazz Dance Defined, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 69:5, 7-8, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1998.10605544

YouTube link-
2010. Kismet Original Dance. [video] Available at: [Accessed 2 April 2020].

2014. Higher Kicks Fast: Dance How-To. [image] Available at: [Accessed 15 April 2020].

Magazine article-
Kay, L. 2009, “Jazz Spotlight: Luigi’s Legacy”, Dance Spirit, [online], vol. 13, no. 10 pp. 60-61

Strong, D. 2009, "Health: How-To: Safe Stretching", Dance Teacher, [Online], vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 70-74.

Bibliography

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-07 11:18:13 UTC

Website-
Butler, G., 2015. [online] Georginabutler.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Hernandez, D., 2019. Arabesque For Ballet Dancers - Tips To Improve Dance Techniques | Beyond The Barre. [online] Google.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2020].

Hansen, A., 2011. Arabesque. [online]
D3a512p2kajs89.cloudfront.net. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

King, D., 2016. A Ballet Education. [online] A Ballet Education. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Carlin, N., n.d. Traditional Ballet Classroom Dance Exercises. [online] Livehealthy.chron.com. Available at: [Accessed 13 May 2020].

Cronshaw, J., 2015. Cecchetti's 'Days Of The Week': The Physical Principles Of Classical Ballet Explained - The Cecchetti Connection. [online] The Cecchetti Connection. Available at: [Accessed 29 April 2020].

Dance Spirit. 2014. Mastering Adagio. [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 May 2020].

Suzanne, N. and (owner/editor), N., 2009. What Is Artistry And How Do I Develop It?. [online] Danceadvantage.net. Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2020].

Maling, M., 2015. Ballet Dancer Feet - Why Feet Are So Important In Ballet - Dancers Forum. [online] Dancers Forum. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Dunning, J., 1997. Stanley Williams, 72, Teacher Of Top Male Ballet Dancers. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Zeidman, P., 2015. [online] Thedancecentreperegiansprings.com. Available at: [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Book-
Homans, J. and Potter, K., 2011. Apollo's Angels. [Old Saybrook, CT]: Tantor Audio.

Journal-
Batson, G. 2010, improving Postural Control in the Battement Tendu: One Teschers Reflections and Somatic Exercises, Taylor & Francis Group.

Hardy, C. 2006, "Bringing bourees to Broadway: George Balanchine's career in the commercial theater", World Literature Today, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 16.

Murray, M.B. 2017, “Maestro: Enrico Cecchetti and Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes” , Dance Chronicle, vol.40, no,2, pp. 165-191

Magazine article-
Bradford, T.A. 1999, Building a Solid Center: Show Your Students Where Their Barre Work Really Pays Off, Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC, Raleigh, N. C
Poon, K. 2008, Mastering Vaganova Technique, Dance Media LLC, dba Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC, New York.
Rizzuto, R. 2013, Agrippina Vaganova, Dance Media LLC, dba Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC, New York

YouTube link-
2020. NYC Ballet's Emily Kikta On George Balanchine's BRAHMS-SCHOENBERG QUARTET. [video] Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2020].

Anton Alexandrov

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-07 12:40:51 UTC

Anton Alexandrov is our ballet teacher at Shockout arts, his work is inspired by Vaganova, Balanchine and Bournville technique. His training was at Hamburg ballet.

David Needham

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-07 12:41:00 UTC

David needham who is one of our technical teachers at Shockout, teaches Luigi technique in jazz and Cechetti technique in ballet. He is a well known dancer and choreographer, choreographing shows such as Hot stuff. He trained at Arts head in London and has had successful career and we are lucky to have him as a teacher.

Jacquel knight

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-08 08:22:53 UTC

Jacquel knight is one of the most famous commerical choreographers in 21st century. His most well known work is of Beyonce Knowles Single Ladies choreography which leaded him to winning his first award. After this he then choreographed Beyoncé’s I am world tour aswell as the single Diva. He has also choreographed for films such as burlesque and for other artists.

The Single ladies video was a real break through for Jaqeul at the age of 18. He began choreographing for a dance troupe in his younger years. In an interview jaquel explains how he began creating, ‘Starting my own group, shopping for clothes, choreographing, overseeing the group. It was maybe about 12 of us. It was something super important and a great starting point for me as a creative. It kind of just flowed naturally from me being in the band and writing music, to then listening fully and becoming the music."(Stutz, 2018). By just starting out something as small as a dance group, with his expansion of creativity led him to create original choreography.

When analysing Jaquel Knights choreography

As going on tour with Beyoncé is my ultimate goal as a dancer, I would take Jaquel Knights classes to get my race reconignissd by him and to get a better understanding of his choreography. I have been to 3 of Beyoncé’s tours so I have watched and experienced the dancing allowing myself to understand what is expected. Knight himself took an audition for Frank Gatson Jr which led him to get the Single Ladies gig. Which highlights that if I took a class or audition for Jaquel it could lead to further things if he is interested in me.

His work has helped and influenced me as a dancer, as when I was younger I would copy all of his choreography from single ladies and other videos. This is where my passion for dance as a career began , like me he didn’t start at young age however it shows that it does not matter. You can achieve anything if you work hard enough for it.

Stutz, C., 2018. Beyonce Choreographer Jaquel Knight Spotlight Interview: From 'Single Ladies' To N.E.R.D.'S 'Lemon' To Coachella | Billboard. [online] Billboard. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

Knight, J., n.d. Jaquel Knight. [online] Broadway Dance Center. Available at: [Accessed 8 May 2020].

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-10 20:04:29 UTC

Although I have not included kicks in my three goals, they are something I am working on aswell however, I think it comes hand in hand with flexibility. As my flexibility starts to improve my kicks will also begin to get higher.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-11 14:04:03 UTC

If I could merge these three dancers together that is what I want for me as a jazz dancer, the strong technique followed by extreme flexibility and good understanding of how my body works focusing on isolations and contractions.

Bibliography

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-12 13:05:28 UTC

Books-
Foulkes, J.L. 2002, Modern Bodies: Dance and American Modernism from Martha Graham to Alvin Ailey, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.

Worldly gestures; Pina Bausch 2012, Economist Intelligence Unit N.A. Incorporated, London

Meyer, M. & Black, P. 2017, Pina Bausch: dance, dance, otherwise we are lost, Oberon Books.

Websites-
contemporary-dance.org. n.d. Contemporary Dance Terms. Definitions.. [online] Available at: [Accessed 12 May 2020].

Legg, J., 2009. Graham Technique. [online] Dance Spirit. Available at: [Accessed 2 May 2020].

Miller, J., 2010. Voice And Speech. [online] Voice and Speech. Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2020].

Terry, W., 2020. Martha Graham - Maturity. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: [Accessed 4 May 2020].

Journals-
Carter, C. L. 2000, Improvisation in dance, The American Society for Aesthetics

Çelebi, M.M. & Zergeroğlu, A.M. 2017, The Effects of Warm Ups and Stretching Exercises on Balance and Proprioception, Galenos Publishing House.

Graft, E. 2004, When your heart falls: The drama of descent in Martha Graham’s technique and theater, Taylor & Francis Group.

Magazine article-
Kasdorf, A. 2007, "Focus: Modern: Contraction Connection", Dance Spirit, [Online], vol. 11, no. 7, pp. 147-148.

YouTube link-
2016. Foot Articulation And Strengthening Exercises For Dancers. [video] Available at: [Accessed 9 January 2020].

Pina Bausch

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-12 15:53:35 UTC

Pina Bausch is another well known practitioner who ‘revolutionised dance’ (Meyer, 2017), Bausch is a German choreographer, and died in 2009 leaving her mark in the dance world. Bausch and her choreography was so special, ‘Bausch’s gift was to convey deep, emotional feeling without cliche or a clear narrative’(Economist, 2012)she created pieces that had never been before, which is something inspiring to me. In the 21st century, not many choreographers create anything original or new, which is why practitoners such as Bausch are so memorable.
According to Economist (2012) her choreography would often be gestures, signifying humans actions everyday, whilst also including ‘technical control’(Economist, 2012) of flips and turns.
Bausch is known for her pieces reflecting ‘every day life in short episodes that were sometimes agree over and brutal, at other times delicate and poetic’(Meyer,2017)allowing audiences to relate to her pieces. The way Bausch worked when creating her pieces was described as a ‘collage’(Meyer,2017), focusing on human themes such as ‘fear, longing, doubt, the search for happiness, the brutality of life’(Meyer, 2017), emphasising intention and expression throughout all her pieces. Using this way of creativity is a great way to showcase a performance through facial and body. She would use material from different human beings to create scenes demonstrating the ‘human experience’(Meyer, 2017). Using dance in this way is clever as it is a way for audiences who do not dance, understand the concept of the pieces created. Bausch describes how ‘emotionality was very important to her as well as humanity, which lay at the heart of everything’(Meyer, 2017) which illustrates that she created work from deep inside. Surprisingly Bausch never named her pieces or explained them as she did that with choreography allowing audiences to experience it themselves. This inspires me as it conveys that you do not need to explain work you just need to feel and see what is in front of you.
Even though she choreographed to themes and emotions, she never choreographed to a piece of music first, it would come later on. She uses this method as she wanted dancers to ‘listen to their own musicality and not follow a pre-determined rhythm’(Meyer, 2017), this illustrates that we do not need music to dance and you can feel movement just by your own intention and the use of your own breath.
Pina Bausch’s has inspired my training as I think story telling and expression is a massive part of being a dancer. You have to be able to take an audience on a journey throughout a performance in order to make it interesting, instead of just showing steps. Having a better understanding on how she works, is something I will try myself when choreographing, feeling the movements then putting the song to it later as I normally pick the song first. Using Graham’s technique and Pina Bausch’s way of movement and expression, will help me to become a strong dancer overall.

Worldly gestures; Pina Bausch 2012, Economist Intelligence Unit N.A. Incorporated, London
Meyer, M. & Black, P. 2017, Pina Bausch: dance, dance, otherwise we are lost, Oberon Books.

Class

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-13 08:20:18 UTC

Reflections

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 09:08:47 UTC

Goals

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 09:09:51 UTC

You will find my goals, under each style as I have set goals for each Core Technique. Below is a brief explanation of what I will be working on. See pictures under each style.

Reflection

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 09:09:57 UTC

Formative assessment

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 09:15:21 UTC

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 09:32:59 UTC

Throughout December we had our formative assessments in Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary. The assessments had set and unseen elements of work. When going into the assessments I felt confident as I had practiced the set elements. In relation to the unseen section, I felt I picked up and retained the information well enough to perform with confidence.
In jazz I would say this was my overall best assessment achieving a high mark of 69 which is just below a first. On a whole I feel the most confident with jazz as it is more natural to me. The sections that brought me down in jazz were flexibility, elevation and turns. With flexibility I am already working on this as it has been an on going goal for me. With elevation I need to work on using my plié before executing my movements to help me get higher. Then, with turns I normally am good at them I just need to work on holding the position.
In contemporary, my mark was higher than I expected as I was new to the Martha Graham technique and it took me a while to understand the technical elements. My final mark from the formative assessment was a 69 again one below a first. When receiving my grade off Terry, he explained that I need to work on the articulation of my feet and back. When reflecting on the break down of my marks I know what sections I need to work on more throughout my lessons working up to the summative. The unseen section of the assessment, was quite difficult as we had only been doing the technique for 3 months however I feel like I did really well and executed it as best I could. Having the aspect of unseen in a assessments is a great way at preparing for auditions as you are under pressure but you don’t know what to expect.
Ballet is the style I struggle with the most and in the assessment we do a lot of exercises testing our retention skills. My overall mark came to a 67 which is three marks off a first. Comparing this mark to first year where I was hitting 50 marks I have progressed so much. When receiving my marks I took note of my lowest marks to help myself improve to get my mark up. For my summative I need to focus on adage which is one of my goals, pirouettes as I find the more difficult because they are turned out and petiti allegro which is the use of beats.
Preparing for unseen material is hard as you do not know what to expect, so I ensured I took notes of all the vocabulary and steps as we are learning off our teachers to help me understand terminology throughout the exam.
In the video below you will see my grades from year one and year 2, conveying the improvement since then.

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 09:52:02 UTC

Here is a table comparing my first year marks and second year marks. This highlights my improvement in all my subjects especially ballet.

Overall reflection of year 2

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 10:32:57 UTC

When reflecting my journey through Shockout Arts, year one helped me to gain a understanding of my technique and terminology. Then year 2 has helped me to gain more individuality, style, performance and artistry. Although I still have a lot more to improve on I have seen a massive jump between year 1 and 2. Many of my weaknesses have now improved since setting my goals and working on them. My strengths have also got better allowing me to become a versatile dancer. One of my main struggles which has a goal and weakness throughout my reflections has been flexibility. Even though I have been working on this goal throughout the whole year, since lockdown I have seen a massive improvement in my flexibility and kicks. This has allowed me to improve in other aspects of dance as it was limiting me. Moving forward I am going to ensure I maintain my flexibility and push it more ready for my final year. On a whole I have learnt so much from each teacher and these skills I will carry on throughout my dance journey. In September I will be setting new goals to progress in all genres of dance.

Fitness

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 12:18:44 UTC

Creativity

aaliyahbaker — 2020-05-14 12:38:37 UTC