KELSEY THOMSON 2113618: PCD6102 Advanced Techniques and Performance Studies by

kelseythomson1 — 2023-12-16 15:14:05 UTC

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kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 18:19:25 UTC

One element of my ballet technique I have been aiming to work on this year is the height of my développés and grand battements. As you can see in this video i can initially get my legs higher than 90 degrees but struggle to hold it there. I have had issues with my hips for a couple of years and seems that when I développé my legs i lift from this area which causes more strain. I also over use my thigh muscle which has been affecting my knees. This could eventually cause injury and impact future opportunities.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 18:21:05 UTC

After doing some research, it seems that i have been over working certain muscles to compensate for my weak hamstrings and glutes. In order to reach my goal, I have been working on the strength within my hamstrings and my glutes. In order to reach a higher développé, I have been working on the strength within my hamstrings and my glutes. As you can see in this video, one of the exercises I have been doing it flatback. When doing this I ensure to take my time allowing me to correct my alignment and engage my hamstrings and glutes as I lift my back and lower back down. Another exercise I have been doing is donkey kicks, this not only strengthens the glutes and hamstrings but also helps to strengthen the core as it has to be engaged to maintain strong alignment.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 20:58:30 UTC

The exercises I am doing for grand battements are both strengthening and helping to increase my flexibility which will also benefit the development of my other goal. Using ankle weights whilst doing the exercises in this video is strengthening my leg and helping me to achieve the strike that is needed for the dynamic of a grand battement. As I have worked a lot on strength, I have also been balancing this out with stretching a lot more to ensure my flexibility doesn’t hinder my progress with my goals.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 20:58:48 UTC

By doing these exercises I have noticed a change in the way I approach my développés; I feel a lot stronger in my hamstrings and feel less strain in my hips and thigh muscles. Even though I feel stronger, I still haven’t reached my goal however with maintaining these exercises I hope I will be able to gradually hold it higher. My grand battements have gotten higher however I aim to continue working on my strength and flexibility as this could increase my chances of getting booked for musicals and cruises.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 21:00:23 UTC

To help my development in jazz, I have been working on my leg extensions and not cutting off my lines. As you can see in these videos, my back leg is bent when leaping and also when turning. I know by straightening my legs it will help my leaps look longer and help me to do clean turns without falling out of them. Usually, the faster the choreography the more I cut my lines off; one reason for this is the lack of strength in my upper body. To help with this, I have been working on my core and strength within my arms.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 21:31:46 UTC

For my legs to get used to being straight at the right times, I have been working on rises; this including rises with sharp dynamic, slow rises and transferring of weight on to each leg in a rise. With doing these different types of rises I aim to gain more awareness of how it feels to pull up my legs more so that it becomes easier when doing choreography. By working on these elements, it will give me better opportunity of being booked as the choreographer would be able to rely on me and know that I am capable of delivering the material to a good standard.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 21:32:15 UTC

To ensure I can execute choreography without cutting off my lines I have been completing a 20-minute-deep core workout and core swings. This workout targets all four abdominal muscles: transversus, rectus, external and internal. It is important that I work on all four types so that none of them need to compensate for the work of another muscle (avoiding injury or other complications). I have also been setting myself different challenges each week in order to gain more arm strength. For example, increasing the amount of reps I do of push ups (and performing different types of push ups), arm raises and alternating plank as seen in the video.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-21 21:32:31 UTC

After completing these exercises, I have noticed a big improvement in the way I execute choreography. I feel a lot stronger which has allowed me to be more confident in performing especially in this style. As you can see my leaps and turns look cleaner and more precise. By working on my upper body strength, I can see that I am more capable of executing my full range of movement and finishing each line. I aim to continue to work on the above so that I can become a stronger and efficient dancer/ performer.

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Within contemporary, I struggle to be fluid when it comes to floor work; this is mainly due to the lack of understanding of knowing how to control my body weight on the floor and lack of strength. In this video, you can see how I continuously stop and start when trying to execute this type of movement. By working on this it will help me to understand my body more and allow me to be confident in moving across the space if needed. I also want to work on balance and the articulation of my feet; these two things will help me to become a stronger and precise dancer, allowing me to execute movements like jumps more safely and improve my technique.

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kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 15:15:05 UTC

In order to have more flow when executing floor work and to manage my balance better, I have been working on my strength, transfer of weight and experimenting with material on the floor. As stated in other sections of my Padlet, my upper body strength is weak so I have been completing a few exercises (as seen in the video) that target the four sections of the core. I have also been aiming to put my upper body strength into play when it comes to hand-stands and cartwheels. Through doing these exercises I hope to gain more control of my movement and placement when performing floor work and confidence when interacting with the floor as handstands and cartwheels are something I tend to shy away from.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 15:15:34 UTC

Recently when trying to articulate my feet more, I tend to get sharp pains and cramp in the bottom of my foot. After doing some research, it seems that my feet need to be stretched out and worked more, which is also what helps to gain better articulation. In this video you can see me stretch through the top and bottom of my feet to enhance their flexibility. With working my toes (as seen in the last clip) and more flexibility, I will be able to lengthen my feet and present them better in technique classes, as well as using the floor more.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 15:15:48 UTC

The flow of my floor work in comparison to the first video is a lot better, however I would still like to work on it. I feel in order to be comfortable and confident, I need to do floor work more often so my body and mind are used to it. I have noticed I have consciously been thinking to engage my core when doing certain movement, especially movement that requires a high level of balance; and as my core feels stronger it is easier to do so. However, the articulation of my feet isn’t at the standard I would like, so I will be continuing these exercises and finding new ones to help with this.

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kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 16:18:03 UTC

Throughout all styles, I have been aiming to work on the amount of space my body can consume when dancing. One reason for this is so I can naturally hold a stage when moving if I wanted or was required to. In this video, I have noted down a couple of moments in which I wish I moved more (with size and travel) and moments where I cut off movement. With understanding my range of movement, I will then be able to work out my dynamics on top of this foundation as I am already capable of adding dynamics when I have got the choreography down.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 16:18:15 UTC

To work on the above, I have been mentally working on lengthening, stretching and trying to use my full range of movement in any environment (class/ rehearsal). In the first clip, my main goal was to ensure I didn’t cut off movement whilst keeping in mind the essence of the choreography (more groove rather than full shapes). The second clip is when I focused on my range of movement as the intention for this choreography was for stage. As the last clip was a rehearsal, I aimed to bring both range and quality of movement together as I knew I would be running this multiple times, so I had more time for my body to process it. Having a mental note of something to work on when dancing, really helps me to stay conscious and in turn develop.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 16:18:43 UTC

To support my above approach of reaching my goals, I have also been ensuring I keep up with my fitness and overall strength. Recently, I have been struggling to maintain my fitness however, I know it is important if I wish to reach goals like this. Therefore, I have been completing a similar workout to what I have been doing for my core techniques so that I am able to transfer the same strength over into other styles. By doing this, I hope it increases my level of strength in order to perform to a higher ability.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 16:18:55 UTC

As you can see in the Angels in Tibet video, my movement looks a lot stronger and includes a mature level of dynamics especially when moving towards the centre; this could be due to both the above approaches and also knowing the choreography for a while. In comparison, in the rehearsal footage for Qho Qho, my movement looks a lot weaker however, this section is more towards the end which tells us my endurance and cardio level isn’t up to the standard it should be to execute a piece of choreography all the way through. Furthermore, I will continue to work on cardio and strengthening to give me a better chance of being booked for commercial jobs.

kelseythomson1 — 2024-03-26 17:09:19 UTC