For this session, one person was missing, however I immediately found a way to make this not effect the piece. Sophie, who was missing, didn't need to be in the section for it to make sense. I recorded what we did and asked her to learn as much as she could before the next session, but there was not much pressure for her to learn it. During this session, I taught 2 minutes of choreography and filmed it to make sure I had the video to send to the dancers to practice. The studio space was great, it was on of the biggest studios in the building with mirrors so I could make sure we were able to go full out. Everyone picked up the choreography very well and quick so I was able to get more taught than I originally planned.

Next session I want to finish off teaching the choreography to the rest of the group and begin rehearsing it as though the camera was Infront of us. This will help us be ready and and confident to know what needs to be done before filming.

Session 2: with the group again to finish off the section

Lydia was missing for this session but Sophie was in the session. Therefore I wasn't too worried about having everyone in each clip. I got Sophie to come to the session 45 minutes before everyone else so we could go over the what I taught to the others last session.

Sophie picks up choreography really quickly which is why I knew I was going to be fine without her in the previous session. Once everyone was there (besides Lydia), I taught about 1.30 minutes of choreography which finished off the section. We rehearsed it a few times and then ended the session. This session wasn't very long but we did everything I wanted us to do and made plans for the final recording session. Everyone also showed their costumes and it was perfect. No changes needed to be made.

Session 3: final rehearsal and filming

This session, we spent 30-45 minutes of rehearsing and just making sure everything was put together and clean, and then spent the rest of the day filming. We arrived at 10:30am to the university building and had a 15 minute chat about what I wanted to get done just so everyone was on the same page and knew what was going on.

Once we had rehearsed for 30-45 minutes, we started filming. I chose to film in the studios first before moving outside as the weather was going to be better and brighter in the afternoon rather than the morning. The studio filming went really smoothly and majority of the clips were done in the first take.

Moving onto the filming outside, I really enjoyed this. It was really fun and wholesome to film. The weather was perfect, warm and bright which was the exact feel I wanted.

The parts Sophie was in, Lydia filmed and the parts Lydia was in, Sophie filmed and my friend Daisy filmed the part they were both in which did not take long. Having Sophie and Lydia missing for one rehearsal worked out well for when it came to the filming. Overall, the process for this section of my piece went really smoothly.

Session 1: creating choreography for my solo section and mine and Darcey's section.

I spent some time creating choreography and thinking what I wanted to achieve movement wise in these sections. I choreographed a few counts of 8 for my section and mine and Darcey's section. I choreographed majority of these sections during this day. I found this pretty smooth to do as it isn't hard choreography but more about it being expressive and free which I do feel I created within the choreography.

For my next session I would like to film some of section 2 so that can spend time during my days off to edit.

Session 2: filming my solo section

I spent some time during the morning practising what I was filming in my section so when it came to filming, I was able to film it at ease. I filmed more than half of my solo section (section 2) and got to editing it straight away. I found this filming process very experimental. My dad filmed this section for me and helped me create the atmosphere I wanted with this part. My dad came up with me dancing on the roof of the house which we tried out straight away and I am using the footage for.

Session 3: finished filming my solo section and started Darcey and I filming

I have now finished filming my solo part (section 2) and started filming. This did not take much time, around 30 minutes, just because I knew what I had left to do and how to do it. After this section was filmed I moved onto filming section 3 which is where me and Darcey have a duo. During this session which was about 45 minutes long, we filmed half of section. This worked well in the time we had and allowed me to start editing before our next session.

By next session, in which I want to get the rest of section 3 filmed, I would like to make sure that I have the majority of what is filmed already to be edited.

Session 4: Finished filming section 3

This session was used to finish the filming for section 3 which is mine and Darcey's duo section. The filming went smoothly and everything got done in 45 minutes with a couple breaks. This was a really fun session as I wanted to capture some raw and authentic moments.

Session 1: Section 1-Darcey's solo

Although this was the only session for section 1, it was all that was needed to get the filming done. Because a lot of it was freestyles to capture real moments, it worked quickly. Darcey responded immediately and effectively to instructions and advice which made the process of filming extremely smooth. I did worry she may not quite understand what needed to be done prior to filming but she gave me focus and the right energy to get it done the entire time.

I am very happy with how this section has come out and truly believe that it captures the real essence of a child dancing in their bedroom.

Doing this process with my younger sister (Darcey) was really fun. I explained to her what she needed to do but also made sure she was able to put her own emotions into it. We had multiple breaks in between recording to speak about the process with each other and I got Darcey to explain to me how she feels when she dances. She really listened to what needed to be done as well as taking on board any changes that I needed to be done as some parts she was freestyling but I needed her to include certain emotions and convey them in her movements and expressions.

Section 2:

Filming this part of my video was a smooth process. I went into the recordings knowing what choreography I wanted to include but also left moments for me to freestyle so it felt real which I believe comes across when watching it back. In addition, the locations I chose to film in compliment the sense of freedom and connect with confidence well. I am happy with the outcome of this section and the overall edit between the clips.

Some parts of section 2 I found challenging to create choreography due to the longevity of the music. It could be very consistent with the beats so I tried to find different beats in the music as well as choreography to create to. This section was also about feeling the music rather than having all of it set, so I did want to add some moments that were slower paced and more still. I believe I achieved this when watching my filmed project back.

Section 3:

The third section was my favourite part to film. It was very wholesome for me to be dancing with my little sister who I often refer to as a ‘my mini me’. This was perfectly fitting for this section and the message didn’t have to be forced as the emotions were real and authentic. We had moments that we planned the choreography but let ourselves be free with how we did certain moves during the recording. I wanted our bond to be shown through the camera to the viewer so times were were smiling and laughing to each other was real rather than planned. I feel the message of dancing with your younger self really came across well during this section.

This section was very wholesome to create. I gave Darcey some freedom in the movements that we did but also let our relationship show through the piece as Darcey is my younger sister. I think the emotions for this section came across well, it was all about having fun and freedom which I truly think this part in particular shows.

Section 4:

Section 4 was the longest process to plan and films but it worked out pretty much exactly how I wanted it to. The only issue I faced was 2 dancers not being available for one rehearsal each. However, this didn’t impact anything at all because they replaced each other in the sections that I was moving on to teaching and then this also worked well with having them film the final product in the parts they weren’t in. I thoroughly enjoyed this process of this final section and the teaching element with my own choreography. Everyone of the dancers that were included in this section understood the brief and focused 100% during rehearsals and the filming stage. This made it a smooth process and made a positive impact on the final outcome.

Overall, filming this project and the process itself has been really interesting for me to do. I have been able to explore my own ideas as well as those inspired by others and produce a wholesome filmed piece. If I was to do this again, I would choose more locations to film from just so the view had a change of scenery, although, I am happy and content with the locations I chose as the main focus was on the emotions but this potentially being enhanced by a change in setting.

https://youtube.com/shorts/VgrWLRyc8uw?feature=share

Inspo video 2

https://youtube.com/shorts/bbzSo7jWm8M?feature=share

Inspo video 3

Section 2 and 3 were filmed with great outdoor weather and lighting making the production have a great and well lit outcome. Due to leaving a few days during the week to film just incase weather was not good, it allowed me to be able to film over a few days if the weather changed whilst I was filming. However, the weather was great for when I was filming.

Section 4 was extremely well lit by the studio lighting for when we was inside but also by the sunlight when we were outside. This meant the footage from section 2 through 4 being outside, the weather looked very similar and bright which contrasts from the dimmed light in section 1 which was what I was aiming for to see the clear difference in the stages of the piece.

I chose to flash between me in real time dancing and Darcey watching the Ipad with me dancing on so that it felt more blended and connected with the context of the piece.

I feel these came across well with the final edited piece.

2)    Children’s Medical. (2022). Causes of Low Self-Esteem in Children. [online] Available at: https://www.npcmc.com/2022/05/27/causes-of-low-self-esteem-in-children/. [Accessed 19 Nov. 2024].

3)    Collective, E. (2024). Ezra Collective - God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (ft. Yazmin Lacey). [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/5JUjFN9AuFU?si=g8rg1qJ06be9Xb4P [Accessed 19 Nov. 2024].

4) Hall, Joshua M.(2020) “Afro-Latin Dance as Reconstructive Gestural Discourse: The Figuration Philosophy of Dance on Salsa.” Research in Dance Education, 3 Sept. 2020, pp. 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2020.1805731.

5) Hill Jr, D. (2024). What Inside Out 2 Reveals About the Diversity of Emotions. [online] Greater Good. Available at: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/inside_out_2_Reveals_About_the_Diversity_of_Emotions.

6) Nordin-Bates, S.M., Cumming, J., Aways, D. & Sharp, L. (2011), "Imagining Yourself Dancing to Perfection? Correlates of Perfectionism Among Ballet and Contemporary Dancers", Journal of clinical sport psychology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 58-76.

7) Paul David James Simmons (2024). The Missing Link Between Lighting and Emotions. [online] lumenloop.co.uk. Available at: https://lumenloop.co.uk/the-missing-link-between-lighting-and-emotions/ [Accessed 23 Feb. 2025].

8)    Roisin O'Connor (2024). The story behind Abba’s immortal pop hit ‘Dancing Queen’. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/dancing-queen-abba-song-lyrics-story-b2625575.html. [Accessed 19 Nov. 2024].

9)    Ryan, E. (2023). Self Confidence is Not a Personality Trait, It’s a Skill to Acquire. [online] Mentorloop Mentoring Software. Available at: https://mentorloop.com/blog/self-confidence/. [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

10)    Schramm -Dancepsychologist, I. (n.d.). Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem. [online] Available at: https://www.emergingdanceartists.de/fileadmin/Daten_EDA/pdf/Copyright_2023_Schramm.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

11)    Stereogum.com. (2024). [online] Available at: https://www.stereogum.com/2268539/ezra-collective-god-gave-me-feet-for-dancing-feat-yazmin-lacey/music/.

12) Theodotou, Evgenia. “Dancing with Children or Dancing for Children? Measuring the Effects of a Dance Intervention in Children’s Confidence and Agency.” Early Child Development and Care, 23 Jan. 2025, pp. 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2025.2452587.

13) Tremaine, J. (2022). Butterfly Meaning | Symbol of Change and New Beginnings. [online] ALEX AND ANI. Available at: https://www.alexandani.com/blogs/the-wire/symbol-meaning-butterfly [Accessed 16 Feb. 2025].

14)    Virtually-fluent.com. (2020). Dancing Queen: Story of the Song – Virtually Fluent. [online] Available at: https://virtually-fluent.com/courses/learn-english-with-music-dancing-queen-by-abba/lessons/dancing-queen-by-abba/topic/dancing-queen-story-of-the-song/. [Accessed 19 Nov. 2024].

This clip is when I was choreographing for section 4. This is the main section for set choreography so I spent more time creating choreography and doing it in my own space at home so I felt more comfortable to let my ideas flow. I found creating choreography for section 4 the easiest as it was including dance styles I am used to and enjoy.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGl8iIvO94/knw5gIJP5MmuBisLQlchcw/edit?utm_content=DAGl8iIvO94&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

This is my opening to my filmed project that I have created myself.

(click on link to access lesson plans)

Darcey is feeling very happy in herself and confidently dancing around in her bedroom. She’s holding the camera are a couple parts to show that she is happy with what the camera is seeing when she chooses what is being seen. Darcey continues dancing until she captures a glimpse of herself in the mirror and gets shy and embarrassed. Then she sits on her bed and picks up her Ipad to go to watch some videos. However, she picks a video that shows her older self trying to show her what her life would be like if she had confidence in herself and the journey she goes through to get there.

When Darcey is being recorded, I am going to play a few different songs with different beats to capture as many emotions and feelings of her dancing as I can so the performance feels raw and real. I will play some of her favourite songs so she can really show emphasis on her emotions and can clearly see her confidence coming through in the most realistic way.

Section 2: Outside

This section is a break through of the Darcey watching her older self having the confidence to dance outside and not hide away in her bedroom. She joins in when she gets a glimpse of happiness but mainly just watches it and takes it all in. Her older self is dancing in the garden to still be in a safe space but slowly breaking away from her comfort zone to hopefully dance with others too. I wanted to be dancing outside rather than to an audience because dancing to me is an expression and I wanted to show that you don’t necessarily have to be performing to people but be in your own space and mind and dance rather than having to perform this idea of ‘perfect’.

Section 3: Together outside

Darcey and her older self are dancing together outside. This is a very momentous part of the piece as her older self has to show that she needs to leave behind her younger selves worried and lack of confidence but hold onto the younger version of herself to know its only them 2 dancing no matter where they are so she doesn’t have to feel embarrassed and hide away. They have moments together dancing and gestural movements to show their body.

Section 4: Outside

This final section shows the end of the journey for Darcey and that she has gone to dancing in studios with her friends and then back outside which is an on going reference in this piece to show confidence and freedom. I am choosing to do the first part in the dance studio to show growth and putting yourself with a group of people and the pressures of being in a dance studio. This is why I have created the idea of gradual growth to be show during this section. We will be in white tops in the dance studio for stage 1, colourful tops to show progression but also in the studio, and then a break through to having the confidence and a full circle moment to be back dancing outside again and with everyone else in colour tops.