Alston - Overdrive

This dance was about angles, energy and use of different directions. Whole piece looked really good and our, as a group, dynamics were really good. Most of them time my angles were really sharp. I found use of different directions to be a bit difficult in the beginning, I used to lose my balance, but I did improve :)

During whole dance I was really focussed and confident, my face probably showed it and I really wanted audience to notice it.

I think that in 1st section’s first phrases of this piece my timing wasn't really good, unfortunately. Also I remember that at one moment I lost my balance, so I didn't extend a move as I could, but it wasn't really noticeable for the audience. My feet could be more pointed and I think I should have put more energy in the beginning when we were running through our first phrases. I remember that I tried my best with putting energy but maybe because I was quite nervous in the beginning and it happened because when we just went on a stage I saw that the audience was really big. Although it didn't look like I did during a few moments. I found it easy to do back kicks when I put my arms up and then flipped them to the back and at the same time kicked my leg back and spinned 180 degrees, but it was harder to do a butterfly because I didn't feel that I spin my arms enough and a jump could be higher. A rond de gambe move was quite difficult as well, it was hard to keep my back straight and turn 180 degrees when my one leg should have been straight and on 90 degrees in the air.

Mine and Cagla's part looked really good and it was really strong, even face expressions have improved, angles were really clear. Crossings with Ruth, Sonia, Daneille and Nancie were quite good, but at one moment I needed some more space, because of it I accidently hit Daneille, but I did not lose my focus and carried on.

I think we did really well in creating our motifs because it looked really nice with the whole piece. 

I really like how I performed in Section 2 in first and second phrases. My moves were sudden and strong, but they could be more extended. But I found it hard to do the jump in last phrase. My jump in last phrase should have been more high and extended, leg wasn't straight. Also I had a lack of space in 3rd phrase when we all run to the one corner.

Also I really liked our going on and off stage. Especially before repeating the first section. We did a circle thing and it looked really nice, I did a great dancers walk ! And going off stage after the first section looked interesting, when we directed our arms to the left and half of us run in that direction and other half run to the other side, it looked as a good opening for Nancie's and Daneilles section as well.

Here are couple pictures from our rehearsals:

We practised a lot especially on the day before performance and it did show its results.  To be honest, in the beginning of rehearsals I didn't really feel this music, and in order to dance at the same time for the whole group we used to not listen to the music beats, but to watch at certain people and start at the same time as they do. My weakness was lack of energy, moves were not extended enough and angles were not sharp enough. But in the end I got it and I was happy that I learnt all the moves, and didn't forget them. There were quite a lot of them :)

In my opinion during the last term my flexibility has improved and my pointed toes improved a bit. Also my balance got better, but I still need to work on these things. After this performance I really saw that my class can do really well and it encourages me to learn more and more dances, it kind of motivates me to work harder.

I'm setting myself a couple targets to improve my dancing in future dances:

• Add more energy (I will do it by going  to sleep earlier so I can get enough sleep and energy, also eat more fruits :D)
• Work on flexibility (I will do stretching exercises every day, even if I don’t have a dance lesson)
• Work on balance (there are some good exercises to improve it: http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Balance-Through-Exercise)
• Be focused during every lesson
• Look more carefully at my spacing next time

Role analysis 

My role I have assigned in ‘The best of British’ Showcase is Laura from Matilda’s musical. This musical is done by Roald Dahl and it was written by Dennis Kelly.

Autobiographical facts

I am Laura. I have a great family. I have one brother I like to fight with. I go to Trunchbull’s school and I am in Matilda’s class. I am really healthy and energetic kid.

Interests

I like drawing and singing, also playing with my friends. 

Physical description

I am 6 years old cute girl. I wear a grey uniform and burgundy tie for school, outside school I like to wear colourful clothes. My favourite hairdo is two topknots from different sides.

Successes and failures 

I played a few trick on Miss Trunchbull. The best one was when I hided all her pens. But once, when I tried to hide her important documents’ folder, she noticed me and I was sent to a corner for 2 hours. But I still continue doing tricks on a Miss Trunchbull.

In the scenes

In the scene I am in the school. My class and some older kids from Miss Honey’s class are being revolting against Miss Trunhcbull. We sing, make noise, are being angry and intend to get revenge for how we’ve been mistreated. Everyone is copying Miss Truncbull, or fighting. I am throwing paper balls. I am really friendly person, and I get on well with all kids. I support my friends and I am being supported by my friends.

To act this role, I need to feel the hate for Miss Truchbull, and really want to succeed in our ‘mission’. Give all my energy, use many emotions, facial expressions.

To prepare for this, I should put a lot of effort during our lessons/rehearsals. Also I am seeing my brothers and cousins soon, who are 5-6-years-old, so I will remember how children at this age behave, how they react to things, how they talk, how they make a mess and noise. Our singing part is quite fast so I will practise it and do some exercises to be able to sing faster and clearer.

Rooster dance self assessment

Improvements:

·         Confidence

·         Timing

·         Vision, focus was much better

Strengths:

·         Concentration

·         Focus

·         Confidence

Weaknesses:

·         Spinnings in painted black

·         Sharpness

·         Extensions

·         Facial expression

·         Characterization

·         Dynamics

Target to improve:

Improve positions in painted black and work on all weaknesses.

What went well:

Timing has really improved; I was not moving or looking around when I’m supposed to stand still.

What went  less well:

Spinnings

Monologue

I chose my monologue book from Agnes By God play by John Pielmeier where a nurse doesn't admit that she killed her newborn baby. I see her as a mental character and because of that I want to do this monologue even more, because it is more interesting. Also I like this monologue because an easy language is used here, no difficult word, what is important to me. Doing this monologue I will go mad, super mad, and at some time calm down and then go to my own world.

Take a read:

I don't know what you're talking about! You want to talk about the baby, everybody wants to talk about the baby, but I never saw the baby, so I can't talk about the baby because I don't believe in a baby!... No! I'm tired of talking! I've been talking for weeks! And nobody believes me when I tell them anything! Nobody listens to me!

Where do you think babies come from?...Well, I think they come from when an angel lights on their mother's chest and whispers into her year. That makes good babies start to grow. Bad babies come from when a fallen angel squeezes in down there and they grow and grow until they come out down there. I don't know where good babies come out.

And you can't tell the difference except that bad babies cry a lot and make their fathers go away and their mothers get very ill and die sometimes.

Mummy wasn't very happy when she died and I think she went to hell because every time I see her she looks like she just stepped out of a hot shower. And I'm never sure if it's her or the lady who tells things. They fight over me all the time

The Lady I saw when I was ten. I was laying on the grass, looking at the sun and then the sun became a cloud, and the cloud became the Lady and she told me she would talk to me and then her feet began to bleed and I saw there were holes in her hands and in her side and I tried to catch it as it fell from the sky but I couldn't see anymore because my eyes hurt because there were big black spots in front of them.

And she tells me things like -right now she's crying "Marie! Marie!" but I don't know what that means. And she uses me to sing. It's as if she's throwing  a big hook through the air and it catches me under my ribs and tries to pull me up but I can't move because Mummy is holding me feet and all I can do is sing in her voice, it's the Lady's voice, God loves you! (Silence) God loves you..

I don't want to talk anymore, all right? I just want to go home.

I separated the text because it makes it easier to learn it. Also I watched some videos of this monologue on internet, but I am sure that I can do better!

Today we were working on "Masquerade" dance. We were learning vogue dancing. I find it really interesting to add vogueing elements to "Masquerade" piece. I have seen voguing before and I find this dance really different. I like how you can play with your hands. I think we need to work on our arms more now cuz majority of moves are arms moves.

We learnt three moves in today's lesson. And we did succeed trying to create a dance from only those three moves. Looking forward to learn more.

More about voguing

Voguing is a modern house dance style. It was found in 1960's.
Now there are 3 different vogue styles:
1. Old way - characterized by the formation of lines, symmetry and precision in the execution of graceful, fluid-like action. Take a look on this interesting hand performance and floor exercises.

2. New way - characterized by rigid moves coupled with clicks and arms control that sometimes includes tutting, locking or illusion of bone breaking.

3. Vogue fem - this style is mostly exaggerated with feminine moves influenced by contemporary, ballet and jazz dance styles. Vogue fem includes hands performance, catwalk, duckwalk, floor performance and dips&drops.

Evaluation of my performance

My task was to perform a Suzanne, lesbian journalist. It required some skills which could help me to get in to my character, don’t laugh, in the beginning do journalist voice and in the end get a bit shy because an awkward situation has happened. I found this play weird, but as I understand weird plays are likely to be in theatres because they are less normal.

It was really hard to reveal my character when I was meant to look at the camera all the beginning, but after awkward situation I really started to feel awkward, at that moment I definitely got into my character.

Change: In very beginning of rehearsing I was sitting next to my partner and my faces side was facing the audience. But Sean said that audience is losing my character. They couldn’t see my character. So I stood up next to my camera, because audience could see my face from there and they could see my character more clearly. 

When I went on stage I was feeling quite confident but I still felt a bit nervous. Sometimes I was forgetting that I am on stage and then this feeling was coming back. I still need more experience of being on stage. I haven’t forgotten any words or action, and I spoke quite loudly I think so the audience could hear me. Also in the awkward situation we did a really good eye contact, that’s why that situation became awkward.  I am happy that the audience understood that I was a lesbian, which means I revealed my character and that was my main goal.

Future predictions:

3 Positives:

• Loud voice
• Not too nervous      

2/3 Weaknesses:

• I need to not read my lines in my head, but really listen to what the other actors are saying and reacting to it
• I need to get more into my character

Cabaret (Certificate in Dance)

Everything happens in 1931 in Berlin.

Lady in the beginning is dominant. She is very interesting character. She always has an illusion of being a superstar, she tries to escape from reality.

Main parts of movie are filmed in Kit Kat club.

Dance moves are sexual, also they bend their back - that's Bob Fosses one of the main features.

A lot of make-up is used, even guys use lots of make-up. In dance they really hide who is a man and who is a woman. That is good because it is what they are trying to do.

Dancers wear fluffy dresses or club clothes like tight shorts, crop tops. 

Acting is likely to be used in dances.

Dance performed by Lisa Minnelli:

Personal evaluation about how I have improved in my dance

(Lesson with Dominique)

Action

Now I remember the choreography of our dance but I need to improve my extensions. I wasn't really concentrated on my feet precision and I think my angles and shapes could be clearer.

Dynamics

In our dance we have some sharp and some soft moves. One of soft ones is when we slowly move our hands down trying to curve them, making waves. One of sharp ones is when we pick our left leg and our hands direct different sides, we need to keep strong balance here.

Space

My group found a way how to cross each other’s planes/spaces/patterns even if in the beginning it looked impossible. I think I need more practise with it. Well we all need.

Relationship

During our lesson on Thursday we added some eye contacts. I really felt connection between us and it helps to keep better timing if you feel you group’s dance and connection.

Popping (Certificate in Dance)

Popping is type of hip hop – street dance. It came from California during 1960’s-1970’s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit. This is done continuously to the rhythm of a song in combination with various movements and poses. It can be concentrated only to certain parts of body – legs, arms, neck, chest. Pops are performed on the beat of the music. Popping is usually performed standing up but sometimes popper go on his knees or floor to show special moves. This dance style is usually integrated with robot, waving and tutting dance styles. 

Notable poppers: 

•Salah Benlemqawanssa

•Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers

•Steffan "Mr. Wiggles" Clemente

•Suga Pop

•Nam "Poppin'" Hyun Joon

•Stephen "Skeeter Rabbit" Nichols

•JayFunk

Popping performance by Salah Benlemqawanssa

Rooster - sexual dance (Dance Certificate) 

Today we started to learn Rooster's dance by Christopher Bruce. This dance is about sexual revolution and it is combination of contemporary and jazz. I find it quite funny dance. 5 males and 1 female are involved in this dance. Males are dominants. Female is always trying to get their attention. Movements really remind a rooster, also they are strong and sexual. Body is quite up and straight.

Famous modern dance choreographers

Isadora Duncan - her choreography was free and natural. Her choreography doesn't really have sharp endings. She always thought that ballet is really unnatural. Most of her dance was influenced by Greek sculptures.

Martha Graham - in her choreography we can see a clear contraction and release. Movements and eemotionalexpressions are linked to each other. Her famous work is "Appalachian spring"

Merce Cunningham - He wasn't interested in telling stories in his dance. His movement didn't really differ from ballet.

Alvin Ailey - he used African-American traditional spirituals and he liked lines, like long unbroken leg line. His techniques was more like a new dance style. He uses different levels, low stance and tall contrast. His most popular and critically acclaimed work "Revelations":

Ruth St Denis - her dance idea came from Egypt and India. Her dances are usually slow and really dramatic.  

Christopher Bruce -  his choreography is usually dramatic and tells a story.

Dance assesment

Today we were assessed on our dance.
First my group showed what we have, after that we got a feedback and we had some time to improve our dance. What we needed to improve was use more space, because sometimes we were too close to each other. I think we managed it quite well. Take a look at our final dance.

In my opinion I was really focused, punctuality could be better. Quite good contact with group.
My moves should be more specific, also I really want to improve my flexibility and posture. I could be more confident and I should have added more expressions.
My target to improve is to work on timing, expression, creativity and flexibility.

Anyways I really liked this dance and I am happy with our work :)

Dance with Dominique

We started to learn a dance with Dominique. This dance is interesting because of it's sharpness, angles and directions, use of planes. In first lesson we learnt section 1:

After that everyone needed to create their own motifs. Mine looks like this:

And after this Dominique separated us into groups of 2 and we needed to learn each others motifs. It wasn't really hard and I think it helped us to improve each others motifs because when we worked together it was easier for us to notice each others mistakes. After we did it, Dominique gave us one more task - an interesting task in groups. Honestly in the beginning I didn't think that is it possible but after my group even got a bit passionate about completing is. So task was to merge our dances and use as much spacing as we can and the most important thing - to cross each others dances. This is the result, but it is one of the first attempts :

And also we learnt section 2 but unfortunately I don't have a video. Not yet :)

Oh freedom

The first song we learnt was: 

“Oh Freedom” by Odetta

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

No more moaning, no more moaning, no more moaning over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

No more weeping, no more weeping, no more weeping over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

There'll be singin', there'll be singin', there'll be singin' over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

There'll be glory, there'll be glory, there'll glory over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me

And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free

Today I had an amazing lesson. This lesson was supposed to be hard cardio training, but because of some reasons it wasn't. We all were laying on the floor. Really calm music was playing. We were laying on the floor and thinking about our life. What has changed during last 5-10 years, how many choices have we made during our life, were they all right or not, what would we have told ourselves at 5-10yrs old. I looked over my life from the beginning, and understood that so many things have changed and that there are many things I am planning to do or change. I found this lesson helpful :)

Singing warm-ups

Today we had first singing lesson. We did a few warm-ups.

My favourite one is numbers:

Also we did some tongue twisters. I find it really hard. The hardest for me is "red leather yellow leather". Also we do "unique new york", "good blood, bad blood"etc.

Introduction

First of all I want to introduce myself. I am Viktorija and this is my first blog.   I go to Leyton Sixth Form College and I study BTEC Level 3 Musical Theater there. That's the reason I started to write this blog. I find it really interesting that teachers will assess us by reading our blogs. I will share all my views about this course and what we are doing during our lessons. Enjoy reading ;)