Inquiry questions.... Continued

I find it easier and more pleasing on the eye to break these questions up into several blogs. That way the reader does not have to scroll through huge amounts of text, and can take in short snippets at a time, fully absorbing the info and forming opinions themselves.

• What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?

    Since a young age I have always enjoyed choreography that tells a story, reflecting a narrative in some way. My favourite musical is West Side story, as Jerome Robbins was so revolutionary in his work, creating the first choreography that carried the narrative within a musical. Combining  pedestrian moves with dance, using physical contact and space, he managed to establish character relationships, action and drama so effectively without any spoken word. Since then, other choreographers such as Matthew Bourne have developed on this choreographic style, developing it even further.

Before choreographing Swan Lake, Matthew Bourne spent a significant time studying real swans and their behaviour. He used the movement of the birds and created a piece that truly reflected the characters and the plot.  Using arm lines to create the illusion of  wings, beaks and the long neck and elevated movements to give the impression of flight. So revolutionary was Swan Lake, it became the longest running ballet in the West End and Broadway.
   I am really enthusiastic about this kind of choreography, as I feel it gives the dance more of a purpose. I use this often when devising myself; drawing upon real experiences and real people to create a piece that communicates a story or message to the audience. I enjoy studying a subject either historical or social, looking now this can be communicated through movement, evoking the audience into thinking about a certain subject or mood.
 


• What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found away to work around the sadness or anger?

     I don't really get angry, but I am often saddened and even frustrated about being a performer. In a world full of employed doctors, bankers and lawyers, performers are often overlooked and not taken seriously as a profession. Even though we have trained and dedicated our lives to perfecting our trade, it is sometimes difficult to do everyday things such as apply for a mortgage or insure a car.
   I have always worked hard to ensure I have regular income, be it from performing, teaching or temping, yet we are deemed a financial liability simply from the label 'performer'. This is down to
short contracts and not the same wage coming in at the end of the month. Sometimes this makes me wish I had a 'normal' job, so applying for mortgages and credit cards was simpler.
   Yet my partner  (non performer) always encourages me to continue, following my passions rather than a pay cheque. He talks me through things and always seems to get me through bad patches. I take a step back and think about all the amazing opportunities I have had through my career; travelling the world on a cruise, dancing at the Royal Albert Hall, Performing to huge crowds, and I remember how lucky I am. Although it may be frustrating, the rewards far way out the problems and I have a life to enjoy rather than being bogged down by material issues.

I found this article really interesting to see just how performers like myself go though day to day life, taking 'day jobs' to survive, and the anger and sadness it sometimes brings.

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/jan/24/artists-day-jobs

Task 2d Inquiry

As a performer and freelance teacher, my daily practice changes drastically from day to day. One day I could be singing in residential homes for a very small crowd of elderly people, the next day dancing in a theatre for hundreds, then teaching a group of eager teenagers. I never have a 'normal' day and I love this as I am continuously kept on my toes, always learning from my working environment and the people around me. I have many professionals I admire, things I love, yet still so many things I do not understand and even become angry about. During these next few blogs I will share my thoughts and aspirations, people and work that inspire me, and also parts of my industry I struggle to understand. Please feel free to comment and share your experiences too.

• What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?

    My greatest passion, from an early age, has always been dance. Everything about it; the release I get from moving to a great piece of music, the satisfying ache the day after a hard day in the studio, knowing your muscles have truly worked. The sweat, willpower and teamwork of putting together a show, followed by the euphoria of performing in front of a pleasing crowd. I have never had something so fulfilling before or after, and I know in my heart, no matter what I will always be a dancer.
     I am always looking for inspiration, constantly searching YouTube for new works, new choreography and also checking on my favourite choreographers for new material. Yanis Marshall is someone who has kept me captivated with his choreography; breaking the boundaries of commercial dance, consistently motivating my creativity and inspiring me. I love his passion, the way he moves to the music like its extension of his body, and how he is not afraid to think outside the box and be who he truly wants to be.

This is an example of his lyrical work, a style he is not 'famous' for. The way in which he seems to connect with the music is incredible to me, picking up on every beat and utilising it.

And this is what he is best known for. Pure attitude in high heels. I love the way his breaks the mould of male dancers, yet inspiring male and female dancers around the world. These two videos show his versatility, something all dancers strive for. 

Task 2c

Muscle memory and articulation of reflective Practice- Task 2c

     As performers, we often find communicating our ideas in different, creative ways, more effective than writing them down using our tacit knowledge to convey our thoughts. As discussed in 'the creative habit' (Tharp and Reiter, 2006) muscle memory comes into action for many performers as a tacit knowledge, being described as 'Automatic. Precise. A little scary'. I completely agree with this description, as often when performing a routine repeatedly, for example in a tour, your muscle memory seems to take over, without having to think about the movements consciously. Yet when it comes to teaching this routine to others, eg. a cast change or masterclass, suddenly you question your body, and forget. Tharp shares this same experience saying 'she will hesitate, second-guess herself, question her muscles, and forget. That’s because she’s thinking about it, using language to interpret something she knows nonverbally.' This is when we have to find different ways of notating and recording our ideas so we can articulate more effectively to others.  I have looked at many ways of doing this within the module.
 
 This whole section has been a journey of discovery for me; finding new ways of evaluating and reflecting upon my practice. Many practitioners including Jennifer Moon (1999) and Karen Osterman (Osterman and Kottcamp 2004) have stressed the importance of articulating and communicating ideas in different ways.
    Moon uses a 'map of reflective writing' (Moon 1999) as a way of beginning the reflective process; A way of putting down ideas and reflecting upon them. By splitting an event up into sections including observations, feelings, and suggestions from other people, it successfully makes it clearer to reflect upon with a guide to work alongside ensuring all areas are covered. I particularly like this framework and  this has helped me during my journal writing, using the map as an aid throughout the process.
  It is important to draw upon many different theorists and practitioners when developing your critical thinking skills, as the broader your knowledge, the more ideas you are open to and have to work with within your own practice. I aim to be in a continuous state of learning, so I am constantly developing and growing, taking in many different thoughts and opinions to create my own ideas and theories.

Task 2c continued

Reflection in-action and reflection on-action

As I progress through working on Reader 2, this particular concept by Donald Schon (1987), has come up in many on,ins discussions, including a group Skype session a few weeks ago.

To Summarise- Reflection IN actions happens whilst actually doing something, reflection ON  action is reflecting back upon something.

  I work in both ways, depending on the situation. For example, when going into a residential home for a show the clientele may be completely different than expected, and my chosen songs are not suitable, therefore I will quickly refer to my music archives and select a more appropriate playlist I know they will find more enjoyable. This IN action reflection has been extremely effective in ensuring the audiences have the best experience, with music they will appreciate and engage with.
  Also, as discussed in the reader, when dancing or performing live, unexpected things can occur, such as forgetting the steps, in which you must reflect in-action to correct it and carry on, rather than simply wait until after the performance to then correct yourself.
   However, with regards to reflection on-action, I use this technique after a performance to evaluate how it went and how I can improve next time. I agree with Robert Kottcamps point 'Reflection on-action is accomplished "offline" at a time when full attention can be given to analysis and planning for the future without the imperative for immediate action...' (Kottcamp 1990)
It is important to take the time after an event, without being pressured for immediate results like in-action reflection. See my previous blog 'Task 2b- Reflective Writing Task' in which I reflect on-action upon a performance using Honey and Mumfords adaptation of Kolb's learning cycle (Honey and Mumford, 1992).
   Overall I feel the more ways you can reflect upon your actions, be it on or off-line engagement, the more self aware you are, becoming a more established and mature proffessional.

Task 2c- Reflective Theory- Part One

Reflective Theory task,

Critical Reflection

 During Part 2 of this module, I feel the practitioners and theorists included in the reader have given me a real insight into reflection, and how I can use it within my professional practice everyday, in order to improve and develop.
   I will begin with Boud's question "What tools do you need to be engaged in turning experience into learning?" (Boud 1985). I feel a great way of turning my experiences into further learning is to record them initially, then go back, look at this and evaluate way in which this can be improved to progress in the specific field. This recording of experiences can be done in many ways;
1. video-  filming myself at a performance to then go back to evaluate. You can see from an audiences/students perceptive, almost putting you in their position to see how they would have reacted.
2. Audio recording- especially when performing harmonies it is usefully to record and listen back if they are correct.
3. Journal writing- writing down accounts from the day, looking back and seeing what went well and what could be improved.
4. Constructive feedback- asking others opinions,gaining other peoples perspective. By hearing their opinion, they may have picked up on things you never noticed yourself, widening your understanding of your performance/audition/class.

    Why is it so important to use your experiences as a learning tool? In my opinion, the best way to learn is by doing, therefore the more experience you have, the more you are able to grow as an individual and a professional. However, it could be easy to simply go into things with a closed mind, assuming the knowledge and skills you have are suffice. If you never look back on the these experiences and evaluate them, how can you become a mature professional with a deeper understanding of yourself and your industry. You must look at every experience as an opportunity to grow, continuously self evaluating and striving to iron out those areas of improvement.
    This coincides with 'Kolbs learning cycle' (see previous blogs for diagram). Taking concrete experience, reflecting upon it, finding out what I learned, before trying it out again with the improvements. Honey and Mumford adapted this cycle (Honey and Mumford 1992) and I feel this technique of learning and evaluating is most helpful and a great 'tool' for 'turning experience into learning' (Boud 1985).

   I found the section about John Dewey's interest in levels of experience particularly thought provoking. Firstly he says education is a process of 'continual reorganisation, reconstruction and transformation of experience' (Dewey 1916). I feel this is interesting when considering my students and how my teaching methods transform into everyday life. One of the most important things I teach my students is self belief and having confidence in yourself is the first step of success;  if you don't believe in yourself, how will anyone else believe in you? I do several exercises to build their confidence to then transfer into stage presence for performance. Everything I teach can be used in everyday life, therefore being a 'transformation of experience' helping them in all walks of life.
    The second point I found interesting was he felt 'interaction with the arts led to a unique and valuable experience'(Dewey 1916).  I strongly agree with this point as I have taught many children who struggled at school because they were so shy, yet by being involved in the Arts, they gained confidence, transferring back into their school life, and they began to thrive both in class and socially.

   When going through the reader, one thing that surprised me was Howard Gardners theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner 1983). He suggests people learn in different ways according to their experiences, personality and the way in which they relate and interact with others and environments. I never thought about learning in certain ways, and only ever focused about getting the knowledge and skills learnt rather than thinking the way in which I learnt them. I took a test on (www.bgfl.org) to find out what intelligence I was, before reflecting upon my own experiences, and found I am actually a combination of several intelligences depending on what aspect of my career I am working on at the time.
According to the online test I am 'musical' which I can completely agree with when it comes to choreography and creating new pieces of work. I use the music initially, just moving freely allowing the dance movements to come to me naturally before using them and connecting them into structured phrases (see blog on stream of consciousness). However this also links in with bodily/kinaesthetic intelligence, as I use the natural flow and movement of my body to create these phrases, rather than thinking first in my head before getting up and moving.
   When it comes to teaching the choreography, verbal/linguistic and interpersonal intelligences have to come into practice, in order for me to successfully communicate my ideas to a class of students. These two intelligences I feel are essential for teachers as you have to understand people and how they relate and interact with others, in order to get the most from them, so they thrive. Verbal skills are key, as you would never be successful in teacher and helping others development if you cannot clearly communicate with them.
    I feel the intelligence I least relate with is 'naturalistic'. Although I enjoy nature and am appreciative and sensitive of my environment, I never draw upon this when learning, or reflecting upon my experiences. I also rarely use logical or mathematical intelligences. As it draw upon my bodily/kinaesthetic and musical intelligences, I feel my learning comes from a place of emotion rather than logic.

Task 2b- Reflective Writing Task

Journal Writing Experience.


 As part of Part 2 – The reflective Practitioner, we are required to keep a journal, and were given several frameworks to try out. I tried each framework out, using different styles each night. I found a few of these helpful in my reflection, whilst a couple I felt were not so successful for me and my writing style. I ended up combining a few frameworks together to create a journal style that I feel works well for my reflection, giving me chance to go over them before evaluating them and seeing how to move forward from the experience.


Below is an entry from my journal, using combined frameworks:


Description-   The main event was performing as part of a 40s show, at a theatre in Bradford. I was involved in an ‘Andrews sisters’ trio tribute and also sang as ‘Gracie Fields’. Technical rehearsals took place in the morning, followed by the show later on.

Initial Reflection- This was the first gig in which our trio performed together, as part of a new act. I was nervous, yet really excited, going over harmonies and choreography over and over to ensure I was secure with everything. I was also nervous to perform as Gracie Fields, however these were just normal stage jitters I suffer from when required to sing solo. The show went really well and I was happy with the audience’s reaction.  I was full of adrenaline afterwards and excited for future shows.

Evaluation- I felt the experience was an overall success, with everything going according to plan and was received well by the audience. Our harmonies were tight and the choreography was polished. With regards to my solo set, I thought it was successful; however I felt the nerves got the better of me in the first song. Once I relaxed into it, my voice was much better and the characterisation of Gracie Fields really came out. I need to work on this characterisation for future gigs, because it is a tribute, the more character study you do, the more successful the act. As a trio we need to learn more material, with costume changes and more complex choreography in order for us to grow and develop.

Plan of Action- Continue to listen and study music by Gracie Fields, so I can further my development and sharpen my act. As a trio we are picking out some more material to begin working on, and hiring a vocal coach to help us work on our harmonies so they are as polished as possible. We are also rehearsing to film a show reel to send to agents who will help us get further and more frequent work.

This is similar to Honey and Mumfords adaptation of Kolb’s cycle (Honey and Mumford ,1992) where they created four stages;
• Having an experience
• Reviewing the experience
• Concluding from the experience
• Planning the next steps

I agree with the importance of reflecting upon my experiences, with journal writing being a great way for me to keep up with my experiences, as sometimes we are so busy doing, we forget to reflect. By spending time each evening reflecting upon the day, we see a true insight into our work and how we can draw upon experiences to grow and develop as professionals.

Journal writing

So as part of the module we are required to keep a journal in which we can note down experiences we have, interesting thoughts and queries we may find. Now I have never kept a journal before, and honestly, the thought baffled me a little. How would I start it? What would I put in it? How would u keep up with myself writing entries? I decided to begin going through reader 2 and creating a 'mind map' of all the things I found relatable and interesting to my field . Just jotting small notes down to make it clear what I wanted to write up fully.


From here I began to write short entries, where I would reflect upon the thoughts brought up in the reader, and give an example of an experience I had that relates to it. I am finding this process so interesting as I am seeing aspects of both myself as a performer and a teacher;  how I use techniques mentioned by practitioners without even realising it. It has also really made me reflect upon myself and evaluate my  career experiences, and looking how I can further develop my skills in order to grow professionally.

I recommend journal writing to anyone as you will be surprised what you can learn from yourself, by simply noting down a few lines a day!