Task 3A- Current Networks

Coming back from JSLN's tour to China, I must admit in some ways it is quite isolating (in a good way) without internet a certain banned sites. A great way to reflect and discover new ways of life, but it is nice to come back home to familiarity. This separation got me thinking how much of a necessity professional networking is in anyone's life who is working.

The current networks I use to engage in professional networking:

Facebook- One of the easiest and fastest ways to gain information from employers/colleagues and friends, receive and send messages, and get updated. For example the company I am in (JSLN) has their own Facebook page updating frequently on news, pictures, workshops and performances that is always useful to keep informed.

Gmail- I discovered this is the network that I use mostly for professional purposes. Ever since auditioning, it was the way to send off your C.V's and photos plus your application forms. It is the perfect way to communicate whilst keeping all information confidential and controlled. Now email is still useful for any timetables sent, company work updates and any important links. It is also a great way store important current and future contacts.

Blogging- Besides posting the tasks given that promote intriguing new ideas and topics, it is also a great way to reflect and relate these ideas to my work practice. Therefore creating my own blog has been one of the best methods in creating a professional networking platform!

Network Dance- A great site to promote emerging dancers looking for jobs in certain areas. This site has been very useful in the development of setting up my own C.V. and photos. It was especially helpful in knowing what auditions/ workshops are out there.

Linkedn- I have not used Linkedn too much, however i have made sure to set up a basic profile. I think it is a great way to network between possible future employers and colleagues, or to gain contacts for future purposes. It is a good way to update and hold your professional profile

Youtube- Always a good way to promote yourself as a dancer. When I was auditioning, or when applying for courses/ competitions, for confidential matters I always upload my video as unlisted so you can only view the video via the link. Right now JSLN are uploading some of their performances on youtube and via their website for promotional purposes.

What are the networks/tools other established practitioners use, especially those I admire:

There are many different companies and dancers/choreographers/ artists I follow for inspiration, including my own company I am in right now, and they all use different ways to network and promote their work to the public.

One way which seems to be huge is Twitter; something I do not use and cannot grasp the idea of! However its incentive is clear and proves to work well as all the postings are to the point and fast at reaching out. Obviously there are sites like Facebook and Instagram where there are pages to follow updates, photos and videos.

Websites are another great tool to have, and practically any company or industry will have one as most information and communication is gained via Web 2.0.Through my blog, google plus has been a great addition to have where you are able to view other postings by anyone you follow, connect with people via your different ‘circles’ and I like the fact that you are able to customize and personalize your own page. I like to keep it professional with not much information on, all mostly relating it to my dancing. I especially enjoy following health food blogs and any postings of new recipes.

Another great App that I enjoy as an extra bit of fun inspiration is Pinterest. There are many people, and even companies, who post different pictures that you can re-pin and categorise yourself into your own boards.

Methods/technologies/ approaches I use socially to help develop networking within my professional practice:

One word that comes to mind... connections! The familiar statement 'it's all about who you know' says it all. In the dance and arts world, talent is required of course, but what makes the difference about making it (besides luck) is having those contacts-it's all about who knows you too! Whether it is through using technologies such as mail, Facebook, phone calls, Linkedn etc., making those fundamental connections, keeping those contacts with those few acquaintances in the past often follows the idea of 'it's meant to be.' It might not mean getting the contract (if being specific) but you can always learn from them or from the opportunities that are offered and come your way. 

From my own experiences, this is one thing I have always been aware of. Take for example an encounter with Jean Paul Comelin. A former dancer with the Paris Opera, London Festival Ballet, Washington Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet, he has worked with many great dancers and choreographed great works, plus taught internationally. When I was dancing with the South African Ballet Academy, we had the privilege to be taught by Mr. Comelin where we got to perform one of his pieces. Afterwards he asked some of us to keep in touch, and I made sure to do so. In the end I was able to retrieve a scholarship to participate in a summer intensive with him as the main teacher. The amount I learnt from him was priceless, and was a true inspiration to be taught by someone so rich in experience and knowledge.

There are many other social-related methods such as keeping good relationships with certain friends/ teachers and directors. With friends and colleagues, a fundamental professional relationship will always aid in each other to gain knowledge for present and future opportunities and development within their work practice. Choreographers might have friends in certain companies, know directors or teachers that have connections to aid in building up a substantial network. This is the same when dance companies collaborate with artists or musicians, or vise versa.

Agreeing with Eve Butterfly's post on task 3A, a great approach I find to sustain these relationships is to respect a person's own values, be honest and genuine, listen to what they say and see the best in each of their personalities to be able to learn and grow from both sides. Therefore a good sense of networking can be established.

I think other technologies such as Linkedn and Network Dance are great to keep in contact with your current employers, and future ones too. It is always important, as I said before, to get yourself known so whoever is interested can get to know you more.

One last method I would like to mention is through social media and advertising, as in any industry it is a great way of promoting themselves to gain the public's interest and build up important contacts. With experiencing a life as a dancer in a very new company, JSLN is constantly looking for ways to network in order to gain those important contacts within the arts industry (e.g stage managers, musicians, artists, theatre owners) and possible sponsors. They are using technologies such as their website, Facebook page, linkedn, Google +, a few newspaper and magazine articles. The methods used are inviting critiques, editors and certain important guests to our shows. They have also got flyers for upcoming shows, proposal letters for any project applications, promotional videos via youtube. Socializing and just spreading word around has been an extra additional approach for the company to setting up an ongoing professional network. 

What I think are the motives of others to be in current networks, what are their values and purposes:

Interest is probably the most desirable motive for someone to want to be included in a network. Within the performing arts and dance field, all practitioners have the desire to be hired by their company of best interest and perform the roles they want to do. Directors and choreographers may use certain networks to seek out possible employers, or contacts to bring up differnt projects and ideas. The whole idea of promoting yourself as an artist is a big factor to be able to network in this world, and as I said before, the more you get yourself known out there, the more people will know you. I guess this is the whole purpose for an individuals choice in what networks they want to be part of, whilst sticking to their values they hold for themselves.  

What would my ideal network look like and why, and what could I realistically do for its development: 

To me I like anything to look pleasing to the eye, otherwise it is not attractive where people can lose interest. Therefore I would always like to work on my profiles' look within the different sites I use, sticking to my own original style that best describes my personality. Certain networks such as Linkedn and Network Dance displays my experience in my work, which I would like to be displayed as very easy to read and set up in a practical, concise way. To make it as desirable as possible whilst sticking to my true self and not having any 'false images' displayed is my aim. 

In my profession a lot of it is all about the aesthetics, using the body as an instrument for your work. Therefore to progress in creating a good network for myself, I believe I need to just keep updating my different profiles I have, hold on to those important contacts and gain more from the experiences and opportunities I come across during my work. To keep my profile professional by not posting anything too personal is vital. Regarding ethical concerns via the web, you never know who is out there and anything posted is pretty much instant. 

Learning from others and getting inspiration from other dancers, friends, blogs etc. would help too.

What I do and don't know about my current and intended networks:

I know that they can help me and are supportive for my current profession, and for future job seeking.

I don't know specifically how my current and future networks will help me, but I do know that they will in someway. Often they work in unpredictable ways and may take you by surprise! 

    

Reflecting on ethical consideration- Part 5

Considering the right ethical response in a given situation is quite a sensitive topic when relating to professional dance as it is different in many ways compared to more academic professions. A lot of the time, what is right is determined by who you are with/surround by whilst taking in mind the situation and its context.

To me, what pops up straight away is the word respect. Like in any profession, there are certain people who are in a higher position within your work field where there are expected ways to behave that are considered to be more appropriate, more fitting. Without respect, the formality of ethics in any work practice would be diminished. This brings back the point of the importance in balancing your personal and professional life, such as the difference in a relationship with the director versus a colleague, one being more formal with the latter having the freedom to be informal.

 

Take for example in ballet companies, especially in bigger ones, there is the whole ranking system that does not operate fully without respect. Starting off with apprentices and corps de ballet members who look up to the soloists, and of course principles. All dancers are guided by the ballet mistresses and ballet masters, choreographers, rehearsal directors and at the top the director who manages it all. 

Other examples include students taking company class. Taking from my own experience, it is known to not stand right in front in the middle, or take a dancer's spot at the barre. The best is to try and not be in the way and experience it as a normal class. However there is an underlying respect within the majority of dancers as they are all in the same boat one way or another, not matter what position they have. 

I am not saying that everyone is 100% treated equally, even though it would be the ideal case. Often dancers are exploited world wide, relating to issues such as working a lot harder than for what they are getting paid. I am outlining the fact that there is a general system of the ethical ways which contributes to this idea of respect among dancers and companies. 

Moving on to another point, dance is expressive in itself, so there are some aspects like the level of physical contact (training wise and work-wise) that is considered to be more relaxed than in other professions.

When training, there are certain disciplinary boundaries that are obvious to teachers and students. Teachers are there for guidance, and often it does help for someone to place a dancer in the right position so he or she can feel/understand what to do correct for the next time, or help with reminding what muscles to activate like the typical prodding the knee to keep the leg straight, or bringing the shoulders back. Luckily the days are gone where caning was allowed, but sometimes I feel this topic is regarded as too precious and too petty. Many dance schools have to give out letters for the parents to give permission for the teachers to touch them, or they have to ask the student themselves for permission.

What helps consider what is appropriate is the tone of how something is being executed/explained, no suspicion involved and to see in what context it is in.

Dance also involves a lot of partnering. We are so intact with our bodies within our work, certain movements would feel normal with our colleagues that might not seem so outside the dance world. In any case, it is such a disciplined practice to be able to teach good ethics within each individual. 

Development

What don't I understand, or do?

There are a few questions I always ask myself: Am I actually improving? Should I be working harder? What should I be doing/ practicing and how, in order to perfect as much as possible?

Figuring out about developing and improving is something that is vey hard to understand until you see the end product, or when you reach a goal. Asking these questions triggered a thought about JSLN's studio preview a few weeks back, where we all felt the growth as dancers and as a company together. 

Even though dancers never like watching themselves, what helped us be able to see the progress was with the useful tool- video and youtube! Videos are great ways and examples to help you understand what you look like from the audience point of view, as dancing and how it feels can always seem totally different! However, its main purpose for me is to be able to identify what needs to be improved within ourselves and for other aspects of the piece.

Here is an example of development, the finished piece of Jet Liang, which was used in my short clip for Task 1c- my thoughts about starting up on BAPP. 

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCVpyhACU0g&list=UUPp89xqZ1Gp0Z22WJdjy79Q

Task 2d- Part 4

What do you feel you don't understand?

Finding this very challenging to come up with thoughts that I don't understand... I guess it is because the whole part of understanding is by learning from your experiences, and finding whatever you are figuring out as you go along.
There are so many things that I know I don't understand about life, dance, people, politics, the world, history etc. where the list can go on and on and on. I think that it is the whole learning process through life that will make me understand what I didn't understand before. In order to distinguish this, I feel I will need to previously understand the unknown.

Reading Eve Butterfly's post on inquiry, she mentioned the issue about opportunities taken away and "the respect for dance being neglected by the ones in power." This is something that I often wonder about, and a concept I just don't understand!
The fact that it entitles sheer strength/determination and is probably one of the toughest professions physically and mentally, it would make sense to be rewarded and praised a lot for our efforts. But unfortunately it is one of the least respected, and least paid jobs world wide! Then I think of a spectators perspective, and a lot of the time they don't understand this art form. That is probably why there is not so much demand to see ballet/dance companies. At the end of the day they want to enjoy and understand what they pay to be entertained. The easy examplt to extract from is football- they get paid loads! Yes they are challenged physically and are true athletes, with very specialised skills. But the game is so popular globally where it only makes sense how much funding and sponsoring they receive plus huge amounts of income!
As Eve stated, arts funds such as in the U.K are constantly being cut making it excrutiatingly frustrating! Less contracts are available, more students are jobless after graduating where companies want more experienced as it is less risk taking- more secure. There is less money to put on productions and keep ballet/ dance companies alive, especially the new upcoming ones that initiate and develop ideas suited to the present generation's interests.
It thus gets me thinking how we as dancers and artists can convey this message to the world and share the beauty of this art form. To make it popular is the true challenge!

However, with the help of technology today, movies such as Black Swan has intrigued great numbers of non-ballet audiences as the twisted ideas (mainly taken from the negative sides of ballet) were able to relate to today's society. Here is an interesting article/review about this thriller-horror movie starring Natalie Portman.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/arts/dance/10swan.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
It even states at the end that after the release of this movie, Swan Lake was being performed all over because its enthusiasm spread like wild fire!

Other films like first position, documenting a few lives of Youth American Grand Prix contestants, allows public to have an insight on how much dancers work and hopefully inspire and see how beautiful and expressive dance is.

My favourite inspiration towards this topic so far, is the new documentation by Sarah Jessica Parker on the in-depth life of New York City Ballet. Since she is such a wonderful person and has millions upon millions of fans, hopefully her enthusiasm about ballet will reach out to the public more to be able to see a new side- passion/hard work/ disciplin/ pain... beauty!

http://on.aol.com/show/cityballet-517887470/episode/517995310
 

Task 2d- Part 3

Today is the perfect day to write this, as taking from my journal- 'feeling of today... Man I love what I do!' 

Why do you love what you do, why do you dance?

This is one of the cases where the only answer I can quickly come up with is, ‘just because…’ A great example of tacit knowledge where it is difficult to exactly express in words exactly how I feel.

The first word that pops into my head is Passion! I guess it is something that has always stuck to me ever since I was a little kid, never wanting to take off my little pink skirt and let go of my fairy wand!

At the beginning I wasn’t as serious, but I recall always having to move to any type of music/ rhythm- I could not sit still!

I find it fascinating how we can explore movement in so may different ways, and the collaboration of expressing body movement with music to create an idea, thought, story or motif is a true art form. As a dancer, I like the sheer determination and athletic part of it too. Working towards endless goals, conastantly trying to improve and aim for perfection is something that keeps you goin and is in a way addictive. But when there is even a slight feeling of development from all that hard work, it is the most rewarding feeling on earth.

My favourite place in the whole wide world is the stage, and dancing in its space makes me feel free and in my dream world where I can let my sole fly!

Dancing just has to be part of my life. It's a passion inside of me that burns and without it, I would not feel whole- cheesy, but true!

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

I really appreciate any dancer who has the guts to go for one of the toughest professions and lifestyles ever!

The turning pointe of my life was when I read an article about my first ballet idol, Angela Malan, a former ballet dancer of Joburg Ballet (South African Ballet Theatre) now ballet mistress. Every time I went to the ballet, we made sure that she was cast as the principle, every time coming back feeling inspired. She captured the audience with her amazing stage presence, with her clean lines, beautiful feet but most of all her way of movement that was just such a pleasure to watch. She had this aura of a true artist- expressing her love of dance!

Once in an article being asked why she chose to dance, she replied, "Because I could never think of doing anything else.” I turned to mom and said, “Mom, this is exactly how I feel!” From then on, I took ballet and other dance styles a lot more serious. But thanks to Angela Malan, one of my biggest inspirations, she helped me realize what I want to do in life… and I have never looked back!

Biography: http://samzansiballet.com/the-company/dancers/angela-malan/

Interview from ballet news: http://balletnews.co.uk/cupcakes-conversation-with-angela-malan-senior-principal-dancer-ballet-mistress-and-coach-south-african-ballet-theatre/

Another example of a dancer who has inspired me to love what I do and keep working hard is the very famous and amazing Li Cunxin. His whole story is alone inspiring, but as a person, dancer, now director (Queensland Ballet), I have always looked up to him. My biggest pride and joy moment was in South Africa at an outreach program in the Township Alexandra, where the 'ballet friends' were invited to a talk by Li Cunxin. We got to meet his family, and I even got my book signed! One of my goals is to be taught by him, even just once, as it would be such a privilege!

Biography:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Cunxin

Task 2d- Part 2

What gets me angry/ sad, relating to my work practice?

• Injuries!!!- One of the biggest annoyances and 'soul crushers' for any dancer, whether it's acute or chronic, minor or major, or even just a tight muscle. Naturally we want to be able to perform at our best, and all the time. But when something like an injury gets in the way, it feels like it inhibits you from any present/long term goal towards your dancing career. And most of the time, there is never a good time for any injury to occur. Unfortunately it is part of a dancer's life, and i guess without it he/she cannot learn fully from their mistakes.

Here is a video that sums exactly what injury is like for a dancer! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ0kPEumsDE

• Casting- every dancer has been through the suspension of auditions and casting lists, with expectations of getting the roles they want. And of course most with any teeny tiny hopes of playing the 'lead role.' Lime light is a desirable position any performer dreams of having. There is a place for everyone at the end of the day, and sometimes it doesn't work out the way you plan it to be. Take for e.g. a ballet production where there are certain roles that need to be portrayed in a specific way of movement. The company will always choose accordingly to who will suit what role considering the dancer's ability, and the ranks of the company. Any dancer/ singer/ performer will experience this, and learn to respect the whole idea of how casting works.
• This sounds quite petty, but a bad pirouette day can get me quite frustrated! 
• It is not the best witnessing when competition gets in the way of supporting each other, ending in  jealousy and 'cattiness.' Luckily I have normally been surrounded by artists who all support each other, either at Elmhurst, my other previous dance studious, or in JSLN. 

Who do I admire that has found ways to work around the sadness or anger?

• There have been many teachers and friends who have helped and supported each other with injuries. Although there is one sports massage practitioner that has always been there for any niggle or injury to help me get through my training- Phil. He is the sports masseuse for BRB and works privately at home too. For me often I had little niggles from muscle tightness, and so he would always fix me in a flash! Once I had a big ankle sprain, and was off for six weeks. It was also just before the solos competition at school which I could not compete in, always bad timing as they say. When I went to Phil for soft tissue work, he mentioned how week my ankles were, and some other muscle areas that needed to be strengthened. After that injury my ankle has never felt stronger. The biggest advice he ever gave me was that,' sometimes... injuries are good for you!' This is because from an injury, you learn from what you were doing wrong, how to work in the correct way and strengthen the area affected, to then come back a stronger dancer! This is something I will always remember to keep me going whenever I am a bit down from any injury or niggle. 
• About bad pirouette days- my friends and certain teachers. Through my years of training, I have learnt that some days, some things might not work as well and if you get too uptight about them in class, the worse they will get. The best piece of advice... relax! Don't think about it, move on and just enjoy what goes right. This way of thinking works every time :)
• Casting is a tough one as it is understandable to give the roles to the dancers that suit them best. Most of the time the harder workers will excel more and achieve a bigger part, however this whole idea of 'typecasting' a dancer ( adage, soubrette, good turner etc) and favoritism does exist and sometimes dancers feel like they are not seen their real potential. In this case, my mom is my biggest fan! She has always told me that everyone has a time and place for them, and all that matters that I try my best, and have an attitude to believe I can achieve what I can imagine- a very powerful practice. Another friend of mine, a stunning dancer and was not chosen for a role that she deserved, said exactly, "you know what, that's life!" 

Another great inspiration of mine is The Secret. It is originally a book, made into a movie as well, all talking about the law of attraction of the universe. It promotes positive thinking, stressing how much more powerful any positive thought can be versus a negative thought. The philosophy behind it all leaves you with a new way of perceiving your goals, and generally life. A great read and soul booster!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_(book) 

'Why do I do what I love doing?'- coming up next! 

Task 2d- Part 1!

When I read the first part of 2d, I really had to stop and think at the very first question: what questions do you have? (about how reflection relates to regarding what happens in your daily work practice events.)
My Initial thoughts were that it would take me a long time to develop and complete all of these questions, with additional ones that come up into my mind. As this whole task is about reflection, with my essential tools being my notebook and my coloured pens, I started jotting my current thoughts down straight away! (Whilst sitting by the pool, listening to my favourite new album of the Piano Guys, and soaking in the sun!) Starting off with an excerpt from my journal:

What questions do you have?

How do I get a clearer direction about where I am going for the future? Who do I admire that knows where she is going (in the dance world)?

• Always in the process of learning. Every experience will help me clear out the path of where I want to go as dancer. It is such a spontaneous profession in a sense that you never know what opportunities may arise. Sometimes it comes when least expected...
• I admire one of my greatest friends from school, now working in Ballet Dortmund. She has always been very sure of herself and knows what she wants. She doesn't get distracted or let other people lead or manipulate her in other directions. THis is a great attribute I aspire to and she is one of my greatest idols as a stunning human being.

What experience and opportunities am I gaining from: Dancing with JSLN, being part of this whole beginning?

• Confidence
• Pride
• Sense of maturity
• More certain
• Development
• Hard work- exciting!

*Living an experience!

Is routine really important?

I like to look forward to a routine, and lately with moving studios and all the timetable has been different. Yes to me a routine is great! But I have noticed that sometimes it is good to not live by a set timetable- to be able to work in different/new environments or ways, or when relaxing to actually relax, get away from the 'norm,' reflect about learning from a different way of living life.

*Go out of your comfort zone to be able to learn and develop further ideas

What ideas do you think about regularly? (Present)

• Getting ready for the China tour- 10 days!
• Getting my solos ready for DVD
• Imagine- to reach your goal, grow as an artist and strive for the best possible you can and ant to be!

Writing this down helped me ground my thoughts to able to move on to the next questions about reflective inquiry.

What gets you enthusiastic, to find out more?

• Any new choreography! It is something for the brain to work on and process from the mind to the body. Especially if it is a way of movements I like... and music! Music is something that inspires me a huge amount. It helps to find out how far the body can reach its limits with the choreography and music interpretation. But even outside work, I constantly have my Deezer app and my headphones at hand. 
• For e.g: learning a new variation- Nikiya's death, La Bayadere. Yesterday I finished learning it and felt so enthusiastic to work on it, perfect it so I can portray it to the best of my ability. The music is beautiful and the choreography is challenging, but I love it! It is a bit different to the usual version (Kirov version) which in a way I like even more.
• New corrections. To find out how the body can adapt to new ways/correct ways of portraying a step or certain piece of choreography/way of moving is always intriguing. It is the whole idea of knowing how to correct and make something better in order to improve. Naturally I am a perfectionist, so I enjoy making something look better, and feel better too.
• Something I work on improves or is achieved- pirouettes, longer balances, a difficult step/sequence/piece. * Getting over the obstacle to reach for your goals.
• Healthy, wholesome food and nutrition. This does not relate directly to my work practice, however I find it is an important factor and addition to a dancer's lifestyle. I love food, anything that tastes good. But what gets me really exited is when there are nutritious meals that are healthy for you which taste good too, because often 'healthy food' is not percieved to be delicious! The whole idea of creating something, cooking and making it with your own hands to then be able to be enjoyed by you and your body is very rewarding!

Who do you admire, who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?

• Naturally my colleagues. Especially we are such a small company, we have to really work well together in order to produce good work to the best of our ability- like working as a team. Luckily, we all do. Everyone has a great work ethic, and over time we are always learning from each other on their different ways of moving, dynamics and ways of approaching certain choreographies plus anything else relating to the company's work. 
• The energy and atmosphere of a room contributes a lot on the enthusiasm from each other, and I have learnt that keeping our positive energy as a whole will aid in the motivation towards our work practice. The more positive and good energy that feeds off one another, the easier it is to stay determined and focused, thus it is rewarding at the end of the day to see how we can grow. For this reason I admire my colleagues, but also my director Soren Niewelt. It is a tough path starting up a ballet/contemporary company in Singapore, regarding certain criteria that needs to be done, politics, financial demands, and with so few dancers. However he has managed to keep JSLN running, no matter what obstacles are in the way, and keep the pure essence of enthusiasm going.
• Moving on into another direction, there have been two stand out health practioners/ cooks that have really inspired me to cook new and interesting wholesome food! First is Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook, and secondly the blog deliciously Ella! They both follow the path of a gluten/dairy free diet which I admire as it is so hard to religiously stick to such a strict way of eating with the temptations of today, however they have great food ideas and recipes! 

http://deliciouslyella.com

http://www.amazon.com/Its-All-Good-Delicious-Recipes/dp/1455522716

So here is my first part on reflecting 'inwards' as part of task 2d...more postings will be coming soon!

Further Development on Reflective Practice

Here is a point about experiences, from my previous post, that I would like to develop further:

The breakthrough for me was being chosen to do Swan Lake with BRB. The experience I gained working with such a prestigious company was invaluable, and from what I learnt I was able to reflect on it, put it into practice and so for the future I knew what was the unknown before.

Every moment that passes by is in a way an experience, but there are certain events in your life that distinguish them to be 'life-learning'. It may differ from person to person on its value and meaning, but we all know that the one thing we do gain is to learn. That is why dancing with BRB in Swan Lake was a turning point for me, as at first it was something so extreme and so new to me but taught me so much about the future career I wanted to pursue. 

We had all just come back from summer holidays, apprehensive about starting the graduate year.
I frequently saw billboards on the buses advertising that Swan Lake was coming back to the stage, and I remember thinking, "Wow how I wish I could do this one day." The next thing, the Ballet Mistress comes in to school to audition where I never even thought I would be considered. However next day, I heard the news how my friend and I were chosen to be covers. I was just ecstatic... not knowing what to expect.

The idea about performing with BRB dawned on me after a while, but I told myself how lucky I was to get such an experience and to just live every moment of it, even if we were just covers (only for a day!) The rehearsals felt like a whirlwind as it was all very last minute. We started off with the ballet mistress teaching us the first half of Act 11 and then going into the full rehearsal where all the dancers had known everything and had already been rehearsing for two weeks. That night we tried to cram an hour and a half of choreography from the DVD. I thought I was prepared for the next rehearsal having written down everything that I had learnt and watched it all, at least. But it gave me a huge shock when the girl I was covering was resting from injury, and so I was put in- for the whole run through of the ballet!

This is a perfect example of a 'reflection-in-action' experience, as in this case the best possible way to learn so much choreography in such a short amount of time is to just do it! When it got to the point of not knowing what to do, from every single direction the dancers were prompting me where to go and what steps to do. Sometimes I found myself running from one end of the room to the other to get to my correct spot, with occasional crashes along the way; one of the funniest but embarrassing moments of my life!
Although in the end, a day or two later I knew more or less the whole of Act II and Act IV, as I just had to learn from being in the moment. Reflecting 'off-line' by watching a DVD gives you the outline, but with all the different patterns and crossings it is best to just do it so your body learns where to go, therefore muscle memory plays a big part in this whole learning process.

Because we were on stage for 45 minutes at a time, you have to always be very alert having to be aware of your surroundings, not be out of line, and especially the for first few times -to remember everything (after only 5 rehearsals)! Luckily muscle memory kicks in as fast as any reflex action. I must admit I did not have enough rehearsals to be able to feel fully comfortable, but after a few performances the music and movements were familiar to me to be able to listen to my body and enjoy the whole process. 

So here is a typical example of learning from an experience where the unknown becomes known. As I said I learnt so much! Before i had an idea of what company life was like from a student's point of view. I was lucky enough to have performed 20 shows all together, and through this experience I was able to really live this 'idea' and create a more certain perspective of what it is like to be in the whole process. I would love to be able to explain fully what I had learnt, but the theory of tacit knowledge totally comes into play here where I cannot entirely express my knowledge learnt other than having to actually turn one of my dreams (as a ballet student) into reality! 

  

Choreographic showcase- further reflection on social media

Catching up on Paula's blog, I have recently just skimmed through this article about ethical considerations surrounding social networking. It instantly reminded me of this one choreography I just saw at a choreographic showcase ( By NAFA students in Singapore) which was all relating to the effects of social media in today's society.

It was quite simple, not too much movement involved, but to me it left a strong message behind- how dependent we are on these gadgets and Web 2.0. Dressed in normal every day clothes, the dancers started off with just walking across the stage back and forth, whilst totally absorbed in either their phones, I-pads and tablets. The only noise was the ongoing monotonous sounds of ringtones, games, alarm clocks, notifications etc. and already it was a bit too much for the ears. But the sad reality is that today, it is the normal part of an average human being's routine to own one of these gadgets; check their mail, connect to Facebook, watch movies and play games, connect to a business meeting, sort out finances and basically 'socialise' with anyone without them actually being there.

What really caught my attention was this excerpt:
If everyone is indifferently present regardless of where one is located on the globe, no one is commandingly present. Those who become present via a communication link have a diminished presence, since we can always make them vanish if their presence becomes burdensome. Moreover, we can protect ourselves from unwelcome persons altogether by using screening devices….The extended network of hyperintelligence also disconnects us from the people we would meet incidentally at concerts, plays and political gatherings. As it is, we are always and already linked to the music and entertainment we desire and to sources of political information. This immobile attachment to the web of communication works a twofold deprivation in our lives. It cuts us off from the pleasure of seeing people in the round and from the instruction of being seen and judged by them. It robs us of the social resonance that invigorates our concentration and acumen when we listen to music or watch a play.…Again it seems that by having our hyperintelligent eyes and ears everywhere, we can attain world citizenship of unequaled scope and subtlety. But the world that is hyperintelligently spread out before us has lost its force and resistance. (Borgmann) (1992, 105–6)
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-social-networking/

People always talk about how powerful Web 2.0 is, and maybe how it can make it so much accessible and easier for business, communicating all over the world, and make any process easier, quicker and faster! But to me it looks like we as human beings; whether we are business men, artists, dancers, lawyers, doctors... are being in a way demoralised by this powerful system, where it makes sense how it can already 'diminish' our presence and overpower us.
Yes it is always useful in any profession to have such a social media where everything is accessible in a flash. But my concern is how fast any information can be accessed in a flash as well! 

That is why balancing your private and public life ( to basically the rest of the world) should be highly considered, in any profession. 
What are your thoughts on these ethical considerations?

Reflective Practice- Task 2C

Critical Reflection on Reflective Practice

It is fascinating how reflection relies heavily on learning from an experience, and to me it is a way of life. As Dewey stated that reflective thought is an ‘active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends’ (Dewey, 1933). In order to conclude an opinion to be able to reflect, knowledge is an important factor to be able to understand this term, where experience is needed in order to gain knowledge. Therefore without experience, people wouldn’t be able to learn, without learning people wouldn’t be able to reflect, and without reflecting, people wouldn’t be able to learn something new and ‘come across new ideas,’ create change and therefore evolution.

Take for example the research for a cancer cure- through trial and error from different experiences, patients and doctors have learnt more, have been able to reflect on it and think back on the knowledge gained to create new theories and develop, overcome all the obstacles each time a little better for that hope to reach their goal. Reflective practice is one whole big beautiful cycle that allows and individual to be able to find meaning for them.

I strongly agree with all Dewey’s theories. I love how he states that ‘interaction with the Arts led to a unique and valuable experience (Dewey, 1934).’ Because artists’ way of reflecting is through creating, to me experiencing the process of creation is something so unique, allowing you to value this art form.

Experience is defined as an ‘observation of facts/events’ to be able to put it into ‘practice in doing something.’

Relating to Honey and Mumford’s model of stages: having an experience, reviewing, concluding and planning the next steps, I realized how much it relates to my work practice where you observe and watch, learn from it and then put it into practice.

There are a few examples I can look back on, for instance the whole intention of the title for my blog- Life after Ballet School. It gives an insight on my experiences as an example for a life after ballet school, and stepping into the professional world as a dancer. The key concept on how I developed, and how any dancer develops and progresses to reach his/ her goal is through experience. Companies are naturally more attracted to those with more experience, as it is secure, more predictable.

The breakthrough for me was being chosen to do Swan Lake with BRB. The experience I gained working with such a prestigious company was invaluable, and from what I learnt I was able to reflect on it, put it into practice and so for the future I knew what was the unknown before.

For everyone, reflection is regarded on a personal level on how they will learn, but it does make sense how there are tools as a guidance to outline the different ways/ types to reflect form an experience. Referring to Kolb’s cycle, it is interesting to see that people have different stages of learning whilst ‘entering ‘an experience.’

For me it is a whole mixture! It is quite certain I learn in a ‘concrete experience’ (doing something), having to learn through movement most of the time. However, when I studied for exams, or even when writing this reflective essay, I need to write down notes. So when I see my thoughts and ideas written down, the action makes it clearer for me to proceed. Therefore in some cases active experimentation describes my process of learning here. But then I look back and in a way I can sometimes learn through reflective observation, for e.g. when watching other dancers on how to do certain moves an then try to copy, or getting inspiration from my idols. In some circumstances I will learn through abstract conceptualization whilst puzzling through my thoughts in a journal, or writing down corrections, imagining them and thinking about them.

Backing up Kottcamp’s view on how certain academics say that it is harder to learn from ‘reflection-in-action’ rather than ‘reflection-on-action,’ it really comes down to the event at that time that you are reflecting on. It makes sense how academics find it easier to reflect ‘off-line’ when studying and artists to reflect better ‘on-line’ when creating. I could give endless examples of how as a dancer there are so many times where you have to be on your feet and aware, where you will definitely learn from being ‘in the moment.’

Another part of the Reader I found intriguing is the idea of tacit knowledge and muscle memory. Twyla Tharp mentions that the qualities of muscle memory are ‘Automatic. Precise. A little Scary.’ and that the ‘...memory of movement doesn’t need to be accessed through conscious effort.’ It is in turn a great way of learning, and I find a skill. But it is also in a way a tacit knowledge as it is connected to the creative process of an art form, mainly dance, where in words it cannot be transcribed but when in practice it makes total sense. Through experience, the body will be more comfortable with how it will learn and process the movements and thus make it an unconscious effort whilst dancing. Especially when performing, it is a great skill to have because once on stage, anything can happen! If the body is more in tune and used to the flow of the piece, it will simply just move how it is used to.

Personally I think muscle memory is the best creation! I luckily have good muscle memory, therefore learning choreography initially might take a little time, but once it is in my body it all comes natural. The hardest part is actually trying to break down the steps once fully taught!

Reflecting ‘using language to interpret something (she) knows nonverbally,’ (Tharp and Reiter, 2006) is very common in the arts, however I do agree that reflective tools like journals, sketching, writing, keeping a blog etc is a great way to articulate this tacit knowledge into further development of ideas and evolvement.

So far I have thoroughly enjoyed this reflective process. Keeping a journal and creating my own blog has allowed me to reflect on my inner thoughts and after develop them into ideas I would never think of before- thoughts about the present, the future, my work, dance, life. 

I realized how lucky we all are and to just embrace every moment, learn from the great experiences and knowledge and just live life! Striving for the unknown is exciting and enriching. Because you don’t actually know something before you actually know what it means, don’t you? 

Journal writing experience- Task 2b

Journal Writing Experience

We often talk about reflection- thinking about your day and what happened, puzzling through some tricky times and issues to resolve, looking back at your own life. But how far and how deep can someone actually go? That is a question I am still resolving and working through whilst continuing the ‘journal journey.’

I respond well to writing down, anything really, whether it is studying, writing down corrections, memorizing something. Therefore writing a journal has really helped me (as I have mentioned in a previous blog) to puzzle through some of ups and downs and clarify a path for my thoughts. I was however surprised how much time you need to set aside in order to be able to reflect well. Time management is key to this, which is something I still need to work on especially during performance time and irregular rehearsal hours.

Experimenting with the different ways to reflect in a journal has been an interesting task, where I used the guidance from the handbook and then interpreted ways to fit my style of writing and thoughts:

Description

Ever since I was a little kid, describing my day (especially secrets) was to me the whole idea about writing a diary. I had never thought about how it would aid to deepen your thoughts in order to reflect until this task. Therefore I naturally tried out this way when I first started. It did help me to remember what had happened that day to be able to progress into the deeper meanings behind an event. But then I found I needed to expand my way of writing than just describing, and that is when this task of using the different frameworks really helped.

List

I basically incorporated this method in the trial of every other way, so that is definitely a pattern that kept popping back, and every time! Even though I don’t have the neatest writing, I guess I like to see structure instead of just paragraphs of sentences. First categorizing, and then putting it into bullet form or any form of list I found organizes my writing a lot better. A few examples:

Morning

·      Short Class- still warm in this weather

·      A lot of rehearsals:

¨    ION: looking great

¨    Equation: getting better, still work on arms!

¨    Nikiya variation- hard! But will look good!

Corrections:

1.    Full ronde de jambe of leg

2.    When lunge, fall into it and take a risk

3.    Turn before courru

4.    Head up in arabesque, straighter legs too

5.    1^st kneel up, 2^nd down, 3^rd up +down!

6.    Take time in acting

7.    Don’t push off back foot in pirouette- use momentum from pivot

Lunch

………

Evening

…….

2) Feel more relieved posting more for my blog/ course work, Such a good feeling when your work is done J I wonder how others feel about time pressure?

This method worked especially well for dance corrections, which has really helped me progress in a lot of choreography within my work practice.

Initial Reflection

This method really made me think! I found I could really go more into depth with reflecting, and explore my feelings to discover why I felt them. It is a great way to think back on my initial thoughts from an event/day, to afterwards expand from just the description of an event.

It made me more aware on my initial emotions, and then being able to justify it’s outcome. I also like how much you realize what you can learn from being surprised about anything unexpected that happens. This in turn happened a fare amount.

Evaluation

Again I sub-headed this section with the question ‘what went well,’ ‘what worked’ and ‘what did you learn’ then bulleted the main points from each topic. I also added ‘what did not work’ next to be able to compare the positives to the negatives. However the key aspect to aid in deeper reflection was to later be able to elaborate in writing down what I had learnt on how to fix what did not work- thus learning and reflecting from an experience!

This method to me works well with an eventful day with lots to write down, which lately has happened quite a lot. I find it especially helped to classify and structure class/rehearsal corrections by seeing what worked and what did not.

Graphs/Diagrams

To be honest I struggled to find a way to reflect on an event or day using a diagram so I was always putting it aside. Now that I am looking back on my journal entries, a lot of trends have fallen into place that in a way relate to diagrams. First thing is a first- colours! I have made sure to use colour so it is all easier to read and categorize. I then noticed I had often split the page (with colour) into parts, for e.g. when evaluating what went well and not so well. One day I just wrote about the highlights and lowlights of the day, sectioning it into a table.

Another example is when I taught class and when writing down the adage exercise, it came out to be Benesh Notation diagrams (choreography/ movement notation):

What if?

I loved this framework of writing! And I chose the right day to use this method too, as the main learning curve I gained from this was that it is a great positive-mood enhancer!

To me it is a great way to reflect from a tricky situation or from a rough day where certain feelings need to be expressed, and optimism is in need. For me it was ‘one of those days.’

By first writing what had happened helped me get everything off my chest, something that everyone benefits form once in a while.

Then the fun part came- imagining! To think of what you would like to happen helps to direct thoughts and focus. Once comparing the ‘fantasies’ with what you would not liked to have happen, they are not comparable anymore as the positives are seen stronger. In a way it is a type of reflection where you can set your goals, which helps to set yourself back on track. And the best part about it is that you can really go big with your imagination, give it a bit of a breather and free your mind.

One of mine was ‘ to get an acceptance email to experience class with Hong Kong ballet’, and after a week it came true! As they say ‘Seeing is Believing.’

Another View

It was really hard to think of someone/something else’s view of the same day as mine, even if I spent the whole day with them. We are sometimes so enclosed in our own thoughts that at times we forget about our surroundings. This is something I notice often as a dancer, because it is a very personal profession in a sense that you are constantly aiming for perfection and always working on the aesthetics of what you yourself look like.

It made me realize how I can be unobservant at times. At the end of this entry I even wrote ‘Try perhaps be more observant of others and situations around you.’

A journal is a great tool to have – through this journey, I have realized how much reflection is part of our lives, whether we are aware of it or not. It’s a really nice way to express your inner feelings where you don't actually feel shy or prohibited. There are some methods I will utilize in my journal, and some not so much. I like the idea of adding freedom to your own way of writing, but looking back on it all there is probably going to be a mixture of all the frameworks combined. Whatever that comes to mind that day, whatever I will feel, I will write it however suits me best…because isn’t that the whole process of personal reflection?