Blog 26: Reflection

1. Positive Statement: I tried my best to make my 2 hour engaging with the audience. I have seen many 2 hour presentations where people fall asleep and I didn't want to look at my audience and see that. Also, a dance should not be boring so I tried to impress my audience as much as possible. I think I did a good job at getting involved and I am very proud in my work. Especially because i changed my activities a billion times.

2a. My own assessment: P/AP+ Even though I did a really good job on my two hour, I have put a lot of effort into my senior project and it was never enough to get a P. Not to sound depressing but I am starting to accept that my work is just not "P" worthy so I understand me getting an AP. Why I think I deserve a P is because, not comparing myself to others, from my usual work I improved a lot. So comparing myself to previous work this has been by far the best. I really am proud of 2 hour. Obviously there were things I could have done better so I understand the AP.

2b. AP+ because throughout the whole year I never stopped thing about my senior project. I never stopped changing it because I would always be learning and finding research. My first answer wording changed from my iSearch to my 2 hour presentation. Because I was constantly thinking about it I never got settled with one specific thing. Yet again I understand that my work versus that of others is not comparable.

3. My Independent Components. Choosing my own project was the best because I chose things that would challenge me and take time. I definitely did not settle. Doing the quinceanera waltz took so much time, I did not even count the hours that it took for me to make the routine. My second independent component was to help a new girl into dance team catch up with out dances. I am so proud to see that out of the 5 routines we have learned she is in 4 of them. As if they were such successful projects, I learned so much in each. I gained  a lot of experience that research could not have given me.

4. I would do better on research. I would do my research but once I started learning in my mentorship and getting that hands on knowledge, doing research was tedious. I just wanted to dance. I do appreciate my research and it helped me a great ton but I slipped once and never really got back on the horse.

5. My senior project has allowed me to find the way I can best express myself. I have such difficulty with words and for the longest I thought quotes and books were the only things that understood. But after my senior project, I found that one thing that allows me to express myself. When I'm feeling a strong emotion I blast music and dance it off. I cannot wait for college because I know I can always just dance when things get tricky.

Blog 25: Mentorship Log

Literal:
Log: 60 Hours

Miss. Mary at Adage Dance Studio (909) 392-4440

From my First Independent Component I did a total of 70 hours. So subtracting the required 30 Hours, I did 40 hours over.
For my Mentorship I did a total of 100 hours

Interpretive: The most important thing I gained from my mentorship was the experience in a competitive studio. I also learned so much about being a teacher and getting the students to open up and express themselves. Through my mentorship I found out things about myself. I found a love for lyrical dance. I don't express my emotions that much, only with a select few and dancing lyrical and expression allowed me  figure out what helped me relief stress.

Applied:
Everything in my mentorship supported or led to my answers. Observing and taking notes was very helpful because sometimes I would look back to my notes and see something I would  want to research more. It drove my senior project.

Update: My 2 hour answers and activities

I have my answers and activities but I am not so sure what to do for my third activity.

How can a choreographer best prepare a dancer for successful dance performances?

• Answer 1: By improving on the dancer’s technique.
• Skills to be taught: Methods of improvement. Good performance details like facial and body expression. Proper stretching, musicality, timing, stage fright.
• Activity Materials: Music, open space, speakers
• Steps of activity: Separating everyone into pairs (by choice; having everyone simply listen to the cut from the music they will dance to; Teaching the first count of 8; Repeating the routine with counts till able to repeat with music; Do the same for the next counts of 8
• Answer 2: Maintaining an open communication between choreographer and dancer
• Skills to be taught: The importance of the communication aspect, the fall if the communication is not there, and methods.
• Activity Materials: Index cards
• Steps of Activity: First group in same pairs; younger member will play choreographer role, all students will receive their index card with problem. They will look at the problem and analyze it. Each member is assigned a way of behaving and reacting to the situation. Some will make it through and others will fail. In the end I want to know how they would have solved the issue.
• Answer 3: Choreographer have innovative teaching techniques.
• Skills to be taught: The importance of it, examples, how to get inspired.
• Activity Materials:
• Steps of the activity:

Blog 22: Final 3-Column Chart

Logic Chart

Blog 24:Exit Interview Questions

1. My essential question is How can a choreographer best prepare a dancer for successful dance performances? My best answer is keeping an open communication. The communication is the foundation of a relationship. Nothing can be build on top of it if it is not stable. How can a dancer improve their technique if they don't even trust their choreographer. 

2. This answer was in everything I did for my senior project I just didn't notice it until my mentor pointed it out. For example in my independent component I developed too much of a friendship with the dancers and their was no respect. I soon understood that I had to act like an adult to get the respect of one. 

3. I had a difficulty finding a good mentor. My first two mentors had me observing everyday and while I learned a lot I didn't feel like I was gaining experience. Eventually I found a mentor that had me do a lot of work, she took me to rehearsals, she took me to recitals. My favorite job was to actually help with choosing costumes and formations.

4. My first independent component and the book, A Time to Teach, A Time to Dance by Margaret Freman. 
The independent component gave me experience I could have not gained from anywhere else. And the book gave me a professionals point of view.

5. My product is becoming a quinceanera waltz instructor. 

Blog 23: 2014 interview

1. Lara McConnaughey, North
2. Linguistics, international relations. She is inspired by her father and wants study in her future.
3. UCLA Linguistics, Claremont High School Teacher, German Embassy.
4. To have fun, to be an expert on her topic.
5. She asked about senior project being its own unit and since I didn't know the answer I said I'd get back to her.

Independent Component 2

Literal:
(a) I student affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) Anais Bolden, iPoly sophomore.

(c) Log

(d) Anais just joined dance team and she wanted help with catching up and being at the level of everyone else, so I basically helped her complete that task. I worked on her technique, showed her the basics of both tahiti and flags.

Interpretive:

Tahiti dancing is not something achieved overnight, it takes work and the right work. I will update this blog post with pictures.



Applied:

The I.C. helped me understand my second answer, Keeping an open communication between dancer and choreographer, I had to understand her limits and push her but not over work her. I also had to gain her trust and comfort before being able to criticize her movements. It also supported my third answer, Choreographer keep innovative teaching techniques, because sometimes she didn't always understand what I wanted from her or how to do the movement.