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Dress Rehearsal

10th December 2019

It gave me experience in how I felt in my costume and it was important because I had to know the measurements of my costume in order for me to have the perfect fit and deliver a good performance as well as I can avoid the obstruction of any material whilst on stage.

REVELATIONS

WWW:

I made sure that I looked presentable

Because I wanted to prevent myself to look unprepared, I needed to practice with my costume on first

I took criticism with dignity and made sure to improve my moves as I went along

EBI:

My cummerbund was really uncomfortable to perform with as it was tight, to improve this I could've tighten it

During the dress rehearsal I wore sock and it was inconvenient because it was causing a disruption between the floor and the material of my socks which made me lose balance at times

STREET DANCE

WWW:

It was a very baggy costume and therefore I was able to move freely

EBI:

In my opinion, I thought that the colours were not matching the mood and ambiance of the performance as it was dull

[vapablog]

"REVELATIONS" - Cabaret 2019

Revelations is a group dance initially choreographed by Alvin Ailey in the 60s. For three years consecutive,

WWW:

Face expression

Synchronised movements

Good balance

Confident delivery

Execution of the movements on point

My movements correlate with the beats per bar in the music

EBI:

I was ahead of the choreography at times

Maintain facial expression in order to carry the story throughout the facial movement.

[vapablog]

"STREET DANCE" - Cabaret 2019

The show we have been working so hard for during the past 3 months, on a daily basis. Long hours, sweat and constant effort... Tiring but we wanted this Distinction and I wanted this more than anything. I was not going to let myself get into a Merit outcome - I see myself as a perfectionist : always wanting to do better than I should and sometimes when I don't give it my all, I am not content with my performance therefore I took an approach to giving it my all.

Mrs Nash has always pushed me to do achieve my maximum potential because I was never really motivated to perform as I usually speak very low of myself and therefore my confidence to dance was extremely low. But with her help, she has given me the aid to gain self confidence.

The reason why Street Dance was the hardest aspect of Performing Arts for me is because we usually rehearsed in two different groups, the boys and girls separated. I was comparing my inability to dance with my classmates and I was insecure. However what I never realised was that I am always in competition with myself only and I need to concentrate on achieving more progress than my last personal best.

They were very comprehensive and helpful by showing me exactly how to execute each movements. I slowly started to build my trust and felt more comfortable dancing. Messing up some movements was not such a big deal anymore because we learn from our mistakes.

WWW:

Good rhythm

Synchronised movements

Face expressions

Balance

EBI:

if I memorised the choreography well because there were some moments in the street dance performance where I forgot some of the choreography

when watching my performance back I realised that I had a tense state I was stiff in terms of my physicality, to improve this I could have used my breathing technique to loosen up the muscles in my body

[vapablog]

31st October 2019

Finishing the month on a good note, we have practiced one of our pieces for the street dance which we will be performing and marked at the end of the year.

WWW: As this is our first time dancing and if I can be honest, I am quite happy with myself. You can't really see me but I remember enjoying this dance more than any other ones because it felt lighter with the movement.

EBI: I am obviously not coordinated and the execution of the movements aren't there. I need to focus more on how to do the moves correctly.

[vapablog]

17th October 2019

Bonjour!

Today, for street dance class, we did a group rehearsal where we merged the girls and boys together!

Music: Jennifer Lopez - Dinero ft Cardi B

WWW

I'm starting to learn the moves quickly and make an attempt despite us rehearsing for "CABARET".

I had a low energy level in general but I still made an effort.

EBI:

Be more energetic.

I lack facial expression preventing me to show emotion in my movement  to improve this I need to be more fluid like Ryan (our dance teacher).

[vapablog]

16th October 2019

Welcome back to my blog, for another self-expression!

Today, I had my first street dance lesson ever.

Nevertheless, I decided to not waste anytime and get along with the work. I am not particularly comfortable dancing with these clothes on but I can guarantee you that if I had the adequate clothing, I would still not be as good with the execution of the moves -- I am a beginner.

This is a video of us rehearsing for the street dance piece for the end-of-year show "CABARET".

Yet again, I am a beginner and therefore I should not compare myself to others but all you can do is judge me when you look at my fellow classmates.

WWW: Participating and getting along with the task, negativity is not the way to go because no one will do it for me: I have to be independent at times and that's when I'll truly find my skill, my confidence, as well as self-belief.

EBI: Ask more questions instead of just following others even though it is still a good way of learning.

[vapablog]

Task 1 ~ Dance Exam

15th October 2019

The day!

I had prepared myself for this over the past two weeks and what have I learned? Enjoying dancing and create a vibe as well as a story within the music but not only! My confidence developed and performing in front of my classmates was just another class practice...

Coming up with a choreography which would suit different genres was complex to me. Mrs Nash has really guided me towards a new mind-set which was that any and every dance fits into any piece of music, therefore I decided to look for solutions instead of confusing myself.

FIRST PIECE OF MUSIC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YaN-EG2Dx8

NEKFEU - ALUNISSONS

This music is from a famous and France's favourite rapper (named Ken Samaras aka Nekfeu) as well as other francophone countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Guadeloupe, Belgium or even Switzerland.

Much calmer than his first track of his album Les Etoiles Vagabondes, Alunissons expresses melancholy. Nekfeu introduces an important theme in his album : his status in the universe, as a human and as an individual.

The piece is then built around an acoustic guitar and a keyboard. The bridge is saturated with reverb, including the voice. These elements accentuate the airy aspect of the song, matching well with the imperative of the title, which can also have a double meaning, quite paradoxical:

• "Alunissons" is the first person plural of "land on the moon" (verb in French "alunir"), which means to leave the Earth to land on the Moon.

• You can hear "in unison", which is a way of saying "together", directly related to the theme of the song. This double entendre turns out to be antithetical: the first sense emphasizes the fact of leaving oneself, while the second means being together.

I have used this piece of music because this would definitely aid me with musicality because in understanding the lyrics as well as how the music has been composed, I was able to come up with the help of my teacher. Therefore, the dance moves correlated to the melody of the music was very effective.

My attempt for the dance was to tell a story and that is specifically what I have focused more on my second dance that I have performed.

As I look back, I have realised that I was very focused in the precision of the execution process of every single movement. Rehearsing this dance was challenging because of my inability of professionally dancing but I do put as much effort and commitment towards it as I can.

Contraction was well used but could obviously have been executed more precisely, however I was still able to practice and perform my contractions in a fashionable manner.

In terms of floor work, I was able to roll as I turn my body away from the centre. Classes including Adagio were beneficial for my balance as I realised that was not my main quality but nevertheless I was able to perform at a good standard.

SECOND PIECE OF MUSIC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKGjUbWKtaQ

This piece is really controversial to Alunissons because this music is faster and there is more bass to it. Which meant that I had to increase the pace of my movements.

The comprehension was that I remained much absorbed into the accuracy of completing each movement. Yet again, rehearsing this dance was a struggle for one of the reasons that I had to speed up with my movements in rhythm with the beat.

Yet again, I am very proud of myself, and I feel as though I have accomplished a great challenge in improving my dance technique.

Overall, I felt that for a beginner I was producing a good show.

[vapablog]

18th November 2019

Coming back from a nourishing trip to Kintbury with my Performing Arts fellows, I have learnt to think straight. Indeed, the journey was about self-reflection as well as self-love but not forgetting to love others.

Let me introduce you to my partner for this duet, Lamonte Barrett-Wilson. At first, we were going to all perform on our own. However, Mrs Nash seemed to have recognised chemistry between me and her.

As well as I wanted to produce something original to show to the examiner, I have agreed with Mrs Nash and Lamonte had not seen any inconvenience.

JOSMAN - J'AIME BIEN! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2LVbMnDKHo

"J’aime bien!" can be considered as a sequel to the song “XS”, in which Josman evokes his half, his soul mate, the woman he is in love with; he now speaks of the carnal pleasures shared with her.

The theme of this fourteenth track of the album can remind us of his song “Au bout” from his $000 mixtape, where he intimately evokes the moments he spends with a woman; a title also produced by Josman only.

The title is certified single gold in France in thirteen months with more than 15 million equivalent streams. It is also the first official certification for a track for the rapper, which will be quickly followed a week later by the gold record in France for the album.

WWW:

This is a big step up in terms of the execution of my movements as well as working with a partner which means not only focusing on me but also focusing on my teammate, Lamonte. 

Clear and fluid movements

In control

EBI:

I had a problem with my right arm swinging around and in my opinion, it did not impact my dance massively but I do think that it would be beneficial if I knew how to control my right arm.

I should have added more face expressions during the dance.