In my life so far I have not come across Kolb or his Learning Cycle; however I found it interesting that I was able to immediately indentify where I enter Kolb’s Learning Cycle.
Active experimentation
This is where I feel that I personally enter the cycle. In the past trial and error has taught me that I work best when I have a clear bullet point plan of what I wish to include in each task, this allows me to assemble my thoughts in a coherent manner. For Task A I researched which websites would be best to use in each section, as well as what style I would like to convey within my blogs, I tried these styles out and judged which was best to use in my blog. For Task B I thought about which methods would be best to use to gather the information for my essay and concluded that an interview would be the best method to get the information necessary. I then analysed questions that would be most applicable to the assignment. I find it difficult to keep within the word count restraints set so I have learnt to always have these in mind when I am planning what I would like to include, this also helps me filter out any unnecessary information. I feel that my A Level English also equipped me well in the planning and preparation of any written task, thus enabling me to work within Kolb’s Learning Cycle without necessarily being aware of the process. This planning then led me on to undertaking and actually doing the task.
Concrete experience
As I was doing the interview and typing up the notes I could relate this to concrete experience of doing and learning as seen in Kolb. It has been proven in educational theory that we retain more by physically doing a task than by hearing or seeing it being done. This is certainly true of my personal learning style. As a kinaesthetic learner, I need to do the task to gain the most from it. During the interviews I felt that I was learning more about what had influenced me and was intrinsically part of me as a dancer by hearing and talking to my two teachers; especially when I formulated what I had heard from them into the diagram that I later constructed. Having to summarise and pick out the key points to form a visual summary meant that I retained the most important concepts that I needed to. By visiting other students’ blogs I could formulate my initial plans into concrete blog pages of my own and by creating these pages and the links that went within them I could then begin the reflective practise that was necessary as I moved on to the next stage within Kolb’s Cycle.
Reflective observation
For this task (C) I have been forced to reflect upon my learning so far; not only within this course but within my overall training. I have maintained a reflective diary throughout my four years of training at Elmhurst, so I am used to analysing the way in which I work and learn. This was related more to a practical experience within my ballet classes; however it has enabled me to understand the importance of reflection and critical analysis of my strengths and weaknesses. I feel that my thorough preparation and planning of assignments has enabled me to produce a good standard of work, which for me means something that I am proud of and feel reflects the high standard that I am capable of. Reflecting on task A and B and the outcomes that they have generated has enabled me to construct this evaluation of the efficiency of the way in which I learn and work. Constantly reviewing the progress of my learning and adapting it has facilitated my achievement and enabled me to progress through the tasks to this final section with a greater understanding of my own learning. This reflection, I believe, has allowed me to maximize the opportunities to improve my professional practice.
Abstract conceptualism
From my initial planning, doing and then reflecting I can conclude that my most effective way of learning is to start with a good initial plan. I believe that the plan of an essay or blog is like the foundations of a building, the stronger and more concrete that they are, the more you can build upon them. These and other intangible ideas are often harder to understand and learn from than concrete evidence which we see in a dance class every day. This assignment has enabled me to understand how to develop abstract ideas into concrete essays. I am sure that I will now use Kolb’s Learning Cycle in a more practical and effective way as I am now aware of how important each of these different stages are if I wish to achieve excellent results. Although these processes are cyclic; in my own mind I often work through them at such a pace I find it to hard to consciously separate them. By working through in a logical manner and reflecting at each stage of the cycle what I have to do next I will be able to continue to learn. Now I have become conscious of this cyclic process, I will endeavour to actively use it to enable me to develop my professional practise.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Links of interest
Watching a beautiful dancer motivates me to improve and strive for the perfection that they have achieved within their work. I find it interesting to see what the human body can achieve in regards to dance if it is pushed to its limit. There are a handful of dancers that leave an impression on my mind long after the curtain has come down on the performance that I have watched. Elisha Willis is one such dancer. Willis is one of the leading principles at Birmingham Royal Ballet having danced with them for the last 6 years. Whilst her technique is of a superb standard (as would be expected of a principal) it is her performance quality that really excites me. She is able to convincingly portray a vast array of characters, from the sweet Belle in Bintley’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ to the wicked Black Queen in Ninette de Valois ‘Checkmate’. Here is a link to her dancing the role of Roxanne in Bintley’s Cyrano, a role that he created on her:
She is one of the few dancers that are able to transport me from the Birmingham Hippodrome auditorium into the world that her character is from. I find that I am able to truly lose myself in her dancing. This motivates me to become a better dancer and to be able to capture just some of the performance quality that she has.
Without music there could be no dance! Music is a key motivational tool to me. I love all music from Pink to Rodgers and Hammerstein but nothing inspires me more than Classical Music. I have two favorite pieces that have motivated me throughout my training but for very different reasons.
The first is The Four Seasons, a set of four violin concertos, composed by Antonio Vivaldi in 1723. I first heard the music when I was working with the National Youth Ballet in 2002. I was cast as one of the dancers in ‘Spring’ and instantly fell in love with the music. When I listen to it now I can still see the steps that Frank Freeman masterfully choreographed to rise and fall with the dynamics of the music, as well as the feeling of stepping out in front of a big audience for the first time and dancing those beautiful movements. That feeling of anticipation teamed with excitement can get me through most situations; I find it particularly useful when getting ready to start a 2 hour ballet class at 8.40am!
The second piece of music that never fails to excite me is ‘The Flower Duet’ from Lakmé composed by Léo Delibes and first performed in 1883. I have been singing since the age of 11 and my singing teacher and I were always looking for new and exciting pieces to push me. I first heard ‘the Flower duet’ on an advert for British Airways and fell in love with it.
I started working on it straight away but found that it was a song much harder to sing than it first appeared. This piece motivates me because it reminds me of a time when I had to fully immerse myself within a song. I ended up performing it with my singing teacher at the last concert that I did with her, and even today 5 years on when I listen to the piece, I can remember the feeling I had when I sung it of completely losing myself within the music.
She is one of the few dancers that are able to transport me from the Birmingham Hippodrome auditorium into the world that her character is from. I find that I am able to truly lose myself in her dancing. This motivates me to become a better dancer and to be able to capture just some of the performance quality that she has.
Without music there could be no dance! Music is a key motivational tool to me. I love all music from Pink to Rodgers and Hammerstein but nothing inspires me more than Classical Music. I have two favorite pieces that have motivated me throughout my training but for very different reasons.
The first is The Four Seasons, a set of four violin concertos, composed by Antonio Vivaldi in 1723. I first heard the music when I was working with the National Youth Ballet in 2002. I was cast as one of the dancers in ‘Spring’ and instantly fell in love with the music. When I listen to it now I can still see the steps that Frank Freeman masterfully choreographed to rise and fall with the dynamics of the music, as well as the feeling of stepping out in front of a big audience for the first time and dancing those beautiful movements. That feeling of anticipation teamed with excitement can get me through most situations; I find it particularly useful when getting ready to start a 2 hour ballet class at 8.40am!
The second piece of music that never fails to excite me is ‘The Flower Duet’ from Lakmé composed by Léo Delibes and first performed in 1883. I have been singing since the age of 11 and my singing teacher and I were always looking for new and exciting pieces to push me. I first heard ‘the Flower duet’ on an advert for British Airways and fell in love with it.
I started working on it straight away but found that it was a song much harder to sing than it first appeared. This piece motivates me because it reminds me of a time when I had to fully immerse myself within a song. I ended up performing it with my singing teacher at the last concert that I did with her, and even today 5 years on when I listen to the piece, I can remember the feeling I had when I sung it of completely losing myself within the music.
Links to work from people I admire.
Links to work from people I admire:
I admire many people within the dance field; I have chosen my 3 favourites from varying dance backgrounds to showcase a broad spectrum of talent from within the industry.
Having come from a very classical background, I have great admiration for ballet dancers in general, however one dancer in particular, Alessandra Ferri shines above them all.
She was born in 1963 in Milan, Italy and trained at both La Scala Theatre Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School respectively. She graduated into the Royal Ballet Company in 1980 aged only 17 years.
I find it hard to believe that she was only with The Royal Ballet Company for less than 5 years, as she made a huge impact, not only within the company but within English ballet as a whole. She continued on to American Ballet Theatre and danced with them from 1985-2007 as well as dancing with La Scala Theatre ballet from 1992-2007 before hanging up her pointe shoes up and retiring on August 10th 2007 aged 44.
Her longevity within the ballet world is a testament to her formidable technique and her phenomenal artistry, just two of the things that make her such an inspiration to me.
In the Royal Ballet Company she was one of Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s muses, and her performance as Juliet is captured on video and this is how I have been able to watch her dance on many occasions. Within my dance career I have always tried to develop the artistic quality in each role that I have performed. If ever I am in need of inspiration I watch the ‘Balcony pas de deux’ from Kenneth Macmillan’s Romeo and Juliet and this never fails to help me improve my artistry.
When I was dancing in midsummer nights Dream, I felt that I needed to develop the ethereal quality of a fairy. Once again I found this in her performance as Titania in The Dream choreographed by Fredrick Ashton.
I am not alone in my admiration for her. She has won countless awards throughout her career including:
•1983 - Olivier Award - Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Dance Production
•2000 - Prix Benois de la Danse, Moscow
•2005 - Italian Order of Merit of the Republic
•2005 - Dance Magazine Award, New York She has also received critical acclaim from even the most discerning critic Ismene Brown, who describes her Juliet as "full of "dramatic powers" >
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/3596168/Back-to-beguile.html
Ferri continued in inspire critics even in her final perfomance with American Ballet Theatre as Juliet:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/arts/dance/25ferr.html
I have also been interested in Musical Teatre from a very young age, one of the leaders in this field is Idina Menzel.
"I've been singing since I was born. It's something I do everywhere I go. In the shower, walking down the street. I don't need any impetus to do it. I just sing." (taken from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579953/bio)
http://www.jerwood.org/?lid=29
The Jerwood Centre boasts fantastic on-site facilities, which are superb; but what I really admire about this centre is that it is dedicated to conducting research into the study of Dance Injuries, something that I find incredibly interesting as this is a field that I would like to enter into once I have completed my BA(Hons) Professional Practice. This will benefit the dancers at Birmingham Royal Ballet and throughout the UK, hopefully leading to the improvement of dancer’s fitness and stamina enabling them to cope with the ever increasing demands of dance and lead them on to a long and healthy career.
I admire many people within the dance field; I have chosen my 3 favourites from varying dance backgrounds to showcase a broad spectrum of talent from within the industry.
Having come from a very classical background, I have great admiration for ballet dancers in general, however one dancer in particular, Alessandra Ferri shines above them all.
She was born in 1963 in Milan, Italy and trained at both La Scala Theatre Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School respectively. She graduated into the Royal Ballet Company in 1980 aged only 17 years.
I find it hard to believe that she was only with The Royal Ballet Company for less than 5 years, as she made a huge impact, not only within the company but within English ballet as a whole. She continued on to American Ballet Theatre and danced with them from 1985-2007 as well as dancing with La Scala Theatre ballet from 1992-2007 before hanging up her pointe shoes up and retiring on August 10th 2007 aged 44.
Her longevity within the ballet world is a testament to her formidable technique and her phenomenal artistry, just two of the things that make her such an inspiration to me.
In the Royal Ballet Company she was one of Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s muses, and her performance as Juliet is captured on video and this is how I have been able to watch her dance on many occasions. Within my dance career I have always tried to develop the artistic quality in each role that I have performed. If ever I am in need of inspiration I watch the ‘Balcony pas de deux’ from Kenneth Macmillan’s Romeo and Juliet and this never fails to help me improve my artistry.
When I was dancing in midsummer nights Dream, I felt that I needed to develop the ethereal quality of a fairy. Once again I found this in her performance as Titania in The Dream choreographed by Fredrick Ashton.
I am not alone in my admiration for her. She has won countless awards throughout her career including:
•1983 - Olivier Award - Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Dance Production
•2000 - Prix Benois de la Danse, Moscow
•2005 - Italian Order of Merit of the Republic
•2005 - Dance Magazine Award, New York She has also received critical acclaim from even the most discerning critic Ismene Brown, who describes her Juliet as "full of "dramatic powers" >
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/3596168/Back-to-beguile.html
Ferri continued in inspire critics even in her final perfomance with American Ballet Theatre as Juliet:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/arts/dance/25ferr.html
I have also been interested in Musical Teatre from a very young age, one of the leaders in this field is Idina Menzel.
"I've been singing since I was born. It's something I do everywhere I go. In the shower, walking down the street. I don't need any impetus to do it. I just sing." (taken from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579953/bio)
One of the jewels in the Broadway crown, this is my description of how her performances have set a precedence for modern music theatre artists. Before watching Wicked I was unaware of this star, however in the last few years she has become a huge inspiration to me.
Idina crated the role of Elphaba, the young Wicked Witch of the West in Stephen Schwartz’s musical Wicked, in 2003. The musical based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire is seen as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. I saw her in this role and she left me speechless. I have heard many wonderful singers throughout my years of visiting the West End but she took my breath away. She has the most phenomenally powerful voice, showcased to superb effect in the song “Defying Gravity”
In Wicked she played the Elphaba, the misunderstood “green girl” the young Wicked Witch of the west. Not only was this role perfect for Menzel’s amazing vocals but it also showcased her acting skills too. After seeing her in Wicked I was bitten by the Menzel bug and went about trying to find out as much about her and see as much of her work as possible.
I stumbled across a DVD of Jonathan Laresen’s “Rent” adapted for film and directed by in which she played the performance artist Maureen Johnson. Once again she was able to showcase her voice to amazing effect.
Her star turn in "Wicked" won her a Tony Award and huge critical acclaim. Other credits include two Drama Desk nominations for her roles in "The Wild Party" and "See What I Wanna See" at the Public Theatre.
Film credits include starring roles in the Disney romantic fable, "Enchanted" and Robert Towne's "Ask The Dust".
The Boston Herald raved, "Menzel need only plant her feet on the ground and sing to make the back of the theatre vibrate with the power of her voice."
I find her inspirational because she has honed her talent to such a superb level and this is something that I strive to do!
The Jerwood Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries
I admire this organization as it has helped to shape Dance Science within the UK. The centre opened in April 2002 as part of the redeveloped Birmingham Hippodrome. The ‘Jerwood Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries’ (to give it its full title) is the first centre of its kind to open in the UK and is leading the future of Dance Medicine. Having worked with Birmingham Royal Ballet as a student, I have been lucky enough to use this centre and it really is superb. Not only does it house Birmingham Royal Ballets’ medical team, which includes physiotherapists, masseurs and a body conditioning instructor; it also contains a hydrotherapy pool and state-of-the-art diagnostic and fitness equipment.
http://www.jerwood.org/?lid=29
The Jerwood Centre boasts fantastic on-site facilities, which are superb; but what I really admire about this centre is that it is dedicated to conducting research into the study of Dance Injuries, something that I find incredibly interesting as this is a field that I would like to enter into once I have completed my BA(Hons) Professional Practice. This will benefit the dancers at Birmingham Royal Ballet and throughout the UK, hopefully leading to the improvement of dancer’s fitness and stamina enabling them to cope with the ever increasing demands of dance and lead them on to a long and healthy career.
One of the physiotherapists at the forefront of this project was Sharon Morrison, who was Head Physiotherapist for Birmingham Royal Ballet for many years before moving on and opening up her own practice in Sutton Coldfield. This article: (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/pound1m-step-to-put-the-kick-back-into-britains-unfit-dancers-721594.html) taken from The Independent highlights how Sharon is able to see the future of Dance Science and hopes to contribute to it. This foresight is something that I greatly admire and hope to be able to replicate in my career.
My Top 5 Resources for my Professional Practice
I use many resources in my day to day life as a dancer, here are my top 5:
1: 'Dance Europe Magazine' http://www.danceeurope.org.uk/
My top website for finding up to the minute audition information for Classical Dance without which I would not be able to continue with my professional practice. I am also a subscriber to their monthly magazine in which I find many interesting and relevant articles relating not only to specific Dance Companies but to the world of dance as a whole.
2: 'The Stage Newspaper' http://www.thestage.co.uk/
Another invaluable tool for my development as a dancer. This site is updated weekly with audition information for a broader range of dance styles. I am very interested in having a diverse and varied career as a dancer so this opens up options to me that I may otherwise not have thought of persuing. As well as having relative information about the current UK dance scene.
3: http://www.equity.org.uk/
I am a Student member of Equity Union, an organisation that I find incredibly useful. Not only does this site offer information on debates and petitions, it also offers credible job information. I think that the role of Equity is invaluable as it offers protection in an industry rife with people wanting to exploit you. I have also consulted the Union for help with welfare and taxes. In this current climate where many businesses and companies are struggling to stay afloat, websites such as this are trying to help these vulnerable companies, which in turn keeps the job prospects open for me as a dancer.
4: http://www.iadms.org/
I wish to join the field of Dance Science after my performance career has finished. I plan to go to University to study for an MSc in Dance Science on completion of this BA(Hons) in Professional Practice. Therefore this website from the Interational Association for Dance Medicine and Science is a very valuable tool available to me. I like to keep up to date with the latest advancements in the field of dance medicine, not only to help me as an active dancer (I have had my fair share of injuries) but also for future reference for me to see any gaps in the field that I could eventually contribute to.
5: www.wellsphere.com/dance-article/danceuk
A great sight for links to articles and to other Dance Science websites including Dance UK: Lots of new workshops and seminars are posted here, as well as dance health FAQ's which not only help me as a dancer but educate me in Dance Science. The links to important articles that they offer are a very beneficial and make the articles more accessible.
1: 'Dance Europe Magazine' http://www.danceeurope.org.uk/
My top website for finding up to the minute audition information for Classical Dance without which I would not be able to continue with my professional practice. I am also a subscriber to their monthly magazine in which I find many interesting and relevant articles relating not only to specific Dance Companies but to the world of dance as a whole.
2: 'The Stage Newspaper' http://www.thestage.co.uk/
Another invaluable tool for my development as a dancer. This site is updated weekly with audition information for a broader range of dance styles. I am very interested in having a diverse and varied career as a dancer so this opens up options to me that I may otherwise not have thought of persuing. As well as having relative information about the current UK dance scene.
3: http://www.equity.org.uk/
I am a Student member of Equity Union, an organisation that I find incredibly useful. Not only does this site offer information on debates and petitions, it also offers credible job information. I think that the role of Equity is invaluable as it offers protection in an industry rife with people wanting to exploit you. I have also consulted the Union for help with welfare and taxes. In this current climate where many businesses and companies are struggling to stay afloat, websites such as this are trying to help these vulnerable companies, which in turn keeps the job prospects open for me as a dancer.
4: http://www.iadms.org/
I wish to join the field of Dance Science after my performance career has finished. I plan to go to University to study for an MSc in Dance Science on completion of this BA(Hons) in Professional Practice. Therefore this website from the Interational Association for Dance Medicine and Science is a very valuable tool available to me. I like to keep up to date with the latest advancements in the field of dance medicine, not only to help me as an active dancer (I have had my fair share of injuries) but also for future reference for me to see any gaps in the field that I could eventually contribute to.
5: www.wellsphere.com/dance-article/danceuk
A great sight for links to articles and to other Dance Science websites including Dance UK: Lots of new workshops and seminars are posted here, as well as dance health FAQ's which not only help me as a dancer but educate me in Dance Science. The links to important articles that they offer are a very beneficial and make the articles more accessible.
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