Waiting and preparation

Our Skype call on 27th November came at a perfect time for me. 

I joined the call feeling a need to reconnect. I didn’t feel like I was disconnected from the course - quite the opposite as I have been working on my essay and diagram mapping. However, I felt that after working so intensely in meeting the deadline for the draft, that I had paused. Eagerly awaiting the feedback, and hoping for clarity that my essay had taken the right direction. I felt I needed the Feedback so much that I was in limbo until I had received it. 

Helen pointed out that we shouldn’t stop when we are awaiting feedback but to continue to work and develop our essay. After all, the answers are not going to be given to us within the feedback! But I was looking forward to a positive nudge in the right direction. I think sometimes a lack of confidence can make feedback even more important, the feeling of knowing you are doing ‘ok’. 

I am learning quite a lot of things about myself during this process. While waiting for my feedback I thought the worst. I was worried my essay would be taken to pieces and I would need to start again. I was actually expecting that. However since the call I have received feedback and it was much better than I was expecting. There is still work to be done , but I feel I am along the right track. The confidence of knowing this enables me to push ahead now ready for final submission in 11 days !!

Another reason I wanted to join the Skype call was to get some tips about how I could prepare for the upcoming module 2 in January. It is tempting to submit module one essay and then have a break but if I do that I will only be playing catch up in a panic in January. 

Preparation is key ! Especially when you are fitting a degree around family life and a full time job!

I was given some great advice from students on the course. Many were module 3 students, so they were able to give me their first hand experiences. Invaluable !

One student suggested that the reading of module one handbook should be ongoing also throughout module two. That the understanding you have will simply grow by referring back to it. 

Another student, Jessica , suggested a book to read to help with preparing for module 2, which I will definitely be looking into :

Maykut, P. & Morehouse, R.(1994), Beginning Qualitative Research: A Philosophical and Practical Guide , UK, RoutledgeFalmer 

Once I have made my improvements to my essay and submitted it , I will really try to focus on module 2 straight away. 

I plan on reading the module 2 handbook as an initial starting point. 

Influences on my practise

The influences on my practice are not all known on a global scale. 

My earliest influence has to be my first dance teacher and principal of the dance school I went to. She had the power to walk into a room and everyone stood up a little bit taller , pointed their toe a little bit stronger and smiled a little bit harder. She commanded respect effortlessly. 

She was very strict but got the best results out of us all. 

My next influence would be a much younger newly qualified  teacher at the same school. She taught all of the styles I really found fun , such as tap and jazz. She had a much more friendly approach and I always remember the rings that she wore on her thumbs. I thought she was very cool!

I definitely feel like I have combined a bit of both of my brilliant teachers into my current practice. I would describe myself as friendly and firm but fair. Looking at that it is a definite mix of both of them! Funny how we subconsciously absorb elements of people that surround us!

Another big influence was my GCSE drama teacher. He was outstanding. So good at what he did. I remember him asking me if I was attending the awards ceremony for school. I wasn’t planning to attend at the time ( purely because my friend wasn’t ?!) and he said that would be a shame as there may be an award for me. I attended and received a special award for performances and hard work in drama. Quite an achievement as I was surrounded by some great talent ( one of which is now a highly successful actress after training at RADA). 

I remember him saying that I was the sort of person that would always receive awards and that I should believe in myself more. Those words have stuck with me. 

Throughout my performing life I feel I was influenced by many performers that I have worked with. Their grit , drive and determination was admirable. I have been in awe of other performers and really tried to learn from them. 

Two widely known influences of mine has been Lady Gaga and Madonna. 

I always marvelled at Madonna’s skills to combine singing and dancing. I learned a lot from her whilst putting together a Madonna tribute show. In her heyday she was an absolute athelete. So fit and toned and so talented. Combining singing whilst performing a dance routine with dancers at the same time is difficult. Your breathing totally changes. It’s another type of fitness. She will also be a legend in my eyes 

Lady Gaga hit the music scene and grabbed everyone’s attention. Including mine. She was so different to any other artist. Her vocals were incredible and she was a songwriter in her own right. Hugely talented lady who I have seen in concert. 

I later decided to start a tribute show to lady Gaga and studied lots of her videos to try and replicate her movements and vocal style. 

Each influence has represented a different part of my career and performing life. They were of imperative importance when creating a tribute show which went to he extreme of drawing from an artist and went to the extreme of copying an artists’ movements, voice and physical appearance. 

Collating of findings

The Skype session today couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time as a large part of the discussion was about how we collate our findings. 

We have researched , read books , journals , blogs etc but what do we now do with our research ?

We know what we need to do - turn it into an essay !! But how ? 

The timing of the Skype was perfect as just last night I was attempting to read another book on the suggested reading list ;but after not connecting with it and feeling I wasn’t absorbing any information I decided to take a step back and go back to my roots ! The trusty module one handbook. I wanted to see where I would be able to use some of the references I have found within my essay. 

I tend to write notes as I go along on my phone but I also have lots of individual papers with information on them. I am also a big fan of spider diagrams :) 

Initially I plan to go through my notes , and then go back to look at it all through again with each lens. 

A module three student offered a good piece of advice, of colour coding key words that you have come across a lot and then categorising them. 

We need to go back and take a look at what is of value and which references we will use.  I feel as long as we can justify then any would be suitable to use. 

An interesting part of our discussion today was by looking at our ideas from a different perspective. 

Adesola suggested that contrast is another facet that we should consider. 

Contrasting views can also be featured in our work, as long as we can link it all up. 

I feel this would make the essay an interesting read and will be looking into this more. 

A special mention to the great book ‘ The Creative Habit’ by Twyla Tharp. This book was informative and interesting and has really resonated with me. It was an easy read from the start. 

Unpicking my practice

I enjoyed the Module One Skype session tonight, 'Seeing your Practise and Self'.
I felt I was able to engage much more in this discussion compared with the last one. Perhaps as it was designed for module one and we were all at similar stages? Maybe I'm starting to progress and relax into the course... although do hope I can explain my thoughts a little clearer when it comes to the essay writing though!! I sometimes find myself lost for words and then I'm panicking about what others think!! Silly I know , as this is my journey.



We had a varied discussion looking at how we describe our practice. A particular area of interest to me, was if our practice was separate to us, or a part of us.
I feel that my practice is an extension of me, but a more confident version of me!

My interests, passion and hobby is singing, theatre and dance (in no particular order!). The lines are blurred as if my practice was something totally different , for example a midwife, my interests would still be the same. I am lucky that I have managed to turn what I love doing into a career. When you start training aged 3 years old it becomes such a huge part of your life for such a long time. It would always be difficult to separate the two when they have been as one for so long.

Growing up, I was very shy. I remember being at a holiday centre one Summer, and the entertainers coming around looking for children to come up onto the stage to take part in a competition. I was terrified ! I hid under the table and begged my parents to not force me to do it!!
Part of the reason that I went to dance classes was to help with my confidence, and it definitely worked.
For me, being onstage was a real adrenalin rush. It pushed me beyond my comfort zone, yet at the same time felt like the best place in the world. My confidence grew thanks to all of the dance shows and youth theatre shows and experiences I was exposed to through that.

As I succeeded as a working professional I began to feel like the stage was my home. I was always so focused during any performance and ultimately so happy. Being onstage was always such a great way to express myself.

Nowadays I find myself expressing emotions through my choreography work. I went through a bad experience at work and was looking to choreograph a new routine. I heard a piece of music that just resonated with me. Choreographing it was easy. The ideas flowed seamlessly. That doesn't always happen! But when you find real meaning to something and you let yourself go, it just clicks. Looking back it was so healing. If my practice wasn't a part of me surely that would not be possible?
To emotionally connect with your practice is when you often do your best creative work. Especially in the creative industries.

On the flip side emotions need to be harnessed, especially when teaching. A different professional approach is required. I have developed the ability to go and teach a class in a very uplifting, bubbly way even if I am feeling unwell, bereaved etc. With teaching work I feel that I 'put on my teaching head' !!!!  A bit like a character I have created, but its just myself, with the best parts of my personality selected to do the job!

I feel I adapt to different situations well, and I like to describe myself as a chameleon (Wikipedia):

chameleon

[kəˈmiːlɪən]

NOUN

1. a small slow-moving Old World lizard with a prehensile tail, long extensible tongue, protruding eyes that rotate independently, and a highly developed ability to change colour.

   • NORTH AMERICAN
     an anole (tree-dwelling lizard).
   • a person who changes their opinions or behaviour according to the situation.
     "voters have misgivings about his performance as a political chameleon"

(Image taken from:  https://allhdwallpapers.com )

My first Internet experience

Can you remember your first time using the internet ?

I have always been fascinated with the Internet, ever since my first encounter many years ago in the mid '90's!

Our chunky computer made the strangest noises as the dial up connection was made. I found yahoo chat rooms straight away and loved that I could chat with new generation pen pals around the world.

Technology quickly evolved , and as I got older it started to be a tool for emailing and effectively finding information for auditions and opportunities. 

Fast forward to 2019 and I can use my smart phone like a computer with constant internet access.

Internet access is a necessity for my business. 

When I first used the Internet it was as a hobby and now so much has changed that it's paramount to so many businesses.  

I have started to explore what has changed over the years with the development of technology :

• Type of usage 
• Frequency of usage 
• Interactivity 

Interactivity levels have surged thanks to Web 2.0. The link below is very useful :

http://www.oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html

Social media is a huge part of every day lives for myself and many other people. How many times have you checked your social media today??

( I'm afraid to answer that question for myself !)

These developments in blogging and web-based communities have made it possible for me to do my distance based learning degree. Something I didn't realise would be possible for me to do. And for that I'm eternally grateful :)

My first Skype discussion

Tonight was my first BAPP Skype discussion.
It is actually only the second time I have used Skype! The first time was for my interview so I am pleased to see things have progressed positively as I’m now starting module one !

I was a little nervous to begin with. It didn’t help that I wasn’t familiar with Skype ,so even a simple task, such as to mute and unmute my microphone was slightly challenging !

The way the discussion seems to work is that everyone is added to the Skype group call after confirming attendance  on Adesola’s blog post. Usually it is a video call, but we had a large group of 16 participants and so it was just a voice call. This made me relax a little due to not having to worry about the video element.

Helen led the call, and we started by stating which module we were working on and what we were interested in discussing.
A wide range of topics emerged from students in mainly modules one and three.

It was interesting to see that there are also practitioners of music, art and sewing.

As there were so many participants it was hard to cover every thread of discussion, but even so it gave me a much better insight into the thoughts of other students and their lines of enquiry.


So many students communicated their thoughts clearly tonight. They were so articulate. I am a little bit in awe ! I feel that at present it’s a little difficult to contribute a lot to the discussion as I am still finding my pathway in my understanding. I also feel it takes a considerable amount of confidence to do so.


I found comfort in hearing other students in module one were also feeling a little overwhelmed at the big project in front of us. Another student bravely admitted that she finds practical based learning much easier. I will make sure I comment on her blog as I felt we had a lot of similarities and I also find practical based learning much more accessible.

Tonight has taught me that we are on a journey. Like any journey there will be twists and turns , peaks and troughs. We must stay positive and accept that in our enquiries there will be times where we will feel overwhelmed and a little lost.

I am starting to feel a little closer to the online community now and look forward to interacting with other students more. We can all learn so much from each other.

Presentation of self and learning processes

When completing my biog for my blog I was restricted with the amount of words/characters that could be used. After a few attempts I was surprised at how briefly I could summarise my career when required.

To create my biog I had a look at past and present BAPP students blogs and also looked at some colleagues. I like to see examples before I actually take the plunge ! I have written a biography before , but it was longer and edited to suit that current practice and employer.

This made me consider at which point do I enter the 'Kolb cycle of learning ?' Kolb's learning cycle is a theory developed by David A. Kolb , which was published in 1984.
In this case I feel I started at reflective observation and continued around in the cycle.

( Image by Davis & Lowe)


I also looked at my CV for some inspiration. My CV didn't initially help much though, as it is 4 pages long!! I’m sure many other performers have extended CV’s too!! It definitely needed trimming down!

Not every professional engagement needed to be detailed on my CV, just the important ones. However it is difficult deciding between which ones to feature on there. Surely it’s important that every future employer needs to know that I ran away to dance at a Mexican circus ?!

I think often we confuse fond memories with important contracts when writing a CV. Sometimes it’s better to take a step back and attempt to disconnect emotionally , to focus on the key points.

I’m lucky to have a 4 page CV as I do feel that every job/contract led onto the other and paved the path to where I am now. It is hard to succeed as a full time professional performer and it’s great to have a CV to prove that I managed it in my ‘heyday’.  However times have changed and casting directors simply don’t have time to trawl through pages and pages of information. Short and concise is definitely the way forward.

In making my presentation for my blog I also managed to shorten my CV and improve it, so it was a very productive task for me. After my CV was more organised it was much easier to write my blog intro. It was easier to find the key points that I wanted to feature, and the ones I wanted to leave out.  There weren't enough characters available on the blog 'about you ' section for me to feature lots of details on separate jobs , so I tried to do an overview. I decided to write it from my perspective so it made it a little more personal. After all this blog will have many personal thoughts relating to my practise, so I felt that was the best way to approach it.

I decided to keep my blog intro based on my professional life , rather than adding too many personal details. I am quite a private person usually and very aware of the data presented online. I would consider myself to be private until you really get to know me and then I let my guard down a little more.  I also feel it's important to keep a barrier in your professional practice , so if I am teaching a group of students I wouldn't  feel comfortable about them knowing a lot about my life as I see that as personal. I'm friendly with them , but professional. It's all about getting the balance right.

With Web 2.0 making interaction so much easier and normalised I always make sure my social media is private. For safe guarding it's important to have a different name on Facebook eg a nickname or even your own name but just making sure your settings are set to private. Otherwise there would be so many student friend requests and potential messages from students. I feel it's important to keep that professional boundary. Plus at many performing arts schools it would be forbidden to interact with or befriend any student on social media.

Years ago, when I was performing, social media wasn't as used or even available as it is now. But when I did start using social media I always made sure I presented myself in the best possible way with any posts , photos etc

New Chapter

Very excited and a little overwhelmed for this New Chapter in my life to begin.

As a ‘mature’ student I definitely feel ready. When I was 18 I simply wasn’t. I was tired of studying and exams and just wanted to perform. At the time I wasn’t sure where this would take me. Little did I know I would be lucky enough to be able to do that for over 10 years. Travelling all over the world as a professional singer and dancer! However these  days you are more likely to find me in a dance studio shouting ‘5,6,7,8!’ Or ‘good toes , naughty toes!’

I am excited for the possibilities that lie ahead on completion of this degree. I don’t know where this journey will take me , but I do know where it starts .....