Task 2c

This course is encouraging the expansion of our methods of reflection, and as I looked through the course reader, I began to consider how some of the theories of various thinkers may apply to me and how I reflect. I began by looking at John Dewey’s theory of reflective thought; it is a theory which is very appropriate for this course, in my opinion. His theory suggests that the higher the level of engagement with the education, the higher the quality of the education. This immediately struck a chord with me, as the importance of communication through learning, using our blogs etc, has been reiterated to us from the start. This example was the easiest for me to relate to. My own experiences support his definition of active thought, as being ‘active, persistent or careful consideration of any belief’ (Dewey 1993), as I have noticed during this module that I have not gained as much out of some aspects as others and this lack of, I suppose, knowledge and understanding is in correlation with my periods of limited communication with others on the course.

The theory of reflection on or in action as suggested by Donald Schon (Schon 1997), was another that I found easy to relate to. Reflection in action is used constantly in dance. For example, one day  you may be more ‘on your leg’ during adage or pirouettes than on other days, and you will have to alter weight placement, impetus, etc accordingly, as with improvisation – your situation is never identical from class to slass, day to day, performance to performance. It can be simply referred to ‘thinking on your feet’ which is always necessary in a performance. Schon described this process as follows,

‘The practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the prior understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to generate both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation.’ (Schön 1983)

During my time on tour, there was a moment when I had to use this. One of the cast members had been battling a throat infection for a number of days, until their voice eventually went completely, unfortunately during a performance. I took it upon myself to step in, and with a reassuring look in their direction I sang their verse.

In doing so, I had to change my whole ‘intent’ for the rest of the scene, or else the lyrics would not have made sense to my character. It was one of the scariest moments on stage I have ever had, throwing myself out of my comfort zone like that, but it made realise that I can do it. It is the same with actor when they have to adlib for whatever reason, be it a late cue or a missed line.

Performance on action is a notion that I am very familiar with, and it is my most preferred method of reflection. During my time at The Hammond, I was required to reflect weekly on each subject, looking at corrections and things that went particularly well, and why. Students also have termly assessments; during feedback sessions, we were asked how we thought they had gone, and whether we agreed with our given marks, or not, and also the reasons behind our opinions. The same can be said of our annual fitness assessments, the results from which were used to develop an ongoing training regime to better ourselves technically. This process was of huge benefit to me, as I have had an ongoing injury, and these results were able to highlight my weaknesses, so that my exercise plan was specifically useful to me, rather than it being a generalised one for the entire class.

We were also provided with reflection sheets for theatre visits and workshops. This broadened our reflective practises to the work of others, rather than just ourselves. I enjoyed looking at the choreography, lighting and musical ideas of others, as well as the teaching methods of others during the workshops. It helped me to highlight which aspects of each experience are valuable to me personally, enabling me to better channel my focus in what I do.

The school also encouraged us to reflect on any auditions we did, during our time there. We had weekly sessions of ‘Audition Technique’ which were mock auditions with feedback at the end. This helped us to iron out any major problems and to remember key highs, before we auditioned in the ‘real world’. This initially helped with the self-reflection process, but there is no true substitute for the real thing, which is why I am enjoying being able to reflect on my current job, and current ‘real’ auditions.

My job is perfect for me to be reflecting alongside it, as I am constantly being given targets, and I am able to see those targets being met, and the journeys to get there.

I am able to see what works well and what doesn’t work so well, with regard to teaching methods and approaches for individual students. It has been, and continues to be, a huge learning curve for me, and I feel that I am really benefiting from it.

From my journal keeping, I have realised that I become more and more critical of myself, as more time passes. Maybe this is due to having more time to dwell and linger on every part of the performance, whether it be in class, on stage or during a day of teaching; I tend to engage in a much deeper reflection. This, for me, has always been the source of my main problem – a lack of self confidence. My constant nit-picking of myself has worn me down, to the point where I had very little self belief. That was, however, until the start of this course. I have seen, through the incorporation of other methods of reflection, that I can channel my criticisms in a more positive and constructive way and, upon reflection, see each slight blip in a performance as purely a learning curve, and not something to freak out about.

I researched the frameworks of Reid and Moon, before I began writing my journal, and I found a model, shown below, created by Gibbs, which seemed to mirror the frameworks in a way that I could easily understand.

It was this framework, similar to that found in the Course Reader, that I used to aid my journal writing and my reflection on a specific day. I am a believer in structure, and while I know sometimes writing needs to be spontaneous and free, I like this framework to refer back to, when writing in my journal.

Task 3a Current - networks

    In this day and age, millions of people around the world use the social networking site Facebook as their main networking tool, and I am no exception. I have friends working all over the world, so it is a fantastic way to keep in touch with them, for free. We can exchange information publicly or privately, if we choose, see up to date information, photos and videos, pretty much anything. It is also a quick and easy way to post information relating to my career, such as show reels, headshots, and information about my job, skills and personal information; basically promoting myself.  Facebook enables me to search for people I have met through my line of work, and ‘befriend’ them on there, since the majority of people I know have a Facebook account. As far as networking is concerned, this is an invaluable tool, as I then have access to their friends list, which could contain a hugely beneficial contact. I can continue contact with people long after our working relationship has ended, which could open up many new opportunities for me. I am also able to join various groups and pages that will then send me updates for auditions, performances and many other things that are of interest to me and of benefit to my career.  

    

I have also created a Skype account recently, to keep in touch with my friends, although this tends to be purely for the social aspect. However, it lends itself to being used in a more professional way, also. My Blog, which I created only at the start of this course, is great for me to communicate with others connected to this course. I can upload extracts of my work, receive feedback and also chat to the other people on the course. I can also read other people’s thoughts and ideas, and comment on them; I do not have any of my ‘non dancer’ friends on my Blog, as I would like to treat it as a purely professional networking tool. I am also considering creating a private Facebook account, purely for my professional friends, as I feel that would be a more beneficial way of promoting myself, for many reasons.

My main issue with Facebook, and also the driving force behind me wanting to create a professional account, is the lack of control that you have over other people adding things about you, such as inappropriate comments or photos. I am not opposed to the odd drunken photo, or a dodgy status or two, but prospective employers do not need to see that side to you. After all, in this business, it is positive self promotion that will get you so far. But we are all human, and we all like to let our hair down away from work. This is why I feel a separate account with all your professional contacts is a good idea – you can still enjoy the gossip and socialising side to Facebook, without doing any damage to your professional reputation. It is also a good idea to have a high privacy setting on your accounts – the last thing you need is somebody typing your name into a search engine, finding a quote taken out of context, and using it against you. It is crucial to stay savvy and aware of what people can see.

 I have had first-hand experience of what Facebook can do to jeopardise relationships, on a more personal level, and while you have the opportunity to explain yourself to close friends and family, you can’t always explain yourself to potential employers. After all, the Performing Arts world is so small, you can guarantee that any negativity will spread like wild fire, and then you’re blacklisted by many people high up in this field.

It would be fantastic if my network could reach only those people who are interested in the same things as me, perhaps of there was a way to group certain profiles together, where we could network and discuss things related to our career and share our thoughts, like we can do on the Blog. This would help greatly to expand my knowledge by allowing me to access other ideas, debates, views and discussions. I suppose I could try and track down people to network with by sieving through any friends my current professional contacts have, but this would be time consuming. And besides, many people feel the same way as me about Facebook, and have high privacy settings on their public profiles, so I wouldn’t be able to trace them easily anyway.

Task 2b: Reflective Writing, Journal Writing Experience

I have decided to write about a specific day, which was the day I flew over to Hamburg, Germany to attend an audition, in November 2010.

The night before the audition, I barely slept a wink; my mind was sent into a frenzy of anxiety and excitement. It was to be my first audition in a professional environment, and I was determined not to let myself down. The lyrics to my chosen songs whirred round and round in my head all night, leading to a very restless night. I woke up feeling more tired than when I went to sleep!

The day was pretty much what I expected from a typical audition; we warmed-up in the studio beforehand, both physically and vocally. It was a dance-swing audition, so little dance was required for the audition, so I focused more on my vocals. We were then introduced to the audition panel – the Musical Director, producer, choreographer and the head of costume. The dance captain of the show actually taught us the routine in the audition. We learnt a bit from the Finale, which is one of the few numbers in the show which contains vocalists and dancers together on stage, doing the same steps. It was ridiculously fast, the rate at which the choreography was thrown at us; I wondered at one point if my brain could work any harder! It was hard to focus in a room with so many people in it, though. It was almost confusing, seeing different people practicing different sections of the routine, until they all just merged into one, in my head. I just had to take a deep breath and give it my best shot. We were split into smaller groups, of around five people, and watched more closely by the panel. They then made the cuts.

If we were successful in that round, which I was, then we were asked to sing. We had been asked to prepare two contrasting songs, one of which must have been of the pop-rock genre.  I had chosen to sing ‘Somebody to Love’ from ‘We Will Rock You’, and for my contrasting song I chose ‘You Know How to Love Me’, from the musical ‘When Midnight Strikes’. I believe these were good song choices for me, as they showed off my vocal range well, and are completely different styles, showing my versatility. I had also recently performed them both on tour, so I was confident with the performances enough to be less affected by nerves, than if I hadn’t been as familiar with the songs.

After the vocal audition, we were given a small amount of feedback on our audition.  This was possibly the worst part of the process, as it can sometimes be harder to accept a detailed critique of your performance, rather than just a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Initially, I was terrified that I would let myself down. I knew how fantastic this opportunity would be for me, and I was determined not to jeopardise it for myself. Arriving at the audition, I was cold, tired and full of anxiety, yet so excited.

I couldn’t wait to get in there and get my teeth into the audition – as it was to be my first proper audition, I wanted to see if everything lived up to my expectations, if things surpassed them, and if I satisfied myself with my performance that day.

One thing that immediately struck me was how welcoming the panel were. They were so friendly; not at all how I had imagined they’d be. I think that was what surprised me the most - how down to earth they were, considering how talented they are, and how important they are in the field. Having said that, the audition process was pretty much how I expected it to be.

There are a few things that will always stick in my head –

-          I had never felt so nervous in my whole life!  I will never forget that rush of adrenaline that I had throughout that day.

-          I couldn’t help but notice how happy the cast members looked, when I saw them walking around the theatre. I managed to catch a glimpse of a couple of rehearsals also, and I noticed how much they seemed to be enjoying their work – it seemed like a wonderful atmosphere; almost like a family.

-          During both the dance and the vocal sessions, the accompanist was fantastic. He was able to capture the dynamics to dance to, as well as follow you closely during the vocal audition. It is invaluable to feel so secure with a pianist.

-          I was blown away by the feedback I received. All of the people auditioning received feedback in front of everyone else, so I heard the panel talk to all of us. I was fortunate to receive very positive feedback, but any criticisms were given in a very constructive and encouraging way, which I admired a lot – the panel must have seen hundreds of us, and could easily have lost patience with the weaker members of the group, but they did not.

-          I will never forget the pain I felt once the adrenaline had worn off – my muscles felt like they’d never worked harder! It took numerous hot baths to recover from that day, but I know that I well and truly threw myself into it!

-          Another memorable feature of the day is the ‘Smoking Room’. When I arrived, I had forgotten that there is not a smoking ban in Germany, and so was shocked at first, when I saw people smoking indoors, especially around singers. I was ushered into a room, after the audition, and was faced by a room with couches and ash trays, so smoky I could barely see my hand in front of my face! This was where the cast and crew sat and could smoke within the theatre. I was thrilled, since it was well into the minus temperatures outside! I sat and chatted with many members of the cast and the crew, and was able to get a real insight into the life of a company member. It solidified for me, my passion for this career.

The day taught me many things. Firstly, I was surprised and delighted at how well my vocal audition went, proving that my preparation had been adequate. I didn’t feel unprepared in any way; I think my nerves would have been unbearable if I had been under-rehearsed. I really had put a lot of time into preparation for the audition, and I think that it showed. I also learned that I am more than capable of getting a job, if I keep on believing in myself. I got fantastic feedback, so I really should stop doubting myself – I need to walk into auditions with my head held high, instead of looking like I’m apologising. This leads me onto my final point – I must avoid negativity, as the levels of anxiety and much reduces, if you are feeling confident and positive.

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience that day, but I couldn’t help but wonder what could have gone wrong. I could have completely messed up my vocals – cracked my top notes, forgotten my words, or just not done a good performance. I might have completely dried up with the choreography, had a mind blank, or I could have damaged my foot. I could have injured my back again, or not have been able to carry on, due to pains with my injured foot or shin. The panel could have laughed at me. I know that sounds a bit extreme, but I have known panels to be rude to people auditioning, laughing at them if their vocals aren’t great.

I would have hated it if my nerves had gotten the better of me, and if I had gone to pieces. On the flip side, the audition could have been flawless, but not performance is ever completely perfect – something can always be improved upon.

I have decided to reflect on the day, from the view of the bag I took into the audition, as it followed me throughout the day, and saw everything I went through.

There was a distinct buzz of nerves in the room. All the dancers were showing their nerves in their own way – some were just sat silently, while others jabbered incessantly about nothing, waiting for the audition to begin. Eleanor was on the floor, stretching, seeming quite calm, considering the situation. Once the audition began, the energy in the room rocketed, and there was a whir of panic, as the dancers tried to retain the steps, and perfect the style. The room was a blur of steps and tantrums, anxiety and disappointment, along with a sense of excitement and adrenaline.

When it was time for the vocal round, there was a lot of pacing and murmured practicing of songs. Eleanor was fidgeting constantly, not seeming to know whether she should practice more or rest her voice, doing breathing exercises to calm her nerves. However, once her name was called to sing, she seemed to be confident. She came out of the audition relieved and with a smile on her face. The rest of the room was filled with the combination of relief, from those who had done the audition, and terror, from those who were yet to sing. It’s crazy how much pressure and emotional turmoil the performers put themselves through, just to try and get a job.

The audition was a very valued experience. For a start, the audition was for my favourite musical, so I was very enthusiastic about it, and I am sure that this enthusiasm had something to do with the positive outcome. The outcome of the audition has made me more positive and confident, ready for the next time I have an audition.

By observing others, I was able to pick up on positive and negative elements of their own audition technique, and apply them to myself. Currently, as part of work experience, I am teaching others, which is helping me to identify the positive and negative in the students, much as in the audition. I am able to see for myself what works and what doesn’t, and then transfer that and apply it to myself more efficiently.

Once I have fully recovered from my ankle injury, the audition process will become a more regular thing, so I’ll have to learn to fit it into my working week, along with all of the preparation that must be done beforehand. It also made me realise that, if I managed to do so well with my foot still weak, my injury will not stop me from fulfilling my dreams. It has made me more determined than ever to get back to fighting fitness, and I will be using this course to help me maintain the networking bridges that I made on the audition day. Also, I will be utilising the journal and the reflective process to analyse more experiences, such as the audition, to draw on the good points, in order to minimise unsuccessful auditions and experiences in the future.

Reflective Practices

 I’ve been reading the ‘Reflective Practices’ course reader. The first thing to grab my attention has been ‘what is reflection and why?’ It has got me to thinking about the whole meaning behind reflection. I mean, we all reflect on some way or another, but why do we do it?  Reflection is a valuable tool that we use, so that we can learn from our experiences and progress from them. The journals we are keeping are an invaluable reflection tool, as they can be used to reflect on this course and our jobs, as well as general day to day things, helping us to grow and expand our knowledge during the course, and beyond.

  Exploring the different ways you can use the journal, such as through lyrics, collage, pictures, etc, supports the point raised by Polanyi, ‘the importance of articulation of reflective practice and the importance to have a variety of ways to support reflection.’ I am going to make a continued effort to expand on my journal writing skills, and include as many varied mediums in my journal as I can.

                                                                             

Personally, I have always been motivated by watching others, learning from them, and then having a go myself. It is this that sparks my interests, and drives me up a path of self discovery. I have come to realise, through looking through the reader, that there are so many different ways of ‘turning experience into learning’. This highlighted the point to me that there are many and various ways of doing this. Until this point, I had never considered this, but by writing the journal, and by reflecting on experiences during the second task, I am already expanding and adapting my own methods of reflection, without really realising it.

Looking at Kolb’s learning cycle, I could establish that I in fact use many of the methods of learning, mentioned in it. I was, therefore, struggling to see exactly where I fitted into the cycle, as my position varies and changes from task to task. Having initially stated that I ‘have always been motivated my watching others, learning from them, and then having a go myself’, one would think that I would enter the cycle at ‘Concrete Experience’. However, my journal suggests that I could also enter at ‘Reflective Observation’. Through the reflection via my journal, and looking at how I have grown already, I have come to realise that I work much better and more confidently, if I have seen other people’s work as a source of inspiration, and so this entry point suits me better than the previous suggestion.

Once I understood each stage of the cycle, I found it easy to ‘tag’ people I know, so to speak, and place them at different points of the learning cycle. Establishing this is an invaluable teaching tool, for me. I am able to tailor lessons to suit my less able students, once I know how they learn most effectively, and therefore get the best possible results from them.

This method has helped me no end, since I started working there, as I feel I can really help the students with the work, and that they can start to enjoy the subject of Dance a lot more, since they are finding it easier to do. A combination of learning methods could compliment each other well, in a professional environment. For example I, who prefers to use reflective observation, could learn a routine second hand from a dancer who has learnt the routine via concrete observation.

                                                                             

Since I began the course, I’ve started to see the benefits of utilising other learning techniques. Once I’m back properly on my feet and dancing again, I think it would benefit me to experiment when I go to class and try a different approach to learning routines. I might even find a way that suits me more than reflective observation. Using this aspect of the course will maximise my chances of success in the future, in situations such as auditions, or working in a professional environment, where quick and efficient choreography retention is a necessity.

I’ve also been looking into the ideas of reflection in action, and reflection on action, suggested by Donald Shon. I’ve always been a believer in reflection in action, as it can save a performance, under pressure. For example, if you have a mind black on stage, spontaneous improvisation can get you through the black spot, and this is an example of reflection in action.

I was browsing on the web, and I came across a personality calculator, based on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory. My results were as follows:

Intelligence type	your totals
Linguistic	37
Logical-Mathematical	39
Musical	39
Bodily-Kinesthetic	32
Spatial-Visual	31
Interpersonal	34
Intrapersonal	25

Looking at the results, I can relate to the figures there. At school, I always enjoyed every lesson, and when it came to A-Levels, I chose to take a combination of arty subjects with science, because I enjoy them both so much. I always said, if I didn’t dance, or sing, I’d like to become a scientist, and these results support that, as the musical and logical-mathematical results are both the same. It just goes to show that my brain works in a variety of ways. I think it is naïve to say that you ever learn in just one way, because we all learn using a combination of the different intelligence types. I think my results demonstrate this very well, by how close each of the totals are for each category.

I learn in different ways, depending on the circumstance. For example, if I’m in a dance class, it seems logical that I draw on spatial-visual and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences, whereas in a Musical Theatre situation, I add Musical and Linguistic to that list. It is hugely important, in my opinion, not to be channeled or blinkered in saying that you only learn in one way, or use one intelligence type, because it can hinder progress; whereas, if you are more open minded to trying a different approach in certain circumstances, you may find yourself progressing at a faster pace.

   The course reader and various articles I have read have given me a real insight into the vast amount of ways one can reflect. It’s made me realise just how important the journal will be to help me reflect on the course, discover which methods of reflection best suit me, and to help me gain as much as I can out of every experience. I’m understanding my own learning journeys a lot more that I used to, the processes I personally go through to arrive at an end result, and I’m starting to experiment with these journeys, to push and expand my boundaries more. It’s a fantastic tool, and already I am looking back on recent work and learning from both positive and negative aspects of it, and I’m able to improve myself efficiently this way.