self evaluation for assignment

Audition Self-evaluation presentation

On the 28^th of April I had my Solo for the assignment of representing International Dance 2.

During my presentation, I felt that getting an audition approach helped me a lot for the focus and concentration. Rosaria made us all work in individually as we would at an Audition, I felt that from auditions that I have previously gone to, have helped me incredibly due to not being as nervous as I knew what to expect. I then did my own self warm up, I made sure that I warmed up all the muscles I  was going to be using, due to my dance involving a lot of jumps and arm gestures, the hips, legs, feet head and arms were important, to get the accuracy on every jump.

When it was my Solo I was 4^th to perform this, I went in with a high head, relaxed shoulders and good posture, making sure I smiled.  I felt that when I was verbally speaking my presentation that the preparation helped incredibly lessons before so I knew what to say and treat it like a monologue to learn it before the day of the assignment. I mentioned a lot of the presentation but forgot the main importance to back my Structure which was a narrative, I explained why I chose this but I had statistics to back my evidence of how many children during this present day get neglected and abused by their Parents or guardians’.  Therefore this would of made a physical and emotional impact on why I chose to Perform a piece about ‘Child Abuse’ and would of got the audience physically shocked.

I felt I was clear when I spoke and there was no obstruction to stop me from being heard. I did not look at the camera; I looked fully at the audience, as I felt this was the best way so that the audience felt engaged with the piece as well as understanding fully of the choreography.

Therefore re looking back at the piece, I felt I should of stated my evidence of where I got the statistics from, but also in my piece I explained how I used the element of water, due to water having a strong physical relationship with emotions, therefore from this evidence the audience would have been able to see this piece was going to be emotionally sad. I also made sure that the musicality worked well with the structure, therefore I chose ‘Concrete Angels by Martha Graham’  by watching the video to this I felt the relation worked strongly together, due to the lyrics being about a girl who is neglected by her parents, because of the music I could then choreograph my piece lyrically as well as interpreting the styles of Bollywood, Flamenco, Contemporary, jazz and lyrical.

However if I had chance to improve my piece I would, make sure that I treated my presentation as a monologue learning each line making sure I knew it before the assessment, so that I would not walk out of the room knowing I forgot to say something important in relation to my piece. I  would also walk around not be standing on the spot looking directly again at the audience with a high posture no slouching into the hips and then I would walk around using special awareness but making sure the camera still had focus on myself.

 

Self Evaluation Performance

At the very start I felt I was organised due to having my prop already on the side for me to pick up and put on the dance floor, by this it made myself look organised but also professional showing the audience I was prepared for this day.  I wore clothing so that you could see my body lineaments due to having Bollywood In the choreography the examiner could see my body shapes while performing jumps but also certain physical Bollywood signatures. The start, started very strong, showing lifts as well as different Technique interpreted, however the individual recording, stopped the piece throughout this and I felt this interrupted me throughout my choreography, but I carried on which I thought was the best to do , to show professionalism. I felt that I used the correct spacing around the floor, so I did not stay in one space, this made my piece look more entertaining and fluid. 

The relationship between myself and the musicality was physically connected due to interpreting movement in connection with the lyrics. I felt on sections I physically interpreted this a lot more than other sections, for future development I would listen to the music a lot more and try to remember all the lyrics, as this will be easier to choreograph and for muscle memory.

I felt I shown Technique throughout my piece, due to it being Jazz, Contemporary based, I felt my Arm lines were positive when performing, Chenne' turns, Pirouettes. This showed due to having positive feedback at the end, I feel Technique classes physically helped me as well as on going auditions for the past 6 months. I felt that my leaps, jumps were at the best height for my ability, and the Dynamics for this were very sharp, showing strong arm lines as well as Focus when performing this. Throughout the piece I was interpreting a character of a little girl, I felt I kept the relation for this all the way through the performance and did not loose it. This helped as I felt the choreography a lot more relating strongly with the lyrics of the music. I felt the audience would have been able to understand because of how I performed, but also greatly because of the Lyricals, ‘ She walked to school with the lunch she packed’ this is showing she is a child,  who attends school, there is also emotions from this one sentence due to describing she has packed the lunch herself no parents have, and she is only young.

My emotions throughout the piece was meant to be sad, upset and angry, this was developed throughout the piece, because at the start, I started very small, sad emotional with my head down, covering my face, looking down at the floor, however when the tempo got faster, into the chorus this is when I changed emotions to being angry, with fast, sharp movement with strong arm lines and fast movement traveling across the floor.  However after the chorus the dynamics changed to very sustained , suttle movement, showing an image of a little girl hiding from the fears of being neglect from her mother, I felt that slow movement needed to be taken place hear, so the audience understood and interacted with the movement and relation to the song by not getting to distracted by the movement.

Alternatively there a few weaknesses, these were at the start the individual recording stopped the recording by accident, missing out the main climax for a jump, however I kept on performing but I felt I lost my focus for a count of 8. Due to nerves, I forgot some choreography, this interpreted ballet Technique, also I felt I should of made my movement a lot bigger due to having a lot of room, by this I would work out my spacing before I performed by audition, marking through this on the stage I was performing, to make sure I had enough room but also the camera could see me all the way throughout my choreography. However throughout small sections of the piece I felt that I rushed them, making the choreography look sloppy and unrehearsed, so for next time I would rehearse this a lot more, due to my choreography being lyrical therefore it has been choreographed to the lyrics so relies on this, so I need to make sure my time – management is correct.  I felt I looked down a lot during the choreography, and I pointed this out at the end, however my Tutor explained this worked, due to myself feeling sad and in secure, not wanting to look a anyone as I am feeling scared and unloved, therefore this worked. However during the chorus when I Escape from the nastiness,  this is when I would need to look up a lot more , to represent the different emotions and dynamics.

Feedback from my tutors were, that my upper body is very stiff sometimes, therefore I need to work especially with the styles I interpreted to release the upper body, showing more fluidity in the piece. However due to my performance, my spacing was good as well as Technique, and from watching international dance 1 + 2 you can see a difference contrast in both, physically and emotionally.  If I was to perform this again, I would firstly listen to the music more to understand and remember the lyrics as I would then find the choreography easier to remember, but also relax my upper body making it more fluid and in control, as this would visually look better but also easier to represent the different styles, especially with the Bollywood. I would also wear ballet shoes, for me to be more comfortable but also having a much better grip when performing the contemporary piece.  Lastly, I would remember my presentation like a monologue, so that I knew every word, without forgetting on the day, making sure that nerves did not get to the better of myself and performance.

Overall I was happy with my piece, but I should of put a lot more rehearsals in before the assignment day, as I felt this shown on the day, yet everything I have learnt from College as well as outside I have interpreted making the piece look Technically professional.