Task 2d: Inquiry

Looking at how ideas on reflection relate to me, I like to keep a type of journal that helps me to keep track of my progress and development in dance and everyday life to an extent. Since being in the US and starting my reflective journal, I have emailed my dad almost every single day keeping track of what my boyfriend and I have been doing, pictures etc, he has sent me things regarding post I've been getting at home, I'll email him about upcoming auditions and potential clients and of course auditions I've been taking whilst being in the states. I have done 4 auditions in total, 3 character/look a like roles for Disney and one dance auction for Busch Gardens.

I like to help my motivation by storing pictures, videos and quotes/phrases to boost my inspiration and creativity. I do this on a day to day basis and as I have mentioned previously I also once in a while update my dance scrapbook depending on when my creative, or inspired thoughts appear and I want to log them privately.

After reading back my blog and noticing recurring themes, I already know the questions I continually ask myself, whenever I run (which I try to accomplish everyday) I think of only things like, music, dance and arts, creativity, inspiration, moving forward and achieving goals. I like it as I have a motivated mindset already as I'm running and focusing, progressing, challenging. Having worked out the questions I ask myself, they are as follows:

What would make me a better dancer each day?
What tasks should I carry out in order to get closer to a job?
How can I develop my professional practice?
What new things can I learn today?
Let's experience something new, try something new, do what you wouldn't normally do.
I want to find out more options for me to develop specialised skills. I always find that auditions tend to have an improvisation section where you have to 'show off' in a way to the audition panel what you can do and what makes you different or more appealing than the dancer next to you. I would like to discover and seek gymnastics classes so that I can do some basic gymnast/acrobatic moves. I would also like to investigate finding ballroom and latin classes so that I have professional partnering skills. Something else that has occurred to me whilst being in the US is practicing my pointe shoe skills in Ballet, this came to my awareness when I did a photoshoot in my pointe shoes. I thought to myself that I wish I could have had a wider range of movement and positions to execute on the shoes so that I got more out of the shoot and to project a better image to future employers.

Ideas I now think about after experiencing the reflective practice module would be the perspective of others, this was a very important finding for me. How would others view what I do and how I compose myself/look to others. Do I come across as a professional, knowledgeable, polite individual? I now wonder about the 'another view' aspect of reflection. This would effect and make me think about my personal sense of appropriate behaviour. I would particularly apply this is audition situations or when connecting and interacting with future employers.

Considering the ethical code of practice, its now made me think how others reflect and use their experience for learning. We are all practising this right now by viewing one anothers blogs and reading and discovering one anothers styles and attitudes.

Things that I am enthusiastic about is health, development and artistic skills. I admire my boyfriend and his friends now that I've started to learn about their culture and lifestyles as break dancers but its deeper than that, they are artists, creators, geniuses. They don't just have a special skill as break dancers, they are entertainers, performers, and philosophers. They like to see the world from another perspective and question the view of socialists. They support one another, even when messing up in routines, they have respect for one another. If you're not trying, you're not getting anywhere. Its a huge community, worldwide, and something I am gaining a huge amount of respect for.

What gets me angry is the fact that opportunity and the respect of dance as a profession is neglected by ones in power. The government is taking away funds and scholarships to opportunists and future amazing dancers and choreographers. In a way its taking away its own entertainment, creativity and individuality. They are making it harder for prospectives to get on courses because of lack of funding. Another thing that frustrates me a little is the fact that all live auditions tend to be held in London, its a good location if you live there, but I've met hundreds of dancers who travel many many miles to make it to London. The expenses are extortionate at times!

A name that I admire is Alyx Steele, her Facebook is below:

https://www.facebook.com/alyx.steele?fref=ts

She is a very inspirational woman, not only am I in awe with the way she moves and teaches but I am continually motivated and excited by where she goes, what she has to say and what she aims for. She has travelled to many parts of the world spreading her word and love for artistry. She continually feeds her own soul with experience. Her most recent movement I admire is creating her own 'AS' brand called 'True Love' she designed t shirts and now is moving onto beanies and hats. I like the fact that she continually builds and explores aspects of design and never fails to impress. Its original and inspiring and no matter what age you are, Alyx seems to reach out to every single individual.
I like the fact that my inspiration is so close to home, she's from Liverpool and for me that's even more incredible.

I love how dance and the community make you feel, for me everything we share is so special and heart felt. We all respect, work hard and be true to each others style. I love how I feel happy and my true self when dancing or being in a dance community, sharing or dancing itself just makes me feel whole and good. All my dance friends are probably the most honest, amazing people I've found throughout my life so far.

What I feel I don't understand is our help within the world, for me, I have found this group, this circle that I will now forever be a part of and search for, and find. However, I've found myself questioning by fuelling dance and the entrainment world, how is this helping the world? I admire my dad for the answer to the question I pose, he replied once to me and said 'without entertainment and the creatives, imagine what the world would be like?' I thought to myself, it would be dull, fewer smiles, fewer laughs.. there was my answer. We do our part, we are there for the entertainment of others, so we can lead enjoyable lives.

Deciding the appropriate ethical response in a given situation is a difficult and sensitive issue. In the arts world, we lead very open lifestyles. For instance, on the cruise ships us female dancers had seen each others bare naked bodies- would this be appropriate in general society? I think not. Dance faces a lot of sensitive issues, which is why I think, it is so special. We express with our bodies perhaps what we sometimes may not be able to speak with our mouths. The dance industry can be a very harsh realty and hard hitting field of work. At times we are spoken to like dirt from employers or higher ranked positions within companies, we are expected to disregard all emotional response and instead shut up and 'do'. I also feel that our use of sometimes freely spoken, crude, sworn language is accepted in the industry were in. You couldn't use such language in an everyday 9-5 job- you wouldn't hold it much longer! 

I have a few lines of inquiry, the following are all ideas I wonder about:

-Getting training/funding to further myself

-Discovering and trying out/interacting with all dance styles and cultures/origins. How does the world see dance?

-Photography for dance

-Make up for art

-The difference and contrast between dance for entertainment and dance for art