Its all in your perspective when it comes to dance or any physical sport. I'm learning that this year. I've been on varsity dance team for one year now and going into the second year I'm noticing a lot. I'm noticing a lot about how things are run, how to read my fellow dance members better, how to be a better leader, etc. Just from being on the team before gives me an insight to what I want for my team and what I think we're capable of.
Tryouts are today and there's lots of incoming eighth graders or incoming ninth graders, whatever you would like to call them, trying out. Also the members who were already on the team have to tryout again. I'm not too thrilled about this though. I understand that it's necessary, but I still don't want to go through the audition. Auditions make me nervous, I want to do my best and not mess up even if the chance of me getting back on the team is very, very high. It's just the process of trying out scares me. I know I don't have anything to worry about but it still isn't pleasant in my mind. I'm hoping everything will go okay, and I know it will, I guess I just like to worry.
With tryouts here, I guess its really hitting hard how soon the new season is coming up. And how fast the previous season went. I still can't wrap my mind around how we're not going to have our seniors next year that we do now. Let alone I can't comprehend that I'm going to be a senior next year. Being a senior/ captain, I'm going to have a lot more responsibilities and leadership roles. I'm unsure how I will be though, I'm excited and confident, but at the same time I'm nervous because I want to make sure I'm a good leader and good senior/captain.
The perspective change that has me during tryouts is that I'm not as nervous about it. Which may help or hinder me in some ways. I feel like I shouldn't worry, because I've been on the team before, which helps my anxiety levels. But I haven't practiced as much as I should and I'm hoping that doesn't hinder me as I tryout. But just being at the practices and learning the tryout dances I'm more aware of what's happening around me. I can see the little eighth graders and relate to them, because I was in their position not too long ago. I think the most I can do this tryout is make sure to help the other girls and make them feel welcome and not so nervous. This will help me get to know them better and show my leadership skills because some of them will be on the team next year.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Get Ready
Tryouts are coming soon. I'm going to be a senior. I'm going to be a captain. I guess its really hitting hard how soon the new season is coming up. And how fast the previous season went. I still can't wrap my mind around how we're not going to have our seniors next year that we do now. Let alone I can't comprehend that I'm going to be a senior next year. Being a senior and captain, I'm going to have a lot more responsibilities and leadership roles. I'm unsure how I will be though, I'm excited and confident, but at the same time I'm nervous because I want to make sure I'm a good leader and a good senior captain.
There are lots of things me and the other senior captain need to get ready for next season. Outfits, music, choreography, and lots more. We're the main decision makers on the team. It's kind of exciting when you think about it. There are lots of aspirations and goals I have for this team. I want us to push hard and be the best we can be. It's going to be easier this year than last because we have a lot of returning members. Its exciting to see the improvements and achievements that we've made only being on dance team for one year. I'm hoping to push and improve this team so we can have fun and enjoy dancing together.
I'm going to start this season off going head first. There are lots of things we need to get done as a team and individually. For me, I'm going to be very busy this next year. I'm going to be a senior captain on the varsity dance team, I'm going to go out for diving in the fall, I'm going to try and take more classes at my studio, and I'm going to try and work as much as I can so I can pay for all of this. I just need to remind myself to have a good attitude about it all and try not to get too burnt out.
There are lots of things me and the other senior captain need to get ready for next season. Outfits, music, choreography, and lots more. We're the main decision makers on the team. It's kind of exciting when you think about it. There are lots of aspirations and goals I have for this team. I want us to push hard and be the best we can be. It's going to be easier this year than last because we have a lot of returning members. Its exciting to see the improvements and achievements that we've made only being on dance team for one year. I'm hoping to push and improve this team so we can have fun and enjoy dancing together.
I'm going to start this season off going head first. There are lots of things we need to get done as a team and individually. For me, I'm going to be very busy this next year. I'm going to be a senior captain on the varsity dance team, I'm going to go out for diving in the fall, I'm going to try and take more classes at my studio, and I'm going to try and work as much as I can so I can pay for all of this. I just need to remind myself to have a good attitude about it all and try not to get too burnt out.
Special tricks
For tryouts we have the option to do a special trick after we're done showing the judges all the required stuff. It's really hard for me to come up with a trick because I'm a really basic dancer. Teach me how to do something and I'll work my butt off to get it, but give me free rein to do whatever I want and I'm at a lost. The requirements for this extra trick is that it has to be more than one move and that it has to show something you're good at. This trick will give you extra points to put towards your score. So doing a trick is most beneficial. Its important to do a trick that you can do well and that you are good at. If you're good at turns, do something that involves turns. If you are good at jumps, do something with jumps. If flexibility is your strong point then show off your flexibility, and so on with any other skill you may have.
I don't really know what my skill is. My dance skills aren't that developed so I don't really know. I'm trying to take more classes this year at my studio to try and get better, and make myself a more well-rounded dancer. But I honestly am unsure as to what to do at my tryout. Its important to have a special trick because it will get you extra points. Even if you can't do anything that special you should still try because even one point can make a difference from winning and losing. Its always good to improve your score any way that you can.
You can do numerous tricks like calypso's, a tilt, any leap, a herky, etc. Anything is fine as long as it's one of your strong points. Don't do something that you're not good at because there's a chance you might mess up or fall out of it. Find what you're good at whether that's jumps, turns, leaps, flexibility. Whatever you're good at, use that to your advantage and wow the judges.
I don't really know what my skill is. My dance skills aren't that developed so I don't really know. I'm trying to take more classes this year at my studio to try and get better, and make myself a more well-rounded dancer. But I honestly am unsure as to what to do at my tryout. Its important to have a special trick because it will get you extra points. Even if you can't do anything that special you should still try because even one point can make a difference from winning and losing. Its always good to improve your score any way that you can.
You can do numerous tricks like calypso's, a tilt, any leap, a herky, etc. Anything is fine as long as it's one of your strong points. Don't do something that you're not good at because there's a chance you might mess up or fall out of it. Find what you're good at whether that's jumps, turns, leaps, flexibility. Whatever you're good at, use that to your advantage and wow the judges.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Hip Hop
There's lots of differences between different styles of dance. The form and technique is different, the shoes are different. There's lots of different things between them. The main dance styles I do are pom, jazz and hip hop. They're lots of fun and I'm trying to add more styles under my belt by adding more classes. I'm constantly looking to get better and different styles will help in one’s diversity and technique in dance. Often time’s dances overlap and you can carry a skill from one class to the next. It’s important to be a well-rounded dancer because you'll be experienced and better able to pick up on dances and perform them better.
I recently just tried a hip hop class at my studio. I've never done hip hop at a studio or have taken one of their classes. I've only done hip hop at dance team at school and even then that wasn't that big of an introduction to the class. My first hip hop class was the other day and I'd have to say I enjoyed it so much. It was so much fun. I didn't participate in everything because they were working on their recital piece, but the amount that I did participate it was really fun.
I don't know that much about hip hop, but I'm learning. You have to be very tight and controlled, but not so much that you’re dancing doesn't look natural. There’s a balance between being too loose and being too tight. You really have to use your core and work on sharp movements. Hip hop is full of different movements that you have to be sharp on. It’s full of set movements. It’s very interesting to see a hip hop performance because just like any other dance, each one is different. Hip hop is lots of fun and I recommend trying it.
Everyone has their own style of dance that they like best. Whether that's jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, or hip hop. Every person is different and there's a dance style or class for each individual person and style. Its important to make sure you love what you're doing, so make sure you're involved in the hip hop production at your studio if that's what your interested in. Or for any other style of dance you're interested in as well. But also get involved in a lot of different dances and styles because putting yourself out there and experiencing new things is what makes you better as a dancer.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Dance and your imagination
Lots of times in dance you have to use your imagination to make up dances. Its important to be creative.Dance is meant to be fun and creative. Improv is a good way to let go and to just let the music speak to you. You improve everyday when you're in you're room dancing to your music. You listen to the beat and let your body move with out even thinking. Improv is a good way to just let go and be free. It lets you make up your own dance moves and dance with your own style.
At dance studios, often times the instructor will let the class improv for a song or two. Just to let you dance to your own style and be creative in your dancing. It's said that dancers are the first to loose themselves because they're told to copy and mimic dancers and learn routines as in synch as possible to other people almost to the point of perfection. They aren't allowed to have a personal feeling and style in a dance because it has to be together, or clean, as a whole with everyone else on stage and together. Improv every now and then is a good way to stay in tune to your style and enjoyment of dancing.
When improvisation is done at my studio, in my classes, I always get really nervous because I think I'm going to mess up or do something wrong and people are going to look at me because I messed up or danced awkwardly. When in reality no one really cares and the point of improv is to try new things and be creative with your dancing. It's hard to dance like yourself when you're surrounded by a whole bunch of people you don't know, but just listen to the music and dance to your own beat. You're there to have fun and dancing without stress, with you're own style can be very uplifting and enjoyable.
Improv is done a lot in lyrical classes. It's done in about every class, jazz, hip hop, etc. Lyrical though is a big place for improv though because its more of an emotional type of dance. The movements flow together more and improv is done a lot in this class just because since it is easier to express emotions there for easier to express your style and mood of dance in a lyrical class. Just remember to not think about you or how people think of you when you improv because it's a learning experience. It's a time to figure out what works and what doesn't, just have fun and dance to your own beat and style.
At dance studios, often times the instructor will let the class improv for a song or two. Just to let you dance to your own style and be creative in your dancing. It's said that dancers are the first to loose themselves because they're told to copy and mimic dancers and learn routines as in synch as possible to other people almost to the point of perfection. They aren't allowed to have a personal feeling and style in a dance because it has to be together, or clean, as a whole with everyone else on stage and together. Improv every now and then is a good way to stay in tune to your style and enjoyment of dancing.
When improvisation is done at my studio, in my classes, I always get really nervous because I think I'm going to mess up or do something wrong and people are going to look at me because I messed up or danced awkwardly. When in reality no one really cares and the point of improv is to try new things and be creative with your dancing. It's hard to dance like yourself when you're surrounded by a whole bunch of people you don't know, but just listen to the music and dance to your own beat. You're there to have fun and dancing without stress, with you're own style can be very uplifting and enjoyable.
Improv is done a lot in lyrical classes. It's done in about every class, jazz, hip hop, etc. Lyrical though is a big place for improv though because its more of an emotional type of dance. The movements flow together more and improv is done a lot in this class just because since it is easier to express emotions there for easier to express your style and mood of dance in a lyrical class. Just remember to not think about you or how people think of you when you improv because it's a learning experience. It's a time to figure out what works and what doesn't, just have fun and dance to your own beat and style.
Deciding on a choreographer
When deciding on a choreographer its a lot of stress. This coming year I'm going to be a senior on the dance team. With that me and the other senior will be the captains. We decide on everything from what we wear, to what music we want, and what choreographer we want. This past year we had the same person choreograph our pom and our jazz routines. We both go to the same studio, my and my senior teammate, and we wanted to try something new. So we decided on a different person, one from out studio to choreograph our jazz routine. Our coach was kind of unsure at first, but I think she's coming around to it, we've ensured her that this choreographer knows what they're doing. Its very stressful picking out a choreographer because you have to trust them and put all your faith into them that they will make up a wonderful routine.
Choreographers think of dance's and routines in different parts. They look at it as a whole and decide what they want to do and then break it up into a whole bunch of little tiny pieces of one whole dance. piece by piece. I honestly don't know how they come up with all the different ideas they come up with, but dance and especially choreographing is definitely an art on it's own. Choreographers have to be very open and willing to change and go with the flow as the ideas in their brains do not always come out in reality as planned.
The ability of the dance has a lot to do with the ability of the dancers. That's why there's different levels and try outs for dance's and dance teams, because the more and closer the ability of the dancers are the more in synch and flexibility you have with the dance and certain moves you do. You wouldn't put a bad dancer and a good dancer in the same dance routine, the bad dancer would just end up bringing the whole routine down and even at competitions and stuff, you get judged on team skills, how many people can do a certain skill, as well.
Choreographers have to think of everything. Between formations, angles, skills, arm placements, often times music, and tempo. They have a lot to think about. They somehow manage it all and address everything eventually in someway. In the end though the routines come out to be wonderful pieces of work that look very astounding and creative.
Choreographers think of dance's and routines in different parts. They look at it as a whole and decide what they want to do and then break it up into a whole bunch of little tiny pieces of one whole dance. piece by piece. I honestly don't know how they come up with all the different ideas they come up with, but dance and especially choreographing is definitely an art on it's own. Choreographers have to be very open and willing to change and go with the flow as the ideas in their brains do not always come out in reality as planned.
The ability of the dance has a lot to do with the ability of the dancers. That's why there's different levels and try outs for dance's and dance teams, because the more and closer the ability of the dancers are the more in synch and flexibility you have with the dance and certain moves you do. You wouldn't put a bad dancer and a good dancer in the same dance routine, the bad dancer would just end up bringing the whole routine down and even at competitions and stuff, you get judged on team skills, how many people can do a certain skill, as well.
Choreographers have to think of everything. Between formations, angles, skills, arm placements, often times music, and tempo. They have a lot to think about. They somehow manage it all and address everything eventually in someway. In the end though the routines come out to be wonderful pieces of work that look very astounding and creative.
auditions and nerves
I have auditions next week for Dance Team. The 2014 school year is coming to an end and now its time to get ready for the new things that await. I've been on the team this current year and being on the team gives me more confidence to do better at auditions. Its still stressful but since I was already on the team I'm even more confident now. So wish me luck as this next week approaches!
Auditioning can be very stressful, with all the nerves and worrying done it takes a lot out of you. But as a dancer it's something you have to get use to. It's the same with any performing art, auditioning is a part of life and it determines whether or not you get on the team or get the part. Auditions can be intimidating but with confidence and the right preparation you will be able to rock the auditions with few flaws and be able to leave with a smile on your face. Important tips for auditions involve your preparation, punctuality, appearance, and confidence.
preparation is probably one of the most important aspects or tips for auditions because the way you prepare determines how you will do in the actual auditions. Read your audition information thoroughly and carefully because that will tell you everything you need to know about your audition. What to wear, what to bring, where to go, etc. Everything you need to know is in there. Before you even show up at auditions you need to know what you're doing and this packet of information you get becomes your life line. For me, I always resort to my packet of information whenever my mind goes blank I forget what I need to bring or what time something is at, etc. At my school our auditions take about three to four days and during that time we have audition clinics, where we learn the audition dance and technique we need to do for the actual auditions. Preparation for this is super important because you're already given what you have to do, so you just have to practice it and perform it for the judges at the best of your ability. Preparation involves practicing the audition dance so you remember it and practicing the technique so you do it well. I know that sounds easy, but with stress and nervousness mixed in there its very easy to forget the dance during actual auditions, so preparation is very important.
Auditioning can be very stressful, with all the nerves and worrying done it takes a lot out of you. But as a dancer it's something you have to get use to. It's the same with any performing art, auditioning is a part of life and it determines whether or not you get on the team or get the part. Auditions can be intimidating but with confidence and the right preparation you will be able to rock the auditions with few flaws and be able to leave with a smile on your face. Important tips for auditions involve your preparation, punctuality, appearance, and confidence.
preparation is probably one of the most important aspects or tips for auditions because the way you prepare determines how you will do in the actual auditions. Read your audition information thoroughly and carefully because that will tell you everything you need to know about your audition. What to wear, what to bring, where to go, etc. Everything you need to know is in there. Before you even show up at auditions you need to know what you're doing and this packet of information you get becomes your life line. For me, I always resort to my packet of information whenever my mind goes blank I forget what I need to bring or what time something is at, etc. At my school our auditions take about three to four days and during that time we have audition clinics, where we learn the audition dance and technique we need to do for the actual auditions. Preparation for this is super important because you're already given what you have to do, so you just have to practice it and perform it for the judges at the best of your ability. Preparation involves practicing the audition dance so you remember it and practicing the technique so you do it well. I know that sounds easy, but with stress and nervousness mixed in there its very easy to forget the dance during actual auditions, so preparation is very important.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)