Closing Blog. Beginning of the end.

"Therefore, in looking at dance analytically, a notion that does not in itself exclude either interpretation or metaphor, we have to observe the single moment intently, to register it's completeness while also seeing it's movement toward something else - another moment - what it shares with the next , and how it differs. This accumulation of moments, marked by similarity and difference among and between them, culminates in wholes of varying sizes and ultimately in the 'dance', something that has a beginning and an end even if it is without conventional beginnings and endings." Lansdale, J.  (2010) A tapestry of in intertexts. In: Carter, A and O'Shea, J The routledge dance studies reader. 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge.

I found this quote in the same book that I began my introductory blog with, and I kind of wish I had found it at the beginning as it is a great way of approaching analysis of dance, but with this in mind I find the end sentance can be related to a recurring theme of life and dance being connected affecting one another. providing parrallels on how we approach each of these. Just as Lansdale states "accumulation of moments" is what creates a dance, I feel the same about life exept the moments in life can last a little longer. As I approach the mid point of my final year of study, I find myself reflecting on my time as a chapter, a moment, in my journey that will differ from another other embodied experience but will still be remembered as importantly as any other. The technique training I have recieved on the course will remain with me both in replayed memories and within my body, I have grown as a dancer and an adult in the duration and one has always significantly directed  the other. Analysing myself through this blog has been a series of captured moments on video or photograph to observe and comment, in order to progress toward becoming an improved version of ones self. This reflective blog has altered my view on self analysis in technique, sometimes you need to take a step back from yourself to truely understand yourself, by this I mean that by taking the time away from the classroom environment to watch videos as if you were marking someone else helps us to separate us as dancers to us as people, it's nothing personal it's just dance.

On to my physical development and improvements or step backs as the case may be, I set myself some goals at the beginning of this project and  how I intend on progressing further with these aims.

• "A weakness of mine is lengthening through the legs and fully engaging the feet to the maximum, to help me find better precision in my movement I really need to improve this element by strengthening the feet and legs by engaging them fully, especially in turned out posistions as I have weak inner thigh mucles so developing these through technique, especially ballet." Hayes, O. (2011) Introduction: Final Year, Final Steps. Available at: oliviahayesdance.blogspot.com

From the second video I posted on 14/11/11 I can see in the hand stand that my legs  are fully extended through the legs and feet, especially in comparison the video I posted on 14/10/11 when my underneath leg remains bent. I feel that I have improved in this aspect but it is something that I will continually need to focus on to embody in my muscle memory, this will change and develop as my feet and legs strengthen so pushing this image of lengthening out through the toes will help the legs appear long and energy moving out through the end of  the feet.

Before - 14/10/11

After 14/11/11
 

• "A challenge for me at the minute is with my feet, in particular my right foot as I broke im toe earlier on in the year and as a result the muscle on the outer edger of my foot is under developed and is proving difficult in certain excercise..." Hayes, O. (2011) Introduction: Final Year, Final Steps. Available at: oliviahayesdance.blogspot.com

I still find balancing on the right foot difficult, and by executing the excercises daily that I listed in the introduction I can feel that it is stronger than it was at the beginning of term, and some days it feels weaker that others. Looking back I do not see this as a priority weakness for me now as I think this has improved through working on other areas such as extending through the legs and feet, recovering from an injury can be a long process so I feel time will help this issue as much as excercise. In the future I will carry on with the strengthning excericises to help speed up the process of reocovery but focus more on strengthening muscles around the knee and ankle to help support the foot in stabilising in balances, when practicing tondus at the barre concenctrating on pushing the foot downward through the floor to extend and the same to return has helped me strengthen the area around my 5th metatarsal and remembering to do this is all extensions will help my foot improve as it connects with the floor.

• "This year I aim to be honest with myself as a dance performer and choreographer," Hayes, O. (2011) Introduction: Final Year, Final Steps. Available at: oliviahayesdance.blogspot.com

I have focused a lot on performance quality and risk taking to help me achieve this goal, and I know I can still push myself further in this aspect, what I learnt was that sometimes risk pays off and other times you can land with a bump but untill you take thise chances you will not achieve those moments in performance that people wait a lifetime to see, untill you push the boundaries you'll never know how how far you can go. In this blog I have aimed to be honest with myself, identyfying my bad habits and weaknesses and trying to improve on those but still acknowledging when I have achieved and progressed in class.

In future, I want to carry on filming myself in class and taking the time to watch this back and analyse myself as I have found this process extremely useful, because I am such a driven dancer I have a tendancy to get lost in the movement and lose focus technically, having something to look back on post class helps identify in myself the bad habits that creep in so I can work on these next time.  I have found the research element to this task to be very rewarding and eye opening, the articles I have read both on and off the reading list have provided me with an insight and approach to technique this semester that challenge me and enlighten me, themes that stand out for me are dance imagery and the idea of executing the present moment as I found these to be most influential in my progress over the term. Seeing how you can connect these readings to everyday life has also been of great interest to me, and the connection between the two has become stronger over the past 8 weeks. This blog has allowed me to look at myself as a performer and an artist and the inspiration I have got from writing my thoughts down in this blog will stay with me and I hope to keep blogging to keep this energy going and inspiration flowing.