Unit 329 (3.1) Written and Verbal FINAL Evaluation

Dance Evaluation

Introduction

This term we have been working on developing and producing a contemporary dance piece based on Motionhouse’s piece ‘Perfect’. We created our routine around the idea of time and how it moves. We also used the idea of panic and being worried about time. We made mind maps based on the idea of time and what it means to us, we then devised short fragments based on our ideas of time.

Introduction to Contemporary Dance

Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect their mind and body through fluid dance movements.  

We used these key words to inspire our dance piece:

• Post modern

• Physical

• Parallel

• Fragmented

• Unrestricted

• Free

• Ensemble

• Strength

• Adaptable

• Unpredictable

We also made sure to focus on certain aspects of contemporary dance and how we could incorporate them into our piece:

• Use of space

• Twisting/curving of the torso

•  Use of the spine

•   Mixture of dance styles

• Group collaboration

Paragraph on strengths for final performance:

I feel as though I had a good amount of strength’s in the final performance. I think I had a good, strong run and a good worried look at the very beginning of the piece, which was a good introduction to the entire piece. My slide in the second sequence was also good as I travelled a long distance. Also in the second sequence, I felt as though I had a lot of good, high leaps and jumps. As for my solo, I thought I had lots of good leg extension when I used my legs; my hop/leap was very successful because it was high and both my arms and legs were extended at a good amount. I included a part in my solo where I was laying on the ground in a starfish pose and then dragged my body up wards into a sitting position. I feel that this was very successful as I used a good time length when dragging my body because I did not do it too slow or too fast. This also helped to create the illusion that I was being pulled upwards by something or someone. As for an overall strength in terms of the whole piece, I would say that I was good at keeping in time with everyone else. I took my time and did not rush through anything and that made the unison segments look so much better. 

Paragraph on areas for improvement from final performance:

The first improvement I would make is in my first duet with Tamsin at the beginning of the piece.  In our duet we swing our arms backwards, bend down as we do it and then rise back upwards. I would like to improve how I did it, as I did not bend my body down very low like Tamsin. Similarly, I would have liked to lower my body closer to the ground in the first sequence and also made my body circle more rounded instead of it looking like I was just moving up and down. Another are of improvement would be to extend my leg and body more in the fall at the end of the first sequence. At 2:47, I feel like I could have used a more complex move to travel along the floor, instead of just a roll. In the section where Lily, Amy, Caitlin and I run in a circle, I should have used a stronger run instead of running on my toes. Finally, in my last duet with Tamsin, I feel that it would look better if I straightened my arm so that it does not look so lop – sided compared to Tamsin’s arm.    

Paragraph on challenges faced in composing and performing as part of a group, in the chosen dance style:

I personally think that one of the main challenges we faced in creating and performing this piece was timing. Most of the piece was fine in terms of timing, however there were certain parts of our unison segments where some people were either falling behind or speeding ahead of others. To overcome this, we practised more as a group and followed each other, to make sure we all had the right timing of all the moves and the timing of the individual moves. Another challenge we faced was in terms of some of the moves. As some of us were not as confident as others when it came to all of the different moves e.g. turns, slides, leaps etc. We overcame this challenge by practicing repeatedly and helping each other. We also go over the moves slowly without the music, watch ourselves in the mirror and give peer assessment and feedback. Working in a group and creating movement with Lily, Amy and Caitlin was easy. The only main issue we faced was to do with the spacing. This was an issue because some of our initial ideas used and needed a lot of space, however we only had the space of a circle as that was how we did the movement. We overcame this by adjusting the choreography so that it was able to fit with the space that was available to us.  

Paragraph on teamwork and leadership skills:

In terms of teamwork, I feel that we all worked really well together to create an amazing looking piece. Everybody helped each to improve and teach each other in terms of the movements in the piece. We all worked together to make sure the unison sections of the dance all flowed smoothly and we tried to make sure that everyone was in time with each other. I feel that I displayed leadership skills when Tamsin and I taught Jamie and Amy our duet from the beginning of the piece and when we taught the group the moves to the first group sequence of the dance piece. I am used to being a leader as I have had experience being in charge of groups before. However, I did feel a little uneasy, as I had to teach a dance phrase, I am not too confident in terms of dance, and so I was a little worried when teaching our phrase. Another example of teamwork was when we had to work as a team at the end of our solos because we had to wait for everyone to finish their solo so that we could all do Lily’s phrase in unison to make it all look slick and flow more smoothly.

Final statement of your dance progress for this project;

Overall, and throughout this whole dance project I feel that I have made a lot of progress in terms of my dance skills and knowledge.  I have been able to extend my knowledge of contemporary dance and learn about all the different elements and dance styles that make up contemporary dance. I have learnt new movements and skills that I will be able to incorporate into future dance pieces.