EVALUATION & REFLECTION – Spring Shows 2020

PART 1

On your BLOGS you need to evaluate and reflect on: ‘How am I doing at this stage of the project’s progress?’

You MUST evaluate and reflect after EVERY Season rehearsal because in Year 2 you are expected to maintain evaluative and reflective records of the development of a performing and production arts project. Please use the format below.

Description

Keep it brief, like a title – tell us what you are going to write about in this reflective blog e.g. Blocking act 1 scene 1 of ‘Hamlet’ following initial read through of script

Initial Thoughts

• Write in full sentences but separate out each of your thoughts into different bullet points
• Lots of bullet points
• How do you feel about this, how is it going?
• Don’t sort them out into good and bad

Breaking This Down (Bear in mind that some points will naturally fit into both sections.)

Good

• Look at your initial thoughts and identify if each one is a good thing, what is good about this? You don’t need a big explanation as this will come in your analysis.

Bad

• Look at your initial thoughts and identify if each one a bad thing, what is bad about this? You don’t need a big explanation as this will come in your analysis.

Evaluative Analysis (What sense can I make of this? How can I make sense of this?)

• Go back to each of the points you have made in your initial thoughts but reflect them on them in the light of how you have classified them as good or bad
• Write in full sentences
• Examine each point
• Why do you think this? Why do you think you feel this way?
• Make sure you have justified or backed up every statement you make
• You can ask yourself questions here and try and answer them

Action Plan

• Specific and direct action points for what you are now going to do, based on what you have discovered or suggested in your analysis
• Avoid saying ‘I need to’ or ‘Try to’, instead use more direct language such as ‘I will’ and give yourself a time frame to get them done by – they should be things you can tick off as being completed and you can then reflect on how this is helping you progress

(This will also provide evidence towards your Planning and Production grade)

PART 2 (at least 1,000 words)

On this page you need to evaluate and reflect on the total production from beginning to end based on YOUR experience and engagement with it. Use your blogs to help you consider each stage of the production process and be constructively critical. Pay particular attention to your own roles, contributions and responsibilities throughout this whole process and how you have worked with others (collaboration):

• Research, Blocking and Rehearsing the show
• Rehearsing and Refining the show
• Polishing the show (including production elements – costume, props, set, lighting, sound & visuals etc.)
• Actual performance

Provide an overall summary of the learning you have taken from doing this project and identification of areas you will need to develop going forwards.

Evaluation and Reflection

UAL definition: the application of intellectual curiosity and rigor in making judgements and establishing meaning and values, and the level of contemplation and deliberation necessary to progress and achieve identified goals

Fail: Insufficient evidence of ongoing evaluation, lack of or only basic analysis and little or no justification for ideas.

Pass: Clearly communicated evidence of valid evaluation and realistic analysis independently used to inform and develop ideas.

Merit: Effective communication of analysis and interpretation, independent synthesis of information and application of reasoned decision making to inform development of ideas.

Distinction: Accomplished and professional communication of perceptive analysis and interpretation, demonstrating clarity and sophistication in thinking and maturity in decision making to progress ideas.

The above statements are guides to how evidence for the final unit (8) will be assessed. Tutors will let you know in their feedback how your evidence for these units compares to these achievement standards so that you are aware of the level you are currently working at.

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Evaluation 

Stage one had to begin with research. Although I didn’t have to research a story or plot, I did have to find ideas for music and dances and movement we wanted to add in. I think my individual research went very well through the proses. I thoroughly understood the story we wear trying to develop and the goal of the show; I think this then aided my characterisation when it came to learning the choreography for most of the dances. I have also learnt a lot about different styles of dance which will help my future practice as I will understand the bases of the styles better. 

The beginning of the rehearsal part of the production process began with mixed efficiency. Once the roles/characters were assigned to everyone, we began work on the three disciplines of the show – story, choreography, fitness/stamina. The plan was to keep an even level of progress with each of these elements throughout the entire process but getting the story and choro done slightly quicker. This was established in, setting the story as a basis and rough outline, this began very quick and there was an outline nearly right away. Then onto learning the choreography began quite late (after Christmas in fact), And building stamina was going to be done by us doing a 30min hard worm up every day.

Originally, when we discussed ideas within classes, we struggled to find ways to link the story together, this was so it made clarity for the audience. Yet once we had found an idea, we progressed quickly with this idea to create large sections of movement before adding them all together and adding transitions between each sequence (the transitions happened at a MUCH latter date). 

The rehearsal process I found was a longer process than anticipated but I think once we had one rehearsal creating, the ball was rolling and from there we were creating original movement and choreographing creative and challenging routines. I found as a dance company we all worked together well with Helena and Rob as well. 

Initially I was concerned as I am not on the dance pathway but I have a lot of experience with dance however, some people in the cast had no experience with dance and had never done it before. This would then mean we would have to spend a lot of time a lot of time rehearsing for individual members of the group and that the progress would be slow. However, I think the non dancers in the group worked really hard and really impressed us all with their movement ability and how they added a character to the piece and transformed themselves into their character as soon as the music began.

Stage two, at around the middle point of the rehearsal process, The overall state of the production was in a good shape. The position we were in in all three elements of the show was however slightly less on track with where we needed to be, and a point must be made about the preparation of the cast in general. As far as the story was going this was ferly strong and there wear only a few linking errors to resolve. Furthermore, the choreography I feel was a slow start as I believe we wasted a lot of time on unnecessary tricks that wasn’t even added into the show. I feel this would have been a lot more beneficial if they wear going to be in the show  however they wear not. Despite this, we were not worried, as we have been in worse positions before with other productions, so we know for a fact that where we were at this point, was now okay and workable.

Stage three showed us that Whatever problems were faced at this stage, we had the professionalism to sort it ourselves. One thing I can speak for in terms of choreo, was the dedication to unsupervised rehearsal. For example, as we wear off time table for a few weeks we couldn’t hold lunch rehearsals this meant we had to take in our own time if we wasn’t needed to make sure we kept working. This seemed to have a great effect throughout the process as from what I did see over time, I observed huge jumps in quality and depth of performance. Other solvable problems included costumes. Something that we had to discuss quite early on was the red and white jackets, that needed to be sourced as we didn’t have enough for everyone. This was a problem as we didn’t get some the till the day pf photos meaning, they was badly fitted.

• Rehearsing and Refining the show

I think refining the show was an important process as this prepared us for the actual performance. We began refining some of the pieces that had been choreographed by the company a lot latter in the process than I anticipated but these were the pieces where the choreography was more harder, yet because it told a complex story or had a deep meaning behind it, it looked more effective on stage. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t all have the right kind of attitude in every rehearsal and this then showed in the progress that we made in that session. To put on an original dance show from scratch, we didn’t have a lot of time. The whole process began at the beginning of December 2019, giving us 11 weeks of rehearsing before production week. This also included the 2 week break at Christmas, the week before production week. I think that sometimes we wasted our rehearsal time by messing about or by the choreographer not coming to rehearsals prepared with the next section of the dance. This may have hindered the progress slightly yet luckily we were able to pick it up and I don’t think that this showed during the show that some routines hadn’t had as much time spent on them. 

• Nearing Production week 

As it neared production week, the rehearsals were just spent cleaning and refining the movement through the dances and discussing facial expressions and characters and how we would clearly show this to our audience. This stage was important as this is where the loose ends were tied together and rather than lots of half-finished pieces put together, it became a show. I really enjoyed seeing the work of others as well and seeing how they had interpreted their strengths. 

Moving on to production week Unfortunately, the tech rehearsals took longer than planned we did however still get the right amount of dress runs done but this did make some people ill as they wear so tired. We ran through each piece once yet the lighting and sound effects weren’t quite as planned so our tech team decided that it was necessary to go through each piece again in more depth and detail to refine the lighting choices and then justify these choices. The lighting elements is important as this can help to tell the story or create an atmosphere which helps the audience understand the piece better. The sound is also important for obvious reasons, and it would be extremely difficult to continue the show without any use of sound. 

As for props, there were a few props however, this didn’t hinder anyone getting on and off stage. There was the two baby’s and the cote, then the paper, wood, and our jackets. There was no trouble with these in any of the rehearsals or the shows. 

Performance/ Conclusion 

As far as the actual performances go, I think we devised and put forward a successful show which was enjoyable for both us as performers and for our audience. We were lucky that there were little spare seats on Thursday’s show and we hadsold out on Friday. I personally felt that the energy was better on Thursday evening yet I think this was because we had been rehearsing all day unlike Friday where we just did the show on Friday. 

I’m pleased with my overall performance and I believe I pushed myself physically to develop my strength, stamina and flexibility and I feel as though I had quite a positive, professional attitude throughout the project. 

Being a student that wasn’t just on a dance pathway and in the core dance company, I think this pushed me the most as I was on stage or backstage for almost the entirety of the performance. The quick prop changes were tough as some of them were one number after the other it meant I had to be very organised and calm when preparing for the shows as well, knowing all the props wear in the right place. 

From hearing back off audience members, I think the majority of our audience enjoyed the shows and enjoyed seeing the story we had all made. I think they also enjoyed seeing original choreography created by not only the staff but the students as well. There was a lot of variety throughout the show and no two pieces were even similar let alone the same. 

To conclude I think the show was successful and I was pleased with my performance throughout the show and the rehearsal process. I’ve learnt a lot about different styles of dance and how to create a story without words.

I’m pleased with how far I think I’ve pushed myself when doing this project. I think physically I have pushed my self to my full extent and my dance has developed even further. I also think my choreography has developed and I thoroughly enjoyed performing are own creative ideas. 

If I were to repeat the project, I think I would like to push myself even further to develop my strength. I was always the one being lifted in rehersal and found it hard to lift someone bigger then me. Thia is something I would try improve on.

I think I conducted myself in a manner in which I wish to take forwards in future projects and act as professionally as I can to create the best possible reputation for myself as a performer.