However if there is a large audience the dancer may feel pressured and may not perform well.
A good performer may not take this into account and may perform their best at all times.
Judges:
Judges can give a positive and negative effect. It can either motivate the dancer so they are determined to perform better or make them feel nervous towards themselves.
Timing:
Timing is very important as if you are not in time then the dance could look messy.
Choreography:
Choreography is important as the dancers must know what they are doing and when they must do it. The quality of moves, good choreography and practice all make a dance performance good and make it look professional.
My evidence is in form of a dance diary. I have done this there is proof of analysis of my work. Below I have included my dance diary.
Dance Diary
Wednesday 13th September 2006
Dear Diary,
Today I and my partner had to come up with a dance based on stage combat. We had to use the mirror effect, unison and cannon in our dance. The mirror effect is when we do the opposite of our partner, unison is together and cannon are one after another.
When performing at first I felt very scared and was not sure of what I was doing but as the lesson progressed I felt more comfortable working with the task given.
Wednesday 27th September 2006
Dear Diary,
When I performed in front of my group at first I felt nervous and scared. I thought that my dancing was not up to a high standard.
However the second time I danced I felt more relaxed. I think this was because I was encouraged and praised by my peers and the teacher.
Performing in front of others was different to practicing because everybody stared at you and I felt pressured. The audience was encouraging and when they cheered I felt comfortable and I felt I had accomplished something.
Wednesday 15th September 2006
Dear Diary,
Today we finished our group dance. I felt that I done well in my dance and I believe that leadership was one if my strengths as I was able to come up with a routine for our side. I felt that I was not pressured so much as I was working with a larger number so not all eyes were on me. Another reason why I felt so comfortable was because I had practiced my dance in lesson and in my own time so I felt that I knew my dance and I could work on other aspects of my dance like lighting.
Strengths in front of an audience
I believe that I have qualities that make me a good performer. These qualities are:
Confidence
When performing my confidence gradually increases as I enjoy the atmosphere created from the audience. Because I am dancing with people who I know I feel more comfortable. I am able to help others if they have any problems and give a critical analysis on others.
Choreography
I am able to come up with a routine that links together for me and my group. When doing our group dance to Michael Jackson I was able to give ideas and link the moves together creating a complete piece towards the dance. With good choreography it makes the dance finalized and therefore the audience will see that a lot of time has been put in and professionally done.
Skilled
When new dance moves are being introduced I am able to pick them up quickly and adapt them so they fit into the dance routine. I am able to make sure the moves go with the dance and make sure it is in time with the music. If everything is in synchronization the audience will enjoy the overall performance.
Ability
I have the ability to perform when under pressure. I am also able to make others feel apart of the dance making sure they understand what to do. From this the audience can feel the performer enjoys dancing and not only is it good to watch but it is good to perform.
Weaknesses in front of an audience
I have a few weaknesses that may affect my performance.
Concentration
When in lesson my concentration starts off well but as time progresses it lacks and I am not as focused on my work. This is very bad as I may forget the dance and miss important information for the final dance.
Starting lessons
At the beginning of the dance I tend to get very nervous and do not feel comfortable with what I am doing. This may affect the audience as the beginning of the dance may be ruined. They may not like the dance and may not be drawn into it because of this.
Organization Skills
The dance is perfect but I have not considered other aspects such as costumes and props. This is very important as it creates a major effect towards the audience. With costumes and props the dance could be more effective and more enjoyable to the audience. It will be better to watch and also better to perform. I also think I should consider lighting and positioning.
Why improvements need to be made
Improvements need to be made so that I can raise the quality of the dance performance. If I was able to concentrate throughout the whole of the lesson then my performance will be better and in result to this the audience would enjoy the dance more.
If I was to give more time and organization into other implications then the dance would look better and of a higher quality. Improvements need to be made so the dance could improve and be performed at a high standard.
I think I should improve my confidence at the start of a lesson.
PLAN:
The aim of the program is to help me improve my confidence at the start of the lesson.
Maintaining my strengths
I could maintain my strengths in many ways. For my confidence I could carry on taking the leadership role in dances and performances. This will help me as I would not lose my confidence as other peers are dependant on me to take the main role.
To maintain my choreography skills I could look at others and see the way that they come up with a routine. This could be another dancer or my dance teacher. I could also do continuous practicing of all types of dances and take part in other performances. My choreographic skills could also be improved my watching different films or dance shows to see how they come up with a dance.
To hold my ability rehearsing and practicing is very important as if you do not practice you may lose your ability.
Improving identified weaknesses
I would like to improve my confidence. This could be done in many ways. I could learn new skills or build on some I already have.
One way that I could do this is by making a questionnaire for qualified dancers or the backstage crew. I could ask them how they prepare themselves for a big performance. An ideal questionnaire is given below.
Please take sometime to fill in this questionnaire.
1. How does each person know when to do then role?
2. How long does it take for the crew to plan the events?
3. Do you put any extra hours in?
4. Have you ever become nervous when doing a dance performance?
5. If so how do you manage to stay calm?
6. If a mistake was made what would happen and how would you fix it?
7. What would happen if somebody did not turn up on the day of a performance?
8. How would you organize what everyone wears so they all agree?
9. Do you do anything before a dance to help build your confidence?
10. Is being nervous something that is always there or can it be got rid off?
Thank You for your time
The questionnaire would help me as comparing myself to a qualified person will help me meet a higher level. I would be able to do things at a more experienced level and therefore my organization skills would improve.
Another way that I could improve my weakness is by going to see a dance performance. One performance which I plan to see is The Merchants of Bollywood. This is because it contains many different dances with a large group of performers. This is relevant because the dance performance that we are doing also has a large amount of people and I will be able to see how they are and the positions that they are in. By watching a professional dance I will be able to improve my confidence as I can relate to others.
By being in an audience I can see the dance from a different view and see what is needed for a good performance.
The amount of times I do this will vary depending on what is being shown in the theatre. I plan to go once a week but that may change through the course of time. If there are no further shows on dance or any musicals then I could watch the same performance or watch dance films.
Thirdly, I could practice in front of a smaller audience. This could be people that I am more comfortable with, i.e. close friends or family. By being comfortable in front of a small audience I may be able to adapt myself and in result I could have my confidence increased. Friends and family would be more encouraging and would be able to give me a critical analysis. This will help me as I will be able to improve myself and by identifying my weaknesses I can change and improve them. I will do this twice a week once on a Friday and once on a Wednesday after our P.E lessons. I have chosen these times specifically because on a Wednesday I will still remember the moves learnt and I think that it will help me with my confidence.
Another way that I could make sure I am not hesitant at the start is by practicing on my own. In my spare time I could go through the moves and make sure I know when to perform which moves. By listening to the music piece over and over I will become familiar with the beats. When performing on my own I could be in front of a mirror. By doing this it would mean that I am comfortable with my moves through out the whole of the performance. Self analysis is a skill itself as you are working independently and you are meeting your personal targets. This strategy will be done 3 times a week. I have chosen this number because it would mean it is done a lot of the time and it will be enough for me to remember and build my confidence.
Furthermore, I would try and take a leadership role in the lessons. Leadership skill is very important and having this skill would mean you have a higher confidence level. This is a big step but it will ensure that my performance would be at a higher level but more importantly my confidence will be there. I do plan to do this for one hour of our lesson as I feel the responsibility should be shared.
Finally at the actual time of my performance I could pretend that the audience is not there. I had done some research on a dancer and they had said that they look at the back wall and never make eye contact with the audience. This helps them because it is as if no one is there. I think my doing this I could also gradually build my confidence because there will be no pressure and I will not feel stage fright. This can only be done at the time of the dance but I could take this strategy into all my other practices and therefore
find it easier on the day. For further skills that professionals do I plan to buy a book on dance performance. This is called ‘Complete Physical Education Plans’ By Isobel R. Klienman.
Following the plan is very important and I must pursue it if I want the quality if the dance to be improved and if I want my confidence to increase. To guarantee this plan goes ahead I have created a timetable for me to follow.
My plan will change over a six week period. This is so it gets harder and more challenging as my performance improves.
One of the ways that I will change is the amount of times we perform. I would increase the amount of times our rehearsals take place. Although the dance would be improved over the weeks I would still increase it to be certain no mistakes are made.
I would also start dress rehearsals and be stricter on the punctuality and attendance of the group. This is important because on the day of performance no one can be late. We also might make an alternative dance for if someone does fall ill there would be no confusion to what happens.
Another way that we could make the work harder is by setting higher targets for the whole group and individually. One of the targets I think is essential is being comfortable in front of your peers. To meet this specific target we could perform the dance one at a time to the whole group. This would make it much harder for everyone as it is something that is new.
Another way I could make the strategy harder is when performing to a small audience I could gradually increase the number of people in the audience. The people would be people that I do not know and/or may not get along with. This would be a very difficult task as there are a large number of people and what they see will be their overall opinion of the level that I am at and can achieve.
Forecast
If the plan had been carried out I would expect to see great changes in both myself and the performance. The performance could be improved vastly if everybody had confidence in themselves and did not rely on other peers on the sequence of moves. I believe if everybody was to follow the plan then their confidence would increase.
The strategy where we practice in front of a mirror I think will be suitable as they are dancing individually. Over a six week period I would get use to being on my own and in result the performance would be of a higher level.
Another change that I would expect to see is the timing of the dance. If everybody has practiced the dance and listened to the music I would expect them to know when to do what moves. If the whole group is in time with the music and each other then the performance would improve because it would look more professional and polished.
To implement the plan effectively I think organization skills are very important. You must organize yourself to know when to do which strategy. That is the reason why I have made a table. Following the plan is very important as then it would come into effect. If you do not follow the plan then there is no use and no changes/improvements would have been made.
To follow the plan other skills are needed; coordination skills, organization skills, you need to be able to prioritize and be confident that the plan will work.
Being confident in the plan is something that the individual must have. If they do not believe that something will come out of the plan then they may not put all their effort into it. If they are convinced that the plan will work then they may put in extra effort in.
Being able to prioritize is an important skill itself incase anything goes wrong. There is always a danger of potential pitfalls. This is when a problem might arise or something has happened which is unplanned that has a negative drawback.
Some problems that might happen are absence and injury. These are the two common pitfalls that occur. When rehearsing or more importantly on the day of the performance there is a chance that a member of the group could be absent. This would mean that the dance is not complete and if someone taking a lead role is away it may mean that the dance is jeopardized.
Another concern is the chance of injury. Whilst performing the performers may injure them and again may result in absence. If the injury is a major one then again the dance could fall.
The other problems are if some one is unable to remember the moves. This might make them feel that they are not good enough to perform and therefore may not take part in the dance.
Other potential pitfalls that might happen could be in the plan. The plan may not be carried forward or have an effect on the performers. This could be a pitfall because then the time is wasted and it was not used efficiently.
Such cases are if there is not a show on and apart of the plan is to go and see that show. The person can then either watch the same show or just watch another dance film or a musical.
However, there are alternative actions you can take to overcome the problems. One way is to have a cover dance. This would mean regardless of what happens and who turns up there is a substitute dance that can be carried forward. This would ensure that a performance is still carried forward and there is still a show on.
Furthermore there could be an extra dancer. This would be somebody who knows the dance and will only perform if any problems arise. Having backup dancers is a good way to prevail over the drawbacks.
Another way is to change the plan and before it is too late. If the plan is not effective then the performers can change it and adapt to it.
In the case of someone forgetting the moves it is important that they remember the moves in the first place. They should just carry on with the dance as normal.
When rehearsing we may come across a point where the dance studio is not available or we have no system. We may have to ask other teachers for their rooms or practice in the changing rooms. Alternatively we could meet up in a friend house. If there is no music system we could sing the song. This would help as we would be familiar with the music and not be dependent.
The plan would happen over a long period of time. People may become bored and feel as if they already know the moves so there is no point in turning up for rehearsal. I plan to change and adapt the rehearsals so that they are still learning but in a different way.
By Ayesha Begum
