In dance lessons we always started with very detailed warm up to get oxygen into our blood and muscles so we can move easily. Our warm ups consisted of limbering which is to loosen up our joints which allows us to move, by loosening up our joints I was able to perform the dances easier. We also done a section of plies, lunges, swings, sit ups and stretches to warm up our joints, we do this to get fluidity into our joints. We done stretches which helped us with our flexibility, this helped us do the routines a lot easier and prevented us from injury. To finish off our warm up we did some cardiovascular exercise, which included running and jumping to get us warmed up. By doing this warm up routine I was building stamina, I needed stamina to be able to with hold a two hour performance. In this process we established our concentration skills.
In drama lessons we would usually start with a physical warm up by rolling down for eight counts and rolling back up. This exercise warmed up our back muscles. This is essential for a performance because most routines included back movements and by stretching our backs it prevented us from serious back damage. We ran around the room a couple of times with Ms Tingay calling out some instructions; this was to help us with our concentration skills. This skill is crucial for a performance because without concentration we wouldn’t be able to stay in role. Within the production process Ms Tingay was responsible for directing, Mr. Wilson was responsible for quality control Ms Neame was responsible for the music and I was in Fat Sam gang, and at the end it was successfully completed.
We done a vocal warm up, this was breathing through our diaphragms. This helps you get enough air to project your voice. Breathing properly helps you sustain longer notes when singing and you won’t get out of breath when dancing on stage. We then were looking for resonance which also helps to project your voice. Finally we would end our warm up by saying tongue twisters as a group. Tongue twisters help with your diction and articulation. Articulation and diction are important in a performance because it allows your audience to understand what you are saying clearly. In music lessons we did breathing exercises which were ‘ma, me, mi, mo, and mu’. These are vowel sounds and it helps find resonance. We practiced breathing through our diaphragms, this helped us sing and dance at the same time. By doing these vocal exercises it protected my voice from vocal injuries and straining my voice.
My teacher Ms Tingay asked a few people from my class to act out a scene in Bugsy Malone, when Fat Sam was shouting at the gang. She analyzed the scene and decided who would be best to play the different parts. When doing the scene Ms Tingay directed us by telling us how to react to certain things Fat Sam would say, by her doing this she was helping us get in to character. This was helping our characterization skills. Via Ms Tingay giving me this role it brought out my comic side of acting. As mentioned, in this paragraph in terms of evaluation the team was very effective. The atmosphere is relaxed the objective of the task was cleared and there was no conflict. We all respect each other views and listen to others, this lead us to a high level of commitment between us and the task given. The ideas of Ms Tingay and Mr. Wilson were expressed freely and openly.
In dance, singing and drama
We used this skill for the ‘boxer’ scene when Cagey Joe was speaking to Bugsy Malone. These skills are vital in a professional environment because its shows that you can put everything you’ve got into a small role. Characterization is vital in a performance. We leant how to stay in role even when there are distractions around you. Staying in role and embracing your characters personality makes the end performance look great, also it shows off your acting skills. Another skill we learnt in dance is that to put energy in all the dance routines to make it look great for the big show. This is important in show biz because if u put 100% effort into dance routines it shows that you have dedication to the production. It is also important to make your movements clear when acting and dancing so the audience knows what you’re exactly doing so they can follow the story line. When dancing in routines to make it look fantastic we learnt how to do the moves in time. Timing in dance is essential because, it makes the chorus look excellent. Formations in dance enhance the look of the performance as well because it doesn’t look messy and it looks professional. We blocked our dance routines on stage to make it look effective and enjoyable to watch. In music we learnt that singing in harmony makes the chorus songs sound better, and also it gets us working as a whole group to sound as one. Another skill that helps the chorus number sound as one is singing in time. Clarity of diction is important; we learnt that it is important that you get all your words out properly when speaking so the audience can understand you properly. We did tongue twisters to ensure that we articulated our words more precisely. To project your voice is crucial when performing; we learnt that if you do not project your voice the audience cannot hear what you are saying. To have a successful performance you have to be able to communicate with your audience. We learnt how to interact with the audience by making them laugh and have a good time. In the professional business it is important that you know how to communicate with your audience because it shows that you are a good actor and you also know how to communicate with different people. We learnt how to follow stage directions; we learnt that following stage directions improve the look of the performance. Following stage directions in the professional business will help you develop your acting skills and help you take on constructive criticism from your director. Taking directions from you director will improve your acting skills and your performance levels. Learning your lines is the key skill that you need to be an actor. By learning your lines it makes you reliable to the team, and it also boosts your confidence, because you know exactly what you are doing. Attending all rehearsals is important because your director might change a scene and you wouldn’t know when your queue was because you didn’t attend the rehearsal. This is the same in a professional environment because the director could change a formation of a dance or take out a scene and you wouldn’t know because you weren’t in the rehearsal. We learnt that improvisation on stage helps you cover up your flaws in a performance. This happened in our performance but the audience didn’t realize because they thought that it was part of the play. In a drama lesson we had to do improvisations to develop our imagination.
The production could be improved by organizing the team work, as well communication better with others and voicing out opinions. Certain people were self involved to hear other people ideas. The expectations was too high, we did not realize how big the production was, with little time to complete. On the positive note, most members are well and made effective contribution to the success of the programmed; however, better communication and time management was improved.
In conclusion performing arts consist of involvement, participation, communication and decision making. The work was interesting and enjoyable and the final piece was successful. Despite the problems we faced, this can now be counted towards the piece as a whole. I am satisfied with my contribution to the final acting and most of my expectations were met, as I knew it was not going to be easy. I am vey happy with our group performance overall, we have achieved the most audience this year especially when performing Bugsy Malone. I believe that my skills have developed vastly by doing this performance. This has been the fist big production I have taken part in and I have learnt a lot of new skills. I had skills in music before because I took music for GCSE but I developed them much more by putting all my musical knowledge I have into a performance. I hope that all the notes that were given to me and the year 13s will help me when doing my unit 5 performance, in other for me to do exceptionally well in my performance for the future.
By Stephen Olasupo