Jazz Lyrical Mirror Dance - Week 4 [31/1/24]

   Jazz Lyrical Mirror Dance 

DANCE DEVELOPMENT

Our Jazz Lyrical Dance - Progress

• In this rehearsal, we continued to develop the dance break section that we learnt and added last lesson. This time we actually staged it by getting put into places. When we were put into places, it is the shape of a cross. This is a unique shape and works nicely with the dance and contrasts all the previous positions in the dance. Before the dance break there is an instrumental part in the song where the timing is different to the rest of the dance. For this section, we experimented with timing and created a canon movement while in the cross positioning. 

VIDEOS OF THE DANCE

31/1/24 - Full Run-through

What Went Well?

• Full Run-through: In my partner and I’s duet section, I think I personally have improved on the way I am engaging more with the dance and expressing myself more while I am dancing. I think this is because I am getting a lot more confident with the dance. When I watched the video back I also noticed that me and my partner are very in-sync with one another. Our coordination as a pair is vastly improving as our rehearsals go on. I also think I am successfully extending me arms and les more and for longer which in total is lengthening each ‘phrase’/movement. Our duet section now appears to flow a lot nicer and our transitions between each movements are a lot smoother than previous rehearsals/lessons. At 3 minutes and 20 seconds into the video until 3 minutes 28 seconds, I think as a group, we successfully did the cannon part at this point in the video and it overall looks really effective. We just need to clean up the actual movement involved in the cannon to make sure this movement looks really crisp. 

Even Better If?

• Full Run-through: At 3 minutes and 28 seconds into the video, this is a new section added in this rehearsal/lesson. It changes timing compared to other points in the dance/song so it was quite tricky for us, as a group, to get the hang of it. The tricky timing led to us all clapping at different times, which makes the dance look until and it creates an unpleasant sound. The remainder of the video (3 minutes and 28 seconds onwards) shows that us, as a group, aren’t fully coordinated with each other and are timing not just as a group but as individuals is off as we all do the movements/ choreography at different points. We all know what it is we need to be dancing, we know to need to focus on working on the timing of each movement and how each dance move matches and fits in with the timing of the song. With practice, I should be able to see an improvement in our coordination and timing as rehearsals go on. 

31/1/24 - New Contrasting Choreography

• This new choreography is at the part in the song where the lyrics repeat from my partner and I’s duet section. Rob, our dance teacher, wanted us all t repeat the movement that my partner and I do on that particular line in our duet section. We were still in the cross-shape positioning and Rob wanted us to split down the middle so that my partner’s side do my partner’s movement and my side do mine as the choreography we have on this line is when we do different things to show levels. We had to teach everyone else what our particular movements are. 

What Went Well?

• New Contrasting Choreography: Everyone picked the choreography really well and due to our positioning this movement works really well. Its use of levels looks really effective and the contrast in movement and height works really well. When watching the video back, everyone did the movements really strongly. 

Even Better If?

• New Contrasting Choreography: My side were out of time as I got mixed up with the timing. My focus in this rehearsal was to lengthen and really extend my movements but in this particular video, I was extending for too long and became out of sync with my partner which then caused everyone on my side to be out of sync. 

AREAS OF SUCCESS - 6 Physical Skills 

1. Balance - Compared to the previous rehearsal/lesson, I think my balance has improved a lot. When I watched the video back I could see that I am more balanced during my releve. The video from lat week, you can see my angles wobbling and you can see me begin to lose my balance. This time round, I am not and have improved.
2. Strength - This area of success links with balance. I order to balance well, you must use your core strength. I used my core strength more for this lesson as I was determined to improve with my balance. I also used my strength more throughout my duet section and I can see that in the video from this lesson as I am holding my positions stronger than the previous lessons. 
3. Stamina - In this lesson/rehearsal, we all got through a lot and made a lot of progress with the dance. I think stamina is an area of success for all of the group as we had a lot of physical and mental endurance during the lesson as we were going over choreography a lot to try and get it neat and to experiment ideas for the next bit. 

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT -6 Physical Skills 

1. Flexibility - As I have said in previous blog posts, flexibility is something I need to personally work on. I am really determined to improve my flexibility so I approached Rob, our dance teacher, about it and he gave me a stretch I can do daily that can help improve my flexibility. These daily stretches should overtime, improve my flexibility which as a result will help me in this dance. 
2. Coordination - Our group coordination during the new choreography was untidy and didn’t look smooth like jazz lyrical is meant to. This is expected at this current point in the development as we have only just learnt the choreography. Like with all choreography, coordination will come with more practice and attention to detail. Over the course of the next few rehearsals before the performance, we will focus on neatening up this section. 
3. Posture & Alignment - The main place where posture and alignment is an area of development is when, as a group, we hold our starting pose fore the dance break. When I watched the video back, I could see that no one’s back was fully and properly aligned with their back leg. Our back feet are off the floor when they should be done. Next lesson, we need to focus on this as our weight needs to be even between both feet not just the front.