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solo feedback


anondancer_15

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I can see you’ve put quite a lot of work into your solo and there are many nice moments in it.

 

Generally I feel there’s a bit of a lack of different dynamics, like in the music which is quite monotonous. If you choose that kind of music, it’s always much more interesting if you go against the beat a bit, then you have to develop your own dynamics.

 

Just a few examples here: in the beginning, when you step into that flatback developpé arabesque, put an accent on it (exhale sharply) to give your audience a little “wake up”.

Then, when you have that step back in the lunge and lift your right arm, make a clear and sharp form with that arm.

And after the first roll on the floor, you stand and twist around your back and wrap your arms around you: hold that tight or swing back directly.

 

Everybody has preferences in movement, that’s the way we choose movements for choreography, it comes easily to us, but we learn more about us as dancers if we leave our comfort zones and experiment with forms and dynamics we wouldn’t choose automatically.

 

You could try to think a little more about polarity, contrasts, dynamic-wise: big/small, slow/fast, sharp/soft… and breathe!

 

I’d also experiment a little with time: can you do something really sloo-oow and then a sudden accent or little staccato movements, for example? The timing is very much the same, especially in the long sequence on the floor.

Forget about the beat of the music for a while and talk yourself through it: with sounds you make or words or singing.

 

There’s a nice moment about 20 seconds in when you cross the L foot over and then step into a lunge on R to the side and reach with your R arm and look to the R – really look! - and then turn away from it very quickly. More of that quality would be great!

 

Afterwards you have twice a step on R and sort of an enveloppé with L, there you do a nice arm gesture – but you don’t finish it, when the hands come together and down, that could be a nice exclamation mark!

 

In general, give some more attention to your arms – what are they doing when, where, and why?

 

I hope you don’t find this too much of a ramble, this is just a general overview, I didn’t pick your dance apart. I think for an audition it’s important to show that you are a versatile dancer and that you give attention to detail.

 

All the best wishes!

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I can see you’ve put quite a lot of work into your solo and there are many nice moments in it.

 

Generally I feel there’s a bit of a lack of different dynamics, like in the music which is quite monotonous. If you choose that kind of music, it’s always much more interesting if you go against the beat a bit, then you have to develop your own dynamics.

 

Just a few examples here: in the beginning, when you step into that flatback developpé arabesque, put an accent on it (exhale sharply) to give your audience a little “wake up”.

Then, when you have that step back in the lunge and lift your right arm, make a clear and sharp form with that arm.

And after the first roll on the floor, you stand and twist around your back and wrap your arms around you: hold that tight or swing back directly.

 

Everybody has preferences in movement, that’s the way we choose movements for choreography, it comes easily to us, but we learn more about us as dancers if we leave our comfort zones and experiment with forms and dynamics we wouldn’t choose automatically.

 

You could try to think a little more about polarity, contrasts, dynamic-wise: big/small, slow/fast, sharp/soft… and breathe!

 

I’d also experiment a little with time: can you do something really sloo-oow and then a sudden accent or little staccato movements, for example? The timing is very much the same, especially in the long sequence on the floor.

Forget about the beat of the music for a while and talk yourself through it: with sounds you make or words or singing.

 

There’s a nice moment about 20 seconds in when you cross the L foot over and then step into a lunge on R to the side and reach with your R arm and look to the R – really look! - and then turn away from it very quickly. More of that quality would be great!

 

Afterwards you have twice a step on R and sort of an enveloppé with L, there you do a nice arm gesture – but you don’t finish it, when the hands come together and down, that could be a nice exclamation mark!

 

In general, give some more attention to your arms – what are they doing when, where, and why?

 

I hope you don’t find this too much of a ramble, this is just a general overview, I didn’t pick your dance apart. I think for an audition it’s important to show that you are a versatile dancer and that you give attention to detail.

 

All the best wishes!

 

 

thank you!! i really appreciate the time you put into giving me such detail, exactly the kind of thing i needed really! i will look at all of that and make some changes, thank you again :)))

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Like Petunia, I think there's some lovely movement in there, but you don't look fully engaged in it - you need to finish off your arm and leg movements. I'd also like to see a bit more groundedness into the floor, and then lightness when you move across the floor.  I think this heaviness into the floor, contrasted with lightness and fluidity in the leaps and landings, is key to contemporary. Your movement/choreographic vocabulary reminded me a bit of some of Richard Alston's choreography - you might see if there's any video footage of Alston's work. 

 

Can you develop your extensions and jumps for a bit more sense of space moving up & along? 

 

Also, can you play with the dynamics - so there's a sense of different speeds - light & shade. As Petunia says, you're working with the music all the time - sometimes it's interesting to watch movement against the obvious movement of the music. Overall, I'd like to se more energy and sense of purpose. 

 

Is this an audition as a dancer or a choreographer? Although asking that, the child of a colleague of mine is at The Place, and the course involves a lot of self- and group-devised choreography. I've seen this person dance in a group of A -Level dancers just before they went to college, and their energy and force and utilised flexibility stood out for me. I think that's what I'd be looking for in your solo.

 

And harsh as this may sound, there might be an issue about body shape if you're auditioning as a dancer - what's key here is how you create the illusion of extended limbs and lightness in the air, together with groundedness on the floor. I think it's that combination which is so hard in contemporary!

 

And in ballet - a very wonderful teacher recently gave me the tip - to think of making my feet heavy, in my supporting leg/s at the barre and in the centre in adage. And I know from the feedback of the mirror, that I never quite get that sense of groundedness - I lack flexibility in my feet for a start.

 

Toi toi toi

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Just looking at it again - you look like you're a bit hyperextended in the legs? There's a tendency to push back into them, and I think this is tipping you very slightly off-balance backwards. The hyperextension also seems to make it look as though you're not straightening your legs in the extensions and lunges.

 

And this might help - I noticed it especially in those two developpés to arabesque allongé you do early in the piece - you sort of throw them away - can you use your breath - breathe out to exteeeeeeend that position into a feeling of momentary suspension - and then dynamically recoil into the next move. Where you move in a low gallop across the floor just after that - in a low second plié, there needs to be more lightness & articulation of the feet. Have a look at the "Flying Low and Passing Through" work (available on YouTube) - it's inspiring in the way that technique works to send dancers to the floor and up again with speed and ligfhtness but always grounded with deep pliés and really lovely contact through the feet to the floor.

Edited by Kate_N
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I suspect that Kate and Petunia are far more qualified to comment than I am - but for what it's worth here's my tuppence worth. I think the panel must see a lot of similar stuff, a lot of arabesques and leg lifts and rolls, and to be honest they will see some that are technically stronger than yours. But what I suspect they see a lot less of, and would be really attracted to, is someone really baring their soul. Someone famous said - show them something they haven't seen before, show them your soul. I like that - anyone know who said it?? Anyway, I'll stop the uninformed rambling - best of luck anondancer!

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I suspect that Kate and Petunia are far more qualified to comment than I am - but for what it's worth here's my tuppence worth. I think the panel must see a lot of similar stuff, a lot of arabesques and leg lifts and rolls, and to be honest they will see some that are technically stronger than yours. But what I suspect they see a lot less of, and would be really attracted to, is someone really baring their soul. Someone famous said - show them something they haven't seen before, show them your soul. I like that - anyone know who said it?? Anyway, I'll stop the uninformed rambling - best of luck anondancer!

i'm not sure if you meant this as in mine is more like baring my soul or that's something else i should consider.... but thanks either way ;)

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thank you all for the detailed feedback and well wishes. just to clarify, the video i posted wasn't a full out full energy run through, so i think that when i perform it on the day it will have more 'bite' and hopefully that's enough, as i don't have time to make any massive changes at this stage. i am going to try and play around with the dynamics a bit though. 

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i'm not sure if you meant this as in mine is more like baring my soul or that's something else i should consider.... but thanks either way ;)

I meant something to consider really. It seems a bit ‘mechanical’ and unemotional, but that may be because it was just a run through for the video :) 

Good luck!

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well i bloody hope my dancing isn't generally mechanical and unemotional or i really haven't got a chance have i! i'll focus a lot of my energy into this :)

 

Apologies - I think I may have caused offence and I really didn’t mean to :(   I’m sure the perceived lack of emotion is largely due to this being a run through for the video. I think you’d be much better off listening to Petunia and Kate :)  I wish you the very best of luck xx

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BlueLou - apology accepted please don't worry, i appreciate your feedback just as much as the others! i'd much rather people were honest and gave constructive criticism as you have done than sugar coat it and tell me it was wonderful and nothing needed changing, it's much more helpful and gives me things to work on :) thank you x  

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I think the dynamics of it is what to work on - work through your phrasing - think about where you breathe and how you can use that breath to extend and suspend some of those lovey arm & leg extensions. 

This is great advice - the suspension. Brief moments of stillness :) Try too, to think about your feet, be strong and positive and really use them, they can be as expressive as hands.

 

Keeping everything crossed for you.

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for anyone interested I've just uploaded the 'final' version of my solo for tomorrow.... I've tried to consider all of your feedback and I hope that's evident. this was filmed at the end of a studio session and long day, so I'm positive that i will perform it with more energy and commitment at the audition, before you all comment on that!

 

however I welcome any last minute pointers or encouragement to apply for tomorrow ;)

 

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It looks like you have put lots of effort into this solo. Is it self choreographed or is did you learn it in a private lesson? I only pointer would be to show a clear contrast between when your feet are supposed to be pointed or flexed to clean up the line of your feet.

thank you! I choreographed it myself, taking inspiration from current class material mostly! thank you, I actuslly think since starting uni my feet have got so much worse, I used to have such clean footwork without too much thought *face palm*

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