Task 2b: The Journal Writing Experience

           

            I had to have a bit of time to elaborate this task. I didn't feel really comfortable with some of the methods and had to take time to write them. But it was interesting to do this task in a week that I had so many challenges and deep reflections. I believe each one of the methods helped me to understand what is going on with me and around me.

Description

            I believe this is the method that I use less at my diaries. I usually don’t describe my day, instead I usually write down my reflections from a specific event or from an overview of my life at the moment. I have the feeling that if I am writing to myself, I don’t need to describe what I did as I know it. So I had to pretend that I was writing to someone else. For example: “Today we had class at ten and all of us were feeling tired from the dress rehearsal in the night before. The class was an hour fifteen and after, we had corrections from last night. One of the boys got injured and someone else had to jump in to his place and we needed to go through all spacing.  We finished at two; I stretched a lot as I am feeling really sore, took a good shower and went home, to rest for the next dress rehearsal which will be at night at seven o’clock”

           Although, I have to recognize that description is good to analyse routines, methods of work, diets, work out planning’s etc. I have already done that and helped me to find the best way to organize my routine.

Initial Reflection

           For this one, I wrote like a question and answer test. I really enjoyed doing this type and I kept doing it for the other days. As I wrote before, I like to reflect about specific events and those questions helped me to understand them better and even realize about news feelings.

Premiere Show:

What did you fell about it?

Satisfied, relieved and happy. And all those feelings came across especially at the bow in the end of the show.

What were you thinking?

That more than everything I wanted to dance well for me, to make me happy. More than to please someone, to my reputation or to prove something to someone. If any of those things happen, are consequences of my work. I wanted to enjoy myself after so much hard work and dedication.

Did anything unexpected happen?

No, and I was quite happy about it. Didn't want surprises or adventures at a Premiere!

What was your mood?

I was really tired and overwhelmed after two weeks of full rehearsals in the mornings and nights and no free days. But lights, costumes, make up and stage have a magic that brings you so much energy and happiness and you forget all the sore muscles. And always grateful to be here.

List

                I love making lists. I make lists for everything: shopping, tasks, priorities, corrections… But I never wrote them like a diary though. This method helped me during my writing, to organize things that came through my mind but I don’t find useful for a more deep reflection. Maybe, is a good way to conclude a whole thought, after reflecting and writing about it. For example, a list of conclusions that you took from an experience, your next steps, your next goals etc.

Evaluation

               

 For this one, once more like the “Initial Reflection”, I did like a little answer and question test for myself. This method I found really useful to reflect and criticize about my own work. To realize what I did well, what I need to improve, what I learnt. This is how I did when I wrote:

First Dress Rehearsal Monday

What did you think went well?

I got less disorientated with the lights than I expected. The steps went well and the costumes didn't affect me as well.

What worked?

Especially the beginning of the first act and the third act, the choreography worked well with the lighting and the size of the stage. Some things that I tried for my acting also worked.

Did you learn anything, discover anything, and notice things to avoid?

I learned that you shouldn't be addicted to the musicality from the CD. Once you are with an orchestra, they can go faster or slower and you need to keep the ears alert and follow their musicality.

I discover that the size and type of floor of the stage made me much more tired. The lights made me sweat a lot and my make-up was going off. I should always have lots of water, a towel and make up with me.

  

What if?

                This one was hard to me as well. And I think it can be a bit dangerous, because can make you create expectations that will disappoint you after. I think is better to reflect to what actually happened. Although it can also make you realize and give a value to your current situation and maybe, make you think like “if I wanted this to happen what should I have done?” I did this to myself and I felt constructive. I felt I recognized what I could have done to make a certain situation better and also see how well something happened. For example I would hate if on this week I have got a serious injury, illness or simple have not done a good job in the show.

Another view

                This one made me remember a book that my parents gave to me and my sister. The book was about fairy tales described from different perspectives, from different characters. For example, the story of the “Red Riding Hood” from the point of view of the bad wolf. He could think “who is the mother that let a small kid walk alone through a dangerous forest?” The book was really nice made me want to see it again when I am back home. I think my parents wanted to show me that sometimes we need to see our situation from outside to recognize better if we are wrong , what could we do to make it better , what is the situation really about.

                 So, I tried to write about my day from the perspective from the pianist of the company. I thought it was a good idea, as he see everything that is happening but is not totally part of it. He watches our classes, rehearsals, discussions etc. It was hard because I can’t read his mind and be sure if what I am writing is right, but it felt I was writing about a person looking at a painting at an exposition. Like I said, I have to imagine what the other one is thinking so is not realistic, but made me realize that we can be a bit selfish with our conclusions if we see them just from our perspective.

Graphs , Charts and Diagrams

               Like the “List” method, I never used a graph, or a chart or a diagram at a diary. I used to use one of those tools for studies for my academic subjects. To be able to do this task, I used the idea from the Module 1 Handbook, I compared my last year dress rehearsals (for my dance school) to the ones that I had this week, at a professional company. 

Here is the link to access the document...I hope it works !

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0yAhJXEIOTodWhQcWlrOEZIVEE/edit?usp=sharing