Dance After College by Charlotte Bateman

I don’t mind admitting that at first I was struggling with module 1. Never haven written a reflective essay before I didn’t really know where to start. So I did what I always do - I googled a lot and I just got on with it and hoped for the best. Having discussed my draft with Helen and reflected on it I realise that this course really suits me.  I have realised that I do learn best through experience - I always have. But now I am beginning to understand that by reflecting on those experiences, thinking about how I felt and looking back with a critical eye I can use the experience more fully to help shape my Professional Practice going forward. Discussing the mapping diagram really helped. I think I have said before- my dyslexia means I think in quite a straight forward  way when it comes to academia - I take things and instructions quite literally. So originally I had planned a diagram or a piece of choreography, but after the discussions I really wanted to develop my tree ide...

Talking about mapping our Professional Practice in the zoom last night led me to probably the most obvious way of representing growth - a tree. I had originally thought about doing a family tree but whilst reflecting on this I came across this amazing tree - The Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree. It’s a real tree native to Papau New Guinea & Indonesia. It’s bark is actually rainbow coloured. This led me to think how this could reflect my Professional Practice as the roots of a tree absorb what it needs to live and grow. In a similar way I absorb what I need to grow and influence my professional practice. The rainbow trunk is an outward representation of all those different influences.  How to craft this into a representation then was my next thought. Again I googled and came up with a mind map in the form of a tree and then inspired by someone’s idea last night to model something I thought could I create an actual 3D tree that looked like a rainbow tree? I have an idea 💡 and will share ...

 Having started my essay and looking more closely into Kolbs learning theory and Downes connectivism theory I began to struggle with the factual learning I often experienced whilst at school. Being dyslexic is a problem for me learning in conventional ways. My dyslexia presents itself as being unable to process what I read - Yep - so that makes it tricky for conventional learning. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed and given help and advice on how to learn that my grades began to improve. It was explained to me that I learn in a different way and that my brain prefers doing / or watching something rather than reading.  So I nearly always search for videos first. Having done this on this topic I have realised this is exactly what this topic is about. What a relief !  By watching someone else explain to me what the theory is I feel more able to go back and read the text books. Although to be honest in school I didn’t always do that - I just relied on videos ! Here are some use...

After having thought about the different areas of learning that I am going to explore within my essay I am still yet to decide on the specific areas I am going to talk about. However,  I am keen to look into the different aspects of self pressure within my practice and change and uncertainty.  Throughout my three years of professional vocational training I was always putting unnecessary pressure on myself to "fit in" and "be like everyone else". Is this something other people have experienced within their practice? In the dance industry we are always told to Inotcompare ourselves to other people however that is extremely difficult when you are fighting for the same outcome. A Professional dance job. I wonder whether this pressure I felt in college was specific to my course and my practice or whether other individuals studying something completely different also feel this pressure. I feel this is something the growing industry could work on and perhaps teach young pe...

This was difficult for me to start thinking about at first. I know my Professional Practice is a dancer but is that really all it is. I am dyslexic which can often make putting pen to paper quite difficult but I started a journal to help me understand more what my Professional Practice is and how can I explain that to someone else.  I discussed it with my mum who is an accountant - that’s her job she does accounts for people but that isn’t HER. She can imagine doing lots of jobs, she practices 9 to 5. This is not how I feel about my Professional Practice. I can’t imagine not dancing.  Having been brought up listening to Dolly Parton and having heard the song 9 to 5 constantly on repeat in the car from a young age, I remember vividly asking mum “ Wait - do some people actually work from 9 to 5” I was only young but I knew even then that was not who I was. Yes I dance - that’s what I do for a living, but I also do it to live, I couldn’t not dance. Mr biggest fear is getting an i...

 Hi this is my first ever blog and I don't mind admitting I am a little confused. Having just returned from my first ever job abroad, dancing in Greece in the sunshine, I find myself in a rainy cold part of Yorkshire writing a blog ! Not what I expected to be doing and having missed the first 7 weeks of Uni trying to get to grips with what I am supposed to be doing wasn't easy. I wouldn't say I am very good with technology but I have so far managed to create a blog and found other bloggers to connect with - although this has taken me some time. I am now a Digital Dancer - I am going to use Tech to improve and develop my Dance ! I am using this Blog to share my thoughts and studies on how I view my Professional Practice as a Dancer, what has shaped that Practice and how I see it developing and growing with me. I hope to share my past, present and future experiences, influences, my hopes, thoughts, worries and questions. By interacting in this way with other like minded peopl...