Finalists Presentations
First of all congratulations to all of you who had their final presentations yesterday!!
I cannot believe this is it guys, the end of the journey of MAPP, I wonder how do you feel about this?! All of your hard work paid off, and now you can relax :-). I shared every little emotion with you yesterday! I know thought, that this end, is only new beginning for all of you. All these fantastic researches you have presented yesterday, only open new doors for your careers.
Due to the fact, that Im a full time mum, unfortunately I was able to watch only two morning presentation from Amber and Mary, but what an inspiring morning that was girls!! Im sure though, that presentations from Jamie and Amanda were wonderful and inspiring too. Shame I could not watch them!
Listening to those two morning presentation got me thinking, how different we approach dance, how different we think about dance and dance pedagogy, but at the same time how much in common we all have. This stroked me most when Amber handed us the sheet at the beginning of her presentation, to fill the positive and negative things about attending dance classes. Funny thing was that as a grown up women, professional dancer and teacher, I wrote same points as the little students of Amber's class she presented later. Really really enjoyed her presentation, very relaxed, presented in professional way. Looking at her I thought, thats the way I want to present my research, relaxed, in kind of story telling approach, but still ticking all of the boxes of research required. I definitely will think about this when my time comes in May. Thank you Amber for setting such a great example for me.
Then there is Mary, oh gosh, I wanted to be the Module One student again!! Her presentation gave me so many new ideas for a research subject, and if I still had a year ahead of me, I probably would choose something totally different that Im writing about now. Had such a brainstorm through her presentation, that I felt almost gutted that I cannot change my subject any more and start all over again. She was so inspiring to me!!
Thank you all for sharing your researches, knowledge and passion with us yesterday. I thought, that except great, detailed presentations you gave us, you were pure inspiration to us all.
What a great day, what a great journey, what a fantastic experience!! This programme got you so much richer as teachers, dancers and even ordinary people, and now its time share and spread your wonderful knowledge to the others. I wanted to wish you all the best for the future, enjoy the next journeys you will be on, and hopefully...till soon!!
Aggy
Tuesday 20 January 2015
Thursday 11 September 2014
The Start...
I hope you all had amazing holiday and you ready steady for whatever Module you begin. I wish you all (and myself as I need it too) good luck, productive time on the programme and for my Module 3 colleagues....let us all have amazing final presentations guys, before we know, it will be around the corner!!! Ok ok, no stress, we still have few month to work hard on it!
As the summer break is nearly over for us MAPP students it was time for me to start working on the Module 3. I wrote a letter to the National Ballet School of Poland where I graduated myself, if I could come in and observe some ballet classes as those are part of my research for my final presentation. I was a little bit afraid they will not let me in as knowing the school from the past it is very rigorous and closed environment, but thankfully their respond was very positive. Head Master and all the teachers were very friendly towards me, which made me, shy person quite happy. Nice to see that as it was not like that when I used to go to school. Things has had obviously changed for a better. Within a week I was scheduled to watch classes of the first year, middle year, and graduation year students. I asked for those classes only as they were the most crucial in my research. Fortunately once I was there I was allowed to watch any class I wanted, which was just amazing, I saw about 20 ballet classes, some character classes and Pilates for the little ones. Watched about 10 different teachers, which was just fantastic, it is not only so important and adding into my research, but it is also so inspiring for my own development as a teachers. So many great observations, thoughts, ideas, my head after those 2 days was just spinning. I would probably spend much more time at school as the Head Master and all the teachers did not mind me there at all, but juggling the time of being a mum of one year old and a student of MAPP I could do only 2 full days. Still very happy and satisfied with this, as I achieved a full notebook of notes for my research. I even dreamed yesterday about piroutess and teachers coaching me to do extra suspension in the end, funny as in dreams it is always so easy to achieve great balances and high legs. I used to have those dreams as a child so often. All those observations and talks with the ballet teachers got to me in such a positive way. At school there are many teachers with sometimes 30 years of experience, and there is also a new wave of fresh, new generation teachers. Striking difference between way of teaching between those two, which I will not give away now and will talk more in my paper. As my main focus was the Vaganova technique , I went with the intention of watching the students, their bodies, their technique, but I actually mad many many notes and had some great observations of the teachers themselves, which obviously has a huge connection to the students and their level of technique. I know it is only beginning of the year for them and also beginning of my research but I have noticed already, that students of the teachers who are more stricted and disciplined, achieve better results when we talk about their level of technique. I had an opportunity to experience both ways of teaching, one, where you live very afraid of the teacher and another one, where you communicate with the teacher. I also know by now what works for me personally as a teacher and what way of teaching works for my students to get the best out of them. Those observations gave me sense of direction tho when I talk about "Secret to the Rusian Ballet Technique". It might be not only amazing abilities of the bodies and way of training but it may be lots to do with way of teaching, and teachers approach. I was kind of suspecting it already but those observation confirmed for me, that it is definitely worth searching more into this . I also got some interesting talks with the teachers, one who was a student herself of the Vaganova School, but I will not give anything away just yet :-) Came back definitely full filed towards my research and enormously inspired for myself as a teacher. Now continuing with reading the literature, going through handbooks for Module 3 and looking forward to Skype session on the 21st September!.
Hear you all very soon!!
Aggy
As the summer break is nearly over for us MAPP students it was time for me to start working on the Module 3. I wrote a letter to the National Ballet School of Poland where I graduated myself, if I could come in and observe some ballet classes as those are part of my research for my final presentation. I was a little bit afraid they will not let me in as knowing the school from the past it is very rigorous and closed environment, but thankfully their respond was very positive. Head Master and all the teachers were very friendly towards me, which made me, shy person quite happy. Nice to see that as it was not like that when I used to go to school. Things has had obviously changed for a better. Within a week I was scheduled to watch classes of the first year, middle year, and graduation year students. I asked for those classes only as they were the most crucial in my research. Fortunately once I was there I was allowed to watch any class I wanted, which was just amazing, I saw about 20 ballet classes, some character classes and Pilates for the little ones. Watched about 10 different teachers, which was just fantastic, it is not only so important and adding into my research, but it is also so inspiring for my own development as a teachers. So many great observations, thoughts, ideas, my head after those 2 days was just spinning. I would probably spend much more time at school as the Head Master and all the teachers did not mind me there at all, but juggling the time of being a mum of one year old and a student of MAPP I could do only 2 full days. Still very happy and satisfied with this, as I achieved a full notebook of notes for my research. I even dreamed yesterday about piroutess and teachers coaching me to do extra suspension in the end, funny as in dreams it is always so easy to achieve great balances and high legs. I used to have those dreams as a child so often. All those observations and talks with the ballet teachers got to me in such a positive way. At school there are many teachers with sometimes 30 years of experience, and there is also a new wave of fresh, new generation teachers. Striking difference between way of teaching between those two, which I will not give away now and will talk more in my paper. As my main focus was the Vaganova technique , I went with the intention of watching the students, their bodies, their technique, but I actually mad many many notes and had some great observations of the teachers themselves, which obviously has a huge connection to the students and their level of technique. I know it is only beginning of the year for them and also beginning of my research but I have noticed already, that students of the teachers who are more stricted and disciplined, achieve better results when we talk about their level of technique. I had an opportunity to experience both ways of teaching, one, where you live very afraid of the teacher and another one, where you communicate with the teacher. I also know by now what works for me personally as a teacher and what way of teaching works for my students to get the best out of them. Those observations gave me sense of direction tho when I talk about "Secret to the Rusian Ballet Technique". It might be not only amazing abilities of the bodies and way of training but it may be lots to do with way of teaching, and teachers approach. I was kind of suspecting it already but those observation confirmed for me, that it is definitely worth searching more into this . I also got some interesting talks with the teachers, one who was a student herself of the Vaganova School, but I will not give anything away just yet :-) Came back definitely full filed towards my research and enormously inspired for myself as a teacher. Now continuing with reading the literature, going through handbooks for Module 3 and looking forward to Skype session on the 21st September!.
Hear you all very soon!!
Aggy
Wednesday 19 March 2014
Brainstorm....
Yesterday I read all over the Handbook again, just to get myself into the groove again. Sometimes I feel that really helps, even to scan it few times and read what interest me. There are times when I just need that extra kick for myself to start working on my assigment again and going through handbook is my way of "feeling it". It helped as always and today at 10 am Im already researching and digging into stuff that is interesting for my final paper. Well, if it gets accepted after May that is. While reading the handbook some fragments made me think, why do I do this research, did other people already discovered what Im looking for, do people actually care what the outcome will bring? With those thoughts I started browsing today through internet for movies, books, articles etc. My area of research is Secrets of Russian Ballet Technique. Its surprised me to see how many people already is trying to figure out whats is the Russian secret for creating such a strong, highly trained ballet atlethes. From what I saw, people are trying to find out for years already, many thesis and theorise are already out there but truth is....did they really discovered their secret?? No. Otherwise we would already be able to produce such an amazing ballet dancers like Russia has. Since beginning of the course I was keen on this subject, it always fascinated me and made me curious what is their secret. And I always though once I have the answer I will feel fullfiled and satisfied about the answer I will get. Now Im slowly realising that I might not get my answer, I might still not know whats their secret, but it's the journey that counts, the knowledge I will gain, all those things will enrich me so much as a teacher and dancer. It fascinates me how the subject leads me to not only Vaganova and Russia but it guides me to different countries, different people, takes me through different techniques. It's like starting at point A, going through huuuuge labyrinth of knowledge and experiences, just to come back to point A in the end. A
Answering another question for myself, will other people care about its outcome? Probably not, but it doesn't matter cause it matters is how much I care, how much satisfaction and knowledge it will give me, and what will I be able to do with it.
So this week is def very inspiring and exciting, quite brain stormed with all the info and thoughts in my head but that only always helps me to produce something in written ;-)
Aggy
Monday 10 March 2014
Career of a ballerina.....
Here I am finally!!!
I wondered for a while what to write on my first blog and then one of those days I watched TV programme about Darcy Bussell. For most of you who live in UK she is probably old news, but to me as a huge fan of ballet in every its aspect, I was fascinated by her. As a person who almost never watches TV I considered myself very luck to come across it. In fact it was my little 7 months daughter who out of all toys will always choose for a remote control or a phone! Total opposite to mummy who is staying as far from technology as she can. As she kept banging the remote on the floor she put Darcy Bussell on!! Give me pirouettes, high legs, lines etc., I will be instantly hooked! So I was. Watching it made me want to be 19 again, when I just came out out of the National Ballet and had the whole dance world to explore. I think because career of the ballerina is so short and we are expected to retire around age of 35 or even younger, it feels like you have never done all you wanted, you never danced all you wanted, never gave all you wanted. It is such a shame that we have to leave stage at such a young age, when we still fully capable to have a very successful career. At age of 35 dancers are still very fit physically, most of us have a huge baggage of experience, which is only beneficial for our performance on stage, and there is absolutely no reason to retire just yet. Personally I always like to watch performing a bit "older" ballerinas than the ones who just came out of Academy. Older dancers live the role, rather than play it. I love technical dancers, adore clean, high level technique and those who don't worry about it any more and mastered it almost in every aspect. It just makes me very nervous watching a young ballerina preparing to turn those 3 pirouettes, and as you watch her, you can almost feel her fear…..will it work or not. That is why I prefer to watch experienced ballerinas, and experience comes with age. Shame it is such a short career. Lately I have been in my homeland (Poland) for 2 months and visited my old National Ballet Academy where I graduated. Looking for materials for my final paper, browsing through books I got the chance to speak to few new ballet teachers too. They said that there is so little children these days coming to do audition for the Academy. Parents rather keep the ballet classes as a hobby after school, than actually making it their children’ profession. Parents are really concern about their children future if they would become professional dancers. I personally think that profession of a ballerina is the most beautiful one that any women could have, unfortunately reality is quite cruel towards it. It is a short career, mostly underpaid, many times in unhealthy environment full of competition and jealousy, and with very little perspective for the future. But who thinks about those things when every little girl wants to be a ballerina, put the pink tutu on and dance. But even myself as a mother of little baby girl, I probably will have huge concerns if she decides to follow mummy’s steps and become a ballerina. I do hope that profession of the dancer will be taken a bit more seriously by governments, here and also in other countries. That profession of dancer will have much more perspectives for the future and hopefully more money. End of the day we also have bills to pay and life to live, which these days unfortunately is not cheap. Otherwise profession of ballerina or dancer, will become very exclusive and many young, talented people wont even think to enter this field. It would be such a massive loss for Art of Dance.
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