Alexandra Green: Technical Development

Term 1

Ballet Lesson 12/09/18

In my first ballet lesson at WKC I was introduced to my teacher Mandy and the class was split an experienced group and non-experienced group, I put myself into the experienced group and we began with barre work.

We did plies which I've done a lot of before so I was able to understand what I was doing.We then did battement tondu and battement glissee which again, I'd done before. We moved onto rond de jambe a terre or the "pizza exercise" I hadn't done this before but managed to keep up without too many mistakes. I need to work on keeping my posture right by ensuring my shoulders are kept back instead of hunched.

In the second hour my group who've done at least some ballet before, went and learnt allegro with Marshall and Faith. We performed to each other and then to the rest of the class. I need to work on the turn into arabesque and ensuring I got to the glissees in the routine on the right beat.

Singing Lesson 13/09/18

My first singing lesson began with a long warm up doing exercises to improve breath control and correctly timing where you're breathing. We sang vowel sounds and pushed ourselves to hold them as possible to see what our final limit was. We did this to compare that to how long we can hold notes for in the future and see if we've made any improvements on where we were when we first started the course.

We then went on to singing 'Natural Woman' from Beautiful- the Carole King Musical. I had never heard this song before so I had to try and pick it up as quickly as possible. After singing it through a couple of times we went round the room and each person took a line to sing. This helped us to gain confidence in singing in front of a group if new people.

Jazz Lesson 13/09/18

In my first jazz lesson our teacher Shannon asked us to write down 3 things we think we bring to the class and 3 things we think we could improve on. The 3 things I think I bring to the class are my flexibility, my determination and my enthusiasm. The 3 things I want to improve are getting my split leap perfect, doing more than 2 pirouettes and improve the time it takes me to learn new choreography.

After this, Shannon ran through the warm-up which was similar to my weekend school, we do 16 counts of jogging, 16 counts of star-jumps and hen 16 counts of twists. We then do a short series of dynamic stretches to help make sure we don't damage muscles and to help us improve our flexibility.

We then worked on jazz fourth, did corner work with pas de bourrees, pirouettes as well as kicks and leaps. I didn't struggle too much with this as I'd done it before however I do need to work on getting my jazz fourth lower.

Musical Theatre 13/09/18

In this lesson we started to learn the choreography to the song "One Short Day" from the musical "Wicked", this is to be performed at the induction show.

Singing 17/09/18

In this lesson we warmed up with vowel sounds and then we went through One Short Day from Wicked as we will be performing this at the induction showcase.

Acting Lesson 18/09/18

We did a warm up similar to what we did in our project lessons, walking around and varying speed, levels and using scenarios to reflect how we would move or react. We then split into small groups and were told to pick a play title from a list, we picked "Clockwork Mouse" and devised a scene based of what the title could be. My group devised it so the "mouse" was someone who struggled with mental health issues and therefore felt small and insignificant. We used

Ballet Lesson 19/9/18

Practical

We started off with barre:

Batmond tondue
Batmond glissee
Rond de jambe a terre
Grande battement

We then worked on pirouettes on releve. Began work on glissee en derrière from 1 side.

Theory

We sat down and went through the names of exercises and what they were for.

Barre- Always in the same or similar order. To learn new things, basic skills that you will need to build onto with support

Jazz Lesson 20/9/18

We had Tracy. We warmed up and did an intense ab workout and then we worked on a fast jazz combination which was quite challenging but also very enjoyable. Improving my pick-up time is one of my aims and learning combinations like this is really helpful in achieving this.

Musical Theatre 20/09/18

In this lesson we worked on cleaning the One Short Day choreography that we had learnt the week before. This is the end result after we'd gone through it a few times.

Acting Lesson 25/09/18

In this lesson we started off by playing 2 truths and a lie so we, as a class, got to know each other a little better and see how good our acting skills were in tricking our classmates into thinking a lie was true, this was a fun way to start off the lesson. We then did some tongue twisters to warm up our voices and did exercises o warm up the muscles in our faces. These included tongue circles, big and small facial expressions and pretending to chew on a huge piece of toffee to warm up our jaws.

We then ran through the opening scene of Madea as a class, we read one line each of the first scene until we got to the end. Sharon then asked us to pick one word that stood out to us and say it in the way we feel it should be portrayed. We built on this by then choosing a line to say and acting it naturalisitcally.

We then split into pairs, I was with Tilia and we split up the dialogue and rehearsed it together. We then performed what we'd practiced with the class. I didn't struggle with this as acting is my strongest skill and what I enjoy the most out of the 3 key musical theatre skills.

Ballet 26/9/18

In this lesson we worked on all the barre work we'd gone through in ballet theory the week before.

We then work on jumps on demi point and relevee as well as turns on a demi point and on relevee.

We worked on glissades en devant from both the left and right sides, building up from the week before where we did it glissades en derrière on one side.

Singing 27/09/18

In this lesson we warmed up with vowel sounds like usual, we also did "Bella Mama" which I had never done before but I found it very fun. We then sung through One Short Day in preparation for our induction performance. We learnt the Wizomania choirs section of the song.

After we had gone through One Short Day and felt more confident we listened to some the second year musical theatre students sing auditioning pieces so we could give them feedback on what went well and what could be improved.

Jazz Lesson 27/09/18

In this lesson we warmed up with the usual jogging, starjumps, twist combo. We then moved on and did a par de bourree combo from the middle. This built up and went into a combo with turning par de bourrees and added a pirouette and turned them into 2 singles then a double. After this we did kicks from both corners. I need to improve on pointing my feet during kicks and getting my right leg higher.

Musical Theatre 27/09/18

In this lesson we extended the dance in One Short Day. This was the end result:

Singing 1/10/18

We started off with the vowel vocal warm up "mah, meh, me, moh, moo" and then went through Doh A Dear from the Sound of Music. We then went through One Short Day and worked on perfecting the Wizomania choir section as the group splits to sing this and therefore both parts have to be really sharp. After that, we worked on Somewhere from West Side Story, it's quite high but is really helpful in strengthening my "head" voice, which is a lot weaker than lower down in my range.

Acting 2/10/18

We warmed up in the usual way, doing tongue twisters and mouth exercises to ensure we could reach maximum vocal potential during the piece. Then the class was split into 2 groups and we worked on splitting up the opening scene of Madea. My group was Nehemie, Leah, Ella and Tili and we divided up the lines to get a Greek chorus effect as Madea is a Greek tragedy. We then looked at staging and wrote down that we are doing to stand in a V shape which is what a lot of Greek chorus do.

Ballet 3/10/18

We started at the barre as we always do and worked on our usual exercises, rond de jambe, batmond tondue and batmond glissee. We then began exercises that helped with arabesque. I need to work on turning my knee out before I extend my leg. We worked on spotting during pirouettes, which I need to work on as I get dizzy and don't do as many turns as I can as I have to stop. We then worked on arabesque. We took a picture of where we are at this point and we will compare how it changes in the future. I know that one thing I need to improve is my hand as my finger placement is wrong, there's too big a gap between my thumb and other fingers. My supporting leg is bent whereas it should be straight so this affects my form greatly.

Jazz & Musical Theatre 4/10/18

We warmed up with the usual jogging, star-jumps twists combo and then worked on One Short Day as we'd finished about 2/5 of the dance the week before. We learnt all the choreography for the rest of the song and run through it a few times in full to get it really clean. The choreography during the Wizomania choir section of the song is quite challenging as theres a lot of very small quick movements which I struggle with more than slower, more lyrical ones.I know I need to work on it to get it as clean as possible

Acting 9/10/18

In this lesson we went through and cleaned up our scene from Medea.

Ballet 10/10/18

In this lesson we focused on sissones. We did our normal ballet barre exercises (rond de jambe,batmond tondue and batmond glissee). We put ourselves into pairs and traveled across the room taking turns in supporting each other. We then gave each other corrections, mine was to jump and then landing forward instead of just jumping or skipping forward which is what I was doing before.

Singing 11/10/18

In this lesson began by warming up with the usual vowel sounds and a singing exercise called "Bella Mama". We then sang through the David Guetta song "Titanium" which was fun but I found I had to go into my head voice during some notes in the chorus. Other than that, I didn't find it too challenging. We then sang through the song "Stand By Me" which was easier than Titanium, my only problem was that I didn't know the lyrics very well but I managed anyway. We then moved onto singing "Somewhere" from "West Side Story". We had done this song before and I find it quite challenging as there are some quite high notes that I have to push myself to hit correctly. However, it is helpful in strengthening my head voice to sound stronger.

Jazz 11/10/18

In Jazz we warmed up with our usual combo,16 beats jogging on the spot, 16 starjumps and then 16 twists.We then did the usual workout with plank and press-ups. In this lesson we had a particular emphasis on stretching and to warm up the muscles to do this we did squats and jumping squats. We then did a lot of dynamic stretches such as lunges, the warrior pose, and exercises to prepare us for splits. This was especially helpful to me as I wan to work on getting splits of my right leg and getting flat in box splits

After this Shannon started teaching us a lyrical routine to the Kesha song "Praying". Lyrical is my favourite style of dance so I really loved learning this routine. I found the speed a little difficult and missed a step a couple of times but overall I didn't struggle too much with the choreography. In the last 8 count of the dance there's a turn that ends with a jump to the floor, at first I wasn't too sure how to do this but after Shannon went through it I understood. This is the video of the dance:

In the future I want my arms to be more controlled as they look sloppy. I also needed to point my foot in the final kick.

Musical Theatre 11/10/18

In this class we didn't do much practical work but we watched back the footage of our performance of One Short Day. Shannon then asked us to write down 3 things that went well and 3 improvements we could make. My 3 things that went well were that I 1. didn't forget the dance, 2. stayed in time and 3. got to the right place during the Wizomania section.

My 3 improvements were: 1. Hold the long note, 2. Don't look at others to correct myself 3. tighter on the Wizomania section.

Shannon then did a q&a about musical theatre colleges and auditions as she had experience going to Bird college. This was extremely helpful and I know I will use what she taught us in the future.

We then made up our own dances in groups of 3. I was with Nehemie and Dylan (second year) and we made up choreography to the song "Candy Store" from the musical "Heathers" as it is a trio. It was a lot of fun and this was the final performance:

Acting 30/10/18

In this lesson we worked on a Romeo speech from Romeo and Juliet. We sat down with Sharon and talked about Shakespearean features such as how the iambic pentameter should affect the way you say your lines. We also broke down the speech and translated some of the lines into more modern English which I found really helpful as it helped to evaluate which emotions Romeo is feeling as I could understand everything on a better level.
Sharon asked us to translate the Shakespeare to modern English as a homework task:

But wait, what’s that light in the window over there?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Rise up, beautiful sun, and kill the jealous moon.

The moon is already sick and pale with grief because you, Juliet, her maid, are more beautiful than she.

Don’t be her maid, because she is jealous.

Virginity makes her look sick and green.

Only fools hold on to their virginity.

Let it go.

Oh, there’s my lady! Oh, it is my love.

Oh, I wish she knew how much I love her.

She’s talking, but she’s not saying anything.

So what? Her eyes are saying something.

I will answer them.

I am too bold.

She’s not talking to me.

Two of the brightest stars in the whole sky had to go away on business, and they’re asking her eyes to twinkle in their places until they return.

What if her eyes were in the sky and the stars were in her head?—The brightness of her cheeks would outshine the stars the way the sun outshines a lamp.

If her eyes were in the night sky, they would shine so brightly through space that birds would start singing, thinking her light was the light of day.

Look how she leans her hand on her cheek.

Oh, I wish I was the glove on that hand so that I could touch that cheek.

Ballet 31/10/18

Singing 1/11/18

In this lesson we began to learn the song "I Get A Kick Out Of You" from the musical "Anything Goes" after completing our usual warm ups (vowel sounds, bella mama). I enjoyed this and found that it was a good song to help smooth out the break between my "chest" and "head" voice as I'd like the difference in sound between these to be a lot smoother.

Jazz and Musical Theatre 1/11/18

In this lesson we warmed up with our usual exercises and then began learning a dance choreographed by Shannon to the song "From Now On" from The Greatest Showman". In Musical Theatre we started working on a song called Cinema Italiano from the musical "Nine". The choreography is very sassy and fun with element of old-school 20s type musical theatre. This is different to things I have done before when doing Musical Theatre so getting to try a different style was interesting and exciting. I really enjoyed the choreography we began to work on. We start in a group of three and sashay across the stage with our back to the audience, then turn around and lean of the person in front of you and then walking in a sassy manner to the front of the stage. Being able to explore character and facials in this is easy and fun.

Singing 05/11/18

In this lesson we warmed up with the usual exercises we do with Charlie (breathing in for 2 counts,singing through vowel sounds for 12 counts, bella mama singing exercise) to help get better control of our breathing and make sure we were ready to sing. We then started to work on the song 'I Get A Kick Out Of You' from old musical "Anything Goes". This was a great song for me in particular as it deals with the exact note that makes me have to flip from using my "chest voice" to my "head voice". This was really useful as now I know exactly where that break is and can work on making the gap in the sound a lot smoother.

We then listened to Dylan sing Mister Cellophane from Chicago and gave constructive criticism to help him improve.

Ballet 7/11/18

In this lesson we worked on arabesque in 2nd. This is the same as the first arabesque however it is the same arm as leg as opposed to first arabesque which is opposite arm to leg. I must work on my balance on both sides and be able to hold an arabesque as I found it very frustrating when I lost my balance. We took pictures in second arabesque to see what our form looked like:

Singing 12/11/18

In this lesson Charlie focused on each of us as individuals and got us to sing one of the songs we'd worked on in class on our own. I originally chose Doh A Dear but then decided to do I Get A Kick Out Of You instead. Charlie and I agreed that I have an Alto range and should work on bridging the gap between my "head" and "chest" voice. I felt like it was really helpful to have this session as we could focus on us as individuals instead of the class as a whole.

Jazz and Musical Theatre 8/11/18

My class had Tracy for Jazz in this lesson however I missed warm up as I was in a meeting and didn't want to participate without having warmed up first. However I watched my class learn a routine to Run The World by Beyoncé which looked great with the formations Tracy put them in. We're using some of the movements they learnt in this lesson in our project piece "I Object"

Musical Theatre- In this class we continued working on Cinema Italiano. We added more choreography to what we had so far with the help of the second years and made it to the end of my section (end of the first chorus) I choreographed what I would be doing and make sure to challenge myself with more advanced choreography than what I'm used to.

Ballet 14/11/18

In this lesson we focused on jetes. Marshall and Mandy went through the different types of jetes and it was interesting to find out what all the different names meant. We then began to work on an adage including arabesques and a turn in fourth position. I really want to focus on being able to hold an arabesque for longer as I find that I struggle to keep my balance at times. However, I am now clear on what first and second arabesques mean.

Second Arabesque- Same arm and leg First Arabesque- Opposite arm and leg

Singing 15/11/18

After we did our usual warm up (vowel sounds) we started singing Christmas songs for the college Christmas e-card. We started off with silent night which was good but I found it very high and had to use my head voice most of the time however as I'm focusing on trying to strengthen this it was useful. We then did the 12 days of Christmas which was funny as we kept getting confused which days we were signing. I think silent night would probably be the better choice so far.

Jazz and Musical Theatre 15/11/18

Jazz:

I missed the beginning of the lesson as I was in a meeting but I came back in time to carry on the choreograph we'd started 2 weeks previously to the song "From Now On" from the Greatest Show". I mixed up the legs to start with but got them right after that. The choreography was quick and I tried to keep up as best as I could.

Musical Theatre:

In this class we continued working on our number, Cinema Italiano. Shannon finished choreographing my solo section and changed some of what I'd done the week before and simplified it as she thought it would be harder to sing if I'd kept the original steps.

Singing 19/11/18

Warmed up then went through all the songs in our class repertoire. "Doh A Dear", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Somewhere" and then the second years did audition prep.

Acting 20/11/18

In this lesson we worked on the Anne Frank monologue- talked about the context of the monologue, the fact that Anne wrote the diary when she has hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam during WWII. walked around the room saying the whole monologue in the way we interpreted it. chose lines, went round, connected it with a memory, put that thought into what we were saying. My line was: "

Ballet 21/11/18

In this lesson we warmed up by running around the room, skipping, doing hop jumps and an exercise were we held hands and skipped around in a circle and would skip in and out of the centre of the circle. We then did our usual barre work: grand battemond, battmond tondue, battmond glisse, battmond frappe. We then continued the adage we had begun working on, we worked on getting the first and second arabesques and turn right together on both the left and right side

Singing 22/11/18

In this lesson we warmed up with different exercises various people in the class had demonstrated previously. We then put harmonies into Silent Night. Ella & I were on the tune and managed well as we both knew the song very well. After this we worked on "Somewhere" from West Side Story. I need to work on getting the notes I sing in my "head" voice a lot stronger as the sound is a lot weaker than my chest notes.

Musical Theatre 22/11/18

In this lesson we began with a warm up which was taken by different people in the class. Ghazal led the cardio, Tilia led the joints, Ella led the strengthening (abs etc) and Marshall led the stretching. We then went straight into working on Cinema Italiano. We finished the choreography in time for the performance next week and was able to run the entire number a few times. I found the choreography was not too challenging but some sections are very fast so there's one move per beat in the song, I need to work on being able to do the move quickly enough to stay in time with both the song and the other performers. I enjoy doing the choreography as I've never really done this style before.

Singing 26/11/18

Ballet 28/11/18

Singing 29/11/18

Jazz and Musical Theatre 29/11/18

Spent as much as possible cleaning up Cinema Italiano ready to perform. We then performed both Cinema Italiano and I Object to the Level 2&3 Acting students as well as watching their pieces too.

Cinema Italiano Evaluation:

I felt as though our performance of Cinema Italiano went well. Shannon asked us to answer questions about the performance to help us to evaluate it more effectively.

1. How did you feel performing it?

I felt confident performing Cinema Italiano as we had rehearsed very effectively and I had faith that I knew what I was doing. I felt prepared performing it and I really enjoyed it while we were doing it.I also felt at ease in the space as we ran through in the number in the theatre twice before we performed.

2. What was something that surprised you while you were performing?

Something that surprised me when I was performing was the difference in space between the studio and the theatre. We ran through the number in the theatre before we performed which helped as we weren't having to adjust for the first time while performing, however, it was still surprising that we had to adjust as much as we did.

3.What's 1 thing you felt you did well during the performance?

I felt that I projected well during my solo chorus and line afterwards. I could be heard and I was able to sing it the same way I'd rehearsed it which was what I wanted. My diction was also effective and this meant everyone could not only hear me but also understand what I was singing which is vital to a effective and entertaining performance.

4. What's 1 thing you feel like you could have improved either during the rehearsal period or performance?

I feel that I could improve the speed at which I pick up choreography as often I'm slow which I know is a liability as often you have to learn routines very quickly during auditions. Shannon agreed with this and said that a higher level of concentration during choreography classes could improve this.

Singing 3/12/18

In this lesson we warmed up with our usual exercises, vowel sounds, bella mama, mini mini mar and a couple of others. We then rehearsed Silent Night ready to record on Thursday. I didn't really struggle as I know the song very well and I was on the tune so I can hit all the notes by transitioning into my "head" voice.

Ballet 5/12/18

In this lesson we warmed up by running around the room, skipping, doing hop jumps and a fun skipping exercise where we had to continually change partners which was both funny and a good task for concentration. We then did our usual barre work: grand battemond, battmond tondue, battmond glisse, battmond frappe. However, in this lesson Mandy told me to keep my outside arm on my hip as I tense my shoulders too much and this would help me focus on what my body should be doing before I put the arm back in. After this we recapped the adage (to an instrumental version of "Yesterday" by the Beatles) which consists of a first arabesque through first to second then pirouette into fourth on both the left and right sides. Unfortunately I had to leave this lesson early as I had tech rehearsals for the Christmas show I'm in this month.

Singing 6/12/18

In this lesson we did a brief warm up and the recorded Silent Night for the second year play "A Christmas Carol". We did 2 takes and listened back to the result both times. Overall I'm happy with how I sounded in the recording even though I know that my "head" voice, which I had to use to sing the highest parts of the carol, is weak in comparison to my "chest" voice.

Jazz and Musical Theatre 6/12/18

In this class we reflected on our class performance of Cinema Italiano that we did a week previously.

After reflecting we played a game- where we each picked 6 numbers from 1-15 and Shannon put on a song and told everyone who had picked that number to go and dance to the song using a word such as "happy, water, woman" as a prompt and a inspiration. I thought this was really useful as we were able to gain more confidence dancing in front of our peers and work on our free-style dancing skills because, as Shannon said, often you're asked to free-style during dance auditions and it's good to practice and hone these skills now for use in the future.

TERM 2

Ballet 9/1/19

In the first lesson of the new year we learnt about allegros:

Allegro in musicals terms= fast
Allegro in dance= an umbrella term for jumps or elevation

In Ballet allegro is split into 2 main types:

Petit allegro= small, fast
Grand allegro= big, slower, drawn-out, graceful, requires more strength

We did our normal barre exercises:

Plie
Tondue
Glisse
Rond De Jambe (Keep knee straight when passing through)
Battemond Frappe
Grand Battemond

We also learnt a new step: the "pas de chat" or "the step of the cat" in English. It is like a fast glissade. I need to ensure that the foot that lands in front stays closer to my back foot so it is in third.

Singing 10/1/19

In this lesson we warmed up with extended vowel sounds. We then moved on and did an exercise which helps breath control and snatched breathing where you singing vowel sounds to a tune and have to aim not to breathe until the exercise is over. Even if you do breathe it has to be a snatched breath as there's very little time between phrases. We then discussed and sang through major and minor pentatonic scales, again on the vowel sounds Ah Eh Ee Or Oo which helps to build the foundations of being able to riff.

We then began working on the opening song from the musical "Little Shop Of Horrors" which luckily, I had worked on in great detail before and therefore I didn't find this too difficult. We managed to put in a 3 part harmony on the word "beware", same as the soundtrack and as I remembered my harmony from the last time I did this song I didn't struggle with this. However, one thing I need to remember when doing this song is that the word "what" in the second verse is sung on the beat which is later than I think it is. I need to remember this to avoid coming in too early.

Jazz 10/1/19

In this lesson we warmed up in the usual way with 32 counts e\ch of jogging,twists and starjumps. We then moved on and did more of a conditioning work out for abs which included plank and an exercise where you lie on your back and push your hips as far up to the ceiling as possible so you're resting on your shoulders. We also stretched out our backs and arms.

We then moved on to doing a tondue exercise- plie then going forward with both legs then side with both legs. I need to remember to keep my knee straight when doing this.

We went onto a kicks exercise doing 90 degree kick to the front, full kick to the front with both legs then 90 to the side, full to the side on both legs.

We then did a turns exercise- jazz fourth then rise, jazz fourth then single and jazz fourth then double. I really need to work on my doubles as they are incredibly messy.

We moved onto a challenging arm co-ordination exercise which involved doing 4 different arm positions in a constant motion. Originally we tried to do it with our feet moving at the same time but we found this very challenging and therefore thought we could try it when we become more confident with just the arms.We the tried to do it walking and luckily, I had managed to pick up the arm movements quite easily and I didn't struggle with this at all.

We then went to the corner and did inward turns which I found less challenging that I thought I would on the right side but found incredibly difficult on the left- this was the same with my outward pirouettes so I really need to work on my left side.

Shannon then taught us a combination which was as follows: 90 degree hitchkick, full out hitchkick, turning par de boure, step ball change to the side and then a west side story jump. Ironically, the part I struggled with was the small jump at the end which got a little better the more times I did the combo however could still use some major improvement.

Overall I need to work on: my balance in turns, knowing how to change exercises and combs onto the opposite side quickly, and being able to execute steps from the left side as easily and correctly as I do on my right.

Musical Theatre 10/1/19

At the beginning of this lesson we sat down with Shannon to reflect on last term, the new year and what we would be doing this term. Shannon asked us to write down 3 goals for this year that related to dance and performing. Mine were:

Have at least 30 mins solo studio time per week
Get my right leg and box splits
Get a flat split leap and be more confident on my left side

We then discussed any fears or worries about dance, performing and what this year will bring and had an in-depth conversation about what solutions we could come up with to these problems.

Shannon then told us that the song we would be working on this term is "When You're An Addams" from the Addams Family Musical. I was really happy with this as I just finished in a show that had a version of that song and I know it well. The second years were cast as the Addams family as they haven't done a musical number with us before. We were all cast as the ancestors which meant we could create whatever character we wanted. I'm picking up the choreography much faster than last time which makes me feel much confident. I also have a solo line which is very fun as I get to explore shaky, odd movements to signify my character is literally waking up from the dead.

This was what the number looked like by the end of our first class:

I need to work on making my arms much stronger in the line dance section and do more entertaining or creative movements during my solo line.

Singing 14/1/19

In this lesson we went over Little Shop of Horrors, paying particular attention to making sure we were all singing the right harmonies on the word "beware" and the final note of the song as well as ensuring we were shouting "look out!" at the right times. We then moved onto singing "Wouldn't It Be Luverly" from My Fair Lady so we have songs in our repertoire from the Golden Age of Musical Theatre. Charlie told us to use it as an opportunity to practice a cockney accent, I found this highly enjoyable as I love playing around with accents. We also sung through Somewhere Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz.

Ballet 16/1/19

In this lesson learnt about jetes:
These all travel:
enavant- forwards
de cote- sideways
en arriere- backwards
These are done on the spot:
devant- front
derriere-back

Grand jete- big/split leap- these can go forward, sideways or backwards.

Jetes can be done with a brush- hit or swipe the floor then jump.

Petit jete- can be done with a brush but it's not as common as with a grand jete. These can be done "on tournant"- turning.

Singing 17/1/19

started Skid Row, went through Little Shop, Somewhere over the rainbow

Jazz 17/1/19

Jazz funk routine to Favorite Thing by Fleur East- picked it up faster than I thought I would but not my strongest style

Musical Theatre 17/1/19

-Continued and added on Addams. Began notation work

Singing 21/1/19

Ballet 23/1/19

Usual, started notation, worked on arabesque sequence- balance needs improvement, need to also focus on the sets during barre, rising and full plie on time etc.

Singing 24/1/19

In this class we carried working on the song "Skid Row" for our Little Shop assignment. I found myself being more confident on my solo section the more we went through it however, I really need to work on the higher parts of this section, as I'm singing an octave higher than the boy who would be playing Seymour it can be challenging to hit the higher notes and still make the sound consistent with the lower part of my voice. We then started Da Doo- I need to know the timings and what lines are where even though I don't sing in this song.

I need to learn my lines for Da-Doo and work on my solo section during Skid Row as my voice kept cracking which was frustrating as I know that I can and have done so much better than that.

No Jazz or Musical Theatre due to trip to see Curious Incident

Singing 28/1/19

In this lesson we ran through our Little Shop of Horrors songs. I'm fully confident with the Prologue now and can easily sing through this without any mistakes. I know that Skid Row needs to be cleaned a bit, I need to be more confident on my solo section and make sure I'm keeping my sound strong as I'm the only person singing my part and the rest of my class is singing over me so I need to ensure I can still be heard over them. Charlie and I then went through Grow For Me which I sing as a solo. As I'm singing an octave higher than where the normal male singer is it is quite hard to hit some of the notes but I'm to keep working on it at home and see if I can make the transition between my chest voice and head voice smoother.

Acting 29/1/19

In our first acting lesson of the new year we read through the Little Shop of Horrors script together making sure we did so in American accents as this will be how we have to perform it when we have our assessment. Monique then gave us each a hot seat question, she asked me about why I worked for Mr Mushnik, as I know the musical quite well I found this quite easy and really enjoyable as I feel acting is my strongest suit. We then began to block the number Skid row and the scenes between the other songs in the scenes we're doing.

Ballet 30/1/19

We started this lesson with the same wall turn out exercise as we did last week. I don't find this too difficult but it's very helpful in showing you what muscles should be engaged to hold as good a turnout as possible. On the barre we focused on demi grande ronds de jambes. We were put into pairs to critique each others developé derrièr.

We worked on arabesques in the middle and recapped en face, en croisé and une effacé. We then went onto pirouettes en dedans, landing in fourth position ready to do another pirouette on the other leg. I found it really difficult to land with the foot in front so I was ready to turn the other way so I know I need to work on this. I also need to work on my spotting as my pirouettes are good but they would be much neater and better to watch if I did this. We then went around in a circle practicing sliding into fourth position on both sides using the correct arms in third position.

Singing 31/1/19

In this lesson we went through all the songs that we'd recently added to our repertoire. We went through Little Shop of Horrors and Skid Row, I need to make sure I memorise which order the lyrics come in during my solo and duet sections. We then went through Somewhere Over The Rainbow which is very high but it's good to help me bridge the gap between my "head" and "chest" voice. We then moved onto Wouldn't It Be Luverly and Anything Goes. We sang Anything Goes in a different key than what I'm used to hearing in the ordinal and the class struggled to keep in tune so Charlie played it in the original key and this sounded much better and made it easier to sing.

Jazz 31/1/19

We started this lesson with a hardcore fitness workout followed by a long stretch for flexibility. I found the cardio section of the warm up a little challenging but I pushed myself to do all the exercises full out. We then moved on and did:

Par de bourre exercise with turns and rises.
Balance exercise in fondu
Open par de bourre with single and double turns
Front, side and back kick combo
Swish and flick leaps- My arms and legs need work
Turning leaps- This was the first time we'd attempted these and they definitely need a lot of work.

Musical Theatre 31/1/19

In this class we discussed what costumes we could wear for our Addams family number. All 1st years are playing ancestors. We decided that we will wear grey or black old looking clothes, possibly with different layers or ripped up and on our feet we'll just have jazz shoes. Our hair is going to styled to look messy and unkempt. After this we continued the Addams family number.

Singing 4/2/19

In this lesson we went through the end section of Skid Row and cleaned it, focusing on the final note. There is a 2 part harmony on that note and Ella and I have to make sure that we are strong enough to be heard over the 6 other people singing the higher note. We then staged it and sang through it properly.

Acting 5/2/19

In this class we began with reading through the first scene of Little Shop Of Horrors. We then began to stage and run through every scene as we hadn't done this in detail previously. Monique told us that Ella, Rina and I need to be more aware of our spacing as we have a tendency to stand too close to each other during our scenes and it makes us seem much more closed off to the audience. Monique also told us that we had to learn our lines by next week so we could work on our actual characterisation more as it's harder to do this when you don't know the lines yet. To help with characterisation every character was hot seated. Monique asked me (as Seymour) about my feelings for Audrey, my job at Mushnik's shop and my plans for the future. The fact that I've watched the film and listened to the soundtrack multiple times really helped with giving answers that were as true to Seymour as I could.

Ballet 6/2/19

Today started with the turn out wall exercise. We then went on to warm up in the usual way with:

Plie
Tondue
Glisse
Rond De Jambe
Battemond Frappe
Grand Battemond

In the centre we practiced pirouettes en dedans. To prepare for this we did an exercise where we had to balance on releve whilst your partner held your waist to keep you centered.This was really useful to practice the position you should be in mid-priouette. We then did both single and double pirouettes. I can do singles however I need to remember to land with my foot in front so I'm in the correct position to turn the opposite way.

We began learning the ballroom scene from Romeo and Juliet. I am one of the boys as I'm among the tallest in the class. Luckily the steps aren't too difficult but it's important to remember small details like which arm changes when or which way you're turning so you stay in sync with the other people dancing your part.

Singing 7/2/19

In this lesson we warmed up like usual and then went through Anything Goes in the original key. We worked on this last week in a different key and I much prefer the original, it's lower and much easier to sing. I really enjoy singing this song and it's a great older musical theatre song to put in our repertoire. We then went through Somewhere Over The Rainbow. This song is great for strengthening my head voice as I can sing very little of it in my stronger chest voice. We then went over our Little Shop numbers. My solo section in Skid Row is sounding much stronger- I know where I need to flip to my head voice and I'm not cracking anymore. I need to go away and work on Grow For Me independently, as it's an octave above the usual way it's sung as it's a mans song, I need to ensure that the break in the higher sections of the song still sound consistent with my chest voice. It sounds better than the last time I worked on it however it could be so much better. This will be a particular focus for me during half term.

Jazz 7/2/19

In this lesson we started off with a warm up that was focused on strength and flexibility, I found some of this to be challenging as I lack strength in my core and arms in particular so I had to really push myself in order to be able to complete these exercises. I think my core strength has improved since doing more jazz. The flexibility aspect wasn't as difficult as I'm quite flexible. We then did a swing exercise, swinging forward and sideways before adding in a jump. I didn't find this challenging however I did need to remember to breathe correctly to avoid getting light headed. We then went to the barre and worked on Y-stands which requires a great deal of flexibility, I was able to do this pretty easily and could hold my foot instead of my calf. I would like to work on being able to do this with right leg as my left leg is much more flexible than my right. We then moved onto travelling sequences:

Par de bourre- turning and normal
Circular spring with sideways step ball change jump
Triple runs arms throwing in retire
Step kick with a hitchkick and turning par de bourre
Triple runs with single and double pirouettes

Shannon gave us all one general goal to work towards. Mine is to to try and pick up exercises quicker. Although this has improved since the start of the year I know I have a way to go yet.

Musical Theatre 7/2/19

In this class we went over "When You're An Addams" which we had completed the week before. We then began learning a routine to I Hope I Get It from the musical A Chorus Line:

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