Task 2D Inquiry

I will start by considering the following things to find my themes/inquiry.
Music is my motivation in choreography and creativity in general. It inspires a lot of people, but for different things and in different ways.

Music is what makes me enthusiastic and the way it makes me feel to which I then go on to using it for my art=choreography. Whenever I hear a song that I really like, on the radio or in a shop or a website, I use the application; Shazam on my phone to find out what the song is and whom it is by. I then go on to researching more songs by this person to see if the song was just a fluke or one of many great songs that can influence my choreography. I found an album by Emmy Rossum a few years ago from hearing a clip of one of her songs called Slow me down on a random website (see YouTube clip). The song hit me instantly and I knew I wanted to choreograph to it. I went on to YouTube to find out whether the album was worth buying or whether it was the only good song on the album, and luckily it wasn't. Here is the link on Amazon where you can hear the clips of the songs, they are very unique: http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Out-Emmy-Rossum/dp/B000W7Y1LK Let me know what you think as I'm quite curious of other peoples' view of this rather fascinating album. I know that we are all different and have different incentives.

I admire my family very much. My mother and brother both have the same ways of thinking as I do. I often watch my mother searching for a piece of music she can use with her orchestra that is either unique, touching or dramatic. It is harder for her as classical music isn't played everywhere you go in society, so she really has to work hard to find something that strikes her attention, but when she finds one, it really is a good piece. Her orchestra stands out in the concerts. She loves her job even if most of the time it stresses her out. My brother, who is also a music and performing arts teacher, uses music as an influence for his school performances. I've been to his shows and they truly are unforgettable, and I promise that I'm not being biased. I hear parents' comment on how clever the performances were and how it'll be hard to beat the next year.

The things that make me sad and angry are how the performing arts business can be incredibly artificial. I think the thing that is very relevant to this is auditions. We have all been there. We walk into an audition and we notice the fake atmosphere all around. We also notice that the casting director has already pointed out who they want before the audition even begins. It's incredibly annoying and heartbreaking at the same time. We walk into an audition expecting to be judged on our performance and technique, yet even though this is what is stated by the casting director, we know deep down that it's all about image. The performing arts can be an incredibly harsh environment, but I think it's what makes most performers so strong when it comes to accepting criticism. These kind of auditions we can live with as we know that it is all about image, and it's obvious that they know exactly what they are looking for, and on that day, we just don't have the image that they want. As well as auditions, the artificial aura is everywhere from Television to Magazines. It's such a shame how 'mirage like' auditions are and how people get famous through lies and just knowing certain people. I am not a fan of shows that have terrible actors/actresses and are improvised. They just come across as very unbelievable. I admire Zooey Deschanel from New Girl. She said; "..If it doesn't feel true, I don't want to do it. Things that are too dramatic scare me. I think that's why I don't always fit into the world of Performing arts." http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/z/zooeydesch418384.html

 

 From that quote I get the impression that she is a realistic person, and I'm very sure she wouldn't do any show that wasn't comfortable such as these unrealistic, improvised TV shows. She inspires me because she is so normal and seems to take the fake performing arts world in her stride and carries on. I too don't always fit in to the performing arts world which is another reason why I greatly esteem her. I think it's why I strayed away from the performing side and have gone towards teaching. Teaching in schools and clubs is a lot more unpretentious and I want to inspire children to perform in a different way by being more down to earth. I've always wanted to teach anyway, but I always expected to teach dance with a more professional group of people rather than near beginners. It's the false atmosphere of stereotypical professionals that changed my mind on whom I wanted to teach. Deschanel stays clear of the stuff that is too dramatic and that makes her unhappy, and so do I.

Within teaching and choreography I can express my tacit knowledge and I can watch my efforts come to a remarkable achievement. I love these things in what I do, expressing my imagination through dance and teaching it, then seeing how it ends. I love to see the children improve and start realizing their own goals. Teaching is fulfilling (which is a lot more than I can say for my job in retail). I want to be an inspiration in dance choreography and how I go about it through music. I do believe that to perform or choreograph well, you must love every aspect of it; the music, how it makes you feel, how the movements flow, the expression, how it can captivate the viewers etc. Michael Jackson has been my inspiration since I was five years old. His music is captivating to me and his dancing is wonderful. It's not hard to see how much he enjoyed his dancing and his music. His choreography was brilliant, how every movement was like a side-kick to the different parts of the music and how the movements linked together so well. Check out his routine at the MTV Awards. This wouldn't have worked half as well without music.

 

His expression was so moving and you can feel the passion that he has for his work. So many people would have loved to work along side him, performing his genius work. I for one would have exulted in it! Just like he did, I want to share my passion. He will continue to be my inspiration even though his journey in this life came to an end.

There are many things that I don't understand like how choreographers can choreograph without music as inspiration. I'd love to swap minds with another choreographer for the day to see how they get inspired without music. To be honest, it isn't only music that can inspire me, it can be films too or books that I've read or even a painting which can spark an idea. But at the end of it all, I still turn to music as my top motivation. Perhaps I can try choreographing without music and just go with my initial idea? I know that I will find it incredibly hard to do so, but it could surprise me on how much I might enjoy it. Without giving it a go, I guess I would carry on being quite small minded on the matter. Both my Brother and I love to be creative, and we both share the same views on this. He says that our way of choreography can captivate most people whereas some other ways of choreography can only attract the odd number of people. I think if you have a very visual mind, and enjoy art (as in paintings or structures) the type of choreography that employs mainly shapes and designs will attract you the most. Whereas if you enjoy sounds and visual at the same time, the way in which I and many others choreograph will attract you more. It's so hard to say this with real assurance because I'm only going on what I believe. Perhaps I've got it right? Below is a video of some choreography without music.

 

When I'm deciding an appropriate response, I've always gone with approaches that have worked best for me in the past. With dance colleagues there's a lot more physical contact than there is in for example an office job or retail. It's weird to think that in different professions there are different, so-called appropriate ways to act with fellow colleagues. I couldn't say for sure if having innocent physical contact in the performing arts is right or wrong, it just seems okay. I've never been told or heard anybody else be told that it is weird or wrong, I think it's just generally a more comfortable environment for most in the performing arts profession. 

Of course in the world of teaching, things are a lot more strict when it comes to responses and especially physical contact with students. This is something that has obviously changed dramatically over the years in education due to terrible events that have occurred. Employment in the teaching world has naturally become more strict too. Here is an example of why discipline in schools has changed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-13292351

When it comes to disciplinary responses, in society I expect a high percentage of people that 'kick off' over some very unnecessary  things. My approach in any situation is to stay calm. Every time that I've kept calm in any situation, the outcome is always a decent one. If I feel somebody is trying to give me a bad day just because they are, I keep smiling, and their efforts to try and put me down seem to decline.

I am very new to world of teaching, and I only teach on Saturdays but there will be so many questions that will occur, and I will learn the answers for the questions as I go along. My Mother has been a Primary school teacher and has been teaching the Violin to four to sixteen year old's for many years now. She has told me many times that 'Learning to be a good teacher comes in time. Some methods work for others in the way they teach a subject and how they discipline the students. By all means try out these methods for yourself, but in the end you'll figure out the best methods for you and most of them will just come from experience.'  

So after considering all of these things for my inquiry there are naturally many questions that occur such as:

• How do bad choreographers seem to succeed?
• Why does the performing arts industry urge professionals to be pretentious?
• What other things are there that inspire choreography?
• What websites are there that could give more music ideas that suit my approach to choreography?
• What events have occurred that makes the act of discipline so weak nowadays in schools?
• Why is physical contact not as disciplined in the performing arts?

I'm definitely skeptical about my personal sense of appropriate behaviour. How I handle my students? My fellow teachers? Customers in retail? If I were to reflect back on my lessons, I do not touch the students in any way, but I do have more contact with my co-worker such as; a pat on the back or a tap on the shoulder. Is this okay? With customers in retail, I do not touch them, but some of them seem to think that it's fine to pat me on the back as a thank you. I think this is definitely inappropriate but there is not a lot you can do. Luckily retail isn't something I want to succeed in.

I seem to talk about music, teaching and choreography the most. My ideas definitely come from these themes. I think about using illusions as a part of choreography. I can research different illusion objects and gadgets or even magicians and try to merge them into my way of choreography. I also think about Rock music. I haven't seen many dances that are performed to rock music. I love soft rock and some classic rock hits and they seem to get me up on my feet more than some pop songs. I have many friends who love dance and are into rock music and I'd love to attempt a dance routine to a song by Nickelback; When we stand together. It has quite a funky beat and I can visualize a powerful troupe dance to it.

I know that the deeper I go into this course the more ideas will emerge.
This is something I will reflect back on later in the course.

'Keeeeep Blogging' 

I'm into sincerity in music and sincerity in art. If it doesn't feel true, I don't want to do it. Things that are too dramatic scare me. I think that's why I don't always fit into the world of performing arts.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/z/zooeydesch418384.html#GbQUPBUwOsHqMe4c.99

I'm into sincerity in music and sincerity in art. If it doesn't feel true, I don't want to do it. Things that are too dramatic scare me. I think that's why I don't always fit into the world of performing arts.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/z/zooeydesch418384.html#GbQUPBUwOsHqMe4c.99

I'm into sincerity in music and sincerity in art. If it doesn't feel true, I don't want to do it. Things that are too dramatic scare me. I think that's why I don't always fit into the world of performing arts.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/z/zooeydesch418384.html#GbQUPBUwOsHqMe4c.99

I'm into sincerity in music and sincerity in art. If it doesn't feel true, I don't want to do it. Things that are too dramatic scare me. I think that's why I don't always fit into the world of performing arts.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/z/zooeydesch418384.html#GbQUPBUwOsHqMe4c.99