Blog five - My Personal Development.
Over the course of my previous Blogs I have recorded and tracked my Progress in Set Targets that I placed myself in order to improve myself as an individual and a performer. I have Evidently produced a defining result in each evaluation exploring and reflecting back to my practice sessions and how the action I take plays an integral role in the form of my development. From the beginning of my development process I have aspired to produce exceptional levels of technique that directly include Acting, Singing and Dance in order to allow myself to become a more Diverse Performer which will inevitably increase my chances of success as a Performer within my chosen Industry.
Within my last Blog I addressed the Methods of training I had been using in order to achive specific targets such as demonstrating Emotion whilst singing as well as vowel pronunciation, Breath control and Flexibility. I quickly discovered that if I am to make clear progression I must prioritise a single target within a time frame that allows me to Solely focus on that one target alone instead of dividing my focus unfairly and hindering my Progress. Once I began working with my Emended schedule and focusing on one of my set targets each week, I was able to challenge myself further as I felt comfortable with the progress I had made. I had explored new techniques that would allow me to further demonstrate emotion as well as how to advance correctly and safely with breath control when facing my new checkpoint of 45 seconds. I am able to understand that 45 seconds is a prolonged time to hold a note or your own breath therefore I explored advanced techniques to improve this skill gradually, this process included practicing diaphragmatic breathing and resistance exercises which entailed holding my breath whilst singing. This was initially challenging however as I contined to spend more time learning how to use this technique I found I was able to gradually find more comfort and less strain in my voice and throat.
When training in Performing Arts I consistently approach new methods of practice that lead to me accomplishing any target I set, for example I am confident that my back is muscular and flexible and because of this I am able to practice lightly rocking back and forth whilst in a Bridge/Crab position which is the position I land in before pulling up from a forwards walk over this technique allows me to properly stretch my back and find the correct momentum I need to ensure I am able to complete the trick safely. I began exploring this method of practice as during a previous method exploration session I had caused a slight pain to my leg surrounding my calf due to the impact that I created when landing this of course lead to me taking an appropriate pause in this chosen skills development and I then had the time to priorities other skills and come back to my Acrobatic exploration when my body felt ready.
The clip above demonstrates my current progress accordingly as I now have more control over my body and security within my movement and preparation as I understand that if I throw myself too harshly into any movement I could potentially cause further damage.
I began exploring character and emotion portrayal through song in a new depth as I continued to read songs as monologues, however in order to amplify the effectiveness of this technique I had heavily introduced movement and facial expression as well as context such as how I know my characters emotions and my surroundings a key example of how I use this skill is in my constant rehursals of my upcoming original musical. Due to the intensity rehursal process and the expectation I hold myself to I have access to a wider range of time then I previously anticipated to explore my voice and achive my target of characterisation. I have also continued to further this skill and target within my extra curricular Singing Lessons.
After assessing my weekly progress I have became aware of what methods of development do and don't work for me. An example that continues to stand out to me is overstretching, I personally find it difficult to know when my body has reached a point of maximum durability and therefore that makes me vulnerable to potential injuries such as damaging muscle fibers or Injuring connective tissues that support my joints, after experiencing this and seeking help I found I had a reduced range of motion which made it considerably harder to produce my forwards walkover to it's full potential.
I understand that my targets are a personal preference and are most likely different from an individual who prioritises one particular pathway within the industry however by having a wide range of different targets and addressing three different pathways being: Acting, Dancing, Singing, I am able to aid any choice I chose to make in the future regarding upcoming performances as I have made advancements in what I am capable of producing and putting myself forward for this grants me exposure and more insight into what I will be producing further on in the industry. As I develop I am gaining the confidence to address myself as a versatile performer which means that I am able to adapt to different roles and performance styles, which makes me a valuable asset to my performances and class work as I will be able to understudy or take on the position of any aspect within a performance.
As I conclude my final year of college I have made further advancements in regards of my professional Portfolio, this includes constructing a showreel that highlights aspects of performance I would consider myself highly proficient in as within my selected video clips I can be seen developing my acting capabilities as well as a clear demonstration of my full bodies access to flexibility. Producing a showreel was beneficial in regards to tracking my progress as I was able to highlight my own strengths and weaknesses, from this I have been able to gain an unavoidable insight into which skill I needed to develop further in which case I understood that my lack of footage surrounding acting meant this is an area I need to priorities currently to be deemed more marketable. I Intend to achive this by recording self tapes and exploring different monologue styles.
Future targets I am setting for myself entail more practical exploration of my industry such as continuing to attend my Private singing lessons weekly as well as exploring the possibility in partaking in local acting classes as this will gradually improve my skills surrounding acting and singing and allow me to apply a new confidence to any audition I advance in. auditioning for local theatre productions helps me to gain experience and exposure in the performing community both on and offline which provides me with evidence for my Performance portfolio. These targets will prove effective and beneficial as an aspiring performer as I will constantly be developing my craft and meeting a new criteria.
