How did I show perseverance/resilience/commitment in this activity? What actions did I take to overcome challenges?  One of the major challenges halfway through the year was that the dance instructor I usually dance with broke away from Studio De S, and started holding private lessons. This meant that weekly, regular dance classes became sporadic and request-based. However, staying committed via messaging my teacher and regularly requesting songs allowed me to continue dancing. Also, after a brief period away from Studio De S, I decided to also continue dancing there in order to ensure that I could stay committed to the activity.    How has my involvement in this activity made me aware of my strengths and areas for growth? How can I use the skills I developed in this activity in other areas of my life? I improved a lot of my control and power in this activity. I also found that dancing a lot more inspired me further to attempt to choreograph some dances for myself using learned ideas about shape, as well as participate more in dance activities at school. I also want to start up an alternative social media account for dance covers where I can organise my own stage outfits, makeup, etc. and record at home. I have a lot of ideas, so in the future even after finishing the IB I hope I can pursue these opportunities. 

First Half Term Reflection: Studio De S Dance What am I good at? What are my strengths?  When it comes to dance, I find that I most enjoy styles like popping or locking, and I specifically like hip-hop dance styles. Every class, I try to hone my isolations to get clear, sharp movements delivered with impact.    What would I like to improve?  I would actually like to improve my fluidity and flexibility as a dancer. Because of my fondness for sharp, pronounced movements, I feel like I haven’t explored genres such as contemporary dance at all. I feel like this would broaden my range as a dancer.    How has my involvement in this activity made me aware of my strengths and areas for growth? By trying out lots of different songs and genres I have discovered what kind of choreographies I find easier to pick up. For example, in YooA’s Bon Voyage (see here for video) I can execute the hip movements with relative ease, but the fast paced hand movements requiring better coordination skills I found a lot harder. The more fluid part at the end also felt very unfamiliar to me, letting me know how I can improve as a dancer.    Have I improved and in what areas? How do I know?  I find that with each song I do, I find myself picking up choreography faster and faster, and I also find myself being more able to add variations and flair to my movements. For example, in the ITZY Not Shy cover, during the chorus (starting 0:50, I am wearing a yellow top) I tried to add some extra pops with my chest in the middle of the waves to add some dynamics. I know that I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do that before practicing for that song.    Why have I struggled in some areas? I think that I struggle a bit with the contemporary dance style because the dance style I grew up learning was actually hip-hop. I took classes from a young age, and therefore are more familiar and comfortable with that style. It also means that I develop skills used more often in hip-hop than faster.    What was it about this activity that I found challenging/difficult?  With all my dance covers, I find hairography also pretty challenging. I have long hair, and that requires a little more force to manipulate, and I don’t think I’ve found the right balance yet.    What actions did I take to overcome these challenges?  I try my best to practice hair flips, as well as study videos on hairography. I regularly stretch my neck to allow ease in maneuvering my hair. I have found that practicing at lesser speeds first helps me a lot.    Were there challenges that I could not overcome? Why/why not? I’m still not completely comfortable with hairography! I think this is more of a long-term goal (and my neck hurted a lot after I finished dancing) so I think there’s definitely some things I can continue to improve. I also want to improve my stamina.    How will I approach a challenge like this in the future?  Lots of practice! Things like these take a long time to develop, so I just want to keep dancing!    How did I measure my improvement?  By comparing the videos over time, I’m able to see how my technique develops! I can also reflect on each song and what was difficult for me and see whether I still feel the same after doing another song.    Thank you for reading!