Reflection 1
Learning Outcome(s):
1: Identify their own strengths and develop areas for growth.
2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
Our school holds an annual performance called ‘Culturama’ that celebrates the diversity of different cultures in our community through different dances that represent different countries. It is a great opportunity for students to learn more about cultures that may have been foreign to them and bring our community closer together while, of course, making great high school memories. Auditions to represent each country are held, and all high schoolers are encouraged to try out. Last year, I participated in Culturama (representing China), and it was an amazing experience. This year, I auditioned again and was fortunate enough to have been selected to represent Ghana. I am currently attending rehearsals every Thursday during lunch, and it has been an extremely enjoyable experience.
Dance is an activity that I greatly enjoy. It helps me reduce stress and participation in school dance productions keeps me involved in more than just academics, allowing me to make the most of my time in high school. Although I am not a professional dancer, dance is a hobby that I have pursued since I was a child. I find that I am better at slower paced dances, while dances that are more fast-paced and energetic are a challenge for me. Due to this reason, I am finding the choreography for Ghana difficult due to its fast pace. Currently, we are working mainly on learning and memorizing our steps, and a lot of the steps are a bit difficult for me to grasp. However, despite the difficulty in learning the choreography, I find the dance energetic and fun. I have noticed that, apart from learning the steps, we also need to bring a certain kind of energy (an easy going, fun kind of attitude) to the dance in order to accurately capture the essence of Ghanaian dance.
As can be seen in the video, I am having difficulty recalling the steps since they are quite new to me. Moreover, the nerves from being filmed dancing for the first time also resulted in my messing up the steps. However, over time and with lots of practice, I have gotten better at the choreography and am becoming more confident in expressing myself. I have learnt that dance is not always about being perfect; what is important is that we are able to learn and bounce back from our mistakes. Our close knit team has also played a significant part in helping me gain confidence: the encouragement and friendly and safe environment provided by my teammates have provided me with a comfortable space to develop my dance skills.