LO1 and LO5: After having been through the experience of performing in a dance event in the form of Culturama, I felt I wanted to explore this newly discovered passion for performing in a group more. Dance showcase presented itself as the perfect opportunity for this and I got another chance to grow my salsa skills. Mr. Ken ran the activity ‘Cuban Salsa’ for the dance showcase and he was also my computer science teacher. After he saw Culturama he asked me to join his activity and this started another experience of making new friends and growing just like Culturama.
However, the dance showcase was a show centered around the elements of dance and therefore, I expected it to be more rigorous and one that seeks perfection in dance. On the contrary, as it was organized by teachers and only students interested in the dance form joined I felt like the Dance showcase experience was more organised and even though our dance was one that required higher skill compared to my previous dance during Culturama, there was an element of ease and lightheartedness. This absence of pressure and the longer time we had helped us be creative as a group too. There were many occasions where group members would suggest a certain movement sequence to Mr. Ken and he would accommodate it in his idea of how the dance should play out. There were some instances where I would make some suggestions with my partner and we would all add our own insights into it to create something that was truly mesmerising and embodied our enjoyment and passion. Through regular practice, I learned how to loosen up my movements and soon I was able to dance in a manner that looked much more natural and expressive. Through the experience, I also gained a lot of confidence as my partner was a very avid dancer who would practice with me while giving me tips on how to improve. The experience overall was one of learning, fun, and growth. I was able to develop the ability to picturise how a step I performed looked from the view of the audience and that gave me the ability to create.
Pictures from the rehearsals and show:
