Practical Development Portfolio

Introduction

Since September, I have noticed significant improvement and areas that need further development in all aspects of my work in both technical skill and performance ability. My attitude to how I approach my lesson and processing information has changed significantly. I have learnt new ways to approach my voice and have been working on a ‘legit’ style. In dance, I have built a foundation of technique and terminology that is key to my growth in tap, jazz and ballet. I have also been working on my discipline to apply and practise what I’ve learnt outside of classes. In my portfolio, I will reflect upon my progress over the year by identifying my strengths and weaknesses as well as outlining the processes which aided me. By identifying my weaknesses, I can set targets for future development that I can work on over the summer and in second year.

Dance

Starting first year, I was nervous about all aspects of dance from having little to no knowledge of technique or style. It was fair to say I was beginning with a completely clean slate. In addition to this, because this was a new art form to me, I knew that picking up and comprehending technique and routines in class was going to be challenging. Therefore, one of my main objectives of the year was to gain a sufficient foundation of skill that I could build upon.

Jazz

Jazz dance is the only style I was a little familiar with before coming to the conservatoire. However, I had little to no knowledge of any technique required. In Jazz Performance, led by Damien Poole, I was taught one audition routine a week which would be performed at a mock audition at the end of the class. I really enjoyed this class. Due to the class being performance based, I could work on my character development and implement my technique learned in Jazz Tech, with Laurie Scarth. Throughout the year, the routines became progressively more advanced. We began with the West End choreography to ‘What’s Up Duloc’ from ‘Shrek the musical’[1]-which I found the easiest as character performance of the robotic movements and unnerving grins of the character were so melodramatic that this routine didn’t have a great deal of technique. I really enjoyed this routine as it was a nice to break through my insecurities of being in a new class. However, this routine was relatively short. Therefore, I really wanted to develop my pick-up skills. Usually, it would take me a couple of days to learn the choreography to an adequate level. Due to the routines getting progressively complex and longer, I notice my pick-up skills have improved significantly.

Jazz Tech also played a part in supporting my confidence in these classes. Through the first semester, I noticed a rapid improvement in my flexibility and being able to incorporate technical details, such as a pointed foot[2], with out having to thing about it- one noticeable improvement are my chainé[3] turns as I practise my spotting. I can tell the exercises across the floor and in the centre are making routines easier to pick up. Another aspect of my Jazz Tech class is the warm up. I felt this improved both my fitness and my discipline. This is a combination of a cardio exercise and stretching all my vital muscles to avoid injury. My knowledge I’ve gained form the class – of knowing what muscles to stretch and how to healthily – has been crucial in all aspects of training in and outside of classes. This class gave me a bank exercises which I can use so I can warm up myself in the professional world and even develop a personalised warm up routine. The cardio warm up improved my discipline a lot as it was physically challenging so it made me really push myself to the end. Due to this,  I would already feel a great sense of achievement and was a good mental reset from outside the class into a working space. One aspect that is a continuous challenge is how I carry my arms and support my posture. My arms tend to be quite loose and aren’t very strong. I intend to employ aspects of my port de bras[4] and body alignment from ballet to help me with this.

Overall in Jazz, I have come a long way from where I started. I have benefited from the confidence of knowing that dance is something that I’m not too afraid of anymore. This has come from the work drive in Laurie’s class and the constructive and encouraging feedback in Damien’s auditions. Moving into second year, I would like to work on the details in my technique. Features such as, lowered shoulders, sharp and precises movements in routines are something I still need to work on which is often mentioned to me in these classes. Physically, I want to work on my flexibility and endurance. This is something that I haven’t touched upon yet in my practise as I have been focusing on the fundamentals, however, I plan to integrate further efforts of this into my day outside of class. Once I achieve the sound technique and fitness, it will enable me to develop my catalogue of tricks and moves- so I can enhance my skill set and present bold offerings in front of an audition panel.

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Ballet

In my lessons with Christina Barlow, I have learnt the initial technique of classical ballet. In this class, I have worked on basic movements and positions at the barre as well as my ballet terminology. Ballet has been one of my favourite disciplines of dance. I really benefited from the practice and structure of a traditional genre, with there being a right or wrong way to do things. Whereas jazz, while there is an element of precision, is bolder and has a wider scope of individual expression. Due to this, I felt to be at an advantage with having no prior experience as I could imbed the crucial details into my technique straight away. Due to this I have seen a big improvement in my understanding of ballet and this has driven my progression. For example, I know that fondue means to melt, so whenever that instruction is given, I know that my motion needs to be smooth and gradual movement- such as a fondue developpe[5]- where I bend the supporting leg. I have also noticed improvement in other fundamentals such as lifting out of my spine and ballet disciplines such as turning into the barre when changing sides. This supports my concentration in class, as I’m not panicking or having to be picked up on small inaccuracies- further driving my improvement because I can work on refining my technique. One of my main challenges was combining pieces of technique together for routines or other complex steps such as a glissade[6]. So this is what I have been focusing on in my practise. Further improvement needs to be made in my balance and posture. This has affected my ability to transfer my weight and perform pirouettes[7] in ballet, especially in the centre. As previously mentioned, my posture effects how I hold myself in Jazz, so improving this in ballet will support performance across my skill set. To combat this, I have been working hard on using my inner-thigh muscles and core to support me. A couple of tips Christina gave me, for example in a rise, is to imagine my head is being pulled up by a string. This helps me adjust my body alignment by focusing on lifting myself with my whole body instead of thinking about the pain in my feet and calves. Another tip was to imagine I was blowing out a candle. This helps to engage the core and give me another way to avoid panicking about toppling over.

From working on these areas, this will aid my focus on my presentation and creating a performance in my second year. It will also enable me to move onto attempting more challenging foot positions, such as fifth in my rise[8] and pirouettes. Another aim of my second year, is to build upon my strength in my arms and core. I aim to improve this my including a dedicated arm and core workout into my fitness outside of class. I believe that with most of the foundations I have learnt this year, it will help me become stronger and confident ballet dancer.

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Tap

In my tap lessons, with Harriet Spence and Jessica Murray, I learnt a lot about rhythm, body control and the different genres of tap. In my lessons with Jess, I worked on technique and develop my fundamental skills. I began by learning about the tap shoes and how they can make different sounds. The heel makes a deep and heavy sound, while the ball of the shoe made a louder and sharper sound. This was important to create a variety of percussive sounds. This was then further developed in my classes with Harriet, with working on choreography. With this, came the combination of technique and musicality- as well as some new steps, complex steps such as a pull back.

Beginning first year, tap was the dance form I feared the most. I had no basic knowledge at all and was apprehensive to believe that I could even attempt tap. This effected my motivation and attitude inside and outside of class. Because of my lack of confidence, it led to me being often overwhelmed by the combination an information overload and the loud noise of a dozen taps shoes firing off at once. I have been wearing earplugs which have helped dampen the noise so I can focus.  But due to this, my progression has been pretty slow. However, tap has grown on me and I’ve started to become more confident. At the beginning of the second semester, Jess had really helped me put into perspective how much I have actually learnt so far. Jess’s lessons really helped me as we had the time to break down tap to the core. For example, I learnt that it’s the body that makes does that dancing and the shoes are just a highlight the rhythms. For instance, we worked a lot on grounding, relaxing and moving the body to the music. I began working on this by bending my knees, swaying to the music to establish an internal metre and using my weight to aid the relaxation of my ankles.

Having this process gave me a better understanding of how to approach steps. I am now enjoying lessons with an open-minded attitude to ask for help or shown to me in a way I understand it. A significant improvement I have noticed is in my weight management. This has supported my placement and control of my feet and has helped my with steps such as a pick up, used extensively in the Shim Sham[9]. With these techniques in mind, I began enjoying choreography a lot more. My first routine consisted of a combination of different cramp-rolls[10]. This is a ‘toe-toe-heel-heel’ step which required the weight management learnt. I first couldn’t understand how to do the step at tempo but Harriet taught me that I had to keep my weight forward so that I could easily drop onto the ‘heel-heel’. Understanding the context and stories behind tap dancing has also helped my motivation as I am actively pursuing in the art form because I’m attentive in classes.

My pick-up skills in this class are something I really want to work on. I struggle to combine technique, making it difficult to rehearse the routines in class. Therefore, when I’m practising outside of class, I spend most of my time learning the choreography instead of refining the steps and practising my musicality. This then often keeps me behind in classes which limits my absorption of information, from being a class behind. This is something I would really benefit from working on in second year.

To conclude my tap progression, I still feel that it is my weaker dance form. I aim to work on tap by drilling the steps in my own time. This will help in lessons because I will be able to work on all the other aspects, such as musicality and form, instead dwelling on the footwork. I also want to record myself at the end of every lesson, so I don’t have to waste time on remembering the routines and can polish up my technique.

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Singing

Starting first year, I had one main goal I wanted to achieve this year. I wanted to start from the beginning. My previous experience with singing has been mostly classical but my experience in musical theatre has been very contemporary. This meant that I sang with a mixture of techniques and styles which didn’t fit a musical theatre genre. So I wanted to clarify what methods and techniques are used for when singing musical theatre.

Legit

In my singing lessons, with Kathy Taylor-Jones, I have been working on my ‘legit’ style[11]. I have been solely on Golden Age[12] repertoire because this is the era a legit musical theatre sound was established. Legit also has all the foundational technique I need to build upon when I move onto different styles. Therefore, I made this the focus of my first year.

To create this sound, I worked on how to improve my resonance and placement. A legit sound is very rich and strident. To develop this, I first began working on my breath control. I used a variety of exercises that engaged and utilised my diaphragm. Once exercise I found the most helpful was quickly sniffing out my nose, onto a sliding fifth and releasing my core to create a snatch breath. Not only did this make a relaxed larynx, it also improved my vocal quality by avoiding strain on the voice because of the strong, supporting breath.

Another aspect of to help this sound is the adduction of my vocal cords. This is how the vocal cords come together to stop and release sound without strain and with a clear sonority. I used glottal exercises to help this. These were simple by stopping and starting the sound either by using my actively using my vocal cords or other glottal sounds such as a ‘dah’ or ‘bah’. Using this, I oscillated on thirds and fifths to train my adduction of different pitches. This was a great help when singing high notes as it allowed the sound to come out naturally and prevented tightness on the voice.

Thinking about the placement was psychological and physical. In Vocal Tech, with Scott Harrison, I learnt about different types of placement which could be used to create a specific quality. For a legit sound, I found that I had to imagine I was singing out of my collar bone. This really helped to lower the larynx and open my widen my soft pallet. This created a balance, by engaging the depressors[13] and extensor[14] muscles, preventing me from straining on high notes. This is particularly important, as a it create an open and full sound. In contrast to a contemporary style which may be a thinner and a belt-like sound- and belting is not a traditionally legit technique.

Overall, I have seen significant improvement on how I control my voice. I have laid a solid groundwork that I can build upon when developing other styles. This will be very useful to me as it increases my versatility- which will open up more job opportunities for me in the future.

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Conclusion

I am proud of the progress I have made since the beginning of the year, particularly in dance. Beginning with a limited experience in dance, I have grounded a structure and approach to my training. In singing, I was lost on what technique was required for musical theatre. I returned to basics to clarify and refine my foundational technique which I believe has served my development well- achieving an understanding of a legit style so I can progress this further. Reflecting on the past year, I didn’t begin with the confidence I needed. This inhibited my training in the first semester and limited my potential. However, there has been major transformation in my mindset and in my skill set. While there are plenty areas to work one, such as how I absorb a class or strengthen mindset, I now know the tools I need to work on this independently.

Word Count: 2883 (excluding bibliography)

Bibliography

[1] Lindsay-Abaire, D., Steig, W., Elliott, T., Rossio, T., Roger S.H. Schulman and Stillman, J. (2013). Shrek the Musical. [online] IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3070936/.

[2] Andreu, H. (2003). Jazz dance styles and steps for fun. Bloomington, Ind.: 1St Books.

‌[3] beaumonttowerballerina (2019). Technique Spotlight: Chaînes Turns. [online] Beaumont Tower Ballerina. Available at: https://beaumonttowerballerina.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/technique-spotlight-chaines-turns/.

‌[4]Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Port de bras | ballet. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/port-de-bras.

[5] [6] American Ballet Theatre (2018). Ballet Dictionary | American Ballet Theatre (ABT). [online] American Ballet Theatre. Available at: https://www.abt.org/explore/learn/ballet-dictionary/.

[7] Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Pirouette | ballet. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/pirouette-ballet.

‌[8]Atlanta Ballet (2017). Atlanta Ballet. [online] Atlanta Ballet. Available at: https://www.atlantaballet.com/resources/ballet-terms-and-positions.

‌[9] Swing Dance Leeds. (2023). Flashback: The Shim Sham. [online] Available at: https://swingdanceleeds.com/flashback-the-shim-sham/.

‌[10] Tap (2025). Variations of the Tap Dancing Cramp Roll. [online] Tapdancingresources.com. Available at: http://www.tapdancingresources.com/videos/steps/cramp-roll.htm.

[11]Webb, M. (2023). What is Legit Musical Theatre? [online] The Inside Voice. Available at: https://www.ensembleschools.com/the-inside-voice/what-is-legit-musical-theatre/.

‌[12]Shaftesbury Theatre (2024). The History of Musical Theatre: EYNTK | Shaftesbury Theatre. [online] Shaftesbury Theatre. Available at: https://www.shaftesburytheatre.com/news/the-history-of-musical-theatre/.

‌[13]Saran, M., Georgakopoulos, B. and Bordoni, B. (2023). Anatomy, Head and Neck, Larynx Vocal Cords. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535342/.

‌[14]Jones, O. and Barnes, S. (2015). Muscles of the Larynx – Intrinsic – Extrinsic – TeachMeAnatomy. [online] Teachmeanatomy.info. Available at: https://teachmeanatomy.info/neck/viscera/larynx/muscles/.

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