At the beginning of Commercial Techniques 1, I expected the module to be intense as we have three pieces to learn as well as coursework to complete. The module has met this expectation but not in the way I originally thought. Managing the workload was difficult at first as I have a habit of procrastinating and at the start of the module I did just that. However, since having a meeting with my module leader, I created a timetable that worked around my university hours and helped me feel less overwhelmed when writing my coursework.
Learning the dances has been very enjoyable as I like the music chosen and can pick up routines quickly. Nevertheless, we have had to respace each of our dances multiple times which has been unexpected. In order to cope with this, we filmed ourselves walking through the new spacing without music so that we could go home, watch it, and retain the new formations. I used this as an opportunity to become a smart dancer rather than letting it negatively affect me. Adapting to changes is a great skill to have as a performer. You never know when you might need to step in if somebody gets injured and it is great preparation for the commercial industry, where dancers have to be adaptable to make themselves more employable.
I felt comfortable with commercial before going into this module as it is the style that I have trained in the most. This influenced my feelings about the module in a positive way as I was very excited throughout to see the finished product and perform it on stage. I really like how different each of our dances are as it gives me the chance to showcase my acting skills as different characters. However, I feel more comfortable in some characters than others. I feel the most comfortable in the Bollywood and the Girls Gone Wild piece due to their more feminine energy. I perform these with complete commitment to the themes in both my body and my facial expressions. The Bad Man number has a more masculine energy which I find more difficult as it does not come as naturally to me. I need to continue to push this character before the exam show by practising facial expressions in the mirror and watching rehearsal videos of my peers who embody the character fully.
This module has made me learn that I am very capable of reacting to changes quickly and working as a team member. I listen well to the teacher and to my peers during self-directed learning, which has made the process of creating much smoother for everybody involved. I need to become as confident in more masculine dances as I am in the more feminine ones. However, I feel prepared and confident that I have applied the changes made to the numbers. Meaning that I can now focus on the dynamics of the dance rather than remembering the choreography.
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