Broom Dance Analysis

As I sat enveloped in her story of overcoming conclusions, she taught my heart to embrace each quirky part of myself. I identified with Elle Woods’ need to prove herself. This idea of accepting individuality provided me with the courage to audition for my first show, the Arvada Center’s production of Footloose. Since that first nerve-racking, nail-biting experience, I have come to find myself through each move I dance onstage. Getting my first big role, the Dragon in a production of Shrek, I poured my heart out, knowing the people ready to judge and mock were watching. After the show, the peers who judged my intelligence approached me, saying things like, “I never knew you could sing like that.” Through performing I found myself again. I shifted back to the girl I was, the girl who cared about her morals. I want to perform, hoping to provide audience members with the ability to connect with characters who can offer them a point of realization, as Elle Woods did for me.

1) Summarize the plot of the piece. If you feel that there was no plot, describe the sequence of events in the performance.

I’ve grown up in a ballet studio. Not literally, of course, but it is where I’ve spent the majority of my childhood. Throughout the years, the arts have followed me despite the different places life has taken me. Whether it be dance, acting, or music, performing has always played a role in my life. My experiences both on and off the stage have been rocky and unpredictable, but I wouldn’t trade this thrilling adventure for the world.

Sophomore Mayra Gomez has mostly AP classes and she is in Dance Production. How does she do it all? Well, Mayra has found that during the dances she is not in or during breaks, she can do her homework. Gomez says she gives one hundred percent in every dance otherwise the dance looks sloppy and weak. Did you know that she choreographs dances in her free time? She does and she plans to audition those pieces so that they can be in dance concerts held by Grace Davis High School. Mayra says that being in Dance Production is very stressful, but at the same time it is fun because you and the members of Dance Production become one family who share embarrassing moments; they share tears and smiles. Although Dance Production looks well-put and organized,

Many long nights have been spent rehearsing a complicated dance number, memorizing lines, or just resting my voice. I have tried to seize every opportunity to perform and have been blessed with some amazing roles, cast members, directors, and coaches. In addition, I have also experienced my fair share of disappointment. Lead roles I believed were perfect for me sometimes went to someone else. These failures taught me no matter how small a role may be, it is vastly important to the overall success of the play, and offers the actor a chance to grow and learn. Years ago, I promised myself when someone sees me perform, he or she will know I am giving 100% each and every

My experience began a week before the auditions for the All-City Honors band. I had anticipated the success of making the band before I auditioned. I thought that since

I am Shanna Woods, a dancer, mother, life and college student, dance instructor and aspiring choreographer. I have dance before I could walk. I decided I wanted to dance after watching a video of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Giselle in the 5th grade. At that time, I didn’t know becoming a dancer was a possible career. It was just something we all did in the community; shaking our non-hips, doing the tootsie roll, and whatever we saw on the music videos. I remember making up dances for my friends and forcing my cousins to learn routines for family reunions and other gatherings. You can say, I was always a choreographer at heart. I began serious training at Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, FL. I also studied chorus. I became a dance major at Dreyfoos School of the Arts also in West Palm Beach, FL. Through Dreyfoos I was exposed to Graham with Jan Goetz, contemporary modern with Gina Buntz, ballet with Jeff Satinoff, as well as guest artists like Ben Vereen and Reginald Yates. I also trained at Southern Dance Theatre in Boynton Beach where I studied ballet, jazz, and gained my love for Bob Fosse through Dancer’s Edge Dance Company.

Picture a casual day in the life of an ordinary girl: going to school in the mornings and performing her chores during the evenings. Now, reorient this to a day where she lacks of time to balance homework and sleep as pulling all-nighters is a quotidian activity where the exclusive task is to execute all her responsibilities. This vigorous alteration portrays how my life has changed in the preceding years. Antecedently, I was able to attend Orland Ballet's Summer Intensive. Challenging my daily living, I was chosen to dance with Ballet Concierto's professional dance company. Subsequent years later, I am able to face the challenges to come.

My biggest challenge of this role was putting emotions into the piece because I cannot really relate to the topic that we are dancing to and I am not a good dancer when it comes to dancing ballet but I still try to do my best. Honestly I have no idea what is my biggest accomplishment within this role, unless you count making it through this dance panel without give up due to my dance members not getting me involved a lot, because I felt like I have not affected my group in anyway

Dancing on stage in front of a 600 person audience is a feeling like no other. The sweat in my palms, the roar of the crowd, the emotion in the music and the chills down my spine is a rush unlike anything. For months, I practice day on out to perfect my routine, yet the nerves are still there during show time. There are many aspects that are included when it comes down to single dance number. When picking my music, I try to look for a song that can captivate a story or create an emotion. The symphonies and instruments used can make my number even more spectacular. The high note tones of the piano or the low tones of a bass guitar help me time my eight counts. One and two, three! Four! Five, six, seven and eight. My dance instructor yells this out at every high kick and every turn that is used in the dance number. My graceful movements flow to the

I had know idea what I was getting into. A couple of my friends were doing the show, but they were already part of the group, and had been doing theatre. I wasn’t and I hadn’t been in a play since the 4th grade. But I stuck with it. I went to rehearsal every day and I learned so much. I realized that going to rehearsal was my favorite part of the day. I looked forward to it just as much as I had once dreaded going to

1. It’s March; the sun is shining and Spring is here! How do you keep your students motivated when they have spring fever and are tired of rehearsing their recital dances?

I initially did not enjoy this piece, for I felt as if there was no substance to it. I had trouble connecting with the dance because I constantly searched for a meaning or waited for it to evoke a response from the audience. Because the dance failed to deliver either, I ultimately felt disconnected and dissatisfied. It was not until I had time to process and reflect on the piece that I grew to admire it. I realize and now appreciate how the dance presented a literal rather than an abstract or symbolic interpretation of its title. I find it innovative how Spruill strayed from the norm of theatrics and story-telling found in mainstream dance performances, focusing solely on motion instead. Spruill strategically choreographed it to ensure that

I’ve never thought of trying to perform. I’d always try to stick to what I knew; where I couldn’t mess up. I kept my interests solely in cooking and music. I’ve joined clubs that didn't require me to be the focus of much. As opposed to my previous years in school, change was needed. I became frustrated and grew weary of worrying about how others would perceive me if I made mistakes. I wanted to be able to be the focus of attention without worrying about others. Along with this frustration came the thought of change; pushing myself to do things I wouldn’t necessarily want to because of others. I then decided to join my drama club to put myself out there and allow room for expression.

Dance is significant to our society; the aspects of Modern/Contemporary Dance have adjusted the viewpoint of the society to view it as a perpetual embryonic form of art. The evaluation exhibited in this document will contain concise interpretations of the pieces performed by the "Mark Morris Dance Group", followed by a comprehensive examination of the pieces "A Forest", "Pure Dance Items", "Serenade", and "Dancing Honeymoon."