I have no idea how it was like for you growing up as a child, but for me, my childhood were filled with dreams, fantasies, stories of fairies, princesses, sword fights, elves, wizards... I flew high among the stars, I fought with big evil dragons, I danced with my prince charming... I had it all, I was what I wanted to be, I was basically a nerd. With my nose stuck in books after books of fantasies.
Besides my love for reading passed on to me by my father, I danced too. I took ballet classes since when I could remember. This love was passed down by my mother who said, "When I was young, I always wanted to learn Ballet but we were poor. Now I bring you to learn Ballet".
I remember my first lesson. I was wearing a dress and together with my sister, we went into this huge empty space brightly lit and full of mirrors. We were soon running around and before I knew it, we were taking Ballet classes. One month later would see a little me stubbornly refusing (for reasons that I couldn't fathom even then) to go into class, clingling tightly to my mother. Soon, I was going for Ballet class every Saturday, to sit and watch my sister take classes.
You would think that the teacher and dancer you see now would have taken to dance like ducks to water, but I didn't like dance when I first started. In fact, I refused to take classes. So my very kind teacher then allowed me to sit in the class and watch my sister and her dance mates learn all the steps. It took a year for my mum to coax me back to join the class. I have to thank my teacher, Ms Ho & my dear mum for their determination and persistence to put me into dance school. (in hindsight, I really don't know why they were so persistent, but I'm thankful they were!) After that, I fell in love with Ballet and the rest is history.
You would think that I was a great dancer from young... I was good, but not the best. I was above average but not the best, at least I thought so. I was a strong dancer (ok in terms of technique), but didn't have a clue about how to be expressive when dancing. My teacher used to get a fellow student of mine to demonstrate 'expression' in class, while I was usually amongst those called out to demonstrate technique. I used to look at her and wonder what did she have that I didn't, and why didn't I look like her? It used to puzzle my little mind...
Things changed for me one day when I decided that I would play a little game everytime I danced. I painted my fantasy world around me with each dance. I imagined that I was dancing in the most beautiful places: beautiful meadows, gorgeous waterfalls, etc. The classroom faded out of sight and the music transported me into my fantasy world with sparkling sunshine, lush greenery, astounding snow-capped mountains and pristine lakes. And suddenly, my teacher was praising me for having great expression and I was being called to demonstrate "expression". I thought nothing of it, and was a bit sheepish that I was bored and hence distracted myself in class with this game... "So this is what expression is about?" I asked myself, "just imagine that you have amazing scenery around you and get lost in that?" It seemed so... superficial, I didn't dare say how I did it.
But it brought my dancing into a whole new level. I scored the highest in class that year for exams (first time ever and I had been dancing for 4-5 years then). I also won a junior Ballet competition that very year. I was so young, I didn't even know what happened... All I knew was that I could spin quite well because I had saw the prima donna in the Nutcracker dancing and was happily copying her at home and pretending to be her and doing all her spins and jumps; and I was daydreaming in class, trying to create (in my imagination) the best scenery to dance to. Ahhh... the marvelous thoughts of a little child...
I guess all these experiences (and more) taught me some things about expression... You have to dare to do it; so long as you try, people will give you credit for trying and if you keep checking on your expression, you will get it the way you want it to look eventually.
Also, technique is only half the marks that the judge will give you. You can have perfect technique, but that will only give you 50% of the marks. The rest comes from your expression. The way I see it, our steps are not perfect/complete unless your have the right 'feel' / expression in place. Also, expression is something that is special because it comes from the heart; it's personal and unique. No 2 people will have the same feel (unless they work very hard to look the same).
Many people are scared to express themselves when they dance, feeling vulnerable. But i always tell them this:
1) People will give them credit for trying, and will support you for trying. Your expression doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to try. If you are good, others will compliment you; if it's not that good (yet), others will commend you for trying. I have seen students who are 'favorites' when performing because their faces are so entertaining, and people cheer them on for putting on a good 'face', even though it is not the most perfect.
2) Practice it now, when you are training so that you can have a good guess how it will look like when you try to use it when you perform/ compete. Many people put expression in the back burner, telling themselves that they will smile when they need to, and they always realize that it is not always the case when they see themselves later on video (it's too late by then though).
3) By trying to put at least some kind of expression, you will give me something to work on to correct you. I can't comment, correct or teach you expression if you don't try. If the face just clams up into what I call "zombie" mode, there is nothing to correct; expression is simply not there. It's like me asking them to do a bodywave and them refusing to do it. I can't correct it if I can't see it.
People kinda assume that expression is a given, it's instinct and it's either you have it or you don't. Consider this: expressions (happiness, sadness, mischievousness) are controlled by muscles. If you put in so much effort training your body muscles to perfect your techniques like spins, splits, jumps... Why can't you put in as much effort learning how to control your facial muscles? Sure it doesn't look good when you first start, but neither did your spins or your bodywaves look good at the beginning.
Another food for thought: If expressions are natural and instinctive, then how to actors make a living? Why do they go to acting classes? How do they make themselves cry/ be angry/ meek/ chirpy when they need to do so on screen? Simply put, they practice them. In fact, most acting classes contain a lot of practical exercises that focus on loosing your inhibitions and becoming less self conscious.
Showing posts with label Examinations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Examinations. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 31
Tuesday, June 18
Student Performance Jun 2013
Haven't blogged in a long while, let's check out if the writing muscles are still there. We had our latest student recital over the weekend...
Amazingly, after all these years of performing, I can still get excited over our recital and performances. I think it’s because I like doing the choreography and dancing to the music... And the hidden exhibitionist in me is excited to legitimately shed it’s protective covering. Or maybe it’s the fact that I get to immerse myself in dancing and performing rather than just watching, correcting and teaching. Although I really do enjoy teaching, there are times when just dancing happily ‘without a care in the world’ can be so soothing for the soul.
The minor glitch with certain customers before the show helped to feed my emotions as I poured my frustrations in the dance in the first segment. And that’s one of the main reasons why dancing is so addictive. Whatever probelms you’re facing or overwhelming emotions that you are facing that day, you can just throw it away temporarily, forget about past things that happened, and not worrying about the future. Dancing is a very NOW thing. Although it’s less so with the invention of videos, to fully experience and appreciate dance, it must occur in the Now. It’s a very physical and present thing that consumes your energy and focus. It’s a wonderful distraction and if you know how to, a great way to channel excess energies and frustration away.
After these few weeks of feeling slightly overwhelmed and slightly inferior to many people in my life (dun ask why I just do sometimes... Maybe it's to remind me of my humility), even discouraged by my inability to handle things, I realize one thing, that I truly have been blessed and graced in the dance and teaching department. That even though I dun quite know what I’m doing sometimes, it works out great and I’m constantly learning. If anything, teaching challenges me to be a better person, to encourage, support and motivate people to do things that they may not think they would do, but then surprise themselves in the end. That in itself is a great reward and money can’t buy that kind of joy we have. In conclusion, I see this: my world may be small, and my influence not that great, but the lives that I touch, I try my best to nurture and I do see the changes in their lives. If anything, I understand one thing: everyone wants someone to care and someone to love. It may not be romance but it can be family. We may not like each other all the time, but we love and we care for one another and we're willing to sort out our differences. That’s what makes the difference.
Surprisingly, I was excited about the performance tonight. Maybe because I liked the dances I did, or because there were many newbies in the group and I was excited for them, but I felt great: young and new again... or maybe it was that I simply got the chance to show my love of dance to others...
Although the show went by in a flash, the actual performances kinda went like slow motion for me; I actualy had time to think of doing the right expression, the next step, etc. It’s kinda weird that I didn’t feel it go rushing by as I usually do. But it made the fun more complete as I got the time to savor the dances. Role playing was rather fun and I must say that it’s been a while since I did that, making me savor it more.
As a whole, this bunch of students have been a joy to teach and see them grow. We had many great laughs and fun times that I'll cherish... =)
Amazingly, after all these years of performing, I can still get excited over our recital and performances. I think it’s because I like doing the choreography and dancing to the music... And the hidden exhibitionist in me is excited to legitimately shed it’s protective covering. Or maybe it’s the fact that I get to immerse myself in dancing and performing rather than just watching, correcting and teaching. Although I really do enjoy teaching, there are times when just dancing happily ‘without a care in the world’ can be so soothing for the soul.
The minor glitch with certain customers before the show helped to feed my emotions as I poured my frustrations in the dance in the first segment. And that’s one of the main reasons why dancing is so addictive. Whatever probelms you’re facing or overwhelming emotions that you are facing that day, you can just throw it away temporarily, forget about past things that happened, and not worrying about the future. Dancing is a very NOW thing. Although it’s less so with the invention of videos, to fully experience and appreciate dance, it must occur in the Now. It’s a very physical and present thing that consumes your energy and focus. It’s a wonderful distraction and if you know how to, a great way to channel excess energies and frustration away.
After these few weeks of feeling slightly overwhelmed and slightly inferior to many people in my life (dun ask why I just do sometimes... Maybe it's to remind me of my humility), even discouraged by my inability to handle things, I realize one thing, that I truly have been blessed and graced in the dance and teaching department. That even though I dun quite know what I’m doing sometimes, it works out great and I’m constantly learning. If anything, teaching challenges me to be a better person, to encourage, support and motivate people to do things that they may not think they would do, but then surprise themselves in the end. That in itself is a great reward and money can’t buy that kind of joy we have. In conclusion, I see this: my world may be small, and my influence not that great, but the lives that I touch, I try my best to nurture and I do see the changes in their lives. If anything, I understand one thing: everyone wants someone to care and someone to love. It may not be romance but it can be family. We may not like each other all the time, but we love and we care for one another and we're willing to sort out our differences. That’s what makes the difference.
Surprisingly, I was excited about the performance tonight. Maybe because I liked the dances I did, or because there were many newbies in the group and I was excited for them, but I felt great: young and new again... or maybe it was that I simply got the chance to show my love of dance to others...
Although the show went by in a flash, the actual performances kinda went like slow motion for me; I actualy had time to think of doing the right expression, the next step, etc. It’s kinda weird that I didn’t feel it go rushing by as I usually do. But it made the fun more complete as I got the time to savor the dances. Role playing was rather fun and I must say that it’s been a while since I did that, making me savor it more.
As a whole, this bunch of students have been a joy to teach and see them grow. We had many great laughs and fun times that I'll cherish... =)
Thursday, April 5
"I Want to be a Good Dancer!" - 5 Steps to Dancing Success!
1. Basics
A good Salsa dancer needs to have good fundamental techniques. In building a house, one needs a good foundation; likewise in dancing. The fundamental techniques can be divided into 2 categories: 1) partner techniques, and 2) non-partner techniques. The former simply describes proper lead and follow techniques while the latter consists of body and leg flexibility, and spinning techniques.
Lead and follow techniques are crucial in partner dances because the leader needs to know how to lead his partner properly and the follower needs to know how to respond to her partner’s cues. We can’t social dance properly, especially at the advanced level if we do not have the proper lead and follow techniques. That’s why we emphasize a lot on basic class in Actfa. Most people actually don’t realize the full importance of basic class (where they teach the fundamental lead and follow techniques) until they have been to an intermediate or advanced class where they find it hard to catch up in the class because they don’t have the proper techniques to execute the steps right…*
Besides learning how to lead and follow properly, we also need to have sound techniques in body isolation, flexibility and spinning.** This is vital if we want to look good when we dance. In Salsa, a dancer stands out if he styles well, spins well and is flexible. Body flexibility and isolation techniques are important for those shines and styling (e.g. body waves!) to look good. The more flexible our body is, the better it looks, as the body movements are bigger and more fluid. We also gain a better control over our movements when we master the techniques for isolation. Flexibility is necessary for dancers simply because it looks outstanding, and our legs and bodies move better and are not so stiff when we are flexible. Spin is crucial in Salsa as it is one of the main components in Salsa. Once we grasp the concepts of spinning, we can balance better and move faster. When this happens, we have a lot of time to style and look good because we are not rushing after the music or catching our balance. On top of that, our spins look sharper because they are faster and more precise.
2. Practice, practice, practice
Besides having a good foundation for dance, another golden rule is to practice. Repeating the variations or styling will enable us to be more familiar with the variations and styling. If we practice enough, we will commit the variations or styling into our subconscious so that we automatically execute the steps without consciously thinking of it. This is important in social dancing, where the movements are impromptu for the ladies. By training the steps into their subconscious, they will respond to the leader’s cue and execute the variations and styling automatically. This in time will train their sensitivity in responding to the lead. It is also crucial for the men as they can fluidly execute one variation after another only after they commit the steps into their subconscious. That way, they will not have to keep thinking of which step to do next when they dance with their partners.
3. But practice makes perfect, so find a good teacher
Although practice is important, we must also be careful not to practice the wrong steps. A teacher of mine once said, “Practice makes perfect. If you practice the wrong thing, you’ll perfect that”. So we all need to constantly check through a mirror or a video of our dancing to see if we are executing the steps the way we imagine it to be. More importantly, we need a good teacher or mentor who cares to teach us the right things and correct our mistakes. A good teacher will find out what we want, encourage us to pursue our goals and show us the shortest path to achieving it. He will plan our training for us so we don’t have to worry about what to learn, and prepare us both mentally and physically to attain our goal. A good teacher cares enough to scold and push us to achieve what we want, and more.
4. It’s not the quantity but the quality of your variations/styling
Many people seem to want to learn one hundred complex variations, shines and styling, with the thought that if they know a lot of moves, they will be good dancers. It is true that many advanced dancers seem to know many moves and variations. However, I feel that it is more important to get the moves looking nice rather than knowing a lot of variations. Dancer A may know a lot of moves but the quality of his move may only be 2/10. Dancer B may know only a few moves but the standard of his moves are 8/10. Dancer A’s moves will look messy and average; any potential he may have as a dancer will not be obvious because he is like an uncut diamond – it looks like an ordinary rock on the outside. Dancer B may know limited moves, but he is clean and precise in his execution. Because of his cleanness and precision, he may stand out among other social dancers – he is like a small diamond, small but nevertheless sparkling! Of course, it is important to have both quality and quantity and the best way is probably to learn new steps gradually while perfecting those we know.
5. Be polite to others and you’ll always have people to dance with
A last but crucial point to being a good dancer is to build a good relationship with the people. Be polite to others: treat your partner with respect, respect other dancers’ space while dancing, thank your partner after dancing and guide her to the edge of the dance floor if you’re a guy. Most importantly, smile! It’s important to be on good terms with other dancers because you meet them frequently on the dance floor. Being on good terms will ensure that you’ll always have people to dance with!
* Actfa conducts Salsa Examinations certified by AC Dance (www.acdance.com) & Salsa Academy (www.salsaacademy.com) which has 50 pointers in its Level 1 Basic Exam as guidelines for its students to develop the proper lead and follow techniques.
** Actfa holds Isolation & Body Conditioning classes 5 times a week to help its students to master their body isolations, flexibility and spinning techniques (www.actfa.com).
1. Basics
A good Salsa dancer needs to have good fundamental techniques. In building a house, one needs a good foundation; likewise in dancing. The fundamental techniques can be divided into 2 categories: 1) partner techniques, and 2) non-partner techniques. The former simply describes proper lead and follow techniques while the latter consists of body and leg flexibility, and spinning techniques.
Lead and follow techniques are crucial in partner dances because the leader needs to know how to lead his partner properly and the follower needs to know how to respond to her partner’s cues. We can’t social dance properly, especially at the advanced level if we do not have the proper lead and follow techniques. That’s why we emphasize a lot on basic class in Actfa. Most people actually don’t realize the full importance of basic class (where they teach the fundamental lead and follow techniques) until they have been to an intermediate or advanced class where they find it hard to catch up in the class because they don’t have the proper techniques to execute the steps right…*
Besides learning how to lead and follow properly, we also need to have sound techniques in body isolation, flexibility and spinning.** This is vital if we want to look good when we dance. In Salsa, a dancer stands out if he styles well, spins well and is flexible. Body flexibility and isolation techniques are important for those shines and styling (e.g. body waves!) to look good. The more flexible our body is, the better it looks, as the body movements are bigger and more fluid. We also gain a better control over our movements when we master the techniques for isolation. Flexibility is necessary for dancers simply because it looks outstanding, and our legs and bodies move better and are not so stiff when we are flexible. Spin is crucial in Salsa as it is one of the main components in Salsa. Once we grasp the concepts of spinning, we can balance better and move faster. When this happens, we have a lot of time to style and look good because we are not rushing after the music or catching our balance. On top of that, our spins look sharper because they are faster and more precise.
2. Practice, practice, practice
Besides having a good foundation for dance, another golden rule is to practice. Repeating the variations or styling will enable us to be more familiar with the variations and styling. If we practice enough, we will commit the variations or styling into our subconscious so that we automatically execute the steps without consciously thinking of it. This is important in social dancing, where the movements are impromptu for the ladies. By training the steps into their subconscious, they will respond to the leader’s cue and execute the variations and styling automatically. This in time will train their sensitivity in responding to the lead. It is also crucial for the men as they can fluidly execute one variation after another only after they commit the steps into their subconscious. That way, they will not have to keep thinking of which step to do next when they dance with their partners.
3. But practice makes perfect, so find a good teacher
Although practice is important, we must also be careful not to practice the wrong steps. A teacher of mine once said, “Practice makes perfect. If you practice the wrong thing, you’ll perfect that”. So we all need to constantly check through a mirror or a video of our dancing to see if we are executing the steps the way we imagine it to be. More importantly, we need a good teacher or mentor who cares to teach us the right things and correct our mistakes. A good teacher will find out what we want, encourage us to pursue our goals and show us the shortest path to achieving it. He will plan our training for us so we don’t have to worry about what to learn, and prepare us both mentally and physically to attain our goal. A good teacher cares enough to scold and push us to achieve what we want, and more.
4. It’s not the quantity but the quality of your variations/styling
Many people seem to want to learn one hundred complex variations, shines and styling, with the thought that if they know a lot of moves, they will be good dancers. It is true that many advanced dancers seem to know many moves and variations. However, I feel that it is more important to get the moves looking nice rather than knowing a lot of variations. Dancer A may know a lot of moves but the quality of his move may only be 2/10. Dancer B may know only a few moves but the standard of his moves are 8/10. Dancer A’s moves will look messy and average; any potential he may have as a dancer will not be obvious because he is like an uncut diamond – it looks like an ordinary rock on the outside. Dancer B may know limited moves, but he is clean and precise in his execution. Because of his cleanness and precision, he may stand out among other social dancers – he is like a small diamond, small but nevertheless sparkling! Of course, it is important to have both quality and quantity and the best way is probably to learn new steps gradually while perfecting those we know.
5. Be polite to others and you’ll always have people to dance with
A last but crucial point to being a good dancer is to build a good relationship with the people. Be polite to others: treat your partner with respect, respect other dancers’ space while dancing, thank your partner after dancing and guide her to the edge of the dance floor if you’re a guy. Most importantly, smile! It’s important to be on good terms with other dancers because you meet them frequently on the dance floor. Being on good terms will ensure that you’ll always have people to dance with!
* Actfa conducts Salsa Examinations certified by AC Dance (www.acdance.com) & Salsa Academy (www.salsaacademy.com) which has 50 pointers in its Level 1 Basic Exam as guidelines for its students to develop the proper lead and follow techniques.
** Actfa holds Isolation & Body Conditioning classes 5 times a week to help its students to master their body isolations, flexibility and spinning techniques (www.actfa.com).
Tuesday, February 27
The Benefits of the AC Exams
After all the buzz of the Hong Kong Fest and the New Year, I finally have some time to conduct some examinations for our students. These exams are important for them to keep track of their progress. Starting with the basic level 1 exam, I plan to guide them through to at least 3 or 4 levels eventually (hopefully by the end of this year so that they can go on to higher level next year). I think the Salsa aspect of the AC Dance is not too difficult to clear so long as the students are familiar with the basic techniques. What's more difficult is the other dances they have to clear, like rueda, maerengue and bachata, coz some of them are not very familiar with these dances. Still, the dances are not that difficult, and if all goes as planned, my semi-pro darlings will have completed their basic level exams, together with the rueda, bachata and merengue aspect of the exams! Yeah!
The good thing about the exams is that we can all keep track of what we have completed and what we have not done. This ensures that those who take the exams are well-rounded and know enough of each aspect of Salsa (and its related dances) to dance it, whether they actually do it or not. Eventually, all our students will be made to go through merengue, bachata, rueda, hiphop, chacha, afro cuban rumba, Argentine Tango, rhumba, jazroc and more! And the conditioning classes will train them up for the demanding body isolations, spins and flexibility these dances require for them to look good when they dance!
Of course, Jaztin amazingly drafts out all the modules for training. Sometimes I'm amazed by just how far into the future he can "see" and how well he can read minds. Because of his planning, everything somehow alwiz falls into plan. Take the conditioning classes he planned for instance, it seems boring right now as the steps repeats itself again and again, but I think everyone who regularly attends the classes will be amazed by just how far their isolations and spins have improved when we do our choreography! The thing about dancing is that you never quite realize how much you've improved or deproved unil you compare your dancing now with that of a few months back.
And I can't wait to show the students their video next time as compared to now! Hee hee...
After all the buzz of the Hong Kong Fest and the New Year, I finally have some time to conduct some examinations for our students. These exams are important for them to keep track of their progress. Starting with the basic level 1 exam, I plan to guide them through to at least 3 or 4 levels eventually (hopefully by the end of this year so that they can go on to higher level next year). I think the Salsa aspect of the AC Dance is not too difficult to clear so long as the students are familiar with the basic techniques. What's more difficult is the other dances they have to clear, like rueda, maerengue and bachata, coz some of them are not very familiar with these dances. Still, the dances are not that difficult, and if all goes as planned, my semi-pro darlings will have completed their basic level exams, together with the rueda, bachata and merengue aspect of the exams! Yeah!
The good thing about the exams is that we can all keep track of what we have completed and what we have not done. This ensures that those who take the exams are well-rounded and know enough of each aspect of Salsa (and its related dances) to dance it, whether they actually do it or not. Eventually, all our students will be made to go through merengue, bachata, rueda, hiphop, chacha, afro cuban rumba, Argentine Tango, rhumba, jazroc and more! And the conditioning classes will train them up for the demanding body isolations, spins and flexibility these dances require for them to look good when they dance!
Of course, Jaztin amazingly drafts out all the modules for training. Sometimes I'm amazed by just how far into the future he can "see" and how well he can read minds. Because of his planning, everything somehow alwiz falls into plan. Take the conditioning classes he planned for instance, it seems boring right now as the steps repeats itself again and again, but I think everyone who regularly attends the classes will be amazed by just how far their isolations and spins have improved when we do our choreography! The thing about dancing is that you never quite realize how much you've improved or deproved unil you compare your dancing now with that of a few months back.
And I can't wait to show the students their video next time as compared to now! Hee hee...
Monday, June 5
On Judging for the AC Dance Examinations...
Fair? Or unfair?
I heard some comments about the judging criteria for the exams. I'd like to say one thing from my previous experience in Ballet examinations. Our ballet examiners are brought in from overseas (mostly from UK) to judge in the different schools. They are alwiz different people, and they all have their own marking preferences. I recall my ballet teacher saying things like, "this examiner likes expression", or "this examiner is very strict on technique"... They all have their own preferences and mark differently from other examiners.
I remember frens trying for 3 times to pass an exam, failing the first 2 times coz the examiner was very strict, but scoring very high the 3rd time coz the examiner was lenient... Examiners are inevitably humans after all.
Although there is a marking system - scores for timing, musicality, interpretation and expression, technique, etc - each examiner gives scores differently. In other words, you may score very high this year due to your strong techniques that the examiner favors, but be marked down next year because the other examiner was looking for expression and musicality that you did not provide enuf to meet her standard. As such, so-and-so may score lower last year, but higher than you this year.
A scoring sheet helps, but in the end, the examination is still marked by people wiith their own subjective preferences, so it may be fair across the board on average but it is not alwiz precise. Note that judging is done by humans, and all humans have differing preferences.
The only way to ensure that you are better than the rest is to be so good that you're clearly better than them in all aspects of the dance. Also, you have to be judged in the same examination to see where you stand as compared to the other students (Otherwise it's not easy to compare).
Another thing to note is that your standard today, may be different from your standard tomorrow or next week or next year. You may panic in the exam or screw up your routine; you may have stage fright, or you may excel in the examination environment. The judging depends on the student's performance in the exams. I have taught many little gals who were very good in class but they totally freaked out in the exams, and as such, scored very low... Not fair, but hey, you're judged by your performance at that time, in front of the examiner, not by how good you are supposed to be normally. Principal Ong tries to prevent this stage fright thingy by forcing the students to do run-throughs with the lighting and everything, to minimise the chances of screwing up.
To sum it all up, judging is done by humans and human's opinions are subjective. As such it is inevitably 'unfair' to a certain extent. We try to keep it fair and consistent, but dancing is after all an art, and unless we do dance in a multiple choice format (MCQ) it's hard to be super consistent.
And for the people who did not perform their best their best in the exams, dun worry, this is not the last one... there's another one coming up. And soon... =)
Fair? Or unfair?
I heard some comments about the judging criteria for the exams. I'd like to say one thing from my previous experience in Ballet examinations. Our ballet examiners are brought in from overseas (mostly from UK) to judge in the different schools. They are alwiz different people, and they all have their own marking preferences. I recall my ballet teacher saying things like, "this examiner likes expression", or "this examiner is very strict on technique"... They all have their own preferences and mark differently from other examiners.
I remember frens trying for 3 times to pass an exam, failing the first 2 times coz the examiner was very strict, but scoring very high the 3rd time coz the examiner was lenient... Examiners are inevitably humans after all.
Although there is a marking system - scores for timing, musicality, interpretation and expression, technique, etc - each examiner gives scores differently. In other words, you may score very high this year due to your strong techniques that the examiner favors, but be marked down next year because the other examiner was looking for expression and musicality that you did not provide enuf to meet her standard. As such, so-and-so may score lower last year, but higher than you this year.
A scoring sheet helps, but in the end, the examination is still marked by people wiith their own subjective preferences, so it may be fair across the board on average but it is not alwiz precise. Note that judging is done by humans, and all humans have differing preferences.
The only way to ensure that you are better than the rest is to be so good that you're clearly better than them in all aspects of the dance. Also, you have to be judged in the same examination to see where you stand as compared to the other students (Otherwise it's not easy to compare).
Another thing to note is that your standard today, may be different from your standard tomorrow or next week or next year. You may panic in the exam or screw up your routine; you may have stage fright, or you may excel in the examination environment. The judging depends on the student's performance in the exams. I have taught many little gals who were very good in class but they totally freaked out in the exams, and as such, scored very low... Not fair, but hey, you're judged by your performance at that time, in front of the examiner, not by how good you are supposed to be normally. Principal Ong tries to prevent this stage fright thingy by forcing the students to do run-throughs with the lighting and everything, to minimise the chances of screwing up.
To sum it all up, judging is done by humans and human's opinions are subjective. As such it is inevitably 'unfair' to a certain extent. We try to keep it fair and consistent, but dancing is after all an art, and unless we do dance in a multiple choice format (MCQ) it's hard to be super consistent.
And for the people who did not perform their best their best in the exams, dun worry, this is not the last one... there's another one coming up. And soon... =)
Wednesday, March 22
Award Ceremony at Xenbar Competition, Dec 2005About Salsa... "it totally changed my life"
My gosh, I never really understood the full extent of those words till I started dancing Salsa. Talk about a full-bodied inside-out makeover! Personally I think Xenbar n Teacher Ong contributed a lot to this change. It's not just Salsa per se, but the people at Xen, the stupid things we do, the very fact that we have a place to just muck around, train when we want, sleep, bathe, play x-box (and now the guys are going into online game too- XCC corner: Xenbar City/Country Club -> Xenbar Computer Club??).
Xen's like a home:
cozy, comfortable, cluttered and loved by many...
Maybe we should name XCC to be Xenbar cozy Corner! I mean, dammit!, I can sleep on the massaging chair wif my mouth hanging wide open like an Orang Utan and no one cares! Haha... My deepest darkest secret... (remind me to pray b4 I sleep tt nobody mistakes it for a damn funky-lookin' garbage bin)
And just for your information, I LIKE clutter.
All About Clutter clutter clutter clutter clutter
Call it a quirk if you like, but I think clutter shows something about you: you have a lot of things to do that is so fun and enriching that you have no time to pack!! Haha... More important, it shows that your home is lived in. That there are real people messing up the place, there is life going on, not an empty nest you inhabit every night coz there's no place to go to. I think this was influenced from the Joy Luck Club (Waverly and her child). Blame it on Sec4 Lit... But it kinda stuck with me when my teacher said it. Then again, you could say tt I'm a messy creature, which I dun totally deny. I paraphrase: it's good and disciplined to keep a home clean, but clutter and mess is not all that bad. It show's that you're having fun!
Back to Xenbar: the best school in the world
We've got everything here: costumes, masks, hats, shoes, video screen, gym set, chicken wings, shower, bed, blanket, 3 studios, make up, colored hair wax, posture strap, dvds... All the facilities you need to train and be good.
We've also got all the classes you need: Afro-Cuban, Performance, Shine, On 2, Rueda, Yoga, Isolation, Spin, Stretch, Hip Hop, Belly, Sensual, Ballet, Jazz... All set up with the goal to improve our Salsa dancers... Hmmm... Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, the most important thing: BASIC CLASS EVERYDAY!! (dun get me started on that) And it's so convenient... All the Salsa classes are modular so if I decide that I wanna start learning today, I can join it this week. I dun hafta wait until twenty-something of July or September for the series of classes to start again.
Seriously, it's the ambience of the place. It's a place of healthy competition, lots of laughter, a pyramid of chicken wings and where we can work hard but luff all the way. Yeah sure, it's no Salsa Palace like Union Square, it's far from it in fact. But if you ask me honestly, I don't want a grande ballroom where everytime I step on the dance floor, there are a billion and one people with their eyes safety-pinned on me, calculating and analyzing everything I do. I want a cozy hideaway where I can stick my tongue out when I feel like it (pant, pant, woof!), crawl around everywhere, find the eucalyptus tree to koala... (tt's the full time job of a koala, by the way... They are only awake for 4 hours of the night. The rest is spent in blissful slumber on a eucalyptus tree). Isn't that what life is all about anyway? Living your life. Like scratching your back when it itches: it feels good.
That's what I like about Xen. There is no condemning judgment; there is a lot of forgiveness. I'm not saying that we are so super duper angelic that we don't get on each other's nerves, it happens. But we try not condemn or spread unnecessary rumors around. Like what Teacher Ong says, we always try to see the heart, if the person is sincere. And we practice forgiveness. At least I do. Practice it. I've not mastered it yet, but I'm trying hard! One thing that I learned when I teach: I seldom get angry with someone, but I get disappointed often. And I do get very frustrated. It's very heart-breaking sometimes when you see the potential of the student and try to give him the most important things that you know, but he has pre-decided to do things his way and cannot meet his goal. It's like you have the key to open the door but he refuses it and keeps banging his head against it to force it open.
I guess Teacher Ong, as alwiz is rite on the mark when he says that the teachers are important because they know the road. They have been through the process and achieved the goal (and also helped many others to do so), so they know what path you have to take, they know what is the most important thing you have to do to get there and the miraculous thing is that they can show you the road in the darkness. Damn bloody important. What takes a normal person 2 years to achieve can take you 3 months. I know. I've done it, and I haven't stopped yet, I'm still getting better, and I still have so so much to learn. THAT's why I love Xen!!! I was so thoroughly blessed to go to Xenbar to learn Salsa. I was blessed with such a high calibre teacher who gives us so much. =) Of course, I'm not saying that other schools do not have good teachers, in fact I think they are all pretty good (even though I did not train under them). I'm just saying that I Love my school. I think it's the best. My subjective opinion based on true facts. Haha!!
Koala Koala..
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