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Week 10: Reflecting on your practice

Ballet is a dance form with a long tradition and its aesthetic and practice are constantly evolving. The texts you have read during this semester refer to the individual experience of dancing and to the fact that each dancer brings a personal set of ideas and pre-conceptions to the study of a dance genre. In this module you have been encouraged to develop a practice of ballet that is personal and contemporary as well as connected with the long tradition.

This is a black and white photo of a group of ballet students in a class with their teacher. A young male is standing on both foot lifting a girl with his hands from her hips. He is wearing black t-shirt and tights and is looking at her. She is wearing a black leotard and pointe shoes. She is raising her legs backwards, her torso curved back and her arms lifted to the ceiling. A male teacher is coming towards them and raising his arms towards the girl. The teacher is wearing street clothes, a dark jacket and shoes and lighter trousers. Four students are standing in the background against a ballet bar. There is a door on the left side of the room.

This week you are going to reflect on how your independent practice-based research, reading and analysis connect with your dancing in class.

Activity 10.1

Choose a quote from any of the texts you have read this semester that resonates with your experience of ballet or that inspires your ballet practice. Post your quote on the discussion thread "Inspiring quotes" in the module forum. Remember to indicate the author, date and page where your quote comes from.

Activity 10.2

In this final activity you will reflect on your own ballet practice.

This is a black and white image of a ballet rehearsal. In the middle there is a dancer facing the back of the room. She is on her pointe shoes with her arms extended to the sides. In front of her there are two rows of dancers kneeling on the floor, on group on the left and one on the right forming a V shape. Behind them there are two dancers, one at each side performing an arabesque. In the center of the V there is a trio of one male and two female students, one at each side. The women are wearing black leotards and long white tutus except for the two ones at the back who are wearing light leotards. The male dancer is all in black. There are two doors in the studio, a ballet bar and a portrait hanging on the wall.

1

Write 3 bullet points about the ways in which your ballet practice is 'truthful', 'correct' and/or 'good' (refer to task 1 as necessary).

This is an open answer. Your response should be personal.Check your answer