Kolb’s learning cycle, how an experience of mine fits…

Concrete experience

In May 2006 I moved to Paris to work as a dancer. Moving to a new country where I could not speak the language was hard, even the simplest of tasks like buying phone credit to ordering a taxi were extremely hard.
I had a very basic knowledge of French from school so I tried hard to speak to people to people the best I could, but it being Paris in springtime I found that the Parisians had little time to entertain my efforts and often responded to my broken French in fluent English. This was confidence knocking.
Although I worked with a few French girls they spoke English and so I spent most of my time speaking in English. In fact I spent most of my first six months in Paris with other English and Australian girls. I did not make a big effort to integrate into the community because we had our own social circle and depended on the fact that the French people could speak English. It was easy to find comfort in the familiar.


Reflective observation

Six months into the contract Audrey, joined the cast and was sitting in my changing room. She spoke little English and so it was hard to communicate with her. Her arrival made me think about the past six months and how I had not made as much progress as I could with learning the French language and that this had resulted in me being dependant on people for help a lot of the time, for example when I wanted to negotiate with my landlord, get the internet installed and deal with the plentifully French administration system.
I had spent a lot of time with the same people, who were great but I did not have much of a life outside of my English-speaking work friends. I felt a little Ignorant going through my life in this amazing city making little effort to connect with the people around me. I felt because of this I was missing out on certain experiences of living in a foreign country and the culture that comes with it. I do the job I do because it allows me to travel and experience different people and places,


Abstract conceptualisation

Not being able to communicate freely with Audrey at work and with the people around me on a daily basis was frustrating me and was limiting my experiences in Paris.
In order to fully appreciate the city I would need to be able to communicate more with people and in order to do this I would need to learn the language and make more effort executing it. I also needed to spend more time around French speaking people and make an effort to socialise with people from a wider range of places.
I learnt that once you are around French speakers you must really try not to become dependant on them and to persevere. When you start your sentence in French, don’t be discouraged if the person looks back at you blankly. I have now realized how much the accent matters to the French and how that can be the difference between them understanding you or not.
If I wanted to become more into the community I would have to be very confident and forthcoming.


Active experimentation

At first I began by learning a phrase a day In French. I would often come to work and try my phrases out on Audrey, who humoured me greatly. I made a concentrated effort to ask more questions in French. I found that little by little my vocabulary increased. I also listened to conversations between Audrey and Axelle another French girl in my changing room. In time I met more people from Paris ad although I spoke to them mainly in English I still learnt a lot more about Paris as a city, Places to see, restaurants and bars to try out. After a further twelve months in Paris I was by no means fluent in French, but I had made a life for myself in an amazing city.
The majority of my active experimentation however came almost Ten months later when I returned to France to work just outside of Strasbourg. I was living in a small village, and the boss of the theatre spoke only French. I immediately threw myself into speaking as much French as I could and enrolled in French classes at the university where away from my work I made friends and developed my language skills.
It is also helped me professionally as I needed to be able to communicate with my boss and with the audience of the show when I met them before the show for photos.
Living in a more rural area there is a stronger sense of culture. I tried harder to embrace this, but there are aspects I’m still working on. Living in the fast pace of London where things are at your convenience coming to accept that a shop can (and will!) close when it likes is not easy!

Reflection, our day at the campus.

Kolb's learning cycle

Today we attended Middlesex University, where we got to interact with our peers. Our main topic of converstation was Kolb's learning cycle.

Stage 1: Concrete experience (Doing, having the experience)
We learnt that this is a fact that has happened, with not emotional attachmenent.

Stage 2: Reflective observation (Reviewing, relfecting on the experience)
This is what we have seen, witnessed, experienced...

Stage 3: Abstract conceptualistion (Concluding, learning from the experience)
This is what you have learnt from the experience.

Stage 4: Active experimentation (Planning, trying out what you have learnt)
Putting into practice what we have learnt.


Reflecting upon essays that we have read today, we can now understand better how to dissect and what is useful information and what is emotive writing. For example, sentences such as, 'This is nice' has not value or meaning, because it does fit into any stage of the cycle, to do so it would need to be expanded.

We also learnt about the learning diary:
-Honest
-Cue Memory
-Enjoyable
-Evaluate
-Descriptive
-Relfective
-Focus, notice re-occurences
-Develop action
-Give evidence to back up thoughts

If the diary does not contain these elements, then it is worthless as it cannot be used in the future, or be reflected on, and experiences will not be able to be drawn

links of interest

Hopi ear candling.

I have always suffered from problems with my left ear and sinuses. I have tried various things over the years but recently tried this and found it to be really effective. It dates back through many civilizations, and is reported to be pictured in ancient art works.
A gentle, yet affective treatment It I can highly recommend. The treatment takes about 45 minutes a tubular candle is placed in your ear and lit at the end, as the candle burns down a warm heat is felt and you can hear a crackling, a vacuum is created drawing wax and impurities out of the ear and up the candle. After this treatment you feel clearer and your hearing is improved.
I am not a huge fan of conventional medicine, if I really need it I will take it of course, but I always like to look for alternative treatments. I am always interested to find out the effects and history of these alternative therapies. I have tried various treatments over time and found them beneficial.
http://www.lynnehancher.co.uk/aaahop.htm

Bikram Yoga



Bikram Yoga is like a drug. Addictive. Once you step foot in the studio you feel instantly motivated and focused on yourself. It is intense workout of ninety minutes and I can vouch that at the end of the session you feel amazing, both physically and mentally. The mixture of people and abilities is something I love, everyone is there for there own reasons, It is purely self indulgent time but really helps with all round well being. I have felt down, stiff and out of shape, the sweating involved in a session of Bikram is an instant pick me up. The feeling is addictive. It is also a rapid way to improve strength, flexibility and also things like digestion. Go and try it, although it is expensive there are lots of introductory offers to be had and also a discount for equity members.
http://www.bikramyoga.co.uk/home.html

Three people who inspire me.

Justin Lee Collins.

Justin Lee Collins is an entertainer who I have grown to love in recent years.
He is originally from Bristol, my home town, so I have followed his work.
He has an ability to make me laugh all the time. He has worked as a stand up comic, radio and television presenter. He is adaptable, working alone and with his co-star Alan Carr, on The Sunday Night project. I think being able to switch from a solo performer to part of a team is an admirable talent.
One of the things I admire most and that has influenced me is his determination and commitment to mastering a new skill, He has had numerous shows on TV including the “Convention Crasher” where he has to perfect different skills and compete at professional conventions to win prizes. Some of the tasks included ventriloquism and Clowning. He has recently done a similar show where he had to perfect ballroom dancing, even though he had little natural ability and had to loose three stone he persevered and achieved a lot, I think this shows determination and in my experience there is a lot to be said for this!

The link I have added shows him in his show "Justin Lee Collins west end star"


Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson, also known as the "King of Pop", was a musician and one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time.
He had an amazing career and his talent was obvious even as a child when he performed with his brothers in The Jackson 5. His versatility is something to be admired, his voice, along with his dancing ability have entertained for many decades and he has many timeless hits. I am sure there is at least one song that everyone could love.
He has also been the inspiration for numerous artists both musically and thanks to his choreography in his videos dance wise too. No one else is so famous for a particular dance step.
He is known to have transformed music videos and made them into an art form , videos like “Thriller” and “Beat it” are arguably the most famous of all time.
Despite his endless achievements including the best selling album of all time, I admire the way his music has broken down cultural, racial and generational barriers. But also the way he used his status in a positive way and donated millions to charity, he supported numerous charities and had his own foundation. I have always admired his work, and danced numerous times to his music. The fact he did so much for others just adds to the admiration.


This video shows just how much MJ has inspired and influenced musicians.

Natalie Muschamp.

In April 2008 I was working in Portugal when I met my colleague and friend Natalie.
We were both working as dancers in a casino and lived together, she would often talk about how she could create a production as good or better than the one we were in. She would dissect every part from how she would conduct rehearsal to music choice, inappropriate costume choices the lot. At times throughout the contract I felt I could of gone crazy with her. But I have to hand it to her she knew what her dream was and she has now achieved it. It was a chance encounter whilst she was working in Milan and telling someone of her ideas and passion that she met a lady with a contact in an Italian Casino. She then secured a contract with the Casino San Remo in Italy, and set about forming her company, making her show and finding her dancers. Realizing she was not one for dealing with the nitty gritty she found herself a partner so she could focus on the creative side. Her company “Choices” is a dream come true for her and I was delighted that I could work with her in her first production Je suis mes choix.
Natalie has achieved what she always wanted. She was clear in knowing what it was she wanted to achieve and has achieved it. It is this determination and focus that I find inspirational. When you have worked with someone and then less than eighteen months later you are working for them you know that you too can achieve what you want.
I have attached the link of her first promotional video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYAjhf9l210&feature=player_embedded

My top 5 resources...

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com

Facebook is probably my most frequent resource, It enables me to keep in touch with my friends and work colleagues who are scattered around the globe. It is also a good way of finding out about auditions and castings as there are many different groups that you can join that send casting information and briefs .
It also allows me to quickly contact people if I need information or help on a specific project.

The Stage
http://www.thestage.co.uk
The stage newspaper was my first ever resource in my professional career,
It is a good place to find open auditions for all sorts of productions throughout the arts. I have attended many auditions from this source and gained employment from them.
It is also an interesting site to find news and reviews about the arts.

Ents web
www.entsweb.co.uk
This is a website that advertises auditions and jobs, Many European employers advertise here for cabaret type shows which is the main area I work in.
Although I mainly use this site to find auditions it also has a lot of other information on this site about all aspects of the entertainment industry including courses and accommodation.

Dancers Int.co.uk
http://www.dancersint.co.uk/
This is a website and also an agency, that advertises forthcoming auditions and vacancies for dancers. I attended an audition recently that was organised by this agency and will work at Christmas in Holland as a result. There is also a section of contacts, which I have used to promote myself.

BBC news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
I read the news on this website daily.
Wherever I am in the world I can keep up to date with what is happening in the world, including the entertainment industry. I find this a big comfort in life as I am often not in the U.K, I don’t like to feel out of touch with the world.

how we see ourself?

Just a quick thought before bed... I went to an audition earlier today, which actually inspired me to go and take class, something I don't do often enough!
While i was dancing I felt ok, I seemed to be on the right track so I thought, then i caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye in the mirror, and I looked nothing like I imagined! In fact I was quite disturbed! Do we go around seeing what we want believe? only to have these brief moments of realization? I used to dread the video camera coming out at college as I have always been self critical, but i think after being left to my own devices more or less since graduating i could do with seeing the evidence a bit more!
What do you feel like when you see a video of yourself? Is it generally what you invisaged?

my CV

What started as a weekly hobby every Thursday after school and before Brownies, became the thing that has shaped my life, becoming my passion, my outlet, allowing me to travel far and wide, to experience people and cultures I could only of imagined all those years ago holding onto my blue plastic chairs and staring out the windows of the local church hall.

I must say I was not a natural talent! Years of hard work and hours of persistence got me
to level where I could consider this as a profession.

At the age of sixteen I moved to Manchester to further my training and it was here I had my first teaching position teaching at a dance school. Each Saturday I taught lessons in ballet, tap and jazz. Here I had to prepare students for examinations over the year, prepare and teach free jazz classes and choreograph pieces for both solo and group performances in a variety of genres. This job proved to be very enlightening.

My three years training at Performers College proved invaluable; three years of long hours both in the studios at college and at home in the evenings documenting each day, studying for Anatomy and Physiology in my first year, my I.S.T.D Associate Modern in my second and in my third preparing for the outside world and completing my Contextual Studies for my Trinity National Diploma in Professional Dance.

During this Three year course I trained extensively in Ballet, Tap, numerous genres of Jazz, and Contemporary dance.
In my third year I chose to specialize in dance but for the first two years I studied musical theatre where I developed my skills in Speech, Drama, Singing and Musical Theatre. I found a love of acting so at the weekend I attended the London Actors workshop and trained in acting for the stage and for the camera. Putting this to good use I appeared in two showcases at the Courtyard Theatre, London. I also appeared in numerous corporate events at top London hotels, including “ Fashion with balls”, along side the England Rugby team, and models Jodie Kidd, and Shopie Anderton.

My training has enabled me to secure a place in the profession working continuously since graduating in a range of productions and companies, upon graduating I performed alongside the Osmond brothers in “Broadway’s spirit of Christmas” in the USA, I then moved to Paris to become a “Doris” girl dancing the French can-can at the Moulin Rouge, Staying in France I also worked in the third largest cabaret in France, Royal Palace. I have also done various casino contracts around Europe. During these contracts I have expanded my knowledge of dance styles. I have also learnt a lot about my chosen industry and what is expected and desired as a professional performer. From preparing for auditions, dealing with agents, managing and promoting yourself as a performer to other aspects such as rehearsals, costumes and wigs applying false eyelashes and also maintaining the choreography as personal flair creeps in, another important aspect is to maintain your own technique and physique I have experience taking daily warm ups and technique classes at work before the performances.
Very often in the production and rehearsal stages of a show the hours are long and strenuous, the schedules are often very tight and so it is imperative that you as a performer are physically and mentally alert as well extremely organised and able to communicate with those around you in every position. Travelling extensively and working on varying projects have defiantly made me tune my organisational skills as moving your life to a different country would be a disaster otherwise!
I am unsure where my life after a performer will take me at this stage, which is unusual for me as I spend a large majority of my life planning and setting myself goals, but I hope over the duration of this course I will discover new opportunities and interests to guide me towards a sustainable career in my chosen profession, where I know I have something to bring the table.

Whatever happened to my little pony?

I have just seen this video posted on a friends facebook, while it is quite amazing they have reached this standard already, I wonder what sort of training regime they must have, and is really natural for children so young to be so advanced? I am all for natural talent but i just hope there are not three mothers with whips at home!

I don't have children yet but at the age of seven this Isn't what i envisaged!