It's official, I have a Blog........... opening entry 4th October 2010

Finally have worked out how this all works, how to set up the blog, about me link etc for the course work. Had problems trying to access some of the site and saving changes but finally due to monsoon rain all day yesterday and nothing much else to do I cracked it and can make first entry.

I have had a pretty hectic and crazy 3 weeks even by my standards.....

Firstly, I went to enrol on the BAPP course and to find where the university is for drop in days and to meet tutors. Not too bad really , pretty straight run to drive on the A1 from Doncaster to Hatfield and then just 1 junction on M25 to Potters Bar and a few miles on through Cockfosters and there it was. Took about 3 hours to drive.  Now that’s a place – “Cockfosters” – a name  you always see on the front of tube trains and wonder where it is, at the end of the Piccadilly Line, well now I know and can say I’ve been there!!!!

Met one or two fellow BAPPers and everyone seems nice, all a little older than me and far more experienced in the business but hopefully that will help me gain from their experiences. I wanted to complete the course to improve my CV  and employment prospects - even in the "physical" world of dance more and more employers want you to  have a degree and life experience and if I don't make it in the world of performance it can help open other opportunities for me within the dance field. - eg; teaching, choroegraphy, dance science?


I  have also started classes to keep my technique and stamina up and do some networking -

• Mon day eves – Northern Contemporary Dance School ( NCDS) in Leeds – Advanced Contemporary and working towards performance in Riley Theatre in November.
• Thursday eves  - Northern Ballet Advanced Professional Ballet Open Classes alternated with Professional Jazz Classes at The Dancer in Wakefield. 
• Friday Evenings - Jazz and Limber Classes/Choreography for The Wiz.

During September I was also commuting to London to my Saturday job in Freed Dance shop as this was another way of networking with dance clients and customers and getting the West End goss in the shop. Was quite sad to have to leave but with the successful auditions I didn’t need to live in the London flat anymore, it would have meant a longer lease for my parents to finance. Saturdays were 16 hour days and the expense of commuting was more than my wages for the day in the shop.  So sadly had to quit that one this week.

Been busy keeping up with emails and jobs from Spotlight and Star Now Castings of which I am a member and applying to agencies and jobs  as well as going for a run every day, doing pilates , gym and swimming to keep toned and fit .

Also had 2 major dance auditions and the really exciting news is that I was successful in both.

The first was for a dancer at Disneyland Paris and I had a really great audition and it felt great to walk out knowing I had been shortlisted for a contract. The bad news was I have to wait for a suitable contract coming available and this could be anything up to 6 months!!! However I will discuss my experiences of the audition for my evidence later.

The second was for a dancer with Royal Caribbean Cruises and the amazing news was I was successful again and signed a contract with them. I just have to wait for the casting director in Miami to cast all the ships and send for me. I’ve been waiting a week already and it seems like a year !!!

Also during the last 3 weeks I helped with a production of The Boyfriend at Doncaster Little Theatre   and ran a Street Dance Workshop  and a Musical Theatre Workshop to set choreography for  a Christmas Production of the Wizard of Oz. Just need to get all the evidence documented in my journal as I may need to call on those experiences later.

I have also been  trying to get some paid part time work too to compensate for the loss of the Freed job to see me up to my cruise call and worked in a shoe shop for 3 days last week in Leeds but the manager wanted me to work full time and I’d really wanted part time to fit everything else in too so I quit as the hours were not going to be suitable for me to do my classes , auditions and my  course work and as much as I adore shoes, it’s not my number one choice of vocation, I’d rather buy shoes than sell them.

Anyway, I have applied for another job which is just one day a week in a shop that sells beauty products which would allow me to go to my classes etc but it would be a bit of cash to help, so I’ll see if they give me a call and even better a job with a company called Junior Jam who provide dance sessions to schools in West Yorkshire 15 hours a week so that would be perfect for my particular skills in dance.  Hopefully I have secured a couple of dance workshops at Swinton High School, Rotherham with year 11 GCSE dance so that will all be great evidence for me to use for my course too, really quite proud of my advertising flyer I made yesterday to promote my workshops .

I couldn’t do the drop in session at Uni on the 1^st October but hopefully dependent on the up shot of all the things mentioned above I will be able to do the drop in session on 19^th October. I certainly think I will be here till the end of November and I want to get my first module as far forward as I can before then in case it’s “ Miami, here I come!!!”, cos once I  get the call I’ll only have 3 weeks to organise visas and medicals etc but need to keep feet on the ground till then.

So after the excitement of graduation and the end of term show, August seemed  a little slow and dull but I’ve had an Indian Summer so to speak in September and it’s all been happening for me, just need to get documenting and evaluating all my evidence first and then start Module 1.