Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?

• My new mentor, Liz Woods, is a regular instructor at Stylz Dance studio. She is an expert in the field, not only because she has her own class but also because she is the co-director for a dance team called Nu Era. Her extensive dance experience and all her knowledge definitely makes her an expert in the field of dance. 

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1. At what age did you start dancing?
2. How did you end up getting a teaching slot at Stylz?
3. Were any kinds of opportunities offered to you when you first started dancing?
4. How long did it take you to develop your specific dance style?
5. How much did you train when you first started dancing?

Blog 6 - Advisory Prep

  

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you?  

• One thing that is going well for me this year is my introduction to the dance community. Before the senior project I pretty just danced for fun. Now I'm really starting to understand the dance industry and what it takes to become known in such a competitive field. I'm building connections with people that are in the same situations as me, trying to get into the industry, as well as those that are already deep in the field. This was a positive experience for me because dance has become a lot more fun for me now that my horizons have opened. I have the gained the opportunity to build upon different styles of dance and new moves from different choreographers that I wouldn't have been able to learn otherwise. 

2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help?

• Regarding my senior project, the one thing that is difficult for me is trying to catch up with those that have been dancing ever since they were little. At my studio, there are a good majority of people that have been dancing for years while I've only been serious for a couple years now.  For example, if we're learning a routine, there'd be times where I'm the only one dying of dehydration while everyone else isn't even breaking a sweat. There's also the fact that I've only barely started taking dance classes. The only way I can adapt is  by practicing more and working 3x as harder than everyone else to catch up. The senior team might be able to help by giving less homework so I can practice more. (:

Blog 5 - Interview 1 Reflection

 

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?

• The most important thing that I learned from my interview is the fact that dance is an extremely competitive sport. There are thousands of people competing to be the best and at the rate I've been working, I won't even stand a chance. This interview made me come to a realization that I will need to work 10x harder if I want to get anywhere in the dance industry. The only thing I would probably do differently in my next interview is ask more in depth questions about their own personal experience. This would allow me to see dance from a different person's perspective a lot more. 

2. Did I get additional resources and contacts?  What is the most useful?  Why?

• I didn't get any specific contacts but during my interview, I was told that without connections I wouldn't be able to get anywhere in the field of dance. My interviewee also told me about the value of knowing the history of dance. I do believe this piece of information is the most useful because it gives me some ideas to research but also because it'll help me with the essays I'm gonna need to write later this year.

3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me? 

• My interviewee, Denise Cancino, is qualified to help me because she has been in the industry ever since she was 10.  She has performed in numerous events and continues to dance even to this day. She also specializes in a number of different dance styles of which include Tahitian, Hula, and flags. Cancino has been my instructor ever since I first started dancing. I do believe she is very knowledgeable and more then qualified to be the one to help me as my first interviewee. 

Link to a clip of my audio:

https://soundcloud.com/yujik-2/ipoly-dance-interview-1

Blog 4 - House Advisory Prep 1

                 

Through my senior topic, I hope to accomplish a number of things. One in which includes earning a teaching slot at either the Pomona Hip Hop School of Arts or my current studio, Stylz Dance. Although this is a stretch, I do believe I may have a chance at accomplishing this considering the drastic amount of improvement I have made since starting my mentorship. I also hope to join the well known dance company, GRV, by sometime in the next couple of years. With the amount of training I've been doing lately, I come closer to understanding my movements more and more every day. At this rate I plan to evolve as a dancer by the end of this year. Developing my own style, becoming more well known in the dance community, and forming connections with other dancers are just some of the milestones I hope to accomplish. 

Blog 3 - First Interview Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?

• I plan to interview my current dance supervisor, Denise Cancino. The reason why I plan to interview her is because not only is she an experienced dancer, but she has also watched me grow from when I first started to where I am now. What better way to start off my first interview than with the person that has been there with me right from the beginning. She has participated in group performances, private shows for schools and other events, and specializes in various dance styles ranging from Tahitian to flags. With this being said, I strongly believe that it's safe to say that she is qualified as an experienced dancer and is even more qualified to be my first interviewee. 

2.  Five questions will be assigned to all seniors to ask.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  Ask open-ended questions.

• A few additional questions I would plan to ask would be aimed towards her past background in dance. Since I am only beginning as a dancer, I am very much interested in the age at which most dancers start and how they start off. The following questions will address this curiosity of mine:
• At what age did you start dancing and how did you get into it?
• What is the best way for an amateur dancer to become more comfortable in their movements, in other words less stiff? 
• At what point in your dance career did you become more involved in such activities like group performances and public shows? 

Blog 2 - Summer Mentorship

1. List the contact name, phone number, and organization of the person with whom you volunteered.

• Arturo Ochoa, (323) 898-2201, Stylz Dance Studio

2. What qualified this person as an expert in your topic choice?     

• My mentor, Arturo Ochoa, is an expert in the field of dance because not only is he a regular instructor at Stylz but he also travels throughout the country for performances and various dance workshops that he teaches. He has competed with numerous teams, of which include Gravy Babies and Honeybadgerz. Although he is only in his early 20's, he has already gained a vast expansion of knowledge and experience. He continues to grow as both a choreographer and a dancer, as all experts in this field should. 

3. List three questions for further exploration now that you've completed your summer hours.    

• What is the easiest way to become familiar in the dance community?

• What skills/traits are required in order for an individual to become a professional choreographer?

• What are the first steps that a beginner dancer should take in order to obtain a unique style?

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

• The most important thing that I gained from my summer mentorship at Stylz Dance Studio is the basic movement that should be known in order for a dancer to freely move their body smoothly. What most people don't know is that a majority of dancers actually start off really stiff. It takes time and practice in order for the body to become used to certain dance moves. Therefore my mentorship really helped me familiarize myself with certain combinations that I would have never been able to do before.      

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did mentorship help you make your decision?  Please explain.

• My senior topic is going to be Dance Choreography. My mentorship helped me make this decision because in all honesty, I was leaning more towards doing a topic in the medical field for my senior project. However, Stylz Dance Studio really reminded me how much I love dance. After taking numerous classes, I learned that dance is not just a hobby anyone can pick up and do. It's much more intricate than that. The easiest way to explain it is that it's an art form. Dancers, like all other artists, must take years of practice in order to become masters in their field. Each class I took left me with an urge to learn more every time. This is what made me finally decide that I wanted to really go more in depth into what dance is and that's why I made it my senior topic.

Link to Senior Project Hours

Blog 1 – Senior Final Lesson/Interview Reflection

1.  What three lessons were most helpful for you to see, and why?

• The three lessons that were most helpful to me would have to be the topics of physical therapy, nursing, and film editing. Physical therapy is a topic that I've always had my eye on every since freshman year so it was nice to see how someone else with my same interest was able to execute the presentation. The nursing presentation really opened my eyes to a topic I had absolutely no interest in but now I might even consider it for my mentorship. Finally, the film editing presentation was really well done in my opinion, so it really gave me an idea in what direction I should take when my time comes to do the senior presentation. 

2. List one thing that you learned about the senior project in interviews that will help you get off to a good start?

• One thing that I learned through the interviews was that you shouldn't stress out too much about the senior project or else you'll end up wanting to dropout midway through the year. 

3. What topic(s) are you considering, and why?

• The three topics that I am considering are physical therapy, dance, and nursing. Physical therapy and nursing are both careers that I am really interested in pursuing so it would be nice to get a head start with the experience and mentorship that the senior project has to offer. Dance is just a really fun hobby for me, so I thought it would've been interesting to see dance in a more academic perspective rather than just a fun activity. 

4. What EQ do you think might be interesting to consider in guiding a project like this? (Please don't worry about any sort of formula...we want this question to come from your genuine interest)

• Physical Therapy: What is the most essential aspect of physical therapy that would need to be touched upon in order to fully satisfy a patient's expectations and needs? 
• Dance: What is the best way to access your full potential when performing a choreographed dance piece?  
• Nursing: What is the most efficient way for a nurse to place a patient into a peaceful state of mind? 

5. What are some ideas you have about finding summer mentorship?

• Summer mentorship has not been on my mind too much, but I do know of a private physical therapy center that's located very close to my house. I also know of numerous dance studios all around where I live that I could mentor at. Finally, I was thinking of just mentoring at any hospital that would accept me for nursing or any other medical related topic.