Getting Started

Hello there and welcome to my first blog post. After experiencing my first ever Skype chat last week I have been pondering about what to write in my first ever blog. Technology does not tend to be my friend so this was a scary prospect! I decided the best thing to do was to read the course material and to see if inspiration would strike. I had a busy week planned filled with teaching, travelling, auditions and taking class. I downloaded the materials and they proved perfect train reading.

Let me back track slightly and introduce myself. I began dancing at the age of 4, following in the footsteps of my older sister. Dance and performance were a major part of my childhood. One event that stands out to me was a school trip to watch a Matthew Bourne production of 'Edward Scissorhands'. I had never been so captivated by a story told solely through dance. It was this performance that cemented my decision to attend vocational college. I undertook a foundation course at The Urdang Academy and then went on to complete a three year Musical Theatre course at Cambridge Performing Arts, graduating in 2013.

Since graduating I have performed in various jobs in the UK and abroad. I am very grateful for the opportunities given to me, I have not only been able to dance in shows that I enjoy but I have found a love for travel. In between contracts I have taken on many different teaching roles and this is something I would like to develop in my future career.

A life of relatively short contracts of work and auditioning can lead to a fairly unusual lifestyle. It is something that I have done continuously since graduating and have, up until now, not really considered what else might be available to me.

It was thinking about my future that made me decide to complete this degree course. I really want to further my learning and understanding of my career and to see what new directions this learning can take me. And if this week is anything to go by it is going to be an exciting journey!

On the train down to London I settled down to read the module handbook and am surprised at the effect it had on my week. Reading points put forward about what we are going to cover on the course made me think about what I was achieving in my week. I found myself really thinking about all the different ways I networked, from making new friends in an audition line to applying to work with a company online. I also took some time to think about my CV and considered the last time I received feedback on it, I realised it was when I was at college! So I sat down with a friend and asked them to take a look. It was really useful to gain the perspective of a fresh pair of eyes and I can't wait to develop this further on in the module with my fellow BAPP students.

I am really hopeful that by taking on this course it will develop my thinking as a performer and teacher and, if this week is anything to go by, its going to be an exciting journey!