A whirlwind few weeks - lots of need for reflection!

Its been a few weeks since my last blog and my what a few weeks it has been! Since I last wrote a post I have taken part in a group Skype session with Adesola and fellow BAPP students from all three modules. Initially I didn't realise that the session would involve people from all three modules and it turned out to be very helpful. It was interesting to hear the different directions the course has taken people. It varied from discussions on the positives and negatives to working abroad to talks about healthy eating and body image in the performance industry. I was able to ask people on their thoughts about what they learnt and took away from Module 1 in order to check that I am heading in the right direction. The main point they brought up was that they were able to learn new ways of doing things using technology that they then used in their own careers. It was advised that it is important to always relate your learning to your industry. This is something that I am trying hard to do and I am finding it one of the main positives of doing the course. There are things that I knew existed, such as the power of social media and Web 2.0, but had never truly considered their full impact on my career and the industry that I work in. Through reading different peoples points of view on topics such as the power of Facebook in gaining a job in the performance industry it has made me think about and take a look at my own online profile and make amendments where I think necessary.

Since the Skype session I have had a few important decisions to make. I was offered some new performance contracts with companies that I have not worked with before as well as a third contract with a company that I have performed with for the last two summer seasons. I was left with what felt like the impossible task of deciding which opportunity to take. There were so many different factors to consider. Some factors linked to previous things we have considered in Module 1. I thought about what I would like my CV to look like, whether it was important to take a new job so that I had another company on my CV or if I continued with my previous employer that it would reflect positively on my character and work that they wish to re-employ me. I also considered the type of work I would be doing whilst completing the contracts. Ultimately I made my decision by looking to my future. I know that I wish to ultimately go into teaching dance full time, if you have read my previous posts you will know I have recently been involved in the setting up of a new teaching business. I have chosen to work again with my previous company as I have been given a position with more responsibility which will involve taking rehearsals with the cast and teaching choreography. I think this will be most beneficial for me considering my future plans as I will be able to learn new teaching skills and different ways to approach different teaching scenarios. I am now really looking forward to leaning more about different ways to reflect on my work from the next part of this module in order to take away the most learning from the job that I can. For example I am interested to see what different approaches I will take to teaching choreography when it is meant for professional performance compared to teaching to improve younger children's dance education. Perhaps there will not be as much of a difference as I currently think there will be!

So I now embark on a journey to Malaga next Sunday where I will be living for the next six months! I will be completing the rest of this module from a slightly further distance but believe the course will work very well along side the work I will be doing this Summer.